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SEATTLE – A demonstration turned violent Friday night after a group of cyclists taking part in the Critical Mass demonstration got into an argument with a driver on Seattle's Capitol Hill.

 

Critical Mass is a group of cyclists that takes to the streets the last Friday of every month to promote cyclists' right to the road.

 

It's wasn't clear what sparked the confrontation at 15th and Aloha, but witnesses say they saw about a dozen cyclists surround a white Subaru, blocking in the driver.

 

"There was some screaming and yelling and crunching as he pulled out into the street," described witness Mark Pedersen.

 

Apparently, the driver felt intimidated and tried to back up to get away, but he backed into at least two cyclists.

 

He then tried to take off, but cyclists chased after him, bashed in his car window and assaulted the driver.

 

"There was a giant hole in the windshield... and blood around his neck," said witness Barbara Rockey.

 

The driver was taken to an area hospital.

 

The two bicyclists suffered minor injuries in the melee.

 

KING 5 was told there were two passengers in the Subaru. One appeared to be a pregnant woman. It was not immediately known if the passengers were injured.

 

It was not clear how many cyclists were arrested.

 

The cyclists on the scene declined to comment on what happened.

Posted (edited)
FW,

Cyclists and autos can coexist but all most obey laws. Both are at times at fault.

 

Are you really trying to claim that CM cyclists follow traffic laws? :noway:

 

They claim they're trying to raise awareness, but all they're doing is pissing people off and acting like punks.

Edited by Fairweather
Posted (edited)

Who knows? I wasn't there. One can only speculate, but probably not??!! Just sad as it gives cyclists a bad rap.

 

"They claim they're trying to raise awareness, but all they're doing is pissing people off and acting like punks."

 

Exactly! What kind of awareness are they trying to raise?!

Edited by Tokogirl
Posted
FW,

Cyclists and autos can coexist but all most obey laws. Both are at times at fault.

 

Are you really trying to claim that CM cyclists follow traffic laws? :noway:

 

They claim they're trying to raise awareness, but all they're doing is pissing people off and acting like punks.

 

I mostly agree with FW here. I ride my bike all around Bellingham, have done longer groups rides that share the road, and fully support cycling in urban areas. However, my one critical mass experience was enough for me, and i left halfway through.

 

It struck me as an excuse to let mob mentality take control and basically do whatever you wanted to, because you were now part of a big gang of bike riders who could control the flow of traffic. Instead of picking roads with 2 lanes in each direction, bike lanes, etc, etc, they just rode VERY slowly in a loud mob on downtown roads where they could not be passed. It was more a spectacle to see what they could get away with, and how much of a distrurbance they could cause, almost taunting the drivers to try and 'deal with this!'

 

I felt bad for the working mom trying to get home after work on friday to her family, or the elderly couple stuck behind this uncooperative group of riders going 5mph for blocks at a time. My distinct impression was that most drivers who witness Critical Mass would come away from the experience LESS likely to respect/appreciate bikers, or bike themselves in the future.

Posted

The awareness they're trying to raise is that they (the cyclists) can be as intimidating as drivers of two ton hunks of metal.

 

Yeah, and cyclists should stay the fuck off the sidewalks. Ride in the damn streets, bishes!

 

And, what about this thug? Bob Novak Cited After Hitting Pedestrian

Note that it was a bicyclist who saw the incident and chased Novak down.

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