Cyclist, motorists clash in Berkeley Critical Mass

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 5/12/7 | Henry K. Lee

[SmithL]

BERKELEY -- An angry confrontation erupted during Friday night's Critical Mass bike ride in Berkeley when cyclists accused a motorist of trying to run them over, a participant who videotaped part of the fracas said today.

The incident, similar to an altercation that occurred during a Critical Mass in San Francisco in March, occurred about 8 p.m. as dozens of cyclists rode through the intersection of The Alameda and Monterey Avenue, said bicycle activist Jason Meggs.

Tempers flared on both sides and the motorist's windshield was shattered and a wiper bent, but Berkeley police did not make any arrests, Meggs said.

Police officials were not immediately available for comment, and the identity of the driver was not known.

A man driving a Chevrolet van allegedly drove toward the cyclists, Meggs said, prompting the confrontation.

A video of the incident shot by Meggs shows a woman, identified as his wife, in the van -- which has disabled person license plates.

On the video, three bicycles are seen stuck beneath the right front tire of the vehicle and bicyclists trying to remove them.

"Everybody, back away!" one person is heard shouting. Cyclists are seen and heard pounding on the vehicle's hood and windows.

"What the f-? What's your f- problem?" one cyclist demands of the driver, who is inside the vehicle with the windows closed.

At one point, the man's wife opens her door. "How dare you be so violent?" someone is heard asking her. "Are you people drunk?"

The woman says something that can't be heard, prompting a man to ask her, "Guess who started it? Guess who did it?"

"You're on top of three bikes!" a bicyclist tells the driver, urging him to move.

...Meggs said police blamed the bicyclists for instigating the confrontation, a charge he denied.

[grey_whiskers]

I have done the Houston to Austin MS-150 ten times. It is a great feeling to be out there with 13,000 other riders all at the same time.

My favorite part was the [down]hills around Bastrop State Park.

That, and the guy with the kid's Burley trailer behind him--which held a 1/2 keg of beer packed in ice...

My fave MS150 was the Minnesota one -- Noran Clinic. Duluth (tip of Lake Superior) to Anoka (northern Mpls suburb).

At the end of the first day, when my mind was trashed, I wandered into the Hinckley, MN high school auditorium to set up my sleeping bag, and watched "The Matrix" with my mind dead from the ride.

It *really* made the eerieness of the movie stand out.

Cheers!

[grey_whiskers]

They’re SO freakin’ obnoxious. It takes ALL of my self control not to throw open a car door when I pass them.

Go rent the movie The Pink Panther with Steve Martin.

There are scenes in there you will find *very* therapeutic.

Cheers!

[Finny]

I'm sitting here laughing outloud! "Go ahead, Bike Boy, make my day!"

I live on a windy, scenic mountain road too old and narrow for bike lanes that is also very busy with auto traffic. I am so disgusted with "serious" bicyclists who endanger the lives of auto drivers. There are numerous blind turns on this road, and little room if a car has to cross over the double-yellow line, which it DOES if there's a bike on the road, and especially if there are three or four.

Yeah, I share the guy's fantasy sometimes, I have to admit!

[Tailback]

Why not tax sneakers, baby strollers, dog leashes etc and get the walkers too?

Well, unless you're completely retarded or just trying to get a rise out of me, I have a hard time believeing that you use your baby stroller or walk your dog on the roadway as opposed to the sidewalk which was invented for such use. Sidewalks, generally, are constructed using system development fees which get rolled into the permit process during the building of new neighborhoods. I consider such things to be "user fees" as opposed to frigging "eco-welfare" such as bike lanes, light rail, mass transit etc... which usually steal funds from gas tax accounts using complex govt. accounting (theft) to achieve goals which should be illegal.

Did you have any other questions?

[Tailback]

but in California cyclist OWN the road just as much as cars. If you have a problem with that (and you just might) take it up with your legislature.

Exactly how do these snobs in spandex and plastic contribute to the costs of maintaining the lane miles? Lets expand the "Fairness Doctrine" to bicycles and require a license, proof of insurance, helmet law, and make them pay tolls or tax bicycles and bicycle parts. It's only fair right?

[trumandogz]

There is one downhill just before the split to go through the park or down Hwy 71 is a blast. I have hit 50 MPH on that hill a few times but not in a pace line!

I recall last year some guy had a burley with a big German Shepard. The dog would get out for the uphills and stay in for the downhills.

Worst MS-150 was a pace line crash just outside of Houston. I was lucky, others on my team and their bikes were not. A few broken bones and banged up bikes.

[trumandogz]

The average rode rider has spent $1,500 to $3,000 on a bike, $300 on shoes, $200 on pedals, hundreds on jerseys and shorts and lots of money on bike computers, helmet, gloves, sunglasses etc. It is a very expensive hobby and those who do it pay tons of money in taxes. In other words, it is not a ghetto sport. This is not to mention the charity rides that most riders participate raising millions for the MS Society and other organizations.

And yes, people on bikes have the right to the road just like a car and there is not a whole lot you can do about that,

[BigCinBigD]

“Where’s an earthquake when you need it, to open up the earth and swallow up the moon bats.”

