Mark Crane wrote:

> "Come ride your BikeE in Chicago Critical Mass sometime. We meet at Daley
> Plaza under the Picasso the last Friday of every month at 5:30 p.m. Ride
> leaves about 6:00 p.m. It just a short slow social ride around the city,
> maybe 7-8 mph for two hours or so. See http://www.chicagocriticalmass.org."
>
> Flanked by police on motorbikes, with backed up commuters cursing you and your
family!
>
> If it's anything like some of the critical mass rides I've witnessed :)

The CPD sometimes sends a "copsicle" (bike cop, not motorcycle) or two
on the ride with us. Sometimes they only stick around until we are out
of the 1st District. Sometimes they have a squad car shadow us. We don't
have too much trouble with them. They tried a [sic] mass arrest a few
years ago but all charges were dropped and they haven't tried such
shenanigans again. A CM ride is constitutionally protected peaceful
assembly and free speech.

A few cagers get pissed but 99% have fun seeing the parade of bikes go
by. We have people wearing costumes, people riding naked, tall bikes,
low racers, rat bikes, trailers, everything. It's quite a spectacle and
gives cagers a little bit of entertainment on their otherwise miserable
commutes in miles of stifling bumper to bumper traffic caused by single
occupancy drivers such as themselves. Funny isn't it, a thousand clean
quiet bicycles passing by is considered "blocking traffic", but a
million or two single occupied humonguous polluting SUVs in choking the
city in bumper to bumper gridlock for miles in every direction is
considered "normal". Remember that those cagers chose to drive cars into
the city. They could be walking, or taking the bus or train, or riding a
bike themselves!

Bob Matter
"We're not blocking traffic. We are traffic."
Chicago Critical Mass
http://ww.chicagocriticalmass.org