Ride Melbourne's CityLink Tunnel with Critical Mass!

Melbourne's cyclists and skaters are gearing up to reclaim CityLink's Burnley Tunnel for an evening
of pollution-free traffic

On Friday June 27, Critical Mass will celebrate its own special brand of "pedal power" by making a
trip through CityLink's Burnley Tunnel. This will be CM's seventh visit to the private tollway, and
everyone is invited to join us!

Critical Mass invites all cyclists and skaters to journey through the Burnley Tunnel in safety and
style, as we escape inCARceration and celebrate pollution-free transport. Come along to our party on
wheels, and help us show Melbourne a better way to get around. The ride is not a race -- we travel
together simply to enjoy the comfort and safety of the car-free space we create. We move at a gentle
pace, and skaters have no difficulty keeping up. Conversation between participants is plentiful.

Melbourne is choking on its obsession with cars; building more freeways only causes more
congestion. We're about sustainable transport and sustainable cities. We're a celebration of
human-powered transport, and a glimpse of what life could be like in a people-oriented society. A
Critical Mass ride does not block traffic -- We ARE traffic. We are not trying to annoy motorists,
but simply to show car-bound commuters that there is a better alternative to their metal cocoons.
Be open to new ideas!

-----

CRITICAL MASS Burnley Tunnel Ride/Skate

5.30pm Friday, June 27 Meet at the State Library, cnr Swanston Walk & LaTrobe St All cyclists &
skaters welcome - Bring your friends! Cost: FREE!

www.critical-mass.org

 

"David Sutton" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:BB190691.55D4%[email protected]...
> Melbourne's cyclists and skaters are gearing up to reclaim CityLink's

Is this legal?

--
Alan Erskine alanerskine(at)optusnet.com.au Where's the Weapons of Mass Distruction, Mr Bush

 

Alan Erskine <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "David Sutton" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:BB190691.55D4%[email protected]...
> > Melbourne's cyclists and skaters are gearing up to reclaim CityLink's
>
> Is this legal?
>

With enough people, anything's legal!
---
DFM

 

I would very much doubt it....

And people wonder why Critical Mass is getting a bad name...

"Alan Erskine" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "David Sutton" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:BB190691.55D4%[email protected]...
> > Melbourne's cyclists and skaters are gearing up to reclaim CityLink's
>
> Is this legal?
>
> --
> Alan Erskine alanerskine(at)optusnet.com.au Where's the Weapons of Mass Distruction, Mr Bush

 

Sure it's legal. Critical Mass is a monthly ride, and is always conducted under the sanction of the
Victoria Police. The Traffic Operations Group has already given the Tunnel ride the thumbs-up.

DS

> From: "Alan Erskine" <[email protected]>
>
> Is this legal?
>
> --
> Alan Erskine alanerskine(at)optusnet.com.au Where's the Weapons of Mass Distruction, Mr Bush

 

In article <BB19513E.55DD%[email protected]>, David Sutton wrote:
> Sure it's legal. Critical Mass is a monthly ride, and is always conducted under the sanction of
> the Victoria Police. The Traffic Operations Group has already given the Tunnel ride the thumbs-up.

I thought part of the tradition with CM rides is that you're not supposed to know where you're going
until the night?

--
Jeremy Lunn Melbourne, Australia Homepage: http://www.austux.net/ http://www.jabber.org.au/ - the
next generation of Instant Messaging.

 

On 21 Jun 2003 11:26:12 GMT, Jeremy Lunn <[email protected]> wrote:

>> Sure it's legal. Critical Mass is a monthly ride, and is always conducted under the sanction of
>> the Victoria Police. The Traffic Operations Group has already given the Tunnel ride the
>> thumbs-up.

>I thought part of the tradition with CM rides is that you're not supposed to know where you're
>going until the night?

Not really.. The tradition is the xerocracy, and the map of this route is probably the xerox copy
that will most appeal to the mob..

PC

 

I'm sure the graffiti under the Punt Road bridge advertising the city link ride has done all
cyclists a huge favor.

"PC" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> On 21 Jun 2003 11:26:12 GMT, Jeremy Lunn <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >> Sure it's legal. Critical Mass is a monthly ride, and is always
conducted
> >> under the sanction of the Victoria Police. The Traffic Operations Group
has
> >> already given the Tunnel ride the thumbs-up.
>
> >I thought part of the tradition with CM rides is that you're not supposed to know where you're
> >going until the night?
>
> Not really.. The tradition is the xerocracy, and the map of this route is probably the xerox copy
> that will most appeal to the mob..
>
>
> PC

 

David Sutton said

>We are not trying to annoy motorists<

No but you do a bloody good job of it!