I dream of the day when I can sit on the beach and watch the warm waters of the Pacific lapping gently against the shore.............In Nevada!

[Tailback]

The average rode rider has spent $1,500 to $3,000 on a bike, $300 on shoes, $200 on pedals, hundreds on jerseys and shorts and lots of money on bike computers, helmet, gloves, sunglasses etc. It is a very expensive hobby and those who do it pay tons of money in taxes.

And not a penny of that goes to roads, while a huge amount of gas tax money goes to maintain, stripe, sweep, and build new bike lane miles while vehicle lane miles suffer. Also cocky bike riders, (like you) knowing they are a protected liberal minority class, completely ignore all the laws that (theoretically) apply to them the same as motorists. Let's just bring some fairness into the equation. You're not against what's common sense fairness are you? Put license plates on your bikes so the red light cameras can catch you jerks and apply the money towards offsetting the bicycle welfare money stolen from motorists.

[trumandogz]

Like I said before the hippies on bikes that are not wearing helmets violate every traffic rule there is. However, people on road bikes for the most part obey every traffic law there is. If we don’t we can end up dead very quickly.

Go ahead and put license plates on bikes and red light cameras to catch bikes going through traffic signals however, we will also need to install GPS on every car to monitor speed. Each time you drive your car over the speed limit the Police will send you a ticket.

But then again, you are in Oregon where the state already plans to place GPS in everyone’s car. I live in Texas where that will never happen.

Good Luck with your Big Brother.

[cyclotic]

That’s pretty cool.

This year will be my 12th MS150 in Michigan. I keep thinking about traveling to another state to do it but haven’t gotten around to it.

[CindyDawg]

Neither. I pay plenty of taxes already and I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of taxing bikes and parts too. Peace.

[mtbopfuyn]

Which is why I quit cycle-commuting after buying a a house in a rural locale where all (both) the roads in are narrow and high-speed.

We're in the country, too. There's two main (main, that's a hoot) routes into town and both are little hilly windy narrow things. There are sections on each where you absolutely can not see if another car is coming down the hill and around curves at you. There's no shoulder and if you bobble the least little bit into the bar ditch, you're a gonner. When a road is so narrow it doesn't have a center stripe, that's a road cyclists should NEVER be on but they are... I know one day I'm going to make a blind curve and SPLAT one dead cyclist and of course I'll be blamed because I'm in a car. It's inevitable. It's hard enough to dodge oncoming cars that veer into my lane, much less adding a stupid cyclist or 12 to the mixture.

[Drango]

UPDATE:

A 72-year-old man driving the Chevrolet minivan and his 70-year-old wife were surrounded by bicyclists who rocked their vehicle, police said, adding that two witnesses told them that three riders threw their bicycles in front of the minivan to block its path. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/13/BAGNLPQ6MJ1.DTL

[sionnsar]

I have a similar situation on a few stretches of one of the roads. But it requires a lot more caution because there are sometimes pedestrians, and I’ve had deer leap out from the woods as well.

[agent_delta]

These Critical Mass Idiots are out of control.

It used to be a peaceful way to support riding your bike to work — and has turned into a borderline terrorist activity.

Some of the ones I have witnessed included 100s of bicycles surrounding cars, going through red lights with vehicular traffic at a complete standstill until the morons (all 100++++ of them) are clear of the intersection.

It SHOCKS me that this isn’t illegal and that no one has done anything.

It’s more of a parade — WHICH WOULD REQUIRE PERMITS — then any kind of peaceful demonstration of support for bicycle use.

Ridiculous!

[zoso82t]

The animosity shown by many people here towards cyclists is pathetic. I deal with a lot of it out on the road, but had hoped folks here would be a bit above Neanderthal level. Apparently not.

There’s no reason for me to get buzzed by a car 6 inches away. Pass me safely like any other vehicle. If you’re in such a damn rush, you should have left earlier.

I’m in no way defending these Critical Mass morons, but the comments from several of you make you no better than them. Advocating murder because you can’t be bothered to share the road? That’s sick.

[MortMan]

However, if you feel strongly about this issue you can come to Austin and lobby the legislature to ban bikes from Texas roads. Until then, give me my three feet clearance and do not make fun of my bike shorts.

Can I make fun of the legs inside the shorts?!? ;-P

Uh of... I just looked at my own gams... I'd best be quiet!

[Finny]

... people on road bikes for the most part obey every traffic law there is.

For me, that's not the issue. The issue is of bicyclists insisting on taking roads where their presence inconveniences to the point of danger the motorists who live in the area. It's illegal to ride bicycles on freeways. It should be illegal to ride them on busy, winding, double-lined two-lane highways that cannot safely accommodate bicyclists and cars simultaneously.

[punchpixie]

Fortunately, although Jason Meggs heavily edited the video before passing it to media orgs and YouTube, the Berkeley PD was not fooled, and is going to charge one of the cyclists with a crime. Meggs edited out the part of the vid that showed a cyclist CLIMBING ON THE HOOD OF THE VAN AND KICKING IN THE WINDSHIELD, but witnesses saw it.
If you want to watch the video, and discuss it, go here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo4MpO3kBRE