Posted on 04/05/2007 7:59:55 AM PDT by SmithL
Skirmish between driver, Critical Mass participants triggers another round of debate about monthly ride - San Francisco's often-heated dispute between bicyclists and drivers flared anew Wednesday as news of a confrontation between a minivan driver and Critical Mass riders sparked outrage.
In blogs, as well as on the streets of San Francisco, Critical Mass seemed to turn everyone into a critic. An SFGate.com blog received hundreds of comments, many vitriolic, about Critical Mass. Mayor Gavin Newsom denounced the aggressive attitude of some cyclists, and police officials said they wanted to meet with biking activists about the monthly ride.
The incident that reignited an angry debate over the rights of bicyclists and motorists occurred Friday as the Critical Mass ride coasted to an end in Japantown at about 9 p.m. Susan Ferrando of Redwood City said hundreds of bicyclists surrounded her minivan, pounding on it and eventually using their bicycles to smash the rear window, causing $5,300 in damage. Police said she might have inadvertently tapped one of the bicyclists' tires.
Bicyclists who witnessed the event countered that Ferrando had accelerated recklessly through a crowd of riders, hitting one and knocking him from his bike, then attempted to flee the scene before riders surrounded the vehicle. They complained that police didn't charge her with a crime.
The incident is another bruise to the uneasy relationship that has long existed in San Francisco between bicyclists who feel the city doesn't do enough to protect and support them and drivers who believe city policies to encourage bicycling and the use of transit hinder their mobility.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Anarchy is a San Francisco value.
These Pitiful Mass people do nothing but turn opinions *against* cyclists.
How to handle ‘Critical Mass’ bicyclers, My experience at Bio 2004:
To: liberallyconservative
Oh, OK...
After moving less than half a block in 20 minutes (one block away from from Moscone), a bunch of bicyclists started riding between the cars, leader with a bull horn, shouting something about taking over the streets.
He had the horn pointed back wards so I didn’t hear him coming. Durn! he got away!
However, I popped my door open in front of the third or so cyclist in the string. (I did look first to make sure he had room to stop).
He screams “You effin’ clymer!!!” (OK, I cleaned it up a little, so sue me...)
I looked up smiled sweetly and said “That makes two of us...”
Totally messed them up. They had to stop and regroup. His buds split leaving him with two young “ladies” to protect him from the mean man in the car. Boo fricking hoo
I closed the door and he started to pass by and continued to berate me. When he was adjacent to the door I popped it open at him, not to hit him, but to persuade him to move along.
He darn near fell off his bike trying to dodge me.
“We’re going to call 911!!!”
“Don’t bother, I’ll call for you” which I did. (The line was busy)
He and the two chicks decided that it was past their collective bedtimes or something and split.
Felt GOOD...
3,573 posted on 06/08/2004 5:57:17 PM PDT by null and void
Instead of declaring war on other users of the road, these clowns should do what I did- obey traffic laws, stay visible and stay off the sidewalks. 20km a day for 20 years, accident-free.
Think of all the CO2 they are emitting as they ride through the street. Think of the Global Warming! Quell Horror!
Unfortunately, I think it's gone beyond that. I suspect that the typical Critical Mass bicyclist is not the sensible bicyclist that's just looking to "promote awareness", but rather the anarchist-type that's looking for confrontation and something/someone to break. As is typical with any activist organization, the moderates eventually become disgusted with the extremists and leave rather than reform.
I’d like to dump six quarts of oil into my gas tank and drive along with them.
Well, being as the person who allegedly was bumped said there was no damage and refused to give his name to the police there was no reason for an arrest.
Not of the woman anyway, the bicyclists who surrounded and damaged her car should have been arrested. Rico laws should have been used against them.
A friend of mine in our scooter club has a souped-up two-stroke. I would love to have him ride ahead of that group.
I’d like to see them try it in Houston. Drunken Illegals would run them down. Just killing the irate bicyclists that Americans won’t kill.
LOL
I was in Houston last week, neat town!
Join my group if you’re still somewhere in the bay area! See my tagline!!
The breedrix sends her brood to a CATHOLIC school.
Most normal people don’t send their kids to public schools in SF areas. Too dangerous.
I’d keep an eye on the youngest one there Mom- she has “The Look” (Evil eye) creeps me out.
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