Road Rage Wrecks Critical Mass in Dublin

by Daithi Tue Apr 30, 2002 12:21 macsithd at tcd dot ie

Eoghan mentions the "free country" argument so I'm going to riff on that for a minute
. There is no "right to car ownership". Under the vast majority of European constitutions (flawed as they are), any rights of property ownership (which is expressed in the abstract, often as a "right to property" rather than a "right to own specific items of property") are qualified.

For example in Ireland, the State can't abolish the concept of private property, or go around confiscating property without compensation. It's never been held, however, that you can do what you wish with your property. The Irish constitution is of course flawed in many ways, but the definition of property being subject to "social justice" is welcome, if not used to its full extent by our conservative politicians.

The whole system of planning permission is based on an interference with property use. Indeed, despite this being highly unlikely, the Government could (subject to EU law) ban the ownership of cars like they can ban the ownership of certain firearms, or possession of drugs etc.

I don't that that the language of rights is very useful when talking about the shameful policies of successive governments towards cycling and public transport. WHat we end up with is the ráiméis of the MIJAG co-opting the slogans of rights and even revolution in order to defend and promote something that is in my opinion one of the greatest threats to our country - the dominant position of the private motorist and the contempt for both public transport ("We're not there yet; but we're getting there" - sounds like the train to Cork!) and cyclists (just as an anecdotal example, I counted twenty nine cars in a row on a cycle lane near the Four Courts on Sunday).

In a sentence - the right to drive your car/block the roads/pollute/run cyclists and pedestrians down/joyride/drive irresponsibly/perpetuate the cycle of motorway building has got to be looked at with the same contempt as the "right to live in a white nation" or the "right to refuse Travellers from your pub".

by eoghan ryan - critical mass participant and occasional car driver Tue Apr 30, 2002 11:50

I think that we are relatively lucky that there are quite a number of open spaces within Dublin.
You can add the Botanic Gardens, Mountjoy Square, Merron Square etc. Actually, it is kinda ironic that one of the problems in constructing a decent public transport system in Dublin is that there is such a low-density of population cos we do have a lot of green areas. However, i do think that the city could still be made a much more tolerable place to live in by challenging the ubiquity of the car everywhere else in the city. I think that pretty much everyone acknowledges this, in fact many of the proposed improvements in public transport seem to be a reaction to the the needs of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and IBEC who have realised that goods and workers cant get anywhere in time anymore. For eg, the LUAS will stop in the Square in Tallaght as business needs end here. The much neglected areas of West Tallaght and Jobstown will have to make do with the same substandard bus service as before. So, for me, Critical mass is one way of pressurising for changes in public transport that benefit people and not business. Clearing O'Connell Street of traffic for even a few minutes provides a glimpse of what an alternative might look like and is empowering in the process. Buses are, in my experience, and where possible, allowed passage through the Critical mass bike ride. Also, I think that it is a bit rich for anyone bringing their car into the city centre at 6pm on a Friday evening to complain about being delayed. On the free country thing, I do not think that the right to car ownership is in the constitution, or the UN declaration on human Rights or whatever. I do not mean to be facetious here, rather i think that the right to own a car is qualitatively different to other, more important, rights and freedoms. If everyone owns and uses a car to get through the city, that seems to me to impinge on the total amount of freedom we enjoy as a whole.
On blocking traffic, WE ARE TRAFFIC!

by chris Tue Apr 30, 2002 09:28

"Why is there so little open space in our cities where people can relax and interact, free from the incessant buying and selling of ordinary life?"

There's plenty of public space. You can walk along the Liffey. There's St. Stephen's Green, Merrion Square, Iveagh Park, and last but certainly not least, Phoenix Park. There's pleasant trails around the mountains in Bray and in Howth. You can walk along the beach from Killiney right to Bray. And so on.

"Why are people compelled to organize their lives around having a car?"

Because most people would prefer to drive large distances than to cycle them. Because having a car is easier and more convenient. Duh. Most people aren't urban hipsters who enjoy cycling around. It's a free country, ya know.

