SFist: Mass Mess Day II- The Reckoning.

bill stender

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 11:10:58 -0800

CM is an expression of solidarity by an oppressed minority group. The group in power expresses the usual ignorance of the situation as well as a clear disinterest in educating themselves...(why should they?) A dynamic as old as time and if history repeats itself, the inexoarble march toward justice will eventually force the bitter dinosaurs into the closet to rant about the good old days when cars were king, and CM will fade away. and btw 'carssuck', making a distiction about "buying gas directly" is a transparent attempt to excuse your continued participation in this murdering Empire isn't it? (considering that if you started commuting to Walnut Creek in your new Hummer, you would add a very small percentage to your current overall gas consumption) Everything you have and consume is oil dependent. take off your blinders and get real. Physician, heal thyself. and the funniest hypocrisy award in the thread so far would have to go to Vanderel with: "both parties involved in the incident could have acted more maturely.To those of you assuming this family is a bunch of yuppie jerks, shame on you -- you don't know a damn thing. They may, in fact, be douchebags, but you don't know, and your petty and vapid assumptions only make the city as a whole look bad. Grow up, you sniveling twats. Apparantly ol' Van's assumptions are of a higher order, and "snivelling twats" is actually a mature and admirable judgement! She must be from NYC.

Peter Crowley

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 15:10:40 -0800

Automobile drivers (and passengers) are surrounded by heavy steel and protected by multiple safety devices. Cyclists are infinitely vulnerable. Therefore, many auto drivers feel they're entitled to menace folks on two wheels. As long as judges allow them to get away with stories like "I didn't see the bike." or "The bike ran into me.", the streets won't be safe for folks on two wheels.

Peter Crowley

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 15:10:03 -0800

Automobile drivers (and passengers) are surrounded by heavy steel and protected by multiple safety devices. Cyclists are infinitely vulnerable. Therefore, many auto drivers feel they're entitled to menace folks on two wheels. As long as judges allow them to get away with lies like "I didn't see the bike." or "The bike ran into me.", the streets won't be safe for folks on two wheels.

Love Sponge

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 23:17:14 -0800

I'm still waiting to see the Critical Mass victim the Bike Coalition is spinning as a hit and run victim .... it has been a week for Christ's sake. Next thing you know, the SFBC will start telling us about UFO sightings ... "it was a shopping cart floating through the sky, dude"

Jerry Jarvis

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 19:14:24 -0800

How could Gavin make such a fuss over this and then not make a peep when a bike rider was drug by a cement truck at Octavia.

ya

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:04:21 -0800

Broken glass? Tacks? Not a very good idea, guys.

Leanne

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 11:36:28 -0800

Just jumping in to say that some of these comments are pretty f-ing disturbing, ie broken glass. Also, Bikers: I am pretty envious of you. I would love to ride a bike around town, but my neuroses can't at this point handle the over-stimulation. So, you're awesome, even if you might hate me for getting in your way as a pedestrian.

NoeValleyJim

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 09:57:59 -0800

Did they have a breakout where you could see pedestrians killed by cyclists vs. pedestrians killed by automobiles? That would be interesting to know. Also, any info on the number of people killed by Muni?

J

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 09:36:04 -0800

This is kinda related. At the Better Streets Plan kickoff yesterday evening at San Francisco City Hall, there was an interesting presentation that showed various statistics relating to pedestrian deaths. Pedestrians seem to be safest in New York City ... but San Francisco is pretty darn safe as well in the scheme of things. Atlanta, Houston ... not so much, due in part to the fact that they don't really pay attention to sidewalks and such to encourage people to get some natural exercise by walking. I'm so happy I live in San Francisco - and the more awareness about driving vehicles or bicycles safely in the City, the better.

Your day will come

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 08:54:14 -0800

forget tacks. won't do enough damage after they fall. crushed glass is better. will hurt their bikes and them when they fall. put at bottom of hill after dark or in fog. be sure that glass isnt so sharp that it can kill someone though. car window glass works best. and oh yes we will.

NoeValleyJim

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 08:16:58 -0800

If you threw down tacks I'd take your picture with my cell phone, call the police and have you arrested. Yes, I would. Seriously.

