Screenshot from the aftermath (see embedded videos below)
UPDATE (April 20th): Brazil Critical Mass Update – Interview With Ricardo Neis
On Friday night an angry motorist mowed down a group of about 150 people on bicycles riding for Critical Mass in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The motorist accelerated his vehicle directly through the group of riders, injuring at least 15 riders and sending 8 victims to the hospital ER (the number of reported injuries varies across sources).
At the time of the original posting of this article (February 26th) this callous cold blooded attempted murder hadn’t made the news outside of Brazil, so this article consolidates the information gathered from various Brazilian news articles. The mainstream English media are finally reporting on this story as of February 28th.
The following video shows the car plowing through the crowd and also shows the aftermath and eyewitness accounts:
Court has ordered the arrest of Ricardo Neis
Update March 1st, 9:35PM: Late on Tuesday evening, the court has ordered the arrest of Ricardo Neis based on the evidence that has been provided. Neis had reportedly checked himself into a psychiatric hospital this afternoon before the court approved the arrest warrant this evening.
Thanks to everyone who helped bring international exposure to this terrible incident and help put pressure on the courts to charge the accused for his inexcusable actions on Friday evening.
Charges have been upgraded to attempted murder
Update March 1st: The accused, Ricardo Neis was originally charged with criminal negligence (without intent), but on Tuesday the police decided to upgrade the charges to attempted murder (with intent) after completing interviews yesterday with the accused and witnesses. From the latest on Zero Hora:
“In testimony he was able to verify that he was aware of the consequence of the attitude. The testimony convinced the sense that we needed to know whether he had the real sense. And we found it: he, in a state of panic, as reported, has told us clearly that he was aware of the consequences of that act – the chief explained Rodrigo Garcia, communications coordinator of the Civil Police in Rio Grande do Sul.
According to Garcia, the police eventually changing the classification of the criminal investigation because of the clear science that Neis had about what would happen if he accelerated on to the riders. The case had been registered as criminal negligent injury (not intended) but was changed after the deposition of the hit.”
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Related Articles on theurbancountry.com:
- Sympathizing Road Rage (March 2011)
- Bicyclists Must Obey Laws If They Want to Share the Roads (Feb 2011)
- Enough Excuses: Cars Cause Death (Dec 2010)
- Why Not Aim For Zero Deaths? (Dec 2010)
- Car Culture Bleeds Our Society (Aug 2010)
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Below is a photo of Ricardo Neis speaking to the press:
Photo of Ricardo Neis courtesy of Genaro Joner / Zero Hora
Photo by Tario Schneider / Transito
Photo by Tario Schneider / Transito
Police chief says investigation should be complete within 30 days
Updated Feb 28th: According to Zero Hora (translated by Google):
The police chief Gilberto Montenegro, overseeing the case of the driver who ran over dozens of cyclists in the Lower Town neighborhood in Porto Alegre, said he planned to complete the investigation within 30 days. The holder of the Bureau of Crimes, Traffic said on Monday about 10 people were interviewed, among them Ricardo Neis, 47, the driver in the collision.
“It’s a complicated case, but we’re working. The investigation continues in full swing. We hear many people today and tomorrow we hear a lot of people too – he explained.”
The testimony of the officer of the Central Bank took about three hours. According to the chief, Neis was quiet.
It’s baffling that he wasn’t charged with attempted murder in the first place, but I’m glad the investigators came to their senses and upgraded the charge.
Driver claims he was defending self and 15 year-old son
According to Brazilian news agency Zero Hora, the driver has turned himself in to police and is claiming he acted in “self defence”. His defence is almost as unbelievable as his actions on Friday evening. Translated from Zero Hora:
The banker Ricardo Neis, 47, who ran over dozens of cyclists in the Lower City, on Friday granted a quick interview at the Bureau of Crimes, Traffic. He said he was surrounded by demonstrators and that he felt threatened, so he took the decision to proceed with the vehicle.
Neis assured that it had no intention of crushing cyclists, but tried to flee after a group began to beat on your car. Asked if he would take the same attitude again, he said “would not have left home.”
You can watch the videos and determine if you think this is an act of self defence or not. I hope the authorities bring justice to this matter. It’s up to the Brazilian people to not stand for corruption and demand justice and it’s up to us to apply international pressure on the Brazilian authorities on behalf of these innocent people who were mowed down by Ricardo Neis.
The following video shows a first-hand account of the Volkswagen Golf plowing through the group of people peacefully riding along on their bicycles for the monthly Critical Mass ride (the car rams the group at 0:52 of the video) WARNING: This is a graphic and up-close video of this terrible incident:
The Volkswagen Golf involved in the incident was found abandoned:
Photo courtesy of Zero Hora
Update (Feb 27th) – The police have reportedly received a phone call from the lawyer representing the driver – allegedly 47-year-old Ricardo Neis:
“The lawyer called us saying he represents the owner of the car and the owner was driving the car at the time of the facts. He said he would present the client to provide information on what happened,” said delegate Gilberto Almeida Montenegro.
Brazil expat describes point of view about the road rage situation
Although I completely disagree with placing any blame on these peaceful bicyclists, for what it’s worth a reddit commenter living in Brazil describes the situation through an expat lens:
1) This is Brasil…not the US, Canada, or anywhere in Europe. Although people in those areas may piss themselves on a regular basis on the sight of cop while driving, here is another story. The police don’t stop people here for infractions unless they are running a “blitz” (similar to a road block), you hit someone (or something) and actually stop, or do something so spectacularly stupid in front of them that they NEED to stop you. Other than that, people tend to do what ever the fuck they want on the roads.
2) Road rage (at least here in the south of Brasil), is getting more and more common. As I stated in other threads about this case, the people here are afraid. Most won’t use their horns unless it’s a last resort, due them being afraid that even honking their horn will incite violence. I’ve personally been CHASED (tailgated at less than 1 meter, lights flashing, the other driver making “gun” forms with his hands, etc) by other motorists for kilometers for doing nothing more than honking at someone who ran a red light.
3) These cyclists, even though their cause may be in the right, did mostly everything WRONG. Yes, in a perfect society everyone follows the laws, but no one, anywhere , lives in a perfect society. Knowing that what you are doing has the chance of provoking the mentally unstable or criminally minded into action means you lack the common sense and responsibility to be an adult.
4) Once they get the driver, don’t expect a whole lot. He’ll be out on bail within a day with a half-way competent lawyer (just a few weeks ago a drunk driver killed a whole family and walked out of jail the next day). If we are lucky they’ll have a trial within a year or so…depending. Also note that the maximum they can serve is 30 years…no matter what. There is no life sentence here…also no death penalty.
