Car plows through Critical Mass bike ride in Brazil

[frizzlefry]

Video

Car plows through them at the 50 second mark. Insane. Word is now that the guy driving the car had his son with him and got impatient and started honking. Some of the cyclists started hitting his car and yelling at him. His fight or flight response kicked in and he plowed through to get away from them.

I have had the misfortune of getting stuck in one of these Critical Mass rides in Calgary. The first time I was in front and they came from behind me on 12th Ave. I was at a red light and all the cyclists stopped and waited with me. No biggie I thought. I'm in front. But then just before the light turned green, they all ran the red light to get in front of me. So I was stuck. Two of them, intentionally, scraped the side of my new Audi with their hand brakes. I did not lash out as I was out numbered about 150 to one. So I had to suck it up and pay 500 bucks deductable to fix my car. I did try and ask the bike riders for their info and got swore at. The second time, they came from behind again while I was at a light...I knew better that time and turned right to get the hell out of their way. They are like bloody army ants.

That said, wow, I would never plow through people like this guy did. Totally tragic.

Anyone else here been caught in one of these? It sucks. Not for the time it adds to my drive but the potential for damage to my car. In the one I got stuck in, the cyclists made every effort to block cars and ran red lights to do so.

[Tik-Tok]

[Antonito]

Critical Mass is a really good example of how to turn slight negative opinion of a subject into absolute irrational hatred, and makes me question whether most of the participants actually believe in what they say or are just in it to be real life trolls.

That said, the driver was wrong and no amount of damage to his car can justify what he did...even though it'd be damn tempting

[sputnik]

Critical Mass = Hippie Attention Whore Trolls

[l/l/rX]

What is the point to this critical mass thing? God damn that is fucking annoying. They're not even attempting to go somewhat fast and just strolling taking up all lanes of the road.

edit: my answer is above...attention whore hippie trolls. gotcha.

[Jeremiah]

Originally posted by sputnik
Critical Mass = Hippie Attention Whore Trolls

No shit, fuck these selfish morons

[SOAB]

sounds like these losers got what they deserve.

protest all you want. don't inconveniece other people who don't give a shit about your cause.

[sputnik]

I understand what they are _trying_ to do in raising awareness to ensure that cyclists can use the road in the same way that cars and trucks do.

However they are going about it the COMPLETELY wrong way.

If they want to be respected they need to rally and stay in a SINGLE lane. Slow traffic down, but still let it through.

However these trolls "pass" each other taking up other lanes and then crawl across other lanes to make left turns.

In turn they just make motorists angry and lose the respect of those capable of changing laws or roadways to better accommodate cyclists.

[calgary403]

Originally posted by SOAB
sounds like these losers got what they deserve.

protest all you want. don't inconveniece other people who don't give a shit about your cause.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[sputnik]

It was popular about 4-5 years ago.

Seems to have fizzled after they realized that they weren't really doing anything to help their cause.

[Xtrema]

If there are any reason to use a snow plow in the summer, this would be it.

[frizzlefry]

These guys don't deserve to be ran over but their whole mission statement is bullshit. They advocate sharing the road then go out of their way to block it.

[SOAB]

fuck with the bull, you get the horns.

getting run over is a risk you take if you jaywalk, ride a bike, or piss of an unstable driver.

[rage2]

I witnessed these guys at a SF event one year, the bikers are pretty crazy, riding thru cars, slapping the roof and hood of cars, yelling at drivers. Definately real life trolls. I'd hate to be caught in the middle of one of these.

[v2kai]

Originally posted by rage2
I witnessed these guys at a SF event one year, the bikers are pretty crazy, riding thru cars, slapping the roof and hood of cars, yelling at drivers. Definately real life trolls. I'd hate to be caught in the middle of one of these.

sure would be fun to have a heads up when one of these bike meets is goin down and we could have an unofficial beyond paintball meet in the same vicinity

[Tomaz]

I was stuck behind these guys in Vancouver last summer. I can say that the thought crossed my mind after a 2 hour wait, but to follow through with it like this guy? That's messed up.

[core_upt]

Critical Mass is a great message delivered in a terrible way, however, no one deserves to be run down on a street, protest or not.

[M.alex]

Originally posted by core_upt
Critical Mass is a great message delivered in a terrible way, however, no one deserves to be run down on a street, protest or not.

Disagree. If I was on his jury I'd find him not guilty.

Murder - not guilty
Manslaughter - not guilty
Assault - not guilty

etc.. etc..

[psycoticclown]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflic..._Critical_Mass

Some pretty fucked up shit there, stories about women in minivans with 2 kids getting their cars destroyed and bikes thrown through their rear window. I dunno, if I was in that situation and had hundreds of angry cyclists yelling and destroying my car with my kids in it, I'd prolly end up gunning the engine too.