I’ve been a full-time bicycle rider since 1973, but I’ve never been to a Critical Mass [Straight Talk, August 12-19]. When it started, it seemed obvious to me that it was AstroTurf, promoted by the auto industry. Considering its stated aims of camaraderie for the participants and showing the public how many cyclists there are, why hold it downtown on a Friday night at 6 p.m.? Wouldn’t those aims be achieved if it were held in a park on a Sunday morning at 10 a.m.?

The participants believe they are attacking the gas guzzlers’ domination of our roads. So why do the mainstream news media—relying on auto advertising for their continued existence—remind their readers of the upcoming month-end ride? If Critical Mass were a real threat, it would be ignored by the media. And the police would be told to enforce the law, not facilitate the ride.

The real aim is obvious: create maximum animosity between car drivers and bicycle riders. Once the day and time were fixed and downtown made the starting point, any city with a few angry bike riders could start its own Critical Mass ride—thus the illusion of a grassroots movement.

> Frank Daniels / Vancouver