Below are some eyewitness accounts of the tragedy pulled from various sources.
From the YouTube video:
“I am here at the Critical Mass ride. A car just ran over with the entire critical mass ride. At full speed! A black VW Golf. He hit everybody!! Are you seeing this?!
What a horrible thing… oh my GOD. Someone call the police, call the ambulance
Police! Call the Police!! The Ambulance!
Everyone is scared, son.
A car hit the whole, entire Critical Mass ride!! At full speed.
Voice: What’s going on?
This is the most horrible thing I’ve ever seen! I cannot believe”
From Zero Hora:
Upon reaching the corner of Rua Luiz Afonso, the driver of a black Golf, who was driving behind the group since the beginning of the track, would have accelerated, hitting cyclists.
“The car passed by my side, it was a horrible scene.There were people being thrown all sides” – tells the rider.
After being hit, the driver fled the scene. Dozens of bikes have been broken.
From Correio Do Povo:
When the accident happened, the group occupied the Jose do Patrocinio and agents of the Corporation for Public Transportation and Circulation (EPTC) were diverting traffic. The Golf was behind the cyclists arrived and to honk once before going through the group.
Interesting that this media outlet should characterize this deliberate murder attempt as an “accident”.
These are the original videos that capture an overhead view from a cell phone, and the video below is the aftermath:
*Note: This article is being updated as new information becomes available.
** Hat tip to fellow Toronto blogger Tino at Bike Lane Diary for highlighting this unfortunate incident on Saturday morning – more than 48 hours before the mainstream media picked up the story.
James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country. You can contact James at james.schwartz@theurbancountry.com.
Related Articles:
- Bicyclists Must Obey Laws If They Want to Share the Roads (Feb 2011)
- Enough Excuses: Cars Cause Death (Dec 2010)
- Why Not Aim For Zero Deaths? (Dec 2010)
- You’re Welcome Mr. Motorist (Jan 2011)
- Car Culture Bleeds Our Society (Aug 2010)
Obrigada por divulgarem…
A situação do Brasil é lastimável…
Someone did what they always wanted to, forgetting for a moment that they couldn’t get away with it. Just like Michael Bryant in Toronto… except he did get away with it. Some psychologists estimate that 5% of people are pure sociopaths. Frightening. As a teacher I would not say so many children are, but their parents? For certain.
Scary, the guy is a total nut-job and must never see the light of day again. As i have always believed the automobile should be treated no differently than we treat firearms, presumption of guilt must be presumed as the danger for misuse is too great.
First person perspective of the incident, in HD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XL3g4vPK30&t=0m45s
English subtitles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRgiIrHRoHM&feature=player_embedded#at=13
Condolences to the injured, I hope the driver goes to jail for life !!
Much love from Vancouver bc canada
The bicyclists went out with the intent of harrassing and impeding people. On some “critical mass” rides in the U.S., they have deliberately brought traffic to a standstill. Frankly, bad behavior like that deserves to be punished. Although jail time and fines are far more appropriate than serious bodily injury, I don’t place the primary blame on the driver, but rather on the bicyclists.
Don’t act like assholes, and people are far less likely to attack you. I spent twelve years using a bike as my primary means of transportation, and only had a problem one single time (in Boston, naturally enough).
Anonymous, you have got to be kidding me. Place the primary blame on the cyclists? What kind of moron are you? So because these people were holding up traffic and being a nuisance they deserved to be run over and the driver holds no fault? That’s called attempted murder, and the last time I checked, is not excused when the victim(s) are causing a delay in traffic. The only behavior that deserves to be punished is your ignorance.
Highly provocative. I cannot believe the police would allow this.
A bit harsh to plow straight through them though.
If your desire is to disrupt someones life by causing a huge traffic jam. Don’t be surprised when someone disrupts your life by running you over.
Readers, don’t get worked up over Anonymous. This person is obviously a troll just trying to stir the pot. This person’s logic makes no sense. Otherwise, it would be justified to murder children on a school bus because the school bus deliberately held up traffic.
If this person truly believes what they are writing, then he/she is a sociopath.
Any coward can post anonymous comments on a blog, but if this person really believed in what they were saying then they wouldn’t hide behind their keyboard in their parent’s basement.
well since I know I’m not the sleaziest person in the world (that goes to driver of the VW Golf!)… I have to say, I was most concerned with the cute blonde seen before this heinous act occurred: http://i.imgur.com/CxErk.png
PHEW!!! She’s safe! http://i.imgur.com/cK3wk.png
anonymous, you are an absolute douchebag.
Since when is attempted MURDER a just punishment for “impeding trafic”? Are you insane?
You place the primary blame of getting PURPOSEFULLY RUN OVER on the cyclists?
I bet you’re the type of asshat who also thinks that women who “dress slutty” deserve to be raped.
Bullshit drivers, exist everywhere…unluckily…!
He could be very upset and nervous and stressed by the situation, but he could have found a way of making the bikes move, passing slowly without running over.
This is the kind of animal, who live a fuckin, stressed life.
I have no sympathy for the cyclists. It could’ve all been prevented had they not even been impeding traffic in the first place; I’m not contesting the cause that they’re supporting, but the way they did it was damn bloody stupid.
Do not feed the trolls…….
I have no sympathy for the cyclists. It could’ve all been prevented had they not even been impeding traffic in the first place; I’m not contesting the cause that they’re supporting, but the way they did it was damn bloody stupid.
I’ll feed the troll.
Go die. I want to see your kid ride their bike to school one day and be mowed down by a driver.
The driver could have just taken different streets, but to go and purposely hit the accelerator with no regard to the lives of the people he killed is attempted murder. It’s the same kind of mindset when a terrorist puts a bomb in the middle of a crowded marketplace.
The next time someone is walking too slow in front of me, I’ll just beat them over the head with a crowbar.
Oh wait, that doesn’t make any sense either.
F-ing trolls.
I hope everyone makes it out okay, and I hope this driver is prosecuted to the furthest extent of the law.
This is horrible.
im indifferent to the cause. however, do CM riders not agree that a ‘hidden’ agenda lies amongst the ranks whos goal is just to ‘troll’ traffic? you call us trolls for pointing this out but in reality– can you honestly say you arent trolling automobile traffic?
