Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Advertising & Bike Culture


Online Videos by Veoh.com
Puma has been trying real hard to be cool by hooking into bike culture,
here is their latest attempt. Found on Veoh.

Monday, June 25, 2007

CM This Friday Bloor & Spadina Meet 6/Ride 6:30 PM

A Critical Mass Cultural Glossary - Joel Pomerantz

This article first appeared in Critical Mass Missives, 1999, subsequently updated for the anthology Critical Mass, Bicycling's Defiant Celebration published 2002 by AK Press.

In its first ten years (1992-2002) Critical Mass grew into its own culture with rituals and sub-rituals, complex expectations and hidden assumptions. Conversations about Mass can be strewn with jargon. The event itself is packed with arguments and celebratory shouts, even when it's calm and friendly. The whooping and yelling aren't just provocations or spirit-builders—they're part of the dynamic that makes the ride work. But what does all that banter mean?

Here's a glossary to clue you in. Now, when you wish to pass the word on, or reinforce the idea, you can join in and yell too—it's rolling democracy! We who ride for the sense of community like it when there are the fewest confrontations, and when lots of people take personal responsibility for making the ride flow.

A careful reading of this forty-nine word glossary will give you a good idea of what it takes to be an effective participant or instigator. Just don't say, "Go with the flow"!

agitprop 1. Old leftie term, shortened fr. 'agitation propaganda,' organizing materials, e.g. flyers, placards, booklets. 2. Invitations to join Critical Mass, distributed in handfuls at the starting point to pass out to pedestrians and motorists along the ride route, reflecting many views of Mass (see xerocracy).

bike
Shortened fr. 'bicycle': Efficient machine to convert energy generated by bread and peanut butter into connectedness with fellow beings and the land; useful in transportation, art, meditation, celebration, recreation and cultural innovation.

build mass Wait to gather enough bicyclists to ride in a dense group, i.e. safely.

car Short for 'carriage' fr. vb. 'to be carried,' dates to a time when idleness was virtue.

cell phone contact Remote contact between minimasses. For regrouping into one Mass or for route design on the fly. Arranged by exchange of numbers before riding.

clogging the streets 1. Usurpation and desecration of public space aggressively undertaken by short-sighted, profit-crazed corporate planners and their dupes, government officials, and their dupes, traffic engineers, and their dupes, motorists. 2. The occasionally rumored intentional main purpose of Critical Mass. Such ill thoughts can be avoided somewhat by keeping a dense ride so that the group will be clear of any given intersection in a very short time.

Commute Clot Critical Mass's original name which...um...didn't catch on, used just for the first ride (Sept. 1992). First known use by Chris Carlsson.

confrontation 1. The dynamic that automatically and inherently exists between Critical Mass and a society dependent on cars. 2. The much publicized and unadmired tactic that pits individuals against individuals during a ride, distracting from the beauty of the ride and giving media sensationalists something to bite on.

cops Agents of a false sense of security or false sense of being controlled; sometimes perceive themselves to be in charge of safety, etc., sometimes treated by riders as ride leaders or as targets of abuse, either of which dilutes the ride's power. Best ignored or made irrelevant by keeping mass, corking and other self-guidance techniques.

corking Leaving the flow of the ride for a while to plant your body and bike, in calm posture, a few feet from the front of stopped cars which would otherwise enter an intersection in use by Critical Mass. Best accompanied by smiles and eye contact, or signs that say "Thanks for waiting!" and "Honk if you love bikes!" Corking a thinned out section of the ride undermines its own legitimacy and safety by tempting the aggression of the car drivers being corked, who no longer see a mass of bikes but are still blocked. vb. to cork, n. corker.

courtesy!
Alert to other riders, meaning "Let 'em through!" e.g. "Bus courtesy!" or "Pedestrian alert!" Sometimes involves creative intervention to get cooperation.

