so, a few things I wanted to mention.
I took part in the critical mass that happenned today in Winnipeg - and - it was a very fun, happy, and amazing experience! I was pretty nervous about joining this event, there has been some police harrassment, and some abuse happenning at the last two affairs - and I'm not sure that maybe all of it wasn't unfairly provoked - so I was not so sure about what I was getting myself into... Well, I was a little scared as I pulled up to Central Park, and saw about 30-40 fellow cyclists there, and then, over my shoulder, I espied the 10 or so bicycle officers.......
Well, within a half an hour - a truly amazing thing happenned!!! At least 200 more people showed up!! At the previous Masses - there were about 50-70 people, and about 40 officers... this time - it looked like a grand ol'party was about to occur!!! Well, the church bells tolled 5, and off we went - so thick were the streets at first that we had to walk with our bikes, as we waited for the people at the front of the ride to reach the nearest intersections, and block them off - yes that's right - block them off! You see, that's part of the ride! Its all about cyclists looking out for one another, and blocking intersections from motorised traffic so that we can proceed safely as a group and not get split up!!! At first, I was all smiles, ear to ear - it was so much fun - we were all breaking the law, and we knew it, but we also were doing it full of intent, and with the reason of getting a message out - that message from me was,
"We are cyclists, and we have a right to safe transportation. I am not afraid of cars, but I know a lot of people who are, and therefore, won't cycle at all, or as much as they would like to - and in the same vein, I know a lot of drivers who are afraid of cyclists, being around them makes them nervous - and really - they shouldn't have to be nervous - we need a system which allows both groups to feel safe. And as a member of this cycling minority, I have had it with our city not doing anything about my needs - or the needs of the peoples who I share the road with, this is why I ride in the Critical Mass today, to bring attention to the problem that we all are facing, hopefully with the end result being that someone in our civic government finally stops just 'studying' our public/mass/alternative transit issues, and finally does something about it!"
It was a great great ride! We made our way out of Central Park, onto Ellice, then went up Vaughan, the "wrong way", till Memorial, and onto Broadway, up Main street (now picture this Main street, Winnipeg, clear of cars at 5pm on a Friday Eve!!!), and then, in our moment of glorious climax, we took over Portage and Main!!! It was a hugely liberating experience to come to that intersection, the most famous, and perhaps most controversial in what has come to symbolise the car-dominated culture that Winnipeg has (I mean, even pedestrians lose out to cars at that intersection - how fucked is that? Lowly citizens on foot don't even have a right to the heart of their city?!) Well, back to the story, as I got to Portage and Main, I saw that some fellow cyclists had indeed shut it down! They had gotten in front of some cars trying to turn left onto Main street from Portage, and as per what was our habit, had dismounted in front of the cars, and told them that they would just have to wait a few minutes as we passed. At that point, with much cheering and applause, we picked up our bikes, and those who could, carried them over our heads through the intersection!!! An wonderous moment of pure liberation and exhileration to any city bound cyclist!!! We continued onto Portage, riding southbound, till we reached Osborne, and headed towards Assiniboine. I am pround to say that during that ride up Portage, I really felt like I had achieved a level of comfort within my action, and that I was ready to speed to the front of the Mass and initiate the process of "Corking" - that is, the aforementioned practice of blocking off intersections so as to provide for the safety and continuity of the group. As the Mass worked its way up Assiniboine we once again closed down Main, and ended up by the skating rink at the Forks. Mission Accomplished. Job Well Done. A Fun Day Had by All. (except perhaps for the Chap whose front tire got bent out of kilter, and maybe perhaps the few odd motorists who just didn't seem to have the patience, or understanding - most though, seemed to understand, and smiled, gestured, or honked in support - and I'm sure that all the courteous thank-you's offerred to them by the Critical Massers helped to get our general mood and message across to them too)
So, even though I cannot be here for the next one in July, I will try to make it to one in BC, and even though I probably cannot continue to be so lucky as to have Friday night's off - being that I work in a restaurant, where I will be the chef one day soon, I am extremely happy to have been able to offer my support, and take part in this Mass here in my home town, while I had the chance. I would strongly encourage, anyone who rides, even only for leisure, to find a Critical Mass in your area, and support it! It is time that we stood up for our rights, and showed our leaders that we need action. This is not just a 'fringe group', or the infamous 'left-wing' who are in need of proper cycling solutions, it is everyday people, from all walks of life, who simply wish to be able to enjoy their bicycling activity, safely, and happily.
