From the current Village Voice:
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0740,robbins,77957,2.html

The gist of the article is that taxi and limo services have
successfully lobbied for new rules that will cut back on the number
of pedicabs, and make electric-assist motors in pedicabs illegal.

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--- In CarFree <at> yahoogroups.com, "Robert J. Matter" <rjmatter <at> ...>
wrote:
>
> tomfrostjr wrote:
> >
> > TF: Aha! So you drink, eh?
>
> Of course I drink. And I'm going to start drinking a lot more now
that I'm carfree! We even have our own restaurant/bar in Chicago now
too, The Handlebar http://www.handlebarchicago.com/.
>
> Gosh, living in Chicagoland and not drinking beer would be like
living in Paris and not drinking wine. It's our heritage!
>
> Bottoms up,
>
> -Bob Matter
> Riding my bike, not driving a vehicle, in Chicagoland.
> ------------------------------------------------------
> "Beer is living proof that God loves
> us and wants us to be happy."
> --Benjamin Franklin
>
> "Never trust a man who doesn't drink."
> --W.C. Fields
>
> "I can't take this much longer! I gotta have a beer!"
> --Barney, The Simpsons
> http://www.wavsource.com/tv/simpsons/beer/beer12.wav
>

TF: "Some believe alcohol may have played a role in [Matter's beloved
Chicago Critical Mass organization's] demise."
groups.yahoo.com/group/critical-mass/message/1372

- TF

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Tom Frost Jr. wrote:

> TF: "Some believe alcohol may have played a role in [Matter's beloved
> Chicago Critical Mass organization's] demise."
> groups.yahoo.com/group/critical-mass/message/1372

The big monthly downtown ride is ending because it has become too
successful. When I first started riding in Critical Mass seven years ago
a big ride would be 400-500 riders. But the explosive growth of bike
lanes in the city over the last several years has ushered in an
explosion of bike ridership and the monthly CCM rides are now drawing
2,000-3,000 riders. It's taking us 20-30 minutes to clear an
intersection, the rule of thumb being 10 minutes per thousand riders. I
don't mind making cagers wait that long because 99% of them are in a
cage unnecessarily and they need some forced contemplative time to
consider their unsustainable behavior. But I have empathy for transit
riders stuck in busses behind mile long lines of those cagers.

Additionally with a ride of our size when there is a bottleneck or
narrow street people have to dismount and walk their bikes because of
the bike congestion. That is not very enjoyable.

A handful of underage drinkers with no dedication to improving
cyclestrian policy and infrastructure have been joining the ride just to
party as of late. Their presence is unpleasant but their impact on the
ride is minimal since they are outnumbered by conscientious riders at
least 200 to 1.

The good news is that instead of one big monthly ride, we now have
several smaller neighborhood rides that will have less negative impact
on transit users while still demonstrating to cagers and passers by that
just about anyone can ride just about any kind of bike for
transportation reasonably safely with a network of bike lanes and bike
paths and that they don't have to be an athlete in a spandex clown suit
with a $5K road bike and spend hundreds of dollars to take a LCI course
to do it.

Bob Matter
----------
Riding my bike, never "driving" it, safely and swiftly in the bike lanes
and bike paths of Chicagoland every day.

•  2
  New Members

Update regarding http://carfreeuniverse.org/
----------------------------------------------------------

I'm creating a static archive of carfreeuniverse (cfu) so I no longer
need to maintain it or pay for hosting or a domain name.

My current plan is to keep the archive at
http://collea.freehostia.com/. The domain carfreeuniverse.org does not
expire until February 2008, and the hosting I've paid for, not until
May 2008. Domain name cost: $10/yr. Hosting: $100/yr. Not much, but
I'm simplifying my life in order to focus on the next thing (currently
undetermined).

-------------
If you published documents on cfu:

If you want changes made to any of your documents that are published
here before they are archived, make the changes before November 10,
2007. If I published them for you, tell me by November 6 what changes
you want made.
---------------------------

When linking to documents on carfreeuniverse, please use the purl
(permanent URL--specified at the top of most pages).

I may renew the domain name for another year so existing links to
carfreeuniverse will continue to work for another year, but to be
safe, change existing links so they use the purl instead.

I'll keep the domain j9k.org for a while longer.

Check there some time next year for info about a new blog I will
probably start for the occasions I feel like publishing something on
the web.