Prayers to those hit, get better and get back on your bikes. Stay safe everybody, the driver is obviously mentally deranged and deserves prison time for attempted murder.
aw i think it’s cute when people run over bicyclists .. <3
We’re talking about people who intentionally go out to disrupt traffic as much as possible and disregard the law while doing it. Fuck them. Anyone intentionally causes 10-30km+ traffic jams that bring whole sections of cities to a halt deserves to get hit by something. Maybe not a car, but at least a good smack with a bat.
According to some the equation goes like this:
Traffic laws > Moral laws
This is exactly the type of psychotic thinking that leads somebody to try and kill people en mass. I am just glad this lunatic did not succeed, fuck him and those rushing to his defense. I hope they hang that cowardly dog lover up by the curlies.
May God help you if you deliberately try to kill another person because they ran a red light or put forward into this world such a cruel idea.
I should correct something,
May God help you if you deliberately try to kill another person because they ran a red light or if you put forward into this world such a cruel thought that it is ok to do this to another person.
Either way you’re committing and act of evil.
I can only hope people who joke around on the internet are not mature enough to realize it isn’t a joke.
Talk about messed up! However, honestly? I lived in San Francisco for many years, and nothing brought my blood to a boil more than Critical Mass jerks, and their mob-mentality on-road bullying and traffic rioting. Then they turn around and blabber on about how bicycles “share the road” with cars? What a joke. While the stated intention of the rides is in theory a good thing, they have no right to bring normal traffic to a standstill, selfishly inconveniencing everyone and halting the normal operations and flow of the road. Yes, this incident is tragic, but honestly? Sick as it may be, it kind of makes me feel good inside to see it, based on my many, numerous personal experiences dealing with Critical Mass jerks. Yes, get people on their bikes to raise awareness (I’m all for increased bike riding), but be a jerk in the process and sympathy is in no way yours to have.
There is absolutely no question that they, the victims, deserve our sympathy.
To say otherwise is wrong.
Yes, critical mass is a test of our western egalitarian ideals, just like we strive to tolerate immigrants and those with sexual differences. Nobody in that crowd is asking for such violence and it is a betrayal of our values for this driver to have done such a thing. Evil.
stupid cyclist and even more stupid driver. funny how ppl try to compare those cyclist with a kid riding a bike to school.
this is supposed to only happen in the USA. where the americunt live.
Yep I argee with one of the anonymous. Don’t feed the trolls. Cause shit like this can happen. Sorry to say.
Critical Mass is a protest, designed to promote the idea that cyclists are here too, and they CAN use the road. Protests pretty routinely disrupt other peoples lives.
Personally I don’t agree with Critical Mass rides – I am a cyclist, but I’ve never been on one and never will.
But running someone over is not acceptable just because they disrupt your desire to get somewhere faster. Those that can’t see that link are less than human.
And for those that say that running over these cyclists is not the same as running over a child… yes, actually it is. Children were involved in this protest, as were some elderly riders. Both are less likely to be able to get out the way.
I hope the driver is caught. I hope that he gets more than a slap on the wrist. I expect he will be back driving within six months, even after having injured multiple people, many of whom having had to spend time in hospital.
So, douchebag posters who think cars own the road – consider THAT when you get upset about being delayed for a few minutes.
You have his name. Find him and make him pay.
God I wish stuff like this happened more often. Should have stuck to the biker lane!
I’m the same Anon who posted the initial “intent of harrassing and impeding” comment. I’m not trolling, I’m just telling you how the vast majority of people feel about your stunts. And I’m not saying the driver’s actions were acceptable — as I wrote, fines and jail time for the bikers are the proper thing — I’m just saying that I understand.
To draw an analogy, the Westboro Baptist Church has a “right to free speech”, too. I doubt anyone would shed a tear if, after inciting a family by protesting a loved one’s funeral, someone were to throw a Molotov cocktail into one of the Westboro minivans as it was hauling the Phelps family away. In fact, were I ever to learn that I had a terminal illness, that would be on my bucket list of things to do. I’d even bring marshmallows and a long skewer.
You “Critical Mass” types aren’t Westboro by a long shot, but you aren’t winning any friends, either.
Or, let me try to put it another way — perhaps an anecdote is in order. Back in high school, I dated a chick who was a year older than I. We were sorta serious, and she was always talking about “when we get married.” She went off to college and, unbeknownst to me, became a total slut. When she came back home at Christmas, she told me tearfully that she had been drunk and in bed with some guy she’d been blowing and doing anal with (as I learned that evening, she was one of those Catholic “technical virgin” types) for several months, and he had “raped” her, so she wouldn’t be a virgin on our wedding night after all.
My reaction was apparently not what she expected.
I still ride, just not as my primary means of transportation any longer. But I ride in a polite manner, without impeding the flow of traffic, and with an eye out for dangerous drivers and nutcases. Three thousand pounds of mostly steel vs. an eight-ounce plastic-and-styrofoam helmet, hmmm.
And I have to wonder how well the ambulances were able to react to this event, given that the Critical Mass bikers were deliberately snarling traffic. Did any of them die because the ambulances were delayed in getting to the scene of the accident/assault? Maybe you folks should think about that the next time you shut down a city center — doesn’t have to be you personally, it might be YOUR grandma in an ambulance with her brain cells dying away rapidly because of a stroke as the ambulance crew tries to figure out an alternate route around you assholes to get her to the ER.
It’s up to you folks, though. If you want to rise up in self-righteous wrath and try to crush automotive society under your 700C tires, well, I can’t honestly wish you luck, but I’ll at least hope you don’t get too badly smashed up. Mostly because you’d probably stiff the ER and transfer the costs onto the rest of us.
to the anon that wrote that huge wall of text.. you will be misinterpreted and criticized for that post but thats pretty much as real as it’s going to get.
the insane are liable to become more insane when dealing with nose in the air bikers who could care less
Anyone can talk shit until theyre laying on the pavement with bones broken. Then you wouldnt think its right. Because it was done to YOU. just like it was done to them.
Some of the ‘anonymous’ cowards have proved my point in the second comment here: “5% of people are pure sociopaths”. Whenever someone posts about driver murder of cyclists, the psychopathic trolls turn up. Remember these people have licences, so watch your back. I am considering running front and rear video. Our society has not come to terms with the fact that everyone should be tested for psychopathic tendencies, and the worst need to be locked up: witness our politicians, talk-radio hosts and bankers.
Disagreeing with you =! troll you stupid fucking faggot.
A troll doesn’t actually believe what he posts.
just cause the name is anonymous doesn’t mean what they’ve said is any less potent.
if half of you fuckheads can’t discern between trolling and expressing a different opinion, it’s no wonder you’ve taken pride in creating accounts on whateverthefuck site this is and probably didn’t make it very far up the social ladder.
i lol at ppl who think any driver will intentionally run over cyclist that ride their bike properly. the critical mass however, is not. When u begging for it, sometime u will crosspath with the sociopath.
