What was most interesting to me was that the normal Joe or Jill on the sidewalk seemed to pay no attention. I saw no laughs, no chuckles, no stares, no double take looks etc. People seemed to take the costumes in stride like it was no big thing. Folks in our office even got into the act. Here is the guy we entrust with installing our most complex customers.
It was pretty hard to not laugh when I sat down with him for a meeting. He left the mask on...sort of hard to focus on the task at hand with a guy in a mask, leotards and WWF belt on. Christine and I are looking forward to tonight...true Halloween. This place will be more out of control than usual.
I am sure if this web site gets Google Spidered that I might get angry comments for what I am about to write, but I don't care. It needs to be said.
Last night, Christine and I had our first experience with a bicycle awareness event/group called Critical Mass. Here is the website Critical Mass. I am sure the idea started off with some sanity...but as usual in this country good things get coopted by knuckleheads. In a nutshell, Critical Mass was started as an event to call awareness to cycling sharing the road with cars and safety. The last Friday of every month, all over the world, thousands of cyclist ride en masse on preselected routes in major cities to draw attention. Sounds good right?
As a safe, law abiding and avid cyclist, what I saw last night really pissed me off. Thousands of riders purposely and unlawfully blocking intersections. Cyclists were riding out in front of cars (who had the green light right of way) and standing in front of them. There were jamochs riding on the wrong side of the road and riders smacking cars. It was a critical mass of stupidity.
Critical Mass may have started with good intent. However the shirtless idiots with mohawks and cans of beer in hand (yup...true) riding up the wrong side of the road are not doing anything more than making people more angry about cyclists. I suspect the car driver who had a Critical Masser pounding on his hood last night will only be more agressive with guys like me and the hundrerds of thousands of other law abiding two wheelers the next time they see us on the road. In fact, I doubt the majority of folks we saw last night are even true cyclists. I suspect they are only participating because it is a way to hide in a crowd and cause a problem.
Shame on Critical Mass organizers who have moved the right and noble intent from calling attention to cycling to a demonstration vehicle for dumb ass behaviour.
Mr. Wendell Update!
Our handsome guy is back to 100%. He is eating, running around the house and giving the ladies his "pick me up look" like normal. One great byproduct of his surgery...his breath has totally improved. Before, he really had a problem with nasty smelling breath...the operation has totally eliminated that.
The next update, Ms. Pepper and Mr. Wendell on some city observations!