I don't drive, but I do take the bus. Without the bus, my life would be frustrating and/or impossible.

I have a question: Why do feel that you are entitled to block traffic and tell everyone else what to with their life?

cheers,
chris

by Steve Tue Apr 30, 2002 08:58 SteveThinkALot at Hotmail dot com

OK, but why not just debate the items raised?

"Why is there so little open space in our cities where people can relax and interact, free from the incessant buying and selling of ordinary life? Why are people compelled to organize their lives around having a car? What would an alternative future look like?"

These are such important questions!!!

I think it is getting harder in Dublin City to have 'space'. Here in Bray we have the seafront as a public space which it great.

Just what defines a public space though???

Steve

by charlie braun - CrimethInc. Cultural Deliverance Cartel Mon Apr 29, 2002 19:32 charliecwc at yahoo dot com

Critical Mass has been happening almost every month in Dublin for a year now so I suppose people generally accept that most people on a site such as this know what it is; I suppose that's what caused your problem. Anyway have a look at http://www.critical-mass.org/ for an idea of the many different perspectives of what CM is about, or here's a little bit of history from the San Fran CM site:

Critical Mass got started in September 1992 in San Francisco as a way to bring these various populations together in a festive re-claiming of public space. The idea was initially conceived by one person, who bounced the idea off other cyclists. San Francisco’s prominent bicycle messenger community was enlisted primarily through word of mouth, while commuters were reached by someone standing in the middle of the financial district passing out flyers.

Beginning rather under a less catchy name—the Commute Clot—the ride drew an initial crowd of 60 cyclists, and these numbers doubled for several months following. Critical Mass has continued and grown in San Francisco, drawing about 700+ from month to month, with an October 1993 high of 1000+, but it has spread to other cities as well. With independent rides springing up all over the place (list of cities), Critical Mass has begun to take on the character of a large scale, decentralized grassroots movement!

Ultimately, Critical Mass is just a bunch of cyclists riding around together, going from one point to another. (Someone coined the descriptive phrase "organized coincidence.") But the incredible thing is that, in attempting this simple task, so many important and interesting questions come up. Why is there so little open space in our cities where people can relax and interact, free from the incessant buying and selling of ordinary life? Why are people compelled to organize their lives around having a car? What would an alternative future look like?

***

see you all next week

by Steve Mon Apr 29, 2002 18:15 SteveThinkALot at Hotmail dot com

Did I miss something or does this article lack a certain 'point' to getting all these cyclists together and screwing up and the already screwed traffic systems.

I was not made aware of any!

Steve

by Mickey-Joe MacRourke Mon Apr 29, 2002 17:39 MJ at eircom dot net

There is no longer an argument,there's no longer a
debate,there are not two sides to these stories
these stories are the world over and the cyclists
have risen with no need for an insulting 'debate'
as to the status of cars or our own status,we no
longer argue,we do.
Cyclists in Galway are with you in Solidarity and on May 6th at 6pm Eyre Sq.sees another day of the Free Bicycles

by shocked Mon Apr 29, 2002 17:07

the full irish is the breakfast show on 2fm,shoulda specified

by shocked Mon Apr 29, 2002 17:06

In case any of you were not listening to the full irish (in the car on way to work) this morning, id like to draw your attention to the fact that the woman, can't remeber her name now, picked out : cyclist gets knocked over as the FUNNIEST story of the day. The funniest, she says, because, well she couldnt say. She thought it was hilarious that some guy finally mowed over one of these silly protestors. What a total arsehole. How can the mainstream media poke fun at what they just don't get, and get away with it, in the meantime polluting the minds of anyone listening who is not well informed on the reclaim the streets buzz...

by Mayday Mon Apr 29, 2002 14:58

Monday May 6th

critical mass from Garden of Rememberance

try run down five times as many cyclists

ALL OUT FOR THE CRITICAL MASS!!!!!