This Would Scare Me.

Family set upon by angry bicyclists in San Francisco.


The other side of the story.

Here's some video of one of these protests.

Do these people want to change minds, or just piss everybody off?

Just watch it all if you have the patience. There's a very sensible motorist towards the end who gets treated like crap. They are driving against traffic in several places, and creating mayhem in general. I doubt the cause is to promote eco-friendly transportation. I'm actually pretty impressed with the patience level of motorists in San Francisco. Nobody made target practice out of these guys.

To Fritz:

I agree that everyone should chill out.

What I saw on that video wasn't chilling out. There were people stopping traffic, driving the wrong way, daring motorists to hit them by standing in front of their bumpers and blocking their way, throwing beer bottles in their car windows. I get the sense this this is not how you personally behave, but I think many of these people in Critical Mass go too far and are out there on bicycles joyfully inciting frustration, fear, and rage on innocent people who are simply trying to get from point A to point B without hurting themselves or anybody else.

I would certainly be inclined to have a reasoned debate on the issue of cyclists and motorists being able to abide by the laws and safely share the road. I have an immediate family member who once was an avid cyclist and is now an amputee, because of a senseless accident with a truck full of idiots.

But the way to fight idiocy is not with more idiocy.