Critical Mass started in San Francisco in September of 1992 in order to promote the rights of Bike riders on the road. One of the key elements of critical mass is that no distinct leader is appointed. Everyone has the right to speak and make his or her point heard. Although Critical Mass originally was started to promote the rights of cyclists on the road, it can be used as a form of protest for anything. The Critical Mass website states that Critical Mass is an idea not an organization. For example, if people were wishing to spread the word of global warming Critical Mass is a possible method. People can direct attention towards themselves while at the same time encourage people to ride bikes instead of drive cars. When I first watched the movie that we watched on Monday, I didn’t understand what the point of Critical Mass was. As an avid biker I thought it was great to promote the rights of bikers but why at the expense of innocent motorists? Are they bad people for needing to be somewhere at a given amount of time? However when I visited the website I found out that this isn’t the intent of Critical Mass at all. It clearly encourages the members to socialize with the motorists and spread the word. It also encourages bikers to leave a lane open for the cars and let the motorists know when exactly the next ride will take place so they can be prepared in advance… or take part themselves. Critical Mass can be an effective form of protest. I do think that biking should be allowed on the streets but not at the expense of the motorists. In fact, in many cites in California bike lanes are present and have been around for a while so the concept isn’t knew at all. This prevents the bikers from impeding the motorists and in turn provides safety for the bikers.