Fico muito triste. I am so sorry and i hope that driver use a bicycle the rest of his life he has not to be in prision.
Cadeia e una bendiçao pra ele.
Bandido
Alvaro the biciclown
http://www.biciclown.com
reality check:
it will take a generation or more to change the driving culture of latin america, and most of the developing world. i don’t think most of us are prepared to comprehend just how *few* rights bike-riders (let alone pedestrians) have on the streets of these kinds of cities. and mind you, porto alegre is pretty “civilized” for latin america, but i am sure that the regime of driving there is just as described by a commenter i read elsewhere (who is also apparently from the south of brazil): “people tend to do what ever the fuck they want on the roads.”
i was the victim of this mentality myself, in mexico city, as a pedestrian in 2001. my cousin and i were crossing a crosswalk at a red light, and we were hit by a car that barely even slowed down after mowing us down. i suffered only minor injuries, but my cousin broke numerous bones and had to undergo over 5 years of therapy just to walk straight again. the driver, obviously, got off scott free.
drivers in big latin american cities (and that includes, arguably, ALL DRIVERS there, even those who are themselves sometime pedestrians) simply do not respect or even recognize the need to respect people on the road—crosswalks and red lights be damned. it’s simply not part of the culture. worst of all, as soon as you get in a car to drive, you tend to become just like everyone else—a manic driver—because it’s the style of driving that everyone else engages in. this kind of driving culture simply doesn’t require you to change your mentality to suddenly respect pedestrians and others on the road. it’s one of those horrible contradictions of “modernity” (like how we still think driving is safer than flying, even though it’s quite the opposite, see lehrer on “the science of fear”).
so for me, the thought of undertaking a critical mass in a city where this is the rule is more than provocative: it verges on suicidal and irresponsible. this doesn’t even begin to make the blatant violence this driver exhibited any less heinous (and notice i am posting with my real name), but these kids, better than anyone, are aware of the fact that they live in a culture where cars are the undisputed kings of the road, and the only thing that “belongs” there (supposedly). this is a culture that honestly believes that if you’re in the way of a car, “it’s your fault if you’re hit.” and this notion is often upheld legally (!). so i’d say this is *not* the best place to challenge that with only your bikes and bodies to slow them down.
still, i hope they are not deterred by this tragedy. somebody’s got to challenge the madness of driving culture in these places. but maybe next time it would make sense to hire a police or other escort to block potential assholes. that is, assuming the police would even cooperate (and that’s a whole other question)…
This San Francisco Anonymous who talks about Critical Mass is the kind of “ethically challenged” that would like to run over cyclists. He acts like he supports the critical mass idea but stands for people who run over people because of TRAFFIC.
Shit. This makes me want to throw up.
Losing 3 minutes of your time because of a jerks-parade is enough for you to atempt to kill people?
And Boston guy, doesn´t matter if you quietly rode you bike for a dozen of years, you are just a QUIET rider who aren´t bothered by the fact that you CAN´T go anywhere on the streets without the fear of being ran over by a car.
You prefer to be quiet, but people prefer to be NOISY so that somethin actually HAPPENS. And people SEE, and THINK.
If you ride quietly, nothing happens, nobody sees, nobody thing, nothin changes.
Email do assassino ricardo.neis@bcb.com.br
The “mentally unstable or criminally minded”
Should not be given giant killing machines.
50 counts of attempted murder?
There is no excuse, no provocation justified.
For the people here who somehow think that the people on bikes in Brazil on Friday somehow deserved to be hit by that car they should take a long look at this list of interviews with Critical Mass London participants;
http://bit.ly/740QRh
Do I see punks and jerks? Do I see people ‘attacking motorists’? No. I just see people exorcising their right to assembly and protest, out having fun and taking part in the Friday night traffic jam which happens every day anyway, CM or not.
Some people ought to be ashamed.
listen pro-CM people, we arent saying they deserved to be ran over (NOBODY DOES). however, its obvious the majority of society has a different view than you yet you just stick your nose in the air at the majority with a big “FUCK YOU”… now how do you think the majority of society is going to perceive you? they are going to hate you and wanna give you the “FUCK YOU” back.
i really believe that you guys are intelligent people but you are acting like complete dolts over this. if you guys wanna peacefully ride, how hard would it be to go outside of the city and enjoy the rural areas if you’re going to be in masses. geez its ridiculous; partly because theres not too many pro-CM people here who even deny that their goal is to disrupt traffic amongst people who have very little power to do anything about the laws???
The question is right of way. Motor vehicles by their nature, take *all* the space. They prevent the emergence or mass adoption of better ways of movement. In short, the cars and trucks BLOCK our rights of way just as totally as the private property on both sides of the road. Here is my commentary on CARS: http://rosehill.net/cars.htm
my prayers go out to the injured
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
1 – I would be extremelly pissed if these cyclist douchebags were blocking the street on PURPOSE and I was on an hurry!
2 – I would be even more pissed if it was an emergency (lets say, a wife giving birth, etc)
3 – even if I hated the guts of the idiots I would not run over them.
4 – I would take a turn to avoid the idiots as soon as I could. Apparently, the psycho driver was behind the cyclists for 2-3 blocks. Why didnt he took a turn on any of the sidestreets?
I can see something positive about all this.
Road rage is specially prevalent in places with traffic chaos.
Porto Alegre has surpassed its critical point of traffic chaos. The number of cars has grown too much.
the BR116 road that connects the 1.4 million people city to its 3 million people metropolitan area its an eternal traffic jam. Inside Porto Alegre itself the conditions are NOT better, even though the city is full of buses.
The fact most streets are narrow does not help at all.
The Porto Alegre Subway should had been built at least 20 years ago (if not before). The city still has no subway, although it has a single metro line connecting the city center to the metropolitan area.
Maybe the Federal Government, having this brand new proof (among many others) that Porto Alegre transit is HELL ON EARTH, will finally build the 2nd line, inside Porto Alegre, and help alleviate the problem.
The car driver should be charged for sure.
But lets look at some “what if’s”…
what if the critical mass riders were pounding on the car in a menacing way? Are people just supposed to think they are safe?
What if someone is on their way to the hospital with someone in dire need of medical attention and they die because of critical mass blocking the streets. Tell us why critical mass riders shouldn’t be charged with murder or manslaughter?