Treyman

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 06:20:39 -0800

Also please spare everyone the "If you threw tacks down I'd ......you" No you wouldn't, ever. And I doubt I would throw them but that is feeling you are generating among most of the public whose support for bike access you desire..

Treyman

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 06:10:50 -0800

Could someone please tell me the point critical mass is trying to make? When I arrived here a decade ago I assumed it was to bring attention to the dearth of bike lanes and bicycle access across the city. Now it has morphed into "See drivers, we can be assholes too!" You would think with the amount of yups on $2000.00 bikes who participate, there would be one PR person in the crowd who would point out that they are just pissing people off, instead of garnering public support. Yes I know most are average joes and janes on regulars bikes so save me the Macgiver-like posts of "I built my own bike with 3 rubberbands,2 spools of thread, and 3 straws." I wholeheartedly agree that bike lanes should be on EVERY street and drivers, myself included, need to SHARE the road with all vehicles and pedestrians. But on the odd chance I happen across critical mess and see numerous riders on sidewalks and running red lights my gut reaction is disappointment that I don't have a box of tacks to throw out on the ground. Is that the type of support participants in CM want because they are well on there way to getting it?

bikesound

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 04:01:18 -0800

My account of this incident: This was towards the end of the ride (after splitting off and dissipating). We had about 30 people by the time we were leaving Japantown when I heard a noise, which I could even hear over the music, and I turned my head to see a minivan on my left just having run over a bike and saw the rider on the ground. Riders nearby yelled at the driver to stop and the minivan just sped away. Many people in the ride chased after the van and surrounded it after catching up with it at the red light. The driver had her hand pressed on the horn the entire time. The cops got there pretty much right away as they were following right behind us. I rode away with the rest of the ride but some people stayed behind to deal with the cops. I didn't see the rear window get smashed but I can say that I only saw the couple sitting in the front of the minivan as the rest of the windows were heavily tinted and we could not see that there was anyone else in the vehicle. If anyone cares, you can see that the windows were tinted in this video of the awful KRON4 news report: tinyurl dot com/27v4pf Upcoming rides for April: April 6th - Oakland Critical Mass (every first friday) 6pm @ Frank Ogawa Plaza (12th St. BART entrance on Broadway & 14th St) April 13th - Berkeley Critical Mass (every second friday) 6pm @ Downtown Berkley BART on Shattuck Ave April 20th - Walnut Creek Critical Mass (every third friday) 6pm @ Walnut Creek BART April 27th - San Francisco Critical Mass (every last friday) 6pm @ Justin Herman Plaza (near Embarcadero BART on Market St.)

And

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 00:30:24 -0800

The assailants should also be investigated, as previous commenters have noted for false imprisonment and wanton destruction of property. And possibly the filing of false police reports, if it turns out that they lied about the so-called "run over bike" and "hit and run victim" which have never come forward. Idea for next CM: Super Soakers. Pedestrians, Muni riders, and motorists, bring and use them as needed. Pray for fog and wind.

NoeValleyJim

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 23:33:46 -0800

I don't know if she should be jailed or not, but the DA should certainly open an investigation into the whole thing so we can get to the bottom of it. If she did in fact, commit vehicular assualt, I would like to see her convicted of that.

veronica

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 22:05:28 -0800

Susan Ferrando and her family should be jailed. I'm so tired of hearing about stupid suburbanites who don't know how to drive in the city. She hit a bicyclist, freaked out, tried to escape and then got "surrounded" by some vigilantes. Maybe she'll think twice before running over a bicyclist. If we're lucky, that's one less suburbanite who will grace our city with her careless driving.

NoeValleyJim

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 21:38:30 -0800

vanderel, No, I am pretty sure I am not insane, or at least not psychotic, since I go to work every day, pay my bills on time and stay out of trouble with law, but thanks for asking. Yes, I meant Manhattan. I dated for many years a woman who grew up in Queens, so I know there is a New York City across the Williamsburg Bridge, but that area is more analagous to Oakland, so I was using the word "New York" when I meant Manhattan. And yes, cabbies are professional drivers. Never had a problem with them in New York and never had a problem with them here. I would be very interested in any actual hard statistics on accident rates for cab drivers vs. other vehicles, but I am willing to bet money on the fact that cab driver accident rates per mile driven are much lower. The truth is, driving is a skill like any other, and those that do it day in and day out get better at it. I don't deny that many (most?) cabbies are aggressive drivers, pushy and often threatening, but the accidents and near misses I have been in during my life never involved a cab driver. None of the ones I have observed either. But anecdotal evidence isn't worth much, so if you have hard stats, I would love to see them.