Critical Mass 1. Noncommercial, noncompetitive group biking event taking place, since the early 1990s, in a couple hundred cities around the world (often Fridays and monthly). Current and widely known name of the monthly ride formerly known as Commute Clot coined in San Francisco by Dave Snyder, October 1992, from a comment by cargo bike designer George Bliss, in the Ted White documentary film, Return of the Scorcher. (Bliss observed, at an intersection in China, the method of accumulating enough cyclists to push past car traffic.) 2. not capitalized. Threshold quantity of physical (or metaphorical) mass needed to reach a goal unreachable by small parts or quantities. 3. Rider density, group coherence, tightness; the state of having enough bicycles in a given area to negotiate a given traffic situation as one entity. Sometimes shortened to 'mass' as in, "Do we have mass?"

cutting the red When front riders ignore a red light. Dangerous and disruptive for riders near front and causes thinning out, as opportunities to rebuilding mass are fewer.

density
The basis of Mass and of mass. Created intentionally over time by use of agitprop describing techniques (see keeping mass, rebuilding mass, thinning out.)

destination
1. Secret that Massers are often rumored to keep even from ourselves. 2. Park, viewpoint or other (preferably large) area which the rotating route designer picks to deposit the riders, ceasing responsibility for the ride's trajectory, after which point anyone who decides to continue their ride is encouraged to use dynamic street smarts to make route decisions.

distraction The bike equivalent of rubber-necking consisting of more people stopping than needed to solve a problem with a maniac. (see escort, swarming).

drive
Push with moving force, as in "The profit motive will drive our society to the brink of disaster" or "You drive me to drink."

dynamic street smarts Group decision-making at the ride front concerning such things as "Where the hell do we go now that we've been separated from the group in front of us and we have no route map?!" or "These winter rides are pleasantly small enough to decide the route as we go, so are you too tired to ride to Glen Park?"

escort
vb. Help a car out of a spot that obstructs the flow of riders. If you see intentional car-trappers in a testosterone brigade, ask them to ride on and then coax the car out of the Mass in the direction they wish to go so neither car nor swarm blocks our flow. You can yell, "Keep going!" to other riders and then yell, "Homicidal Maniac Driver! Let 'em through!" (You can wink at the car driver for added effect.)

hazardous obstacle!
Yelled to indicate a car stuck in Mass created by swarming.

high-five Opportunity on the ride to loop back toward other riders and become what motorists call "opposing traffic" (instead of opposing, we congratulate one another).

ignoring the red Middle and back of the Mass continuing through an intersection despite an unfavorable color emitted by traffic control devices. Keeps a ride safer, gets out of motorists' sights faster. Safest when accompanied by corking. Dangerous if done where ride is thinning out. Not to be confused with cutting the red.

keeping mass Maintaining ride density, our main safety mechanism, and our main P.R. mechanism too, since it gets us through and out of people's way faster. Accomplished by maintaining a very (sometimes frustratingly) slow, leisurely pace so as to ensure the safety of the many riders behind, as they struggle to keep Mass.

leaders or secret leaders 1. You! 2. Anyone who participates—via email on various local discussion lists or in person at the start and end gatherings of rides—in the creation or distribution of agitprop, route designs or strategy on ride particulars. Sometimes, but not often, found at front cajoling the crowd into following a route.

maniac driver or homicidal maniac driver A person in a car pushing through the group of cyclists (see escort).

Mass
1. Critical Mass. 2. Any densely packed, mobile group of cyclists with bikes.

Massers Collected individual participants in Critical Mass.

minimass 1. sometimes capitalized. Smallish group bike ride occurring each week between monthly Critical Mass rides, usually shorter, mellow, social ride, possibly ending at a neighborhood watering hole. 2. also splinter mass; Group formed when a large Critical Mass splits up for safety reasons, creating multiple dense small groups rather than one spread-out large group. Often spontaneous reaction to thinning out, carried out at an intersection where a light turns red under unfavorable conditions for corking.

narrows A space which the ride passes through more slowly, such as an alley, narrow street, or pedestrian passage. To be avoided, except: Can be enjoyable late in the ride, or with only a couple hundred riders, or followed by a stop to rebuild mass.