Keep pushing the limits and you will surely find them…
“1) This is Brasil…not the US, Canada, or anywhere in Europe. Although people in those areas may piss themselves on a regular basis on the sight of cop while driving…”
Get real. I live in Canada, and I’ve seen plenty of people do spectacularly dangerous things right in front of police and not get pulled over.
The police in Canada pull over people in major traps when they need to fill up their quota for the month. Other times, you drive at your own peril.
And in Canada, I have also been harassed many a time just for shaking my head at some idiot driver who was putting my life at risk.
It seems police don’t take reckless driving seriously anywhere. Probably because large amounts of the population don’t care, and drive without the care and consideration required. In other words, large numbers of people are thoughtless selfish idiots everywhere. Or at least most places.
Just to clarify for those unfamiliar with CM, I don’t know how it is in other cities, but Chicago CM bikers are not complete asshats.
I recall at least one time when everyone moved over to let an emergency vehicle pass, so let’s not all start dreaming up scenarios of when we might want to start murdering bikers. (I will grant that since the ride times here are very consistent, the police are pretty efficient at setting up diversions/blocks around the start-up.)
Finally, let me just send my condolences to the injured; it is a horrible situation.
It seems from the video that this wouldn’t have happened if the cyclists were actually sharing the road…following the rules of the road.
So many of you are self-righteously indignant …put the driver in jail forever… the riders deserved to own the whole frigging road.
Come on. This was a passive aggressive demonstration. No, I wouldn’t try to hit a bike rider…this would piss me off completely.
Most CM protests are announced so if it bugs you, find another route.
So someone really pisses you off. Is that going to be your argument when you’re on trial?
My condolences to those who were injured.
What’s the difference between getting pissed off at someone and running someone down with your car? Is that what some commenters are asking?
If we can’t control our reaction to anger, we have some serious problems…
Many people misunderstand Critical Mass and the philosophy behind it. I’m not going to get into that right now, but I feel there is something that keeps popping up here that really needs to be addressed.
The accusations being launched at Critical Mass participants of possibly “holding up emergency vehicles with grandma dying inside” is a bullshit reason to disagree with the ride. I’ve participated in almost 20 CM rides and I’d say that at least 5 or 6 times, the group has had to immediately make a gap for an emergency vehicle to pass. It happened almost immediately and caused no more of a delay than bad motor traffic would–in fact, it seemed easier for the ambulance/fire truck to get through the intersection or down the road than when going around or through cars. On bikes, people can see, hear, and sense everything around them quicker than someone enclosed in a car, windows up and music blaring, and we could pick up our bikes and pull them aside quickly and efficiently. It’s totally unfair to accuse people taking part in a peaceful bike ride of sticking their noses up and being completely oblivious to the world around them. Not that there aren’t some arrogant bikers out there (anyone see Portlandia’s hipster cyclist character?), but please don’t include all Critical Mass riders with such a perception, and please don’t make accusations that precipitate hateful slander instead of intelligent discourse on a matter that most people aren’t fully informed on.
I think you have to be an idiot to blame the cyclists for the violent over reaction by the car driver.
But I don’t buy for a minute, that there was not a number of cyclists who provoked the driver.
Come on- That is just a given.
Not making excuses for him or his actions.
But just like the Toronto case, there is more to the story.
PS- If you know Toronto, I would like to know where all you bike riders are on Jarvis ???
They ruined a main artery to accommodate a bike lane that I hardly ever see being used.
Hmmm. Guess the smog created by all the bumper to bumper traffic is worth the handful of cyclists that end up using it for the 3 months of good weather.
I like you S.O.B’s (south of Bloor), but as a delivery driver I gotta say you really dropped the ball on that one.
Unless you want to pay $10.00 for a carton of milk you have to allow for commercial deliveries.
Critical Mass is a protest… nobody there endorses that shit for normal riding. To compare the two is false!
What would you say if somebody drove their car through the tamil tiger protest on the gardiner? Or even the CM on the gardiner?? Or any other group of protestors who blocked traffic?!
GET REAL, just because they were on bicycles to protest doesn’t somehow change everything… if you were in a car to protest you’d get the same treatment! Except nobody in a car protests because they’re not part of an out group who takes shit and other life threatening acts from apathetic motorists everyday.
“Losing 3 minutes of your time because of a jerks-parade is enough for you to atempt to kill people?”
Are you f-ing kidding me? It’s NEVER 3 minutes. I’d be understanding of a 3 minute delay. The last time I got stuck because of a Critical Ass ride, I sat through 6 revolutions of a light for a total of 15 minutes, and I was late to work. There was no alternate way for me to go; I was trapped. These are also the same idiots that took 200 bikes on the INTERSTATE at rush hour and slowed traffic to a crawl. Give me a reason to respect you and you’ll get it. Act like an idiot and I’ll call that like I see it too.
If you want to get respect, you have to GIVE it too. You will not get respect by breaking laws, being rude and inconsiderate, and delaying hundreds, if not thousands, of people for your cute little bike ride. If you want to impede traffic, pay for a permit and hire the police officers necessary to close the roads. Funeral homes do it EVERY day, and you’ll notice that funeral processions GET respect.
I am going to declare war on fucking car drivers after watching these videos. Just because car drivers spend twenty grand, they think they own the road in front of them. Fuck every car driver in the world…
Next time there is a critical mass anywhere in the world, everyone should have their D-lock handy for smashing cars that attempt to kill cyclists.
If you are a car driver and you have been held for for 15 minutes….IT DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO KILL EVERY CYCLIST IN YOUR PATH SO YOU CAN GET TO WORK!!!!!!
Every single critical mass in the world from now on should be more militant against car drivers.
Sondra, you think critical mass bike rides are Cute? wait until we take your car apart…
I have absolutely no respect for car drivers who attempt to kill me just because i am blocking their path.
Just what makes you the most important person on the road? the fact you spent twenty grand on a polluting car that kills my health? Or do you do a job that requires you batter everything out of the way so you can pass?
FIrst of all, cars are necessary for some. Get over it. I bet in an ideal world, this wouldn’t be the case, but it is. Secondly, as a pedestrian, I find people on bikes a bigger menace than people on cars when it comes to lack of respect for other people and safely using the roads. The number of time’s I’ve nearly been run down by a cyclist far exceeds the number of times by a motorist. Thirdly, it’s a free world. Bob rides a bike, Steve drives a car and Mark walks… whatever. Let people do what they want.
Anyway, I hope someone brings this monster to justice. If he truly was behind the cyclists for blocks, that’s ridiculous and scared? Give me a break! That’s absolutely no excuse whatsoever. It’s like me walking up to a stranger late at night and murdering them, because they looked sinister, eh? Ridiculous.
