Critical Mass again

By Thomas Lifson

The charming bicycling militants at Critical Mass have been involved in yet another traffic incident strikingly similar to one which took place last month.

Critical Mass claims to not be an organization, yet somehow spontaneously assembles a large group of cyclists on a regular basis to ride an unannounced route through San Francisco (or Berkeley, as it was most recently). They ignore traffic signals and often shout at drivers, or even pound on their cars, in their self-righteous fury at those who dare to employ gasoline to power vehicles to take them to their destinations, rather than peddling a bike.

The recent incident in Berkeley mirrored the one in San Francisco: the Critical Mass people surrounded a van, pounding on it and shouting angry words at the inhabitants. CM claimed in both instances that the drivers reckless assaulted them with their vehicles, but the drivers claimed that CM threw bicycles under their wheels. In both instances, the police in the two cities believed the motorists, not the cyclists.

In San Francisco, the van held a mother with young children. In Berkeley, the van carried an elderly couple. Both were terrified. Both vans suffered damage at the hands of CM, the one in San Francisco amounting to over $5000 worth, the one in Berkeley apparently to a lesser degree.

CM has posted a videotape of part of the incident on its website. Take a look for yourself at what this group considers evidence of its own victimhood. I found myself noting how terrorized the elders looked, and how angry and aggressive the CM folks were behaving. It strikes me that in thinking this makes their case they demonstrate the extent of their own fanaticism.

The four minute videotape makes fairly interesting viewing. Keep in mind that CM thinks it is persuasive and draw your own conclusions.