09.02.2009 Critical Mass, August edition
Last Friday, I had a special international guest for Critical Mass. Always a great time when I can make it happen, Critical Mass is a (usually) slow, giant bike ride around the city, so named because when you get enough bikers on the road, they rule the cars instead of vice versa.
Riding, you get a lot of pedestrians asking "What are you riding for?" and probably not understanding the hastily shouted reply as you zip past. I'm hoping they manage to look it up eventually.
I'm fascinated each time, too, by the way the ride seems to bring out extremes in drivers' (and pedestrians'!) personalities. Some people are thrilled at the spectacle. Others are furious at being delayed. The ones I really can't identify with, though, are the ones I stereotype as "River North" types, who seem vaguely pissed that there's something going on that they don't understand, that doesn't fit into the standard boxes of consumerism. (It's a party! Everyone's invited, it doesn't cost anything, no one's in charge.)
There was a really nice, shy-seeming man giving out Oreos on the ride. I wish I'd talked to him more.
Oh, yeah, and the route ran into the scene of a double homicide. That part wasn't as fun. Police everywhere, confusion as we all re-routed, some somber blocks. Then, up MLK drive for a bit, and to the beach!
Then to Danny's, after, for some great chocolate stout and one of the Unibroue variants that I never remember the names of.
(*All images taken on the Android G1. The plate does a funny wobbly thing that sometimes gives the images a bit of a Van Gogh feel. Sometimes enjoyable, occasionally aggravating.)
Posted by charlie williams at September 2, 2009 04:06 PM