Incidentally, Mr S, I’d like to know where you’re getting your information from… actual prevalence of sociopathy in it’s ‘pure form’ of ASPD is on average 1-3% of the global population, or are you including Millon’s subtypes, which are sometimes considered ASPD? Or are you just throwing around the phrase ‘sociopath’ devoid of its clinical meaning? Pretty sure as a teacher, or even as a skilled psychiatrist, one couldn’t look at a person on go ‘Ding! Bob, we have a sociopath!’, and equally, ASPD, as with all conditions, has levels of severity and various causes, so one cannot assume that all of these 3% are dyed in the wool maniacs with no coexisting conditions which could explain its presence and role. It cannot be diagnosed in minors, but may begin to manifest in children even at a young age, and is often correlated with such things -as- family, homelife and interpersonal relations.
Cars make people psycho. It’s like we stop being human when we get into our little metal boxes.
The ones who said the driver had the right to do it, because the riders were holding up the traffic, should be sent to a mental institution. Plain and simple. Come on guys, I’m not a fan of getting stuck in traffic jams, but that’s no reason to go berserk. Last year there was this stupid 10k in my city, and it cut down most of the big arteries, so I pulled over, turned off the car, and went to get some mineral water and watch the runners. Most of the other drivers were honking and shouting like mad dogs. Pathetic seriously. You can’t always get what you want.
To anonymous
re: If your desire is to disrupt someones life by causing a huge traffic jam. Don’t be surprised when someone disrupts your life by running you over.
If you truly believe the above statement don’t be surprised if someone disrupts your life by giving you a curbie. I swear to God I would make it my life’s mission to torture you for hours each day for the rest of your life. The best part about it is that you would never die. In 20 years they are predicting they might be able to extend the human life span to 1000 years so you couldn’t even fantasize about eventually dying.
Thank you Jamie, for the first rational response that I’ve read to this terrible situation. Now, let me add a quoate from my 6 year old grandaughter, “sometimes in life you have to do things that you don’t want to do; and, just deal with it. Like homework, I don’t like it, but I just have to deal with it.” Now, if a 6 year old can understand that, what is wrong with all you adults that are on here making some sort of excuse for the driver of the car? He should have his driving liscense revoked for life! He has proven that he can not drive a motor vehicle and “deal with it”. Some time in jail is most certianly called for “attempted murder, for any reason, is still attempted murder”. I worry about his son, and the lesson he will learn if his father walks away scot free! I don’t care where you are in the world……NOBODY ANYWHERE should be allowed to “get away” with this type of behavoir. Maybe he needs to spend some time in a mental hospital, there could most certianly be hidden issues that we as the general public do not know about. Let’s all pray that it is resolved in a way that will be good for EVERYONE.
Hey Sondra: “If you want to get respect, you have to GIVE it too. You will not get respect by breaking laws, being rude and inconsiderate, and delaying hundreds, if not thousands, of people for your cute little CAR RIDE.” I fixed your post, car drivers break the law all the time (speeding, red lights, stop signs) are rude and inconsiderate (buzz me while I am legally in the bike lane, and throw things at me)and cause all sorts of delays because they would rather drive instead of take alternative transportation, which is a very viable alternative here in the bay area. So why the hypocrisy when you say to be treated equally with drivers we have to act completely opposite of them?
Death to Ricardo Neis! If he doesn’t get locked up for life I am wondering how much a hit man costs in Brazil… He needs to be taken out of society before he drives at someone else. And other drivers who think he is funny/justified need to be shown the consequences of acting like that.
There is a white elephant in the room, but it is easier to sling mud between cyclists and … others?? What has transpired here is just another example of social decay that is much more advanced in come countries than others. It just happens in this case cyclists are involved to it is dear to our hearts.
I don’t think the concept of mowing down cyclists is an acceptable one, but this also didn’t happen in my home town. In many countries the murder, violence and mindlessness is beyond control and not even a motor vehicle will protect you. This doesn’t excuse murder, but we should be looking at this at the culture level, not a individual driver perspective.
Some of the debaters above seem to think they can apply US, Canadian or other countries law and social ethics in this case, but this is only allowing you to continue to ignore the horrific underlying issues in these places. And in these places I tend to agree with some of the previous posters that these people where trying to provoke a response, one they got but alas not what they expected.
I can also only speak from a small amount of experience and discussions with expats from these countries that there is a chance this driver isn’t as evil as we as cyclists want to make him out to be. In a country when every time you leave your house there is a chance you could be murdered for the coins in your pocket, that every person seen to approach your vehicle could be an attacker, to be caught in a potentially aggressive mob banging on your car wouldn’t take much for you to get to a “its me or them”, or “Fight or Flee” mental state. This driver chose to flee.
I will repeat that this event saddens me, but I believe this should be a discussion of the cultural issues, not one persons actions as a result of the culture he is trying to survive in.
– David.
David, in case you didn’t notice, many of the people commending the driver are from Canada and America.
Haven’t yet seen somebody from Brasil step in and say they all deserved to be run down for delaying traffic with their protest.
Anyways, nice try, it would be easy to write it off as savage Brazilians, but that isn’t the truth. Many Canadians hold the same ignorant attitudes and have half-heartedly thrown their support behind a nut job terrorist like this guy by making statements like “they were asking for it”.
Ok, sure… and rape victims with short skirts? Them too? Maybe these people would be more comfortable in a repressive regime somewhere else.
this happen in my city.. near my window! man! that guy must be arrest!!! now the law system decreted the prison of the guy! thanks for care!! take carE!
>>Secondly, as a pedestrian, I find people on bikes a bigger menace than people on cars when it comes to lack of respect for other people and safely using the roads. The number of time’s I’ve nearly been run down by a cyclist far exceeds the number of times by a motorist.
Why is that then? Are these maniac cyclists attempting to run you over on the footpath? Or are you walking in front of them?
In my experience pedestrians are very careful not to get in the way of cars, but couldn’t care less about jay walking right in front of cyclists.
I’ve crashed a couple of times avoiding pedestrians – all this talk of respect and following road rules, etc. just leaves me cold.
The lunatic who ran over the cyclists should never be allowed to operate a vehicle again. The trolls who justify road rage should look at themselves and ponder how foolish they appear. Us and them – drivers vs cyclists, pffft. A car no doubt empowers people on the physical level but the delusion that it somehow makes you better or more important than others is just that, a delusion.