Treyman

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 21:27:39 -0800

Is there a way to buy gasoline indirectly and if there is is it cheaper than $3.50 a gallon?

carssuck

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 20:43:14 -0800

Zero sympathy for anyone who buys gasoline directly. Fat, lazy Americans are the reason your friends and relatives are over there murdering, raping, and torturing 100% innocent Iraqis. Running over a bike is tiny compared to the real crime, committed daily by most of you. People like that should be attacked daily.

Sappho

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 20:04:38 -0800

Tinman, Critical Mass happens in Berkeley, too. There are angry cyclists everywhere there are bad drivers. My friend was seriously injured by an SUV last year while riding his bike in Berkeley. He's been a cyclist in Berkeley for 50 yrs. and always courteous. Now he's disabled. Critical Mass is announced on the Noon News, for pete's sake. They have TV in Redwood City, don't they? When driving with your kids, shouldn't you be extra cautious, and not drive into a mass of bicycle anarchists? I sure wouldn't! No excuse for breaking the window with children in the car, though. They could've cut the little girls.

vanderel

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 19:36:52 -0800

Noe Valley Jim: Are you insane? I'm not trying to be mean-spirited here, but come on. You said: The vast majority of vehicles operated in Manhattan are operated by professional drivers, who are much less likely to run someone over, either deliberately or by accident. Are you calling the cabbies in NYC professionals? Becuase they make up about 70 percent of the traffic in Manhattan, and they are BY FAR the most crazed drivers in the country. I've had more near-death experiences in, or at the expense of, cabs in NY than I can count. Crossing First Avenue in some parts NYC city outright treacherous. And, newsflash San Franciscans: Manhattan isn't all of New York. Try riding your bike in Besonhurst or Greenpoint, or Flushing -- which people do -- then tell me Market Street is a death trap. It would be like riding your bike in, say, Daly City, which you probably don't, so can it. Perhaps if you lived there instead of just hanging out in the Village, you would have a better perspective. And you only supported me previous claim: Many of the bikers in SF will ALWAYS play the victim role, when it could be much worse. I'm not saying it's perfect, or that cyclists don't face obstacles here. But I've ridden my biker here, too, and I don't think it's as epic as some people like to think. And someone else said I didn't have a grasp on the culture in SF, even suggesting that I don't live here, and that --gasp--I might even have a car! But I don't, and I've lived in this town for seven years, and I think I have a good sense of the mood in this town, which can be summed nicely: Pissed off about everything! The ironic part is that yesterday some girl said part of SF culture is Critical Mass, and to an extent, it is. But I said to her, how then, do you explain all the people who own cars and live in the city? See, Kevin, I do understand! I don't claim to have all knowledge of things SF, but I'm no tourist. And to those of you who suggest that NYC is a pedestrian's or a biker's wet dream, I say this: Stop being tourists, spend some time outstide of the Village and Williamsburg, and understand the culture. Then, Kevin, feel free to comment. As to Mr. Steven Jones, you're right. I should have had the decency to take issue with your story on your Web site. Perhaps tomorrow. I'm going for a bike ride! Cheers!

TI

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 19:34:06 -0800

I love how self righteous the bicyclists are about the cars when, hypocrtically, these very same people ride down sidewalks and through crosswalks with no regard for the pedestrians around them. As we start thinking about improving the quality of life in San Francisco, we would take a big step forward by sending critical mass to another city.

