Open Season On Bicycles

from JoeUser Forums
The following video, along with a press release regarding the incident, is a good example of how little respect we bicyclists receive from much of the motoring public or even the police. Bicyclists have just as much legal right to use the roadways as someone in a polluting, gas guzzling, behemoth of a vehicle and seeing things like this really gets my Irish up.

The press release:

ROAD RAGE AT BERKELEY
CRITICAL MASS
Police Again Fail to Protect Bicyclists' Rights

VIDEO FOOTAGE AND QUALITY AUDIO AVAILABLE

Last night just after 8 PM, as dusk approached, a motorist with his wife deliberately ran into the side of the monthly Berkeley Critical Mass bicycle demonstration as they peacefully paraded through town spreading their monthly message about climate change, promoting bicycling and reducing automobile and oil dependency.

Three bicycles were destroyed and two demonstrators were injured and bleeding, although they refused medical treatment at the scene. Two children who were traumatized cried; a young woman who was injured cried.

Bicyclists managed to stop the attack when one was able to reach into the van's window and turn off the vehicle. Cyclists were terrified that the driver would continue and crush bicyclists, particularly when they were trapped between their bicycles and the ground. Two bicyclists report the motorist brandished a knife on them. Many felt the motorist was drunk. The motorist honked repeatedly and shouted as he attacked.

An army of police descended upon the scene. Unfortunately, as all too often happens, police did not protect the rights of the bicyclists despite video evidence showing the attack. Police fabricated that bicyclists were "pushing their bicycles under the car," an outrageous claim. Police refused to charge the motorist. They refused to press charges on behalf of the injured victims. The refused to execute a citizen's arrest. They did not search and impound the motorist's knife, claiming he "had a right to protect his car." Although many felt the motorist was drunk driving, police evidently failed to even run that basic test.

The demonstration had already toured much of Berkeley without negative incident, and was returning from a sojourn atop Indian Rock. Bicyclists did absolutely nothing to instigate this. They entered the intersection on a green light. There is no excuse for the motorist. Witnesses say the motorist ran a red light to attack. This exemplifies why there is a need for critical mass demonstrations.


The video:
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6,085 views 15 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
It looked to me like they were trying to get in front of him. I don't know why he continued moving forward when there were no hippies in front of his van. (jk) Although the disruption of traffic caused by all of the idiots on bicycles should be illegal also. they could have fixed that with a snowplow.
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Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
Although the disruption of traffic caused by all of the idiots on bicycles should be illegal also. they could have fixed that with a snowplow.


Yes they were trying to get in front of him to stop him from continuing forward with his assault. Vehicular assault is a crime.

Perhaps you should read up on exactly what Critical Mass is all about. It's an awareness campaign brought about because of exactly this sort of thing. Far too many cyclists, riding safely and legally, are injured or killed by motorists every year. One of those people was a good friend of mine.

While I personally have mixed feelings about the Critical Mass demonstrations myself, I am fully behind what they are trying to accomplish.
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top

What an asshole.


Yep, and there are a lot of them out there.
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
'Although the disruption of traffic caused by all of the idiots on bicycles should be illegal also.'
I suspect that a major aim of their demonstration is to illustrate that people on bicycles are traffic too. (And far healthier, more ecologically and socially considerate traffic than that caused by vehicular travellers, by the way.)

No seriously, SSG Geezer, you're quite right. They're OBVIOUSLY all hippies. Or idiots. Or both. They don't deserve to live. I mean come on, one of them even looked like John Lennon! That van driver was only trying to carry on Mark Chapman's good example. 'Snowplow'? Stop it, my sides hurt. Anyway, you're in the clear because you said '(jk)' in your blog. Ooh, that was clever.
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
I suspect that a major aim of their demonstration is to illustrate that people on bicycles are traffic too. (And far healthier, more ecologically and socially considerate traffic than that caused by vehicular travellers, by the way.)


That is the point. The whole thing started in response to ever increasing injuries and deaths of cyclists due to motor vehicles not respecting the rights of cyclists (and the law).


I've interacted enough with SSG to know that his 'hippies' comment was in jest. He's never struck me as a hateful person.
Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top
'I've interacted enough with SSG to know that his 'hippies' comment was in jest. He's never struck me as a hateful person.'
Thanks Mason, I'm more than happy to accept your reading of SSG's motives here. I didn't mean to suggest that SSG was being hateful. Actually, I didn't think I had done, but my apologies if it sounded that way.

Really, I believe that SSG has every right to joke about any subject he likes. However, in that video I saw how disturbed those children (and adults) were by what, through no fault of their own, they had just experienced. Consequently, I was exercising a right of my own - the right to ask SSG, in my own clumsy way, whether a group of peaceable cyclists getting ploughed into by somebody from whom the keys to a motor vehicle should quite patently be kept well out of reach is really the BEST target he can find in this big, wide world for his rapier-like wit.
Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top
I was exercising a right of my own - the right to ask SSG, in my own clumsy way, whether a group of peaceable cyclists getting ploughed into by somebody from whom the keys to a motor vehicle should quite patently be kept well out of reach is really the BEST target he can find in this big, wide world for his rapier-like wit.


I'm not criticizing your comments, just adding my own in response in an attempt to keep things civil.

As I recently lost a friend (a very experienced cyclist) to this sort of thing it's an emotionally charged topic for me, but I would still prefer to remain civil about it.
Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top
'As I recently lost a friend (a very experienced cyclist) to this sort of thing it's an emotionally charged topic for me, but I would still prefer to remain civil about it.'


