Hobart, Tasmania Critical Mass
Date: Mon, 01 Sep 1997 19:12:30 -0300
From: David Dettrick
<davidd@delm.tas.gov.au>
Subject: Critical Mass Hobart
We have been very slow at becoming "electric" but I would like you to
add Hobart, Australia to your list of Critical Mass rides as of 25 April
1997!
A very brief chronology of Hobart (population 180,000) Critical
Mass:
- CM1 500 people! huge! illegal! (you must register a "street
march" with hobart police or it is illegal) 40 scateboarders, 1 marathon
runner, 30 kids, 2-3 off-duty mountian bike cops. The feeling of freedom
was spectacular. unfortunately after about 1 hour of the ride the police
(1 car) arrived and tried their usual fascist "disperse or be arrested"
line. CM did disperse -- right around the cop car. apparantly CM Melbourne
(population 3 mill) only attracted 700 so this was a bloody good
start!
- CM2 150 people fairly huge! illegal! with police support
"after hours"! we were fenced in between two cop cars a two motor bikes.
little elation, little fredom. mainly heaps of imprisoned cyclists
feelings generally not as much fun until the end when CM spilt up into 5
groups and decended on the pub leaving the cops in chaos.
- CM3 70 people, no cops! illegal by popular consesus! bike
clubs desert us becasue it is too cold! hobart winter starts to bite.
even hobart's mountain bike courier didn't go because in the slow moving
mass his muscles get too cold.
- CM4 60 people cops! cops! cops! told them to go home and
half of them did. went down sandy bay road and did the classic
"macdonalds drivethru" it was really funning watching the police drive
thru the "drive thru" with lights flashing etc.
- CM5 60 people! no cops! good fun but not enough people but
only just starting to warm up again for hope fully HUGE summer.
CM "victories" in hobart:
change to political landscape... Bicycle Tasmania is a
conservative biking organisation that has extensively been involved in
campaigning for bike for 20 years. result: one bike path. length 3
miles.
Bike Tas report that in the last 6 months more stuff has gone through
boardrooms and in planning offices than in the last 20 years, as a result
of their shift from "extremist" to conservative middle ground. previously,
conservative old bike tas took all the "lefty, pinko, greeny, extremist"
comments, but now these are leveled at the mass -which is just how we like
it.
Recent triumphs... bikes can soon ride 2 abreast in line with
the rest of Australia!
a huge bike path loop around the Derwent River (50kms of bike
paths)
heaps of community discussions in papers, TV and all this without
even talking to one city councilor!!!
David Dettrick "just another participant in the organised
coincidence"
Hobart, Australia