pedestrians 1. Harried street-crossers whose rights-of-way you should always respect (see courtesy). 2. The wetware of every vehicle: car, bus, truck or bike.

racers 1. People at front who don't stop and look behind them to see that they are getting far out ahead of the Mass. 2. derisive. (see testosterone brigade.)

rails
Well-meaning metal objects imbedded in pavement to facilitate streetcars, etc. Dangerous to bikes and (along with rough pavement) best avoided in route design.

rebuild mass Build mass again during the ride by diligent use of slow riding, or by asking bikes instead of cars to wait a few light cycles at an intersection now and then so the thinned out (i.e. vulnerable) riders behind them can come together more densely. Best undertaken in a place where the crowd of bikes isn't antagonizing anyone unintended. (see density, regrouping stop).

red light 1. Pretty decoration along the street which it is unsafe for mid-mass riders to heed when traveling as a dense group (see keeping mass). 2. Traffic control device for cars. 3. Convenient place for the front of the ride to stop, for many reasons: so already-moving cars don't have to screech to an angry halt; to keep Mass density; to present a friendly face to the public; to give precedence to a crossing bus; or to hold discussion of route changes after cell phone contact.

regrouping stop A way to express caring and love for the life and limb of those riders behind you (see rebuild mass).

route design The cooperative process of trading off responsibility for thinking about Critical Mass. Sometimes coordinated between interested parties (many of whom can be found on line or handing out agitprop) with intent of minimizing ego and maximizing cooperation, democracy, safety and pleasure for participants (see xerocracy). When designing a route, avoid construction zones or narrows, steep hills, rails, and permanent traffic jam streets where stopped traffic inevitably brings impatience and swarming. After a long downhill stretch or a narrows, plan a location to stop and rebuild mass with a dozen preagreed loud helpers to halt the ride front a few blocks past the narrows spot. Competing route designs are voted on at the ride starting point.

splinter mass See minimass.

splitting the Mass Getting the back of the group to stop at a red light in a large thinned out group of riders to create safer minimasses.

swarming Surrounding and passing a car stopped at a light, rather than waiting behind it so that it won't obstruct Mass and create unneeded confrontations. Can be fun, but can create safety problems.

take the lane Expand the ride into a lane, dense with cyclists.

testosterone brigade Posturing, aggressive, confrontational riders who forget that the people stuck in cars are not all there by their own free choice. (see also racers.)

thinning out Ride spreading out, usually due to speed of front riders. Opposite of Mass, opposite of density. Bad.

ticket support A "witnessing" activity conducted by a small, mellow and polite group when one of us (often a corker) is singled out by law enforcement for a ticket or finger-wagging. If the face-saving atmosphere is friendly and not many cops are present, this activity can influence an officer not to give the intended ticket.

velorution 1. 'Revolution' as spelled by a dyslexic. 2. quirky pun. A swift change in society brought about by bicycling. Prefix comes from 'velocipede,' an old word for bicycle, from Latin velox, meaning swift (as in 'velocity') and ped, 'foot.'

wait up!
1. Commonly yelled if you want to let front riders know it's time to rebuild mass by stopping and letting people catch up. 2. A request to the group ahead to stop and pull over.

whoop start
A simple, loud "WHOOP," meaning "Let's go!" used when the ride front is stopped at a red light and people are too busy socializing to notice the green.

xerocracy
1. Critical Mass's form of self-government. You got an idea? Write it down and pass it out at the next ride. Include your route design suggestions. 2. The method of route design in which the day's route is decided on the basis of who can convince the most people (preferably near the ride front) to follow their map, copied and passed out in the gathering before the ride.