To help me keep in touch with you, consider adding me as a friend on facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=24603807

peace,
Colin

since I have your attention, I can't resist pointing you to some
interesting things I've recently read/learned about:
http://www.wie.org/j25/collective.asp?pf=1
http://www.presence.net/
http://holacracy.org/

I may eventually write more about these on cfu or in a new blog.

•  2
  New Members

I've never been on one of these rides. Do you all wear anti-car
clothing? In your mind, what will deter cagers from driving? Does a
large number of cyclists accomplish that? I don't know. I'm just
asking.
Jim Gagnepain
http://www.oilfreeandhappy.com

--- In CarFree <at> yahoogroups.com, "Robert J. Matter" <rjmatter <at> ...>
wrote:
>
> Tom Frost Jr. wrote:
>
> > TF: "Some believe alcohol may have played a role in [Matter's
beloved
> > Chicago Critical Mass organization's] demise."
> > groups.yahoo.com/group/critical-mass/message/1372
>
> The big monthly downtown ride is ending because it has become too
> successful. When I first started riding in Critical Mass seven
years ago
> a big ride would be 400-500 riders. But the explosive growth of
bike
> lanes in the city over the last several years has ushered in an
> explosion of bike ridership and the monthly CCM rides are now
drawing
> 2,000-3,000 riders. It's taking us 20-30 minutes to clear an
> intersection, the rule of thumb being 10 minutes per thousand
riders. I
> don't mind making cagers wait that long because 99% of them are in
a
> cage unnecessarily and they need some forced contemplative time to
> consider their unsustainable behavior. But I have empathy for
transit
> riders stuck in busses behind mile long lines of those cagers.
>
> Additionally with a ride of our size when there is a bottleneck or
> narrow street people have to dismount and walk their bikes because
of
> the bike congestion. That is not very enjoyable.
>
> A handful of underage drinkers with no dedication to improving
> cyclestrian policy and infrastructure have been joining the ride
just to
> party as of late. Their presence is unpleasant but their impact on
the
> ride is minimal since they are outnumbered by conscientious riders
at
> least 200 to 1.
>
> The good news is that instead of one big monthly ride, we now have
> several smaller neighborhood rides that will have less negative
impact
> on transit users while still demonstrating to cagers and passers by
that
> just about anyone can ride just about any kind of bike for
> transportation reasonably safely with a network of bike lanes and
bike
> paths and that they don't have to be an athlete in a spandex clown
suit
> with a $5K road bike and spend hundreds of dollars to take a LCI
course
> to do it.
>
> Bob Matter
> ----------
> Riding my bike, never "driving" it, safely and swiftly in the bike
lanes
> and bike paths of Chicagoland every day.
>

•  2
  New Members

Jim Gagnepain (oil_free_and_happy <at> comcast.net) wrote:
> I've never been on one of these rides. Do you all wear anti-car
> clothing?

I love the idea of anti-car clothing, as in mosquito-repellent
clothing bring on the citronella-impregnated jacket that will
keep those SUV drivers at at least a 3 ft distance

de

--
.............................................................................
:De Clarke, Software Engineer UCO/Lick Observatory, UCSC:
:Mail: de-iR/nz0FPI6BAfugRpC6u6w@public.gmane.org | Your planet's immune system is trying to get rid :
:Web: www.ucolick.org | of you. --Kurt Vonnegut :
:1024D/B9C9E76E | F892 5F17 8E0A F095 05CD EE8B D169 EDAA B9C9 E76E:

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I did a CM a few times but I would have kept to one lane on the 2 lane bits so cars could overtake. I thought the idea was that the rides demonstrated our right to be as equals on the road.
The Bristol ride caused hideous congestion in an already congested rush hour and while I laothe cars, I felt for maybe the mum stuck with hungry kids in the back, or the disabled person desperate to get home. And I doubt that one driver gave up a car because of them.
But I did see the power of group action, the saying 'we are fed up being treated like we shouldn't be on the roads'.
Can't imagine what a ride of thousands would look like.

