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# The masses speak up on Critical Mass
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/the-masses-speak-up-on-critical-mass/
- Published: 2007-12-22T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T04:31:08.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Pier, #archive-import, Homeless

This past week, Q-line asked: “Are Critical Mass riders flouting the city’s laws or should the police work with them to help promote bicycling in the city?”

Here are your responses: “THOSE CRITICAL MASS BIKE RIDERS ARE an annoying, showboating, dangerous mess. The current roadways are not built for bicycles, period. Ride the bike path. The roads are overcrowded as it is. They don’t need the merry men in spandex. This ongoing situation is ridiculous. We do not need to promote bicycling on these overcrowded, traffic-clogged roadways, and yes, they do flaunt the laws. The police just need to continue citing them like an other lawbreaker. They have better things to do than educate these ego-trippers.”

“WHILE THE EXCELLENT SANTA MONICA Daily Press is on the subject of bicycles again, as an avid senior citizen bike rider, I would like to relate a humorous experience I had while bicycling on the parking lot area south of the Santa Monica Pier. As I rode, coming up behind me at a rapid rate of speed with both pedals to the metal on a very expensive bicycle, which I am nearly certain was just illegally commandeered, was a young man who was verbally articulate, but for a reason only known to himself, was filthy dirty as though he had just finished a 16-hour shift in a coal mine. I do not believe that he was homeless. As he neared me, he shouted, “Out of the way, geezer!” I responded by shouting back, “Anything you say, whippersnapper!” At which time, I saw the back of his left hand rise above his left shoulder giving me the infamous one-finger salute. Before I could reply, “same to you,” he was nearly out of sight, making his getaway. Still, I find our rapid analysis of one another to be correct. Webster defines a geezer as being an odd character, and indeed I am. Webster also states that a whippersnapper is an impertinent, insignificant person, especially a young person — that he was. Alas, just another bicycling day in paradise.”

“IF THE CRITICAL MASS PEOPLE DON’T LIKE getting tickets, then all they have to do is follow the laws: Stop at all the stop signs and the red lights. They don’t have the right to commandeer intersections or commandeer the whole road. They think they own the road, but they don’t. They have to share the roads with everybody else. If they don’t, they should get tickets. If they don’t like it — tough.”

“CRITICAL MASS IS JUST ANOTHER A-hole group in a city full of the same. These two-wheeled equestrians were yelling loudly as they road by; just what we need in a city full of noises, like jets, helicopters, motorcycles, cars boom radios. Then half of them kept yelling and taking pictures of the police, who had stopped one of them for running a stop sign. Too bad the police had to use only a ticket book. Riding a bicycle is mostly about common sense and awareness. Assume the car has the right-of-way, because you’ll come out second in an accident. And also don’t count on anyone being aware of you riding. The funniest thing about Critical Mass are the stories about your intrepid, transplanted East Coast reporters. Not much for stamina or backbone. Maybe their next story could be a ride on the Ferris wheel. Hey, how ‘bout a breastfeeding class for new mothers at St. John’s? Just what all these cry-babies need.”

“I THINK THAT THE POLICE DEPART- MENT should continue to crack down, because when bicyclers are not following the set laws, then we have accidents, and it’s not safe to drive anyway, because of all the cars and traffic. We must follow the rules. I was invited to join Critical Mass and I declined due to the fact that they are trying to show that they want to take over the roads, instead of cars.”

“FOR A CITY THAT TOUTS ITSELF AS BEING bike-friendly, I think they definitely should work with the bicyclists, if that’s what they want to do. After all, we’re the city of Samolicious.”

“THE CRITICAL MASS RIDE IS A GOOD thing, generally, except when they ride on streets that already have bike lanes, because then they don’t need to be protesting there. So the police should help the Critical Mass ride get through the town, except on streets that already have bike lanes.”

“NO, THEY SHOULD NOT PROMOTE bicycling, and especially a bunch of guys that love to show off their buns and their cute little spandex pants. To solve the problem, we just need less people.”

“ABSOLUTELY, THE SMPD SHOULD work with the Critical Mass or any bicyclists to promote bicycling in Santa Monica. I am not a bike rider, but I just moved to Santa Monica for the simple reason that this is the only city in Southern California where cars are not necessarily needed. I loved to watch the bicyclists from our balcony on Dec. 7, and watch them go by. The only sad part was seeing the SMPD following them and ticketing them, while these big monster cars did not even stop at the stop signs and just ran across, as they do every day at the corner on Washington Avenue and Sixth Street. I just hope that, finally, Santa Monica will live up to their reputation that it is friendly to human beings and not to monster trucks. The cars do not observe any of the rules in this city. I am a walker every day, and I almost get overrun every day.”

“THERE ARE THOSE THAT SUGGEST THAT cyclists are clogging up the city streets — one day of the month — and I’d say if you’re going to unclog the streets, then lets do it, and let’s do it 30-31 days out of the month, which means let’s get after those that are most guilty of clogging up the streets — motorists. Westside motorists are phenomenally famous for clogging up the streets, so let’s start fighting them. Let’s make it excruciatingly expensive and painful to clog up the streets. If you get behind someone who’s not moving, thereby contributing and participating to gridlock, let’s start writing tickets — cyclists, pedestrians, motorists, mass transit users. If we’re going after crowds of anything, herds of anything, flocks of anything, let’s start writing tickets across the board. As long as it’s fair. Fair is fair, that’s all I’m asking.”

“THE POLICE SHOULD WORK WITH PARticipants of Critical Mass to help them promote bicycling. The police are there for public safety and to help visitors and residents alike enjoy Santa Monica. This has been touted and talked about as something that has been beneficial to a part of the ride. And it is also beneficial to Santa Monica, with its traffic problems. Getting more people on bikes will relieve other problems such as parking and pollution.”

“It would be most commendable for the Santa Monica Police to work with the

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 22, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/122207.pdf?ref=smdp.com)