Posted on 10/08/2007 12:35:56 PM PDT by Caleb1411
Critical Mass, the loosely organized bicycle group that ties up rush-hour traffic once a month in Minneapolis, has demonstrated who rules our streets. But Minneapolis isn't the only place where the Mass mob has strong-armed the police and City Hall, and left outraged motorists fuming but impotent. Today, Critical Mass cyclists cow commuters in more than 300 cities, from Denver to Rio de Janeiro, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The ride got its start in San Francisco (where else?) in 1992 with about 50 cyclists. Authorities there looked the other way as riders ran red lights and snarled traffic. Soon, the event was drawing hundreds, even thousands, of riders.
And therein lies a cautionary tale for Minneapolis.
Today, ugly confrontations are a fact of life in the City by the Bay, and traffic is a bad trip on the last Friday of the month. Cyclists sometimes scratch or beat on cars, taunt or spit at motorists, and come close to running down pedestrians.
Nevertheless, police maintain a hands-off stance, acting as little more than bystanders.
In March 2007, a mother who had brought five young girls to the city for a birthday party wandered into the path of 3,000 Critical Mass cyclists. Hundreds swarmed around her minivan, circling wildly and pounding on its windows. As the terrified children sobbed, one rider threw his bike and smashed the van's rear window. Damage totaled more than $5,000.
The incident provoked citizen outrage. But Mayor Gavin Newsom -- after a few empty threats -- declined to order arrests or more controls, and merely beefed up the ride's police escort.
How did San Francisco get into this state of anarchy?
The city ran up the white flag 10 years ago, after a pitched battle in July 1997 set a pattern of capitulation.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
I was thinking perhaps drivers should carry a can of expandable foam sealant (like you use on cracks around doorways and windows) in their gloveboxes and hit these pinheads with that should they decide to act up.
WTH are you talking about ? What do the Amish have to do with this ?
We were talking about cyclists who don’t obey the laws of the road and harrass motorists ....
The posted article clearly states that the police are not enforcing the laws against the cyclists as they should be .
Some cyclists render the right lane unusable if you are behind them , and as people try to switch lanes to go around them , it creates quite a mess and naturally sometimes collisions .
Again I will say I support bike lanes , or if none are available , the laws should be changed mandating that they ride on the sidewalk .
They get a free pass because most large cities are run by Democrats who dare not oppose the left Luddites in anything.
We are obviously not talking about “a few” here. Adults who ride bicycles tend to be as self righteous as lawyers. They also are often Luddites who think the world would be a much better place if there were no industry.
I finally gave up commuting on bicycle about 1984 when the IQ of the typical car driver dropped so low when they are behind the wheel they couldn’t read a stop sign anymore.
BBs. ‘nuff said.
mark for later
Conspiracy to commit even a misdemeanor (violating traffic laws to tie up traffic) is a felony.
I suggest a LOT of citizen arrests once these felonies have begun.
Violence is coming. I can’t effen wait.
“I don’t get the no sidewalk rule. I as a bicyclist hate riding on the roads because nobody can drive well and I’m always at risk of being in an accident with these crappy drivers. Even if it costs me a fine, I will always ride on the sidewalk because I would rather break the law and see another day in court than obey the law and not see another day.”
I’m with you 100%. In Illinois, it’s legal for a bike to ride on a sidewalk, so I don’t have that problem.
I’ve commuted to work for 10 years and I’ve been hit twice by cars while legally riding on the road.
Why they don’t enforce the traffic laws against these bikers? Set up a police blockade and throw them all in jail. It’s just like illegal immigration.
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You’d be shocked how much some of these guys pay for the superlight alumnium frame touring bikes.
You will not find that kind of bike at a Critical Mass event. Most of the massers’ bikes are cheap beaters. BTW, this racer would cheer on the cops if they started beating on the massers.
Nice thought. What do you say we go green and make it mud. Like wet clay maybe. Ever notice how slippery cat litter is when wet?
Crit-mass is just more proof that San Francisco is
The City of Hate.
They scream at folks for “shoving your beleifs on me...”
and “forcing your morals on us...” and yet the actions
of the SF Masses are hateful, selfish and intolerant.
San Francisco is the most hateful city on the planet.
yeah, I’ve got no issues with people riding bikes on the streets. It’s a perfectly acceptable form of transport - one that I’m not inclined to use much (not owning a bike and all).
Except for small children. Bicycles do not belong on the sidewalk. Many municipalities even laws to that effect. Furthermore, bikes don’t belong on the shoulder either.
Only an idiot brings a bicycle to a car fight.
You couldn't buy one of my pedals for $100. I own 7 bicycles, 3 of which were over $2,000, and one of which, my trail bike was over $5,000. The kicker is that in the bicycle world, only the trail bike is genuinely expensive. Road bikes range easily into the $10,000 - $15,000 range, and mountain bikes can easily hit $7,500.
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