Mike

 

"Mike Ayling" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> David Sutton said
>
> >We are not trying to annoy motorists<
>
> No but you do a bloody good job of it!
>
> Mike

It's no wonder motorists get pissed off with bike riders Your, your own worst enemy

 

On Tue, 24 Jun 2003 10:18:55 +1000, "Tony" <[email protected]> wrote:

>It's no wonder motorists get pissed off with bike riders Your, your own worst enemy

Motorists get pissed off far more (and more regularly) by other motorists than they do by cyclists..

Anyway, perhaps Critical Mass should start dispensing valium labelled placebos to the irate - it may
do them a bit of good

PC

 

>We are not trying to annoy motorists, but simply to show car-bound commuters that there is a better
>alternative to their metal cocoons. Be open to new ideas

As a bike riding driver, who saw one of these rides before knowing what it was about, l can tell you
what the drivers see. A butch of idiots who should all be arrested. As a bike rider who now knows
what you are on about, l haven't changed my mind.

 

what does a "butch of idiots" look like? lol

 

Oooohhh... poor Stewy... did the nasty bike riders hold you up for 5 minutes? Were you late getting
home and you missed the start of "Everybody Loves Raymond"? Come here and let the furry wombat wipe
your tears away... There there, don't cry now honey...

> From: "stu" <[email protected]> Newsgroups: aus.bicycle Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2003 17:15:49 +1000
> Subject: Re: Ride Melbourne's CityLink Tunnel with Critical Mass!
>
>> We are not trying to annoy motorists, but simply to show car-bound commuters that there is a
>> better alternative to their metal cocoons. Be open to new ideas
>
>
> As a bike riding driver, who saw one of these rides before knowing what it was about, l can tell
> you what the drivers see. A butch of idiots who should all be arrested. As a bike rider who now
> knows what you are on about, l haven't changed my mind.

 

thanks wombat l feel much better now besides if l was going to miss the start of "Everybody Loves
Raymond" l would have run you all down what l was trying to point out is that most drivers don't
have a clue what you are on about. all you can see from 5 cars back is people on bikes with no
regard for the road rules, it could be "save the long eared, spotty nose, short haired cat" for all
they know or care. so how do you think it is going to change anything? but have a fun night and
don't forget your carbon monoxide detector

 

On Tue, 24 Jun 2003 23:10:59 +1000, stu <[email protected]> gushed forth:

[deletia]

>so how do you think it is going to change anything?

Oh it'll change things alright but only for a couple of days. During that time the amount of abuse I
get from motorists will increase as will their intolerance for cyclists. I don't see why this
critical mass (idiocy) should have any different result from others in the past.

>but have a fun night and don't forget your carbon monoxide detector

Yep. They'll have a fun night stirring up motorists some of who will then take it out on cyclists
in general.

--
Ooroo Mark F...

Another Optus Cable Traffic Monitor. http://www.members.optushome.com.au/forsythm/traff/

Today is Sweetmorn, the 30th day of Confusion in the YOLD 3169

 

> From: [email protected] (Mark(desalinate for e-mail)Forsyth) Reply-To:
> [email protected] Newsgroups: aus.bicycle Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 17:58:38 +1000 Subject:
> Re: Ride Melbourne's CityLink Tunnel with Critical Mass!
>
> On Tue, 24 Jun 2003 23:10:59 +1000, stu <[email protected]> gushed forth:
>
> [deletia]
>
>> so how do you think it is going to change anything?
>
> Oh it'll change things alright but only for a couple of days. During that time the amount of abuse
> I get from motorists will increase as will their intolerance for cyclists. I don't see why this
> critical mass (idiocy) should have any different result from others in the past.

Aaah, yes. Those damned terrorists riding bikes. We all know that Critical Mass is responsible for
every bad thing that a motorist has ever done to a cyclist... yawn

Naysayers like Mark just don't get it. It's not about pissing off motorists... it's about viewing
the world in a whole new way. Cities are for people... it should be fun to be out on the streets.
And, once a month for 90 minutes during CM, the streets become a carnival. Conversation flows among
the riders, and smiles randomly and repeatedly break out on the faces of riders, pedestrians and
motorists (gasp... yes, even motorists!) alike.

>> but have a fun night and don't forget your carbon monoxide detector
>
> Yep. They'll have a fun night stirring up motorists some of who will then take it out on cyclists
> in general.