Additions/Suggestions

I cannot breathe


Link

Friday, June 22, 2007

Olivia Chow Reads Cycling Petition in Parliament

June 18th, Ms. Olivia Chow (Trinity—Spadina, NDP):
"Mr. Speaker, the next petition, which is close to 200 pages, comes from over 3,000 Canadians from cities coast to coast, like Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto and Halifax.
The petitioners want the federal government to legitimize cycling as the preferred means of transportation and to make it a part of the solution to climate change.
The 3,000 Canadians want the federal government to offer a tax credit to bicycle commuters similar to that offered to public transit users; set up a program similar to Britain's cycle to work initiative, that the employer purchase a bike and claim the tax back from the government and sell the bike to the employee at a tax free price; offer tax incentives to employers who set up bike lockers and showers for employees; and the removal of the GST from bikes and bike accessories.
Last weekend many parts of southern Ontario experienced smog days. The time for action is now."
Thank you Tuco for organizing this and all those who signed the petition. Thanks Olivia!

The Other Green Zone

Courier drivers need to get out more often
Jun 21/07
The Star - Letter to the Editor
Curbside justice nets $80 million

It's no surprise that three of the worst parking offenders are international courier companies. They park their trucks in front of office towers as pseudo-satellite offices with free billboard advertising. Their drivers often spend a large amount of time in each tower delivering on foot, while their trucks block traffic, create gridlock and endanger other road users.

This practice is completely unnecessary. Unlike the local same-day and emergency courier services, the large courier companies refuse to use bicycle or foot couriers, who could complete the jobs much faster without causing environmental damage or gridlock.

If the city were serious about its traffic and environmental problems, it would tow the trucks rather than just ticket them.
This would force these companies to utilize more efficient and environmentally friendly methods for deliveries.

The Toronto Bike Messenger Association has proposed a solution to the city's transportation and parking woes through the application of a "green zone" for deliveries in the downtown. This zone would make it easier for courier companies to choose active transportation delivery methods where appropriate. - Joe Hendry, Toronto Bike Messenger Association, Toronto -
(photo taken this morning along College Street)

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

The Ten Commandments for Drivers by the Vatican

The Vatican's Ten Commandments for drivers:

1. You shall not kill.

2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.

3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.

4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.

5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.

6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.

7. Support the families of accident victims.

8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.

9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.

10. Feel responsible toward others.
Source
Photo by Darren Stehr

Life in the Fast Lane


Spotted on College Street this morning. In green chalk.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Who passes who

Erased Bike Stencils on Bloor (Photo Essay)


This is a photo essay to document the remnants of the bike lane stencils painted on May 30th by the Other Urban Repair Squad.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Bike Lane on Beverley is back


Nice paint job.

Memorial Ride June 15th


Some of the 22 riders who rode during the memorial for the cyclist killed by a truck on Bayview.

It should be noted that AA Heaps nor any other official from the city attended the memorial despite several invitations from ARC and others. Instead the city chose to hold this event on the same day.

The fallen cyclist was described by a friend as: "... An excellent cyclist who understood the rules of the road and for many years he rode the same route to work every day in all seasons. He rode because he believed that one less car on the road was helping everybody."

More photos by Vic

Saturday, June 16, 2007

The Online Star Poll Today Broken!


Proof online voting works. You got three guesses what I and many of my friends voted for.

Feel free to vote here.
The online poll results was fixed not until later in the afternoon.

More comments here.

Friday, June 15, 2007

CCM Folder

Thanks for the Report


The Star is reporting today on
the highlights of the city's Climate Change, Clean Air
and Sustainable Action plan.
Not much for bikes except an exciting new report this year sometime on steps and resources needed to complete the
Bike Plan by 2012.

Have a safe summer everyone.

Rob Ford Lost!

Toronto Police today issued a missing persons report for Councillor Rob Ford. The Councillor reportedly had car trouble this morning and had to take the TTC. His wife told police he left home at 6am and has not been seen since, it was his first trip ever on the TTC. In another report TTC security took an unknown person, who was delaying a subway, into custody. The person continued ranting and raving about the narrow seats as he was led away.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Pretty in Pink (Toronto's Newest Bike Lane)










Painted by the "Other" Urban Repair Squad (O.U.R.S.) in Easy-Off paint.

North side Ossington all the way to Dufferin.
Happy Trails!