SJ Bike Party plea to plebes

SJ Bike Party is a gathering every third friday in San Jose. This past friday was the No Pants Ride, which, like Critical Mass, is getting both positive and negative attention.

In a post on the SJ Bike Party website responding to friday's activities, ride organizers try to stem the tide of rowdy revelers that enjoy partying, and not necessarily biking.

I am deeply dismayed by the attitudes and the aggression on the ride. Community means friendship and respecting one another. Bike Party has grown into a huge successful event because we are open to everyone and we love everyone.

However, as of today, some of you are no longer welcome. If you think San Jose Bike Party is a place to get shit faced and pick fights, don’t come. If you think San Jose Bike Party is a place where you can do what you want and harass cars, don’t come. If you are so in love with a bike ride that you cannot give up your binge drinking, fight mongering, douche-baggery, then start your own ride. You can even call it Anti SJ Bike Party. We won’t mind, just stop coming to our rides.

I don't mean to sound ironic, but best of luck trying to keep people away. The problem with open parties is that they attract a lot of attention, and as anyone on the interblags knows, anonymity with an audience breeds stupidity. The best way to gather respect is to continue building a core group that sneers at misbehavior, and with time the novelty will wear from plebeian interest. Similar to Critical Mass being a relatively respected event now, albeit with some sporadic outbursts, this event will shine with glory once enough peers weed out the bad apples. It will likely get a lot worse before it gets better, however. Post #17 from Sean:

Hmmmmm, I remember when Bike Party was about a group of cyclists getting together to have a fun friday night, while promoting the joy of cycling. That’s a far cry from what it has turned into.
...
The sad fact is that everyone can sit on the computer and type responses like this all day long, and it will not make a difference. Bike party has attracted way too many a-holes who spend one night a month on their bike. This is not my idea of fun.
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This is most likely my last bike party, because unfortunately I see last nights ride as a bad image of what the future holds for bike party.

So have fun, new people, you’ve transformed our bike party to your booze cruise… enjoy it while it lasts.

:-/

[ update: a mild article from a merc news rider ]