Dave

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:10:26 -0800

Every day, thousands of people die in car accidents. But no one is running around saying cars are out of control and we need to ban cars. Fact is, the loudmouthed anti-bike people are the same loudmouthed, my way or the highway, streets are only for cars jerks that have ruined this country. I also find it the height of idiocy when these lunkheads claim that CM just appears out of nowhere. The fucking thing is scheduled the same time time EVERY time. Last Friday in the month, shortly after work (i.e. right after 5 PM) Put it in your damn calendar if you find it such as hassle and avoid driving in the City at that brief window in time. Places like NYC and Boston are different - I've lived there - they don't have this car-obsessed culture that Californians have whereby they think it their god-given right to drive their car wherever they please and that somehow, the "deserve" a free parking space wherever they go. Finally - yes, its bad what happened. But I'll start feeling a little more upset at the bikers when the City started solving some of the hit and run accidents/deaths involving car on bicyclist manslaughter.

Phil

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:09:49 -0800

So, just to chime in as a non-CM cyclist who rides Market Street to work and back every day, this is a clearly dangerous city for cyclists. Almost every day I find myself having to dodge cars parked in the bike lane, nearly getting run down by cars making right turns without signalling, dealing with pedestrians who step into the street when I have the light and right-of-way, having doors opened in front of me when somebody lets their passenger out at the MUNI station, and a whole host of other incidents. I do my best to obey traffic laws, stop at lights, etc., but there are moments when I seriously want to bang on a car that has just endangered me. Riding a bike on these streets increases your adrenaline, and it's very easy to develop an "anti-car" attitude after repeated incidents in which your life or physical well-being have been endangered by someone who *has not* obeyed the rules of the road or been considerate of you on your bike. After a while of dealing with this stress it's very easy to find yourself in a situation where you just snap. So far I've only screamed at people, but there are times when I've wanted to take a U-lock to the side mirror of the Cadillac Escalade that almost ran me into the curb. I won't excuse what the CM folks did, but I also understand how it can happen, especially if you deal with situations every day that lead you to a breaking point. Add to that stress being in a crowd that will support your action, maybe being slightly disinhibited from drinking, and then seeing someone (or thinking you see someone) commit the act that you've imagined and dreaded the whole time you've been riding, namely, hitting another cyclist with a car. Had I been there, I might have pulled out my keys, at the very least, to take retribution on at least the material substance of the offender. It wouldn't have been right, but maybe it would have felt like my chance to take out all the things I've felt as I've ridden around this city. The problem is that there is not only a division between cyclists and motorists based on their mode of transportation, but also on class. Many of us who ride don't own or can't afford cars, and when a big honking SUV or BMW drives down on you, it feels very much like an expression of the indifference that the "wealthy" feel toward everyone else. This may not be the case, but it sure feels that way much of the time. That so many drivers seem to feel at least antipathy toward cyclists, regarding us as obstacles in their way, to downright callous disregard for our safety, only reinforces this perception on the part of cyclists. The only way to solve these cyclist/motorist conflicts is to give each their proper space and consideration within the realm of policy and public planning. If cyclists did't feel (rightly or not) that they were being "oppressed" by cars, then they'd be less likely to act out. This is a complex problem, but it's been solved in lots of European and Asian cities, and we could do it here too if there was really the will to deal with it.

Steven T. Jones

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:08:59 -0800

Vanderel, first things first: you should bag on me on the Guardian site where I wrote my post. We could use the traffic. As to your substance, it's true that I'm a bicyclist and am biased in favor of their rights and safety. But all the Chron writers are car drivers, some of whom I've heard express disdain for bicyclists, so why don't you question the bias in their work? I personally don't subscribe to the standard of objectivity, but I'm a big believer in fairness and balance. My posts these last two days have been an effort to bring some balance and perspective to a public discussion that has turned nasty and included threats against bicyclists. I've spoken with two direct witnesses to the event, whose stories are consistent and consistent with my past observations about how these bike-car conflicts have unfolded at past Critical Masses. It never made sense that bikers just lost their minds and started attacking an innocent family. People just don't behave like that and only someone with an agenda and/or no understanding of the bicyclists' perspective would think so. Clearly, there is blame on both sides and this incident has been blown out of proportion. So we agree on your final point, "Everyone needs to just chill."

