"Yesterday was my first time around London with critical mass. I have to admit I didn't like it, for three reasons

1) Several times I saw the police harassing people and nobody stopping to protect them. The police invited us repeatedly to pass at crossings ignoring the red lights and then when we were on the Mall they stopped one of us because she did so without permission and they even fined her. And only about five people stopped to hear what was happening, the rest of the group passed ignoring what to me is a simple rule, we are a group, if the police stops someone we all stop. The same thing happened on Park Lane when a guy was stopped and was asked if he was on drugs, he was left there with the police inspecting his bag, everyone passed by without stopping. The police have been developing these techniques ever since it was created 10,000 years ago, they single out one of us and take advantage of the herd behavior of the others.

2) Why do we have to cross when the lights are red? There were lots of people walking home waiting for us to cross the road. I think the cars are our enemies not the people who are traveling home by feet. And you know what? I tried to stop at some point and a policeman told me "Come on, keep going, keep going". What? Is this a police demonstration or our demonstration? And on top of that policemen were preventing pedestrians from crossing the road on a green light telling them "We're sorry, it's too dangerous you have to wait" like we were just a group of hooligans or something. The police is clearly trying to monopolize the event, and they want the people to think we are abusing everyone else rights. We can be effective in creating a problem for car drivers even if we stop at red lights. And if a policeman tell us to go, we should stop and stick to the law, telling him he is an idiot. If what the people want from this demonstration is just that, the thrill of crossing with the red lights, then I have seen enough of it. If there is more, like we want to be an organized and thinking entity, then I am with CM.

3) This is more tactical and again it has to do with the organization, so it's not a criticism, more of a suggestion. I think we should split the group in two or three groups. We could ride at the same time through the city AND westminster AND oxford street because we are a lot and we would create twice or three times as much trouble to cars. Now, I don't know what is the best way to do so and possibly everyone else prefer to keep the group united but maybe at least having a discussion about it would help."

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"I was one of only two people to stop when the guy got ticketed for the red light incident, the female officer asked him to stop, which he did, she then proceded to vent her anger on him. When he retorted to this he was told he had an attitude problem, to which he told her, quite rightly, that she was the one with the attitude. I don't think she had any intention of ticketing him until another officer intervened, who had not seen the incident or heard any of the dialogue, but went straight to a transit van, stopped it and got out a ticket which he handed to the female officer. I assume he was a senior officer, so the first female officer seemed to be forced to hand out the ticket.

I think this was the same female officer that tried to pass me, kerb side, telling me to move to the right, after I had had 2 hours of police telling me to keep to the left, when I told her trying to force through at speed on the inside, was a stupid thing to do, I also was a target for her anger, then sure enough following her was a senior officer who told me to keep a path clear on the inside for my own safety, to which I thought bollocks.

It may be an idea for anybody being victimised or intimidated this way to raise both hands in the air or both hands on their head, then other riders would know their predicament and hopefully question whats going on. Another point regarding police mingling at the start, if this continues and they refuse to show us the respect we deserve, maybe instead of meeting under Waterloo Bridge, we could change it to on the Bridge.

One last point regarding a 'Bust Fund' I managed such a fund in the past and it is a very difficult job to do, as you seem to get the same old faces bending the rules a little too often, but if anyone thinks thay can honestly and openly administer such a fund, a friend of mine sells on Ebay fantastic one less car / Critical Mass cycling safety vests, he sells these at cost for £3.40, I am sure we could sell some on a Friday for say a £5 so £1.60 per vest goes to a fund, although I am not to sure if this legally possible.

All this said I enjoy every minute of the rides and it is good that we can sit here moaning about things that are borne out of CM Londons overwhelming success."

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"There was one on Park Lane, who the police threatened to arrest if he didn't produce identification. Also a friend of mine was semi-ticketed - the WPC gave up halfway thru when she realised she was filling out the wrong form. Those were both for red-light offenses."

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"I was ticketed for jumping a red light, and was explained that those at the front will from now on get fined if they jump a red light. I think this ties in to what happened the last two month, when the police tried very hard to control the front and people prevented them from doing so by breaking out.

As far as I am concerned I don't expect my fellow cyclist to stop and harass the "looking for promotion two star cop" that is filling out his form (although its always nice to have company). I think the reaction by the cyclists at the August CM was the right one, continue, and make it as difficult for the cops as possible: i.e. making u-turns, going down the smallest possibly alleyways, and keep it fastish. Jumping red lights (at the front) and cycling on pavements is just about the only thing they can do you for when you go on a CM, so if people don't do it, the cops have nothing to make a fuss about.

They can only control the front if the CM lets them - its actually quite funny to see 10 slightly overweight cops cycling all proud at the front, while the CM just takes a turn.

I am all for the CM getting more active, i.e. if people in the middle decide they fancy turning right or left - do so... it takes the pressure off those at the front and prevents the police from slowing down the CM or controlling the front.

Other than that I think the CM was massively good fun.