so recent NEWS from new york is that police are NOT violating critical mass riders’ rights by requiring them to have a parade permit when riding in groups of 50 or more. in other words, critical mass will soon need a permit.

as usual, BS:NYC LOOKS at the issue with brilliant cynicism, but moreover, he makes a really REALLY disturbing point, which is that by fighting for a right that they already had, NYC cyclists have effectively stripped themselves of it.

that’s making it pretty basic, but the point being that the mass was started (HERE, NOT IN NYC, THANKYOUVERYMUCH) to fight for the rights of cyclists. in many ways, that was "necessary," as there weren’t very many safe routes for beginner-level cyclists to ride on, there was no cycling infrastructure in the major cities, and so on. so fine, a bunch of bike lanes go into a bunch of cities and everybody wins. but the mass continued, now as more of a party. then it became a "nuisance." (this is a subject we’ve talked about a ton here on the forum, most recently right over HERE.) and NOW, at least in NYC, it’s starting to tread on the very thin ice of being outright illegal. and THAT is not cool.

at what point then, asks BS:NYC, does cycling become something you need a license for? i think that’s kind of taking it over the top, but with cities like philly already starting to think about mandatory registration of bicycles, and berlin cracking down on brakeless fixed-gears, we’re already starting to suffer the sting of knuckleheads fighting for rights we already have. look at the brakeless thing. "I MUST HAVE A BRAKELESS BIKE!" 10 years ago … shit, even 5 years ago, there wasn’t a cop ANYWHERE who would give half a shit about whether or not you had brakes on your bike. but then a bunch of FUCKING IDIOTS started saying they had to have the right to not run one (a right they already had), and the next thing you know, cops are lookin for em now.

riding a bicycle used to be something that you could do without any fear of retribution. yeah, you might get creamed by a car or something, but that could happen to you crossing the street on foot, too. the point is that it USED to be something that no one gave any thought to. you get on your bike, ride to where you’re going, and you’re done. but thanks to "activists" (which i am one of, i’m not trying to excuse myself from any blame here), it’s now something that cops are watching, judges are ruling against, and even MORE people will certainly take up a fight for.

a fight, i must concur, that doesn’t need to be fought anymore. we already fought for the rights that modern cyclists have (more lanes, more parking, et cetera). it would be like young grrls taking up the fight for a woman’s right to vote. they already HAVE it. they don’t NEED to fight for it anymore.

for my part, i’m thinking of bailing out of the whole idea of critical mass from here on out. i don’t know, it just feels wierd now.

and don’t get me wrong. i’m not saying that cyclists have all the rights they need and don’t need to fight for new stuff that’s lacking in the infrastructure of cities nationwide. i’m saying that fighting for a right you already have is silly and may just get that very right revoked.

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