NoeValleyJim

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 16:16:18 -0800

vanderel, What is "starting to smack of self-righteousness" is your repeated disingenuous attempts at trolling. Calling someone an "apologist" is just more of your deliberately provocative style. You insult people then tell them to chill. Pretty hypocritical, if you ask me. Sorry for the multiple posts, the sfist server appears to be having problems. Your SysAdmin needs to give it a kick! :-)

Someone who Knows

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 15:47:22 -0800

Lets just say this is not the first time this person has caused problems. She has nothing better to do then to make repeated phone calls to higher up people until they respond. I feel sorry for the Mayor who had to deal with her.

JohnAnnArbor

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 15:44:28 -0800

Nice to see people commenting on how the family looks. Guess it's OK to be discriminatory jerks as long as the targets are whites in a minivan. As to the writer of this above, "She also claimed that the cyclist intentionally rode into the side of her car" as if that's an impossibility. I've seen PEDESTRIANS do that! Yes, it's not that common, but it does happen at intersections and in mob situations (a stadium emptying, "Critical Mass", etc). A certain percentage (no, not all or even close to all) of cyclists are amazingly aggressive, even on their own, going the wrong way on one-way streets and running stop signs and red lights. It's not hard to imagine a mob of them, part of a decade-old event dedicated to their self-righteousness, attacking a minivan. It IS hard to imagine their story, that she hit a bike hard and they were trying to get her to stop. Where's the damaged bike? Where's the injured biker? Conveniently absent.

Someone who Knows

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 15:42:48 -0800

NoeValleyJim

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 15:29:49 -0800

The vast majority of vehicles operated in Manhattan are operated by professional drivers, who are much less likely to run someone over, either deliberately or by accident. I have driven in both places, too and there is really no comparison. Manhattan is much more bicycle friendly and much less privately operated automobile unfriendly.

NoeValleyJim

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 15:14:12 -0800

gdog

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 15:05:57 -0800

"This is starting to smack of self-righteousness...To those of you assuming this family is a bunch of yuppie jerks, shame on you -- you don't know a damn thing. They may, in fact, be douchebags, but you don't know..." Did you see her on KTVU? She was playing the weepy "Please won't somebody think of the children!" card. She also claimed that the cyclist intentionally rode into the side of her car. I really don't see how this is such a difficult situation to figure out. A woman who's unaccustomed to dealing with bikes drove into a crowd of them and hit someone. It was a low-speed collision, so the cyclist merely skidded along the pavement instead of dying. The crowd - with some people who feared for their safety and others who were looking for a fight - really did envelope her vehicle. She kept driving. And ultimately one of the guys who was looking for a fight smashed her window. Post-incident, the police, who are loathe to investigate non-injury accidents and vandalism that won't likely result in felony charges, stonewalled both the driver and the biker when they tried to give statements or file charges.

NoeValleyJim

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 15:04:42 -0800

Dave

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 14:57:42 -0800

gdog

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 14:57:29 -0800

ihartsf

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 14:55:24 -0800

Between Josh Wolf and Critical Mass, two legitimate complaints (journalists' and cyclists' rights) have been muddied by myopic left-of-left viewpoints this week.

Alex

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 14:52:54 -0800

Wow, Vanderel, that was actually a sensible and well-reasoned comment. I think you might be in violation of the policy here.

Kevin

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 14:49:55 -0800

Anyone who compares the streets of New York to San Francisco immediately blows their credibility, as far as I'm concerned. I've been to New York and the rights of pedestrians/bikers are taking CLEARLY more seriously than motorists. In fact, I'd go so far to say New York is downright car *unfriendly*. California is the home of car culture and the supremacy of the automobile established itself here first. San Francisco, or rather the people who LIVE in San Francisco, are the exception to this state-wide rule - but outsiders (like this stupid woman and her daughters) continue to treat anyone outside of a vehicle like nuisance devoid of any rights or respect. When you learn to understand the culture "Vanderel", feel free to comment.

