Critical Mass

:This article is about the public event of bicyclists taking over roadways. For the concept in nuclear physics, critical mass.

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Critical Mass is an event held typically on the last Friday of every month in cities around the world, where bicyclists, skateboarders, roller bladers, roller skaters and other self-propelled people take to the streets en masse. Critical Mass has no leaders, and no goals other than to meet once every month and enjoy the security of riding, rolling and travelling through the city together. The one worldwide slogan, chanted by riders in probably all cities where the ride take place is: "We aren't blocking traffic; we are traffic." Critics, have claimed that this is a deliberate attempt to obstruct traffic and cause a disruption of normal city functions. They assert that Critical Mass's refuses to obey the same traffic laws as everybody else. However, typical laws governing bicycle road users are different from those governing pedestrians and motorists. In most automobile-centric cities, traffic law heavily favours motor vehicle use though other users are generally more vulnerable to collision.

Related Topics:
Cities - World - Bicyclists - Skateboarders - Roller bladers - Roller skaters - Traffic

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The purpose of Critical Mass is controversial and oft maligned by its critics. This is mostly due to its Anarchistic origins and structure. The purpose of Critical Mass is not formalised beyond the Direct Action of meeting and carrying out the event, creating a public space where automobiles are displaced to make room for the alternatives. The one agreed upon slogan is We Are Traffic. All participants being equal in leadership, are thought to have equivalent claim to their own intentions and the purpose of the ride. Critical Mass is undeniably linked to the environmental movement which cites private automobile use as catastrophic to our global and local environment, in physical and social terms. Generally the purpose of the event as indicated by the actions of the riders are meant to oppose the domination of the automobile over our urban culture, or to create something different. However, these things are often interpreted very differently and some riders may even disagree (for example one might not ride at all for environmental purposes but because of social justice theories). Many do not ride to oppose, they ride to celebrate in the streets and be social. Critics of Critical Mass among the bicycle advocacy community often criticise the undefined goals as not worth the confrontations that inevitably occur when a large group acts out of the ordinary in public. Some dismiss Critical Mass as nothing more than a politicised party. Some Massers embrace this philosophy and have exclaimed together "We're not going to the party, We Are the Party!"

Related Topics:
Purpose - Anarchistic - Direct Action - Environmental

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