Los Angeles Critical Mass August 2010

I heard that the LAPD estimates the size of the August 2010 Los Angeles Critical Mass to be around 2500 cyclists! Perhaps someone will count them all in this video below.





























The ride was beyond huge. Fun, exciting and boisterous. The police valiantly tried their best to contain and monitor us, which I support now that the size has mushroomed into the thousands. Overall, I think that the LAPD was great, but I did see them tackle a kid who refused to leave AMPM and was trying to make an end run around a phalanx of motorcycle cops. I also saw some young cyclists detained by police near USC, but I wasn't sure what for. There was also a real sense of anarchy and danger, perhaps due to the nearly full moon. Whatever it was, I saw a lot of disturbing behaviour mostly by young male cyclists with aggression problems. A girl got knocked off her bike by a male rider who took off leaving her friends to care for her. She was keeled over in pain. I found the LAPD commander's SUV nearby and she called an ambulance immediately. I saw a rider repeatedly slam his hand on cars as he was passing them, almost getting run over by a van driver he pissed off, who happened to be a cyclist himself. I heard cyclists yelling needlessly at motorists and pedestrians. The problem seems to be mostly with young men who use the ride as an excuse to behave like total idiots. I blame myself for not taking a more active role in calling out and condemning that type of behaviour. I will say that I still see more smiles than frowns on motorists that are inconvenienced by our monthly event, but as I rode home alone on the streets I couldn't stop thinking if any drivers that were harassed by some of the jerks on the ride might mistake me for one of them. It only takes a few bad apples to spoil the public's perception of us.