by Simon Ham, from Wheel of Time, issue 3, March 1998
Critical Mass: the minimum amount of people required to make something happen.
Calgary's Critical Mass proves to be a relatively small but growing number of people who are starting to make things happen. From nine cyclists on a cold Monday evening in early January, to 30 on February 2 and most recently, on Monday, March 2, 51 people took to the streets to promote safety and awareness of cyclists on Calgary's roads.
Critical Mass began in San Francisco and New York in 1992 and has since spread to cities worldwide. From five to five hundred cyclists meet after work as an "organized coincidence" and create a bike clot in rush hour traffic. It is a peaceful demonstration with as many reasons as there are riders. Some want to assert their right to the road, to promote safety and to promote the social, environmental and health benefits of cycling. Others just want to get together with other cyclists and go for a ride and have fun. All of the riders share a love for the freedom, exhilaration and the feeling of the wind on their face as they ride their bicycles.
Critical Mass is now in Calgary and has finally been noticed by local TV news media, newspapers and the police, and it looks like it's here to stay. The lowly cyclist, normally considered a practically invisible nuisance to motorists (the mosquito of the asphalt) can now join with others to claim their right to the road. Cyclists mass to force drivers to notice and give them some room and respect. Though traffic may be slowed, emphasizing that our love of the car has brought us smog, gridlock and hatred of our fellow man (see road rage), and tempers may flare, this is not the intent of the ride. Critical Mass aims to show that cycling is a viable activity year round in this oil-fuelled, car-ruled society.
On March 2, the 51 riders filled downtown streets with a chorous of tinkling bike bells. The mass takes on a festive atmosphere, people smiling and waving to motorists and pedestrians as they pass by. Many drivers who wonder what's going on are given information sheets on what Critical Mass is all about. Most accept them with a smile and give encouragement.
Some drivers experience anxiety, turning to anger. Horns sound, engines are revved as their vehicles lurch menacingly toward the cyclists. They won't roll down their window, hiding within their sports car/sport utility vehicle status symbol on wheels. They refuse to take an info sheet, refuse to become educated about cyclists and Critical Mass and roar off down the road in a cloud of ignorance.
The ride continued without incident through the downtown core but picked up a police van at 12th Ave. and 8th Street. Over their loudspeaker, police instructed the cyclists to get in single file. As the pack of cyclists reorganized into single file, the police van moved in front and pulled over two people and gave them tickets. Jennifer Moody and Brad Davis were issues $28 tickets for failing to ride in single file. Several blocks later, the same police van pulled Brad over once again, by squeezing into his lane and literally forcing him to the side of the road. Here, a discussion ensued as to the finer points of the Highway Traffic Act as it pertains to cyclists.
Eventually, the massers arrived at their intended destination: the Castle Pub. TV interviews were given, refreshments served, debates raged about all things bikerly and the festivities continued. Brad and Jennifer will probably be fighting their tickets but a collection was taken and will easily cover the $56 in fines. The brush with the law failed to extinguish the spirit of Critical Mass in Calgary and we can expect increased turnouts into the spring and summer. So get yer ass to Critical Mass: meet on the first Monday of each month at 5:15 pm on the 8th Avenue mall in front of Bankers' Hall.