CourteousMass

As an bicycle commuter, former bike shop employee and one time bicycle advocate, I was appalled by the actions I saw take place at last weeks Critical Mass, an unofficial monthly bike ride though downtown Chicago. My shock however was not with the police who arrested several cyclists during the ride, but rather with the way many cyclist behaved. If the message of Critical Mass is to encourage cycling as a practical form of transportation and draw attention to the problems of urban riding, cyclists must obey the laws that govern riding. If riders want to block intersections, run traffic lights, and disobey police orders, then we will just continue to fuel the hostility toward cyclists. To truly spread the message of sharing the road we must practice what we preach. Lets start leading by example.