[CMI-CM] flyering update

[Paul Riismandel]

I, too, have been flyering, mostly in academic bldgs and around the East 
side of campus.  I will continue tomorrow, perhaps some tagging.

On the issue of some bicyclists thinking our tactics are just an annoyance:
I'm not sure they can be placated, and I don't think the speed of the mass 
makes any difference.  I think the same drivers would be annoyed  at 10 or 
even 20 mph.  The tactic of CM is fundamentally confrontational and I don't 
think that can change.  I also understand and respect that there are 
bicyclists who don't want to be confrontational or who don't think that 
it's useful--I don't think it's useful to try and placate them  either.

In the end, either there are enough bicyclists out there who want to 
participate in this type of demonstration or there aren't.  Publicity is 
key to reaching those cyclists, and I personally have put a fair amount of 
time into that element myself (though it takes more than just me and Arun, 
too).  But if that doesn't result in a good size ride, I'm willing to face 
the fact that maybe there aren't enough folks who want a CM here.

--Paul

At 03:25 PM 8/28/2001 -0500, Arun Bhalla wrote:

>I actually did more flyering today -- last night I couldn't because the copy
>shops were all closed or out of service.  The Quad and part of campustown
>are covered.
>
>I'll be doing some tagging and palmcarding during lunchtime on Thursday,
>maybe also Friday if I have any supplies left.
>
>I stopped by Bikeworks today to leave a more recent flyer there -- the one
>he had was from the summer of 2000.  Bruce and I had a short conversation
>about Critical Mass.  Initially he didn't want to me to put up a flyer
>there.  He thinks Critical Mass isn't productive.  Eventually he let
>me put up a flyer, but what I got out of the conversation is that there
>are fellow bikers, advocates, and allies who don't agree with CM -- and
>he isn't the first person I've met in that respect -- and largely they
>feel that way because CM seems to mainly annoy car drivers, in their eyes.
>I don't think we can ignore that point, although it may be arguable that
>annoying drivers for a few minutes once a month is a necessary evil.
>But perhaps it's worth reconsidering our tactics (perhaps even by biking
>at 10mph instead of 5mph, for example) if it will get more allies on our
>side, and perhaps we can keep both the message and the messenger alive
>and well.
>
>Arun
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