Fair point. I have been trying to be civil but facetious. Again, if I have failed, mea culpa.

I have been a cyclist all my life, and have had more than my fair share of this kind of behaviour, so I write from a degree of experience. e.g. Some 15 years ago, cycling down Adelaide Street in Brisbane, I was overtaken by a car which then promptly turned sharply across me in order to enter a car park, striking the front wheel of the bike and flinging me into a low brick wall. The bike suffered a buckled front wheel. I suffered bruises to the knee and hip, and a badly gashed arm. The driver got out of the car, - and here is the incomprehensible bit - LAUGHED at me lying bleeding on the ground, then got back in and drove into the car park.

And the punchline: It was a Volvo.   
Reply #10 from JoeUser Forums Top
Fair point. I have been trying to be civil but facetious. Again, if I have failed, mea culpa.


Nah, I got where you were coming from, I was just proactively trying to avoid degeneration.

I have been a cyclist all my life, and have had more than my fair share of this kind of behaviour, so I write from a degree of experience. e.g. Some 15 years ago, cycling down Adelaide Street in Brisbane, I was overtaken by a car which then promptly turned sharply across me in order to enter a car park, striking the front wheel of the bike and flinging me into a low brick wall. The bike suffered a buckled front wheel. I suffered bruises to the knee and hip, and a badly gashed arm. The driver got out of the car, - and here is the incomprehensible bit - LAUGHED at me lying bleeding on the ground, then got back in and drove into the car park.


Been there (well, maybe except for the laughing part). On my recent ride to Wal Mart and back I had no less than two morons in cars pass me and immediately make a right turn directly in front of me forcing me to hit the brakes in order to avoid a collision. Both of them got an earful from me and I was in no way polite.

On the same ride, in the Wal Mart parking lot, I had some stupid woman look directly at me and then back her POS minivan out right in front of me. She also got an earful and I rode beside her cursing her all the way to the end of the driveway. Stupid bitch.
Reply #11 from JoeUser Forums Top
Thought #1: Why subject those babies to that? WTF? Were they trying to scare those little kids? What kind of parent takes their child to the scene of an accident to rubberneck?

I agree, the guy might have been drunk. He acted very disoriented. The wife was a bitch.

It's pretty incredible that he was not charged with anything. Wow.

Living in HI, I encounter a fair amount of cyclists. Well, on post too. A lot of them act like jerks (it's true, please don't flame me!). However, a few months ago I came upon an accident where a vehicle had hit the back wheel of a Soldier cyclist. His bike was all bent to crap, and the person who struck him drove off.

The car in front of me, a stranger to the Soldier, I assume, had to stop and give the guy a ride.
Reply #12 from JoeUser Forums Top
Why subject those babies to that? WTF? Were they trying to scare those little kids? What kind of parent takes their child to the scene of an accident to rubberneck?


They didn't take the children to the scene of the accident, the scene of the accident came to them. They were participating in the group ride. Many people have those sorts of child carrier trailers for their bikes, it's not at all unusual and I have seen them on every group ride I've ever participated in.

However, a few months ago I came upon an accident where a vehicle had hit the back wheel of a Soldier cyclist. His bike was all bent to crap, and the person who struck him drove off.


Drove off, that's typical. Happens all the time and those asshats belong in a jail cell not out driving around threatening public safety.
Reply #13 from JoeUser Forums Top
Mason: I understand that they were there in a general sense. What kept them from moving AWAY from the accident instead of bring them RIGHT UP TO IT. They scared the shit out of those babies.

And I can't understand why people think it's ok to drive off after hitting someone on a bike. Would they do the same if they hit a pedestrian? It's sick.
Reply #14 from JoeUser Forums Top
Mason: I understand that they were there in a general sense. What kept them from moving AWAY from the accident instead of bring them RIGHT UP TO IT. They scared the shit out of those babies.


Yeah, ok, I get your point now. I guess I just misunderstood what you posted before. I don't know, I don't try to guess at other people's intentions or motivations. I would imagine there was probably a good reason for it, but maybe not.

And I can't understand why people think it's ok to drive off after hitting someone on a bike. Would they do the same if they hit a pedestrian? It's sick.


Yes, those same people probably would do the same after hitting a pedestrian. Happens all the time. There was a trial here a few months back where a woman struck two children with her car and killed them. She drove away and went home to wash the blood off of her car.

I agree, very sick and would add very selfish.
Reply #15 from JoeUser Forums Top
'Mason: I understand that they were there in a general sense. What kept them from moving AWAY from the accident instead of bring them RIGHT UP TO IT.'
All we can do is to second-guess the motives of those involved. That said, in this instance I wonder if the adults weren't so distraught at the possibility that the couple in the van had deliberately run over / were in the process of deliberately running over fellow cyclists, that they felt it their duty to stay and try to prevent it continuing. (There is often a very strong 'all for one' camaraderie in circumstances such as this.) It might only have been after their panic / disbelief subsided that they began to realise how it was traumatising their kids as well as themselves.

'And I can't understand why people think it's ok to drive off after hitting someone on a bike. Would they do the same if they hit a pedestrian?'
Actually, yes, I think they would. For these people, anything that interferes with their self-perceived inalienable right to put pedal to metal is merely a bug to be swatted. Which is why we need to take their licences away.