The driver should be tried for attempted murder.
The incident reminds me, a daily bicycle commuter and avid recreational cyclist, that Critical Mass makes me feel less safe, not more. Their agitprop certainly agitates, I’ll give them that.
I have ridden a bike for decades, I have driven along with bikes for decades in the USA. I frankly think that anyone who has an issue with the Critical Mass riders causing a disruption has some anger issues.
If you have ever saddled up on a bike and had a car “brush” by you when you are riding, in the right of way (not in the middle of the road by the way) and you see your life flash because some douche bag is too hurried to have respect for a rider then you might change your mind. At the same time, the biker, in general should keep more to the side (not on the shoulder where the bumpy road will damage the bike) and be aware of traffic.
The moron in the video deserves to be bamboo pole smacked in the public square. Self defense indeed. What an irresponsible, angry, psychopath, and any verbal defense he says to say he had the right to run over someone just proves more that he is a complete liability hazard.
Every time one of these rides happens in my city I am amazed the same thing doesn’t happen. Cyclists: Obey the goddamn rules of the road, or you deserve this.
I want to know what you bike riders do for food ?
How did that stuff get in the stores ???
How about the water???
How about the electricity ???
Etc..etc…etc…
Think that stuff just happens magically ?
Get off your high horse.
ROFL to the few who actually want to get more “militant” against cars.
Good luck geniuses- Give the maniac in the car a legal defense.
Hope for your fellow riders sake they didn’t do that to the driver from Brazil.
If he feared for his and his kids life- he may just have a case.
Parts of Brazil can be a lot more violent and volatile than Toronto, and Bryant got off HERE.
And answer my question about Jarvis.
Where are all you bike riders. The weather is nice and it took 25 minutes to do what used to take 4 to 5 minutes in rush hour traffic.
(Every day)
Bumper to bumper- hundreds of cars and trucks idling belching out emissions.
Just so 6 bike riders could go by ???
(shakes head in confusion).
I recycle, take transit and support local farmers, before you start the hate fest.
-True North-
i see many comments which state that the bicyclists were “impeeding traffic” … make no mistake, bicyclists ARE traffic. is there really something so much more infuriating about a traffic jam caused by bicycles, as opposed to traffic jams caused by cars? because last i checked, traffic jams with cars happen every day.
I am stunned by this terrible tragedy. In one moment of weakness, a man yielded to impluse and abandoned a beautiful vehicle which he will probably never get back. Also, it will be a bitch to wipe or tweeze off all the little pieces of bikies from its tyres.
Hahahaha! HONK HONK!!
also, i notice many people are saying that critical mass is a “protest.” calling critical mass anything other than a group of random bikers is a bit misleading. while it may be a form of protest to a very small few, to most it just seems to be an enjoyable bike ride. you can see the videos for yourself … do these people look angry? intimidating? are they chanting and holding signs about laws? what are they “protesting” exactly anyways? i think you will find that for every person that rides in a critical mass there are as many reasons, most of which have nothing to do with protest.
to those who repeatedly make the claim that the bicyclists are breaking the law, i would like to ask, “what law?” is there a law against riding a bike in the city? on the street? if so that is news to me. at least here in the US, most places have road signs which clearly state that “bicycles have full use of lane.” also it should be noted that the bicyclists in the brasilian video aren’t stopped, or blocking traffic, they are moving at a normal rate, consistent with traffic.
Was a U-Turn completely out of the question?
finish him – the only way
I think bicyclists have a right to the road too. But bicyclists want it both ways. They run through stop signs which cars dont do. They can impede the flow of traffic. Ive seen it. Riding down the street two abreat holding conversations, when they could easily yield to faster traffic (not speeding traffic, mind you), they won’t. Ive seen them do this, then whip around the front car in the left turn lane at a light. A car cant and wont do that. I was trolled by a bicyclist promendaing lazily don the center of a road listening to an ipod. I gave a tap of my horn, yes a tap, not a blare, and she extended her arm and flipped me off. Then she held it out the length of the road and smiled back occassionally. What could I do about that? You bicyclists here tell me that? Ive been to blogs where bicyclists are openly bragging about angering drivers, ‘oh I could tell he was pissed, I could tell he probably would have loved to run me over…’. There’s a saying, when you go looking for trouble, you’ll probably find it.
“I think bicyclists have a right to the road too. But bicyclists want it both ways. They run through stop signs which cars dont do. They can impede the flow of traffic. Ive seen it. Riding down the street two abreat holding conversations, when they could easily yield to faster traffic (not speeding traffic, mind you), they won’t.
These comments are starting to sound like a broken record. I swear these commenters copy and paste their comments from site to site.
I could sit here and list off the hundreds of maneuverers I see drivers doing every day that are breaking the law and risking *other* people’s lives. But this is getting really old, and I don’t feel like feeding the trolls.
When you admit bicyclists today can behave just as badly as drivers, and that, espcially these days, some bicyclists are deliberately out to cause problems to make their political point, then Im with you. I hear nothing here from bicyclists that woe is us, poor misunderstood, disenfranchised people. In LA Weekly recently, they said they will deliberately go out of their way these activists. If you’re in the current active bicycling community you know what Im talking about, and to say anything else, is frankly and blatantly disengenuous. K, pal?
LA Weekly, quite a reliable source of worldwide public opinion, no?
and what is the “political point?” that bicyclists are trying to make? what are the “problems” they are trying to cause? not quite following this line of argument …
Wow! This is quite the toxic comment thread! My heart goes out to the Crit Mass riders who were attacked.
FWIW, this incident (and this comment thread) shows why the CM celebratory protests are still needed and still relevant. For those not familiar, one aim of civil disobedience (and “corking” other traffic to allow the Mass to proceed is indeed civil disobedience) is to raise awareness of an issue, so that the more reasonable voices are more likely to be heard. By comparison to the anger-provoking CM riders the leaders of such organizations as Rails to Trails or Adventure Cycling seem very reasonable indeed.
IMO, so long as car-driving sociopaths continue to get away with murdering cyclists, the CM rides will be needed. And, in my book, welcome.
I have been riding all my life. I have been hit by a car 6 times. I hooked up with some really high end riders after that and they educated me as to how to ride and survive. I know the weak will start screaming but here goes. If you depend on drivers to ensure your safety you lose. The road belongs to cars. Ride in a manner that minimizes your being seen by a car. The more a driver sees you, the more chance you have of being hit. The victim in this video is the driver of the car. The assholes in the street, deserve what they got. Attempted murder? if he set out to murder there would be dead bodies. I have never been hit since my “education”. Fuck with the car and lose. Einstein.
