Some of it sounds dangerous . On this day, I could devote my energies toward looking and listening to what was around me, and talking and smiling with my fellow bicyclists. I realized I would much rather be stuck in a bicycle traffic jam than an automobile traffic jam. John Labovitz Critical Mass is also getting press. Participants gathered at City Hall and rode through the streets en masse, holding up midday traffic and handing out a list of their demands to pedestrians and motorists, including a network of bike lanes to be built in the city, bike access to mass transit, and an end to bike bans on a major downtown street and the University of Pennsylvania campus.
Cyclists plan to hold monthly actions until their demands are met.
The significance of this to social psychology is that if these people are so dead set against traffic and cars, and they are willing to do something this drastic about it, then maybe there is something there. As a driver, I will be more aware of what I do when I drive and how often I do decide to drive. If we can all respect each other on the road, maybe these people wouldn't be as mad as they are. One of their big gripes is how motorists drive, and how inconsiderate they are. Critical Mass discusses fossil-fuel dependence, the arrogance and audacity of motorists, and air pollution.