'Cause if you guys could stop and let traffic through on our way home from work, that'd be really helpful. You could pass out pamphlets and get more riders that way.
It's hard not to smile when confronted by such a group.
I think you may miss the point.
I have, BTW, ridden a bicycle exclusively for 18 years, and I've always enjoyed Critical Mass (our local rides top out around 50 people). It frustrates me how many of my fellow cyclists seem determined to shoot themselves in the foot, PR-wise.
We roll at 7:30 which is well after traffic dies down and we do as much as possible to be respectful, like leaving a lane open so cars can pass us.
Really, though, I've looked into similar things, and can't understand how they're able to do it next to a police precinct without posting detours and without being fined or traffic controlled. But, it's Detroit. There are probably 10 cops covering downtown at any time, and they might not have the resources to police traffic on a Friday evening.
That said, I'm actually interested in this. Did you guys have to go through city hall and set up the detour routes and get permission from the affected businesses to lay down your route? The city I tried to set something up in would have allowed it, but there was a lot of paperwork and it was smaller than an organized ride.
There are also of course plenty of legal rides/events that get permits, police escorts(sometimes free), etc. We have something called "Atlanta Streets Alive" that shuts down several miles of large streets every few months to only pedestrian and bike traffic, allowing people to walk and play in the streets with no cars. Permits are required, off-duty police have to be hired to direct traffic at intersections etc.
The cops seem friendly and supportive. The city doesn't have the luxury of shutting down something that is positive.