One more thing. If i see someone on a bike fucking with someone in a car, i shadow them till I find the right moment to T Bone. If i get it just right it is possible to run them completely over. It is the only thing I have seen that works with some of you. So, if you come and ride in my neck in the woods and you happen to see the letters BLTD painted on a wall somewhere. Beware. When it comes to assholes on bikes, we, and there are a bunch of us, live by this motto. Better Living Thru Destruction.
Sorry about Michael folks. He is just a little child trying to make a funny. This article has seemed to attract the trolls.
Yes James that must be it. Obviously any sane rational person would think just like you. Its guys like you that got those riders hurt. Your stupidity. Lead on James. You are born to it.
There’s a special place for anyone who says: “The victim in this video is the driver of the car”
Feel free to continue living your sad existence. But you are not welcome here.
… bye bye troll
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
The bicyclists are being passive/aggressive by purposely blocking and holding up traffic.
Their entire agenda is to purposely cause a problem out on the road.
I have no pity for them at all when their passive/aggressive behavior eventually elicits an aggressive response in return from a driver, such as what’s depicted in this video.
They can’t continue to sow their discord out on the roads without expecting to eventually reap some in return.
I’m convinced that posting comments has become an outlet for the angriest, most ignorant sociopaths. The ridiculous ‘comments’ on both sides of this issue are mind-numbing. If you read this series of comments and aren’t depressed, you must be one of them.
I ride critical mass only because I know I can’t just hit car drivers with a metal bar. But maybe someday It will be safe to do so.
This is absolutely horrible. I’ve seen aggression in DC with Critical Mass (which I’m actually leaving for in a few minutes) but nothing like this. Absolutely disgraceful. I’da cut the dudes balls off and shoved them so far down his throat is came out his ass. And yes anonymous, that blonde chick was bangin! straight edge too! My type of woman! 😉
I know the weak will start screaming but here goes. If you depend on drivers to ensure your safety you lose. The road belongs to cars. Ride in a manner that minimizes your being seen by a car.
People get sick and tired of these belligerent, passive/aggressive bicyclists purposely and willfully blocking traffic with these “critical mass” events, which are explicitly designed to purposely disrupt the flow of traffic.
Every now and then one or more of them gets hit by a car…it goes with the territory.
If they’re going to purposely be rude, belligerent idiots, than occasionally they can expect to encounter a rude, belligerent person in return.
I have not pity whatsoever whenever I hear of a “critical mass” bicyclist getting hit by a car.
Wow, seriously if the video of psycho Ricardo Heiss doesn’t make you want to hang yourself, the fucking retarded comments on this blog will…..
Good job trolling. got me rilled up for a bit. Then i realized that your pathetic.
Good job trolling. got me rilled up for a bit. Then i realized that your pathetic.
Troll detected
Troll detected
Yow, that “Anonymous” troll is a sick woman. I hope she seeks help. I hope she doesn’t have children.
Yow, that “Anonymous” troll is a sick woman. I hope she seeks help. I hope she doesn’t have children.
Ah, yes, holding up traffic so you’ll be a few minutes late to come home and watch your shitty sitcom TV show is enough justifiable reason to nearly kill people. I’m Pro-Choice and if Pro-Lifers protestors were blocking the road I’d be hella annoyed, totally, but I wouldn’t plow into them like a maniac.
TROLL go back under your bridge.
Ah, yes, holding up traffic so you’ll be a few minutes late to come home and watch your shitty sitcom TV show is enough justifiable reason to nearly kill people. I’m Pro-Choice and if Pro-Lifers protestors were blocking the road I’d be hella annoyed, totally, but I wouldn’t plow into them like a maniac.
TROLL go back under your bridge.
Job well done !
Job well done !
While the driver’s actions clearly appear criminal, the event should provide some reality checks: 1. taking both lanes is also clearly selfish, rude, and obnoxious. 2. Other CM hole riders need to share the road like other humans to reduce the chance of another incident like this. 3. How did the injured get to hospital? On a trailer pulled by a bicycle? On a motor vehicle, that’s right, despite all the children’s vehicles around.
While the driver’s actions clearly appear criminal, the event should provide some reality checks: 1. taking both lanes is also clearly selfish, rude, and obnoxious. 2. Other CM hole riders need to share the road like other humans to reduce the chance of another incident like this. 3. How did the injured get to hospital? On a trailer pulled by a bicycle? On a motor vehicle, that’s right, despite all the children’s vehicles around.
The manner in which Critical Mass is ridden is, whether by carelessness or intent, perfectly designed to piss drivers off to the maximum degree. I’ve seen this group in Austin, Texas, and at least there it is definitely ridden with a “take the streets back”, rather than a “share the road” mentality.
Riding in one long, solid mass is simply neither safe nor feasible without a police escort – and stationing bikers to bodily block traffic in only compounds the potential for driver frustration and road rage. I would be annoyed at this riding style if I were driving and late to work, and I love to bike more than almost anything. To further put a person in front of a car with the purpose of “corking” it in flouts every rule of the road we, as cyclists who share the road, are supposed to obey.
As bikers, we rightfully expect drivers to share the road with us. Refusing to share in return is childish, foolhardy and dangerous. I suggest Critical Mass either revise its ride policies to be more road-and-driver-friendly, procure a police escort for their activities, or to quit biking altogether until they mature enough to do so with proper care for the safety of themselves and others on the road.
The manner in which Critical Mass is ridden is, whether by carelessness or intent, perfectly designed to piss drivers off to the maximum degree. I’ve seen this group in Austin, Texas, and at least there it is definitely ridden with a “take the streets back”, rather than a “share the road” mentality.
Riding in one long, solid mass is simply neither safe nor feasible without a police escort – and stationing bikers to bodily block traffic in only compounds the potential for driver frustration and road rage. I would be annoyed at this riding style if I were driving and late to work, and I love to bike more than almost anything. To further put a person in front of a car with the purpose of “corking” it in flouts every rule of the road we, as cyclists who share the road, are supposed to obey.
As bikers, we rightfully expect drivers to share the road with us. Refusing to share in return is childish, foolhardy and dangerous. I suggest Critical Mass either revise its ride policies to be more road-and-driver-friendly, procure a police escort for their activities, or to quit biking altogether until they mature enough to do so with proper care for the safety of themselves and others on the road.
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Ricardo neis is a hero, people on bikes purposely clogging busy streets is irresponsible and those involved took the risk upon themselves, I also believe he was defending himself from aggresive bikers. Viva Neis!