Come along to a CM one time Mark, and you might actually enjoy it! I spent my first CM in constant
danger of falling off my bike coz I was laughing so hard at the sheer pleasure of it all. Not at the
anti-motorist stuff that some people always sprout, but at the cameraderie, the inspiration and the
revelation. Oh that the other 718.5 hours of the month would be as joyous to be on a bike as during
CM... Have fun on Friday night, Mark, coz I will sure will be, along with 400+ of my biking friends.

 

All critical mass like this does is turn the average aussie even more against cyclists then they
already are. These protests are always done at the worst possible times in evening peak traffic.
Motorists and those catching public transport and held up in traffic jams, total gridlock, so that a
bunch of people can have some pointless fun. Here in Sydney my brother is caught up in this on
regular occasions, total chaos. So what happens? i'm told about it. Why? because i'm a cyclist. All
you are doing is turning people away from cycling and from being supportive about cycling
infrastructures whatsoever. My brother has two sons, i can tell you they will never have bikes of
their own, you can thank critical mass for that!!!!!!!!!!!

"ghostwombat" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:BB1FC4D8.58C7%[email protected]...
> > From: [email protected] (Mark(desalinate for e-mail)Forsyth) Reply-To:
> > [email protected] Newsgroups: aus.bicycle Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 17:58:38 +1000 Subject:
> > Re: Ride Melbourne's CityLink Tunnel with Critical Mass!
> >
> > On Tue, 24 Jun 2003 23:10:59 +1000, stu <[email protected]> gushed forth:
> >
> > [deletia]
> >
> >> so how do you think it is going to change anything?
> >
> > Oh it'll change things alright but only for a couple of days. During that time the amount of
> > abuse I get from motorists will increase as will their intolerance for cyclists. I don't see why
> > this critical mass (idiocy) should have any different result from others in the past.
>
>
> Aaah, yes. Those damned terrorists riding bikes. We all know that Critical Mass is responsible for
> every bad thing that a motorist has ever done to a cyclist... yawn
>
> Naysayers like Mark just don't get it. It's not about pissing off motorists... it's about viewing
> the world in a whole new way. Cities are
for
> people... it should be fun to be out on the streets. And, once a month for 90 minutes during CM,
> the streets become a carnival. Conversation flows among the riders, and smiles randomly and
> repeatedly break out on the
faces
> of riders, pedestrians and motorists (gasp... yes, even motorists!) alike.
>
>
>
> >> but have a fun night and don't forget your carbon monoxide detector
> >
> > Yep. They'll have a fun night stirring up motorists some of who will then take it out on
> > cyclists in general.
>
>
> Come along to a CM one time Mark, and you might actually enjoy it! I spent my first CM in constant
> danger of falling off my bike coz I was laughing
so
> hard at the sheer pleasure of it all. Not at the anti-motorist stuff that some people always
> sprout, but at the cameraderie, the inspiration and the revelation. Oh that the other 718.5 hours
> of the month would be as joyous
to
> be on a bike as during CM... Have fun on Friday night, Mark, coz I will
sure
> will be, along with 400+ of my biking friends.

 

On Wed, 25 Jun 2003 12:24:23 GMT, "Ben" <[email protected]> wrote:

>All critical mass like this does is turn the average aussie even more against cyclists then they
>already are. These protests are always done at the worst possible times in evening peak traffic.
>Motorists and those catching public transport and held up in traffic jams, total gridlock, so that
>a bunch of people can have some pointless fun. Here in Sydney my brother is caught up in this on
>regular occasions, total chaos. So what happens? i'm told about it. Why? because i'm a cyclist. All
>you are doing is turning people away from cycling and from being supportive about cycling
>infrastructures whatsoever. My brother has two sons, i can tell you they will never have bikes of
>their own, you can thank critical mass for that!!!!!!!!!!!

You sound like a broken record.. You're not convincing or converting anybody, and since you
apparently haven't been to a Critical Mass, you don't know the lengths they tend to go to to keep
out of the way of public transport.. CM in Melbourne always makes an effort to let trams through,
and a few months back we even did a weird manouver to let a 253 bus through the mass at a roundabout
in South Melbourne..

PC

 

> These protests are always done at the worst possible times in evening peak traffic. Motorists and
> those catching public transport and held up in traffic jams, total gridlock

Critical Mass CAUSES the gridlock????? Have a look at ANY inner-city arterial road at 6pm on ANY
Friday night and tell me what you see!