vanderel

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 14:12:06 -0800

Critical Mass apologists: I respect Steven Jones and believe he is not purposely misleading the public. But, since he himself is an avid cyclist and a participant in the event, I hardly think he has an objective outlook on the matter. That's not to say Mattier and Ross do either, but the Chron's second story was pretty straight forward. Should we be surprised that the Guardian is taking issue with a story from the Chron? Even it's from three talented and respected reporters? The problem, seems to me, is that they don't represent Jones's vested interest -- perhaps even conflict of interest -- on the matter. Now we have media organizations blaming each other for this mess, thereby missing the entire point: A family and some bikers got into an unnecessary skirmish that likely could have been prevented if BOTH parties had exhibited a little patience and respect. I maintain that these "eye witness' accounts don't hold wait; they are primarily cyclists, protecting their image. The point is Critical Mass is out of control -- not all cyclists. Everyone with half a brain knows that. Sure, some people will demonize all bikers, and bikers will, in turn, play the victim role for as long and as loud as they possibly can. But I doubt the Chron or the Mayor are using this incident as a platform to marginalize bikers. Maybe Mattier and Ross, sure, but Michael Cabanatuan, Jaxon Van Derbeken and Cecilia M. Vega don't strike me as anti-bike journalists. This is starting to smack of self-righteousness, Mr. Jones, and most people fall somewhere in the middle -- Both parties involved in the incident could have acted more maturely.To those of you assuming this family is a bunch of yuppie jerks, shame on you -- you don't know a damn thing. They may, in fact, be douchebags, but you don't know, and your petty and vapid assumptions only make the city as a whole look bad. Grow up, you sniveling twats. As far as the police/ambulance claim: is that verified? Sounds like a cop out to me, and a reporter seeking some clarity would have checked it out before offering it up as an excuse. He says himself: What's up with that? Find out, you're a reporter, and that's what reporters do. The Guardian needs to put someone else on this story. Hell, even Tim Redmond might be a little more objective. With all due respect, Mr. Jones, lighten up. No one is trying to exterminate bikers from the planet, and some --not all -- bikers in SF are incredibly self-righteous and unreasonable. I've lived in Boston, NYC and spent significant time in Chicago, where bikers are faced with the same problems. I know, because I rode my bike in those places. Yet the relationship in those places is not nearly as strained, or hysterical. San Francisco is no worse in terms of safety, but it is FAR more hysterical. Everybody needs to chill.

murphstahoe

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 13:56:53 -0800

Paul - read the guardian report. In order to file a report, they were going to make him pay for an ambulance.... at this point he probably doesn't want the hassle. This was in the end, a minor incident. I know, window broken, children terrorized, blah blah blah. Read page 2 of the Bay Area section of the chron - pregnant mother of 2 killed by drunk driver. Etc... A broken window sucks. But it's not world war 3.

jas

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 13:54:56 -0800

The punchline here is that every day, all day, millions of cars descend upon our roads, terrorizing the meek and clogging the streets and causing havoc, death, and pollution. Everyone just grins and bears it and says "that's life". Then on the same day at the same time ONCE each month some bikers descend upon our roads, terrorize the meek and clog the streets and cause havoc, but strangely enough, NO death or pollution, and it's a left-wing hippie/hipster luddite anarchist terrorist plot hatched by the SFBC that makes little suburban girls cry. I weep for the future.

bluecanary

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 13:45:52 -0800

I don't buy for a second that SF is "relatively safe" for bicyclists. Unless by relatively safe you mean, "well, there isn't a fatality EVERY day." However, I've been on critical mass several times (it's kind of fun), and most people just seem to want to have a good time. However, there is an element that seems to go out of their way to provoke drivers, pedaling slowly in circles blocking traffic lights for no other reason than to piss drivers off, etc. I've mentioned in the past that this seems an extremely counter-productive measure if you're trying to win people over to your cause. On the other hand, I've also seem drivers (normally yuppie asshole types), go out of their way to be jerks, inching forward deliberately seeming to want to hit someone, or getting out of their cars and screaming their vitriol. I saw one young, lovely female (really) unleash a torrent of swearing so foul and vivid I almost pedaled straight into a sidewalk. I was shocked, and I have even been referred to as "sewer mouth" before. In the end, it must be remembered that this is a once a month event that lasts maybe two-three hours tops. Yet the daily bicyclist must contend with aggressive, rude drivers that put their lives at risk EVERY SINGLE DAY. And I agree with the previous poster's assessment of this family.

