Not only are drivers ignorant about cyclists on the road, but there's no safe place for bicycles either on the road, the shoulder, or the sidewalk. As individual cyclists, we don't have much of a presence, so we have to network and do the best that we can. I attended last month's Critical Mass ride. It drew several dozen cyclists who had a lot of fun riding through the streets. And with the security of our numbers, we felt safe on the road for the first time in Honolulu.
Direct action is the name of the game here.
Critical Mass. Critical Mass has no dues, no budget and is not an official organization. You just show up, put your body on a bike, and take the streets back from the cars to liberate space for bikes. Of course, not all of the internal combustion engines around us were pleased with bicycles blocking traffic. And to do that, people need to be won over to the joys of bicycling. When I attend rallies and protests, I do so reluctantly, because I hate marching and shouting slogans.