Critical Mass (part 1 of 2)

Critical Mass bike rides tend to polarize people in NYC, in a way that they don't seem to in other cities. Not just Right vs. Left, or SUV-driving gas-guzzlers vs. alternative energy proponents, but also Leftists who characterize the event as a distraction from the "real issues that matter", faux-activism, and something that bored college kids do, vs. other Leftists who participate in it as a way of bringing attention to transportation issues in a city where bikers have almost no rights on the street, deadly hit-and-run accidents occur with startling frequency, and the biggest vehicle always has the right of way.

You can find more information about Critical Mass bike rides here.