Critical Mass Bike Ride, Philadelphia November 2007

A dreamy ride through Philly’s darkened streets on the last day of November. Sights this month include the portrait on Fischer Bennett Hall that doesn’t seem to be selling anything, 45th street’s legendary Saad’s Halaal place, the murals on the Spring Garden Bridge and the Art Museum steps featured in the Rocky movies. This was a strange CM because I spent almost the entire ride in a bike lane! I love critical mass, but boy, it sure seems like a mob is less intelligent than its constituent members… Why ride through the Penn Campus? Because Penn is seen by some riders as a despotic land grabber that is absorbing all of West Philly into its well defended cytoplasm? Because the students are seen as privileged and ignorant of the realities of the city? All things that could be argued about, but doing so with the critical mass is stupid, IMAO. CM is confusing enough to passers by as it is without bringing in other issues. Please let’s not pick fights with pedestrians… it’s counter productive. The joy of CM is taking the highway and feeling safe on the Walnut Street bridge for once. While I’m at it, I think that the Philly mass should move a little slower, too, and that people up front should either cork intersections or wait up for people to deal with lights. Another confusing thing is when people in the mass ride up beside cars. If cars are in front of us, let’s stay in a mass. If you ride like you always do, alongside the cars, then the whole fun of the mass goes out of …