Qand A

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 13:26:25 -0800

Tinman, Sadly, as I live here longer, I've noticed the same thing. Not just cyclists, but that "fundamentalist" leftwing contingent who will curse you out if you: 1) drive a car 2) own a house 3) eat non-organic food 4) drink Starbucks 5) smoke anything non-THC

NoeValleyJim

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 13:21:17 -0800

Show me the same statistics for Tokyo, Amsterdam and Copenhagen and you might have a case. Until then, you are just blowing so much hot air.

TinMan

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 13:09:14 -0800

NoeValleyJim, that's bullshit. SF City/County is relatively safe for pedalcyclists. www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-30/ncsa/STSI/6_CA/2005/6_CA_2005.htm Scroll about 3/4 of the way down and look for "Pedalcyclists, 2005 : Fatalities and Fatality Rates per 100,000 Population, By County" I stand by my statement: SF is full of Very Unhappy Cyclists and they have no real reason to be extra unhappy.

NoeValleyJim

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:48:47 -0800

TinMan, that is because in those cities, people aren't being run over by automobile drivers every week.

sfistjon

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:38:52 -0800

Actually, shmoozilla, Steven Jones talked to Andy Ross and got the lowdown on their column yesterday: http://www.sfbg.com/blogs/politics/2007/04/demonizing_bicyclists.html#more

MattyMatt

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:38:07 -0800

Anyway, I think one of the problems here is that everyone comes to Critical Mass for a different reason. Leah Shahum and the Bike Coalition are very courteous, but there's also some creepy jerks. I simply don't know how to change the tone of an event that is leaderless by design. Maybe having bike cops riding along and guiding bicyclist etiquette? Sadly, it seems as though the giant rides will never be successful without a bit of authority.

TinMan

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:36:36 -0800

I will stress that the City seems to have an unusually high concentration of Very Unhappy Cyclists. Other large Bay Area cities (Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose) don't have the same number of enraged two-wheelers. As a matter of fact, the City appears to be one of the meanest cycling cities in the world. I've been to places here in the States (undergrad years at UC Davis) and abroad (Tokyo, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and others) and regardless whether the place was all that bike-friendly, those places had far fewer uppity cyclists than in San Francisco. It's horribly embarrassing and genuinely sad.

theo

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:35:43 -0800

Why does the Chronicle insist on paying two columnists to do the work of half an investigative reporter?

MattyMatt

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:35:11 -0800

Commenters, do please consult our comment policy if you think your comment might be vitriolic, speculative, hyperbolic, or in general misspelled and unfunny. Name-calling gets a thumbs-down, unless it's something clever like "hello, you little nest of vipers."

shmoozilla

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:32:45 -0800

Is "Jerry" an alias for Robert Anderson? His comment has a lunatic fringe ring to it.

shmoozilla

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:30:18 -0800

It's pretty typical of M & R to tell one side of the story.

Kevin

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:18:15 -0800

I can take one look at that family and tell you: A. That mother is a self-righteous, self-entitled, bonehead. B. The older daughter is a Mean Girl and probably beats up "fags" in the school hallway. C. The youngest daughter is a straight-up brat and probably cries at the drop of a hat. This is a family of arrogant morons who are simply rolling over and wetting themselves while playing the victim card for the Chron's lamest tag-team ever: Matier and Ross.

Faster than Jerry

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:17:26 -0800

"why can't we all just get along?" because the shanum-led terrorists feel they're on a mission from god to purge the streets of those they deem unworthy (everyone but themselves). same crowd destroyed all those cars during the boom. and vandalize condos now. since violence is all they understand, game on...

PaulDem

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:04:32 -0800

Show us the bike that got run over and the person thrown off. If that person doesn't step forward then I doubt the account of the "eyewitnesses" who are obviously doing damage control. Why didn't the person thrown from his back stick around to talk to the police? It doesn't pass the smell test. The CM hooligans love to play the victim card, but it sounds like the dozens of bikes swarming around a moving vehicle precipitated this event. They could have left the vehicle alone and none of this would have occurred. I understand what bikes face on the road every day, but on CM days the tables are turned - they rule the road where they ride. It isn't fair to take out their frustrations on powerless motorists and point to what happens the rest of the time.