We Are Traffic is a show about Critical Mass. My favorite part was that which explained that critical mass is much more than just riding bicycles. It is all about creating the space in our urban environment where the bicycling community can fit that encourages our civilization to move towards a more sustainable situation. As an example of this, they had an interview with an artist who likes to paint murals like the ones above and below this text. He explained that his message was basically "we want this city to work for us to."

Looking at it again, I realize that I have seen other works by the guy. For example there is is a big "TRUTH" across the top of a building across the plaza from San Francisco City Hall that has been in the background of many pictures of demonstrations that occurred there. Also, on the building next to San Francisco Museum Of Modern Art there is a big up arrow like the one with BIRDS in it above, only that one has "SKY" in it.

Another example of the same kind of consciousness raising in the film was the Department of Public Art, which was created by some cyclists that had to do something when a friend of theirs was killed in a bike vs. car accident. They created the DPA to install some art to make a statement about what it is like to be a cyclist in this modern American urban environment.

This is the statue that the DPA unveiled. Every cyclist probably knows multiple people who have been doored just like this mannequin. Being doored is a painful experience that happens far too often because car people just assume they can open their doors without looking to see if the bike lane is clear. Some say another factor is that there is not enough space between the cars and bikes.

Much time in the show was also devoted to what caused The Big Ride back in the summer of 1997. Part of it was that Hizzoner Willie Brown and the Police tried to tell one Critical Mass ride what to do, in a situation where tensions were already high. This shot was from a clip of the Mayor telling critical mass to follow the police over a prescribed route. Things didn't exactly go the way he wanted them to, and it does seem that since then the number of bike lanes has grown. I felt like clapping when the show was over.