Oakland Critical Mass Tail Repairs Bikeway, Storms Big Boxes, Visits Collapsed Freeway (ph

We all support alternatives to the car but riding bicycles in stores is not only illegal, it is also a threat to the safety of everyone in the store. Such a threat perpetrated by white bicycle riders against black shoppers only increases the hostility toward whites, which no one needs. This is what everyone means by arrogant behavior of bicyclists. We are all horrified by the smashing of a car window with a bicycle when the car allegedly touched a bicycle while moving recently. All they had to do was surround the car to make it stop until all the bicyclists had passed by. We are also all upset over bicyclists riding on the sidewalk, which is not only a violation of the Vehicle Code to which the bicyclists are subject, it is a threat to people walking on the sidewalk, and walking should be actively encouraged. You can ride a bike on the street no matter which way the traffic is going. Neither the violent attack on the car nor riding bikes on the sidewalk nor riding bicycles in stores is every justified.

Hi,

Thanks for your support, but...

Where did you get the idea that it's legal to ride both ways? And illegal to ride on sidewalks (every town decides if it's legal or not)? Wrong on both counts.

WORSE, where'd you get the idea that the media hype about the incident in San Francisco a month ago was true? Why present such a biased account ("allegedly touched a bicycle"). It is not so easy to just "surround" someone in a car, who is running you over. The bicyclists did detain the attacker, after she fled the scene where she smashed a bicycle, throwing its rider quite a few feet. You can see one of the few fair pieces of coverage here:

http://www.ktvu.com/video/11523434/index.html

And you can see video of another such attack at this story:

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/04/27/18405869.php

Also at youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7b-Yk9IAN4

Finally, the bicyclist riding through the store was not at all exercising any type of racial comment, and the shoppers were of various races. Are you just shocked to actually see some black faces for once?

Note that the security guard was smiling with the silliness of the event.

Where did you get the idea that bicycling through a store is illegal? A bicycle with a basket is similar to a shopping cart, and just makes good sense.

Most grocery stores provide enormous amounts of car parking, particularly in Emeryville, but little or no secure bicycle parking -- not even a post to lock to. The land value of the parking, harms caused by the driving created, and the cost of upkeep and maintenance, etc., of the parking, is a cost that is added into the cost of goods at the store. So, bicyclists are being forced to suffer and subsidize if they are to shop at these stores. Often there are no alternatives.

Make the world safe for life.

don't turn this into a race issue, if it was walnut creek we would do the same thing, in fact we do.

Days of Action against La Parota Dam: May Day to Cinco de Mayo
http://indybay.org/newsitems/2007/04/26/18405703.php

Root Force is calling upon groups and individuals around the world to take action against the holdings of Carlos Slim, owner of holdings corporation Grupo Carso and the second richest person in the world. Slim's connections in the U.S. include the retailers CompUSA, Sears and Kmart, as well as other companies including Tracfone and Condumex. Read More http://rootforce.org/