S

Jim Gagnepain <oil_free_and_happy <at> comcast.net> wrote:
I've never been on one of these rides. Do you all wear anti-car
clothing? In your mind, what will deter cagers from driving? Does a
large number of cyclists accomplish that? I don't know. I'm just
asking.
Jim Gagnepain
http://www.oilfreeandhappy.com

--- In CarFree <at> yahoogroups.com, "Robert J. Matter"
wrote:
>
> Tom Frost Jr. wrote:
>
> > TF: "Some believe alcohol may have played a role in [Matter's
beloved
> > Chicago Critical Mass organization's] demise."
> > groups.yahoo.com/group/critical-mass/message/1372
>
> The big monthly downtown ride is ending because it has become too
> successful. When I first started riding in Critical Mass seven
years ago
> a big ride would be 400-500 riders. But the explosive growth of
bike
> lanes in the city over the last several years has ushered in an
> explosion of bike ridership and the monthly CCM rides are now
drawing
> 2,000-3,000 riders. It's taking us 20-30 minutes to clear an
> intersection, the rule of thumb being 10 minutes per thousand
riders. I
> don't mind making cagers wait that long because 99% of them are in
a
> cage unnecessarily and they need some forced contemplative time to
> consider their unsustainable behavior. But I have empathy for
transit
> riders stuck in busses behind mile long lines of those cagers.
>
> Additionally with a ride of our size when there is a bottleneck or
> narrow street people have to dismount and walk their bikes because
of
> the bike congestion. That is not very enjoyable.
>
> A handful of underage drinkers with no dedication to improving
> cyclestrian policy and infrastructure have been joining the ride
just to
> party as of late. Their presence is unpleasant but their impact on
the
> ride is minimal since they are outnumbered by conscientious riders
at
> least 200 to 1.
>
> The good news is that instead of one big monthly ride, we now have
> several smaller neighborhood rides that will have less negative
impact
> on transit users while still demonstrating to cagers and passers by
that
> just about anyone can ride just about any kind of bike for
> transportation reasonably safely with a network of bike lanes and
bike
> paths and that they don't have to be an athlete in a spandex clown
suit
> with a $5K road bike and spend hundreds of dollars to take a LCI
course
> to do it.
>
> Bob Matter
> ----------
> Riding my bike, never "driving" it, safely and swiftly in the bike
lanes
> and bike paths of Chicagoland every day.
>

Problem? Email: CarFree-owners <at> yahoogroups.com

Yahoo! Groups Links

"Do you know what is better than prayer, fasting and charity? It is keeping peace and good relations between people, as quarrels and bad feelings destroy mankind" Muslim and Bukhari

---------------------------------
For ideas on reducing your carbon footprint visit Yahoo! For Good this month.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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I found a bright vest with 'DEAF' printed on it almost always guarantees loads of space. Because Disability = erratic and stupid in many people's minds so they give you a wide berth.
The one I have that says 'One less car' always ticks off drivers, especially when you overtake a staionaru queue and I've been spat at and had things thrown at me as well as drivers coming too close to try and fighten me.

S

De Clarke <de-iR/nz0FPI6BAfugRpC6u6w@public.gmane.org> wrote:
Jim Gagnepain (oil_free_and_happy <at> comcast.net) wrote:
> I've never been on one of these rides. Do you all wear anti-car
> clothing?

I love the idea of anti-car clothing, as in mosquito-repellent
clothing bring on the citronella-impregnated jacket that will
keep those SUV drivers at at least a 3 ft distance

de

--
.............................................................................
:De Clarke, Software Engineer UCO/Lick Observatory, UCSC:
:Mail: de-iR/nz0FPI6BAfugRpC6u6w@public.gmane.org | Your planet's immune system is trying to get rid :
:Web: www.ucolick.org | of you. --Kurt Vonnegut :
:1024D/B9C9E76E | F892 5F17 8E0A F095 05CD EE8B D169 EDAA B9C9 E76E:

Problem? Email: CarFree-owners <at> yahoogroups.com

Yahoo! Groups Links

"Do you know what is better than prayer, fasting and charity? It is keeping peace and good relations between people, as quarrels and bad feelings destroy mankind" Muslim and Bukhari

---------------------------------
For ideas on reducing your carbon footprint visit Yahoo! For Good this month.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

•  2
  New Members

That's because you're a threat to the STATUS QUO, where one out of
every four jobs are related to automobiles, gasoline and their service
industries. This said, I haven't had too many problems. Every once in
a while somebody will pass me, and then gun their car and swerve into
the bike lane about 10 feet in front of me, in a demonstration of their
machismo.

--- In CarFree <at> yahoogroups.com, Sahar <bobalinga <at> ...> wrote:
> The one I have that says 'One less car' always ticks off drivers,
especially when you overtake a staionaru queue and I've been spat at
and had things thrown at me as well as drivers coming too close to try
and fighten me.

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