This was my first thought
Posted on 05/12/2007 3:21:50 PM PDT by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
What does “dozens of cyclists” mean? 36? 150? 500?
One of the leaders “said the cyclists had a green light when they entered the intersection, but he did not know if the light had changed before they’d all made it across the street.”
In other words, there were probably so many damned bikes that they expected traffic to sit there and wait through several green lights. I don’t object to bicyclists, but they have an obligation under the law to stop for red lights and let other traffic go through.
It used to drive me crazy when messenger bikes zipped through red lights in NYC during the rush hour and never even looked to see if cars were coming.
Thats right, Catholics can’t cuss. Unless they are drinking.
The poor queen is one giant victim on the road.... The Man just won't leave him alone!
I hate bicyclists. They need to decide if they are traffic or pedestrians and stick to it. However, they want the best of both worlds. They want to ride in the street, and then if there is a lot of traffic, red lights, stop signs, etc. they jump up on the sidewalk, etc.
I’d love to drive a van threw a whole swath of them if I could be certain I wouldn’t cause serious injury.
This was my first thought
Its a big investment and a crash with a car or otherwise will not only cost tons of money but likely our life and limb.
Do you wear one of those gay rubber bracelets?
Critical Mass does this routinely, frequently riding in violation of the laws of motoring and common manners. The intent of their rides is to take over the streets from automobiles. Provoking/creating/inventing an incident is part of their M.O. The fact that their ‘taper/spokesperson’ says the P.D. blamed them for this one is a good indication of whose fault it was.
I wore a Yellow Bracelet that was given to me by Lance Armstrong one day when I ran into him at a bike shop here in Austin. I had never seen one before but within a week everyone in town had one so I took it off forever.
As a pedestrian, I say keep your bikes off the sidewalks and on the streets!
Poor old Jason just seems to have a running problem with vans.... http://www.ebbc.org/?q=node/377
That's all that I needed to read.
-PJ
I can’t stand cars. Get your automobile off the sidewalk:’)
OK, that’s fair.
Moreover, the only people in the world that drive cars worse than people in New Orleans are the citizens of Calcutta.
But I must say that a dozen or so loops at the hike and bike train at Audabon Park is always refreshing.
First, I'm sure that bikers annoy non-homosexual blue collar dems more than they do upper crest republicans.
Second, who cares?
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