About that Critical Mass dustup

There have been a couple of public and private comments about my post on the confrontation between Waterloo Regional Police and a member of the Critical Mass event on Friday, April 23.

The rider himself has responded and you can see his comments on that post.

It apparently wasn't about lights, but about the power play that sometimes happens between politicized cyclists and police. Was the officer in the cruiser being hindered in his forward motion? Yes. Were his lights flashing or siren wailing because he was on the way to an emergency? No. If it had been a convoy of senior citizens in motorized scooters on King Street, I wonder if any of them would have been hustled off to the police station.

Having said that, I was myself mighty ticked at a Critical Mass event last year when the group declined to let Grand River Transit buses past the cycle parade. GRT is a part of the alternative transportation solution. Surely, they should get special consideration.

When you adopt an absolute position, there is bound to be head-butting. Take it easy, guys. We're on bikes for joy, not to annoy.