Very bad behavior on the part of some cyclists. So, arrest them and charge them. OTOH, it remains true that about the safest way to commit homocide w/out consequences is to run down a cyclist (or pedestrian) and then to claim, "I just didn't see him." If drivers drove and behaved with civility, cyclists would as well.
I write as a law-abiding cyclist who rides on NYC streets and who is lucky enough to have been hit by a car only once. Good news: the driver, who was clearly performing an illegal maneuver, dragged me about 15 feet *right in front of a cop.* Bad news: the cop made sure I was OK, checked the driver's license, and then sent her on her way. It's moments like those that give me great sympathy for the Critical Mass people (but no, I'm not one of them).

italtrav, agree with everything you said.

Cyclists are regularly killed by careless drivers who receive little or no punishment. This story by Eric is obviously along those lines. Susan Ferrando was more interested in cutting 10 seconds off her travel time than in recognizing the basic right to life of the people around her. Behavior totally common among drivers. She hit somebody and kept going--and she's the victim!

"One of the bikers then threw his bike -- shattering the rear window and terrifying the young girls inside."

The reporter obvously hasn't a clue how much a bicycle costs or gave a moments thought to how that bicyclist was getting home that night. Didn't happen. No way.

Where do these thugs come from? I’ve never heard of them but I live in NYC. Good story, Eric, I wouldn’t have know about Critical Mass.

Here in NYC, bicyclists are a great hazard to pedestrians. Our streets just don’t accommodate this mode of transportation. Many people I know, including my wife, believe they should be banned.

They're in New York,

http://www.ww4report.com/node/3502

and all over the country:

http://www.critical-mass.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Mass

Forunately, the City of New York took out an injunction against them trying to limit their numbers. They are not commuters, as their stated goal is simply to protest and disrupt traffic.

Tim, you're asserting that it didn't happen, so I guess I'll look into it. But the story has a picture of the smashed rear window. Are you saying the reporters made up the damage too?

Remember, they're seasoned reporters in San Francisco writing for the Chronicle. Their butts would definitely be on the line if they did what you say.

Are you sure?

Good heavens. You know, it's not very Christian of me, but there are days I really want to hate lefties like this. What astounding self-righteousness and plain old bad-attitudeness. I feel so badly for those poor girls, and the parents who must have felt so helpless and unable to protect their kids.

As a Motor City native, I much prefer cars (it's hard to ride a bike 16 miles to the office in two feet of snow anyhow). While I've no problem with (law-abiding, non-all-black-wearing at night) cyclists and enjoy a spin myself when the weather's nice, there is NO excuse for this kind of behaviour. Ugh.

Oh, damn, they're here, too! Thanks for the warning.

You're a former lawyer aren't you Eric? What would the driver's legal standing be if he simply ran over the idiot blocking his car? Surely this is a clear cut case of self defense?

I live in Berkeley, and every Friday night at 5:00PM, East Bay Critical Mass bicycles past my house. There are dozens of them. I know they are going by because they carry boom boxes on their bikes set at maximum volume. They go by at this time every week to block passage on the main street out of town at the height of rush hour. This has been going on for years. I can't imagine what they are trying to prove except that they can get away with it.

Spike strips.

There's always two sides to the story. "Many witnesses state that Ferrando recklessly accelerated into a crowd and hit the bicyclist so hard the bike was lodged under her vehicle." Don't think your soccer mom was an innocent bystander.

John,
Uhh, are you arguing that if the driver hit a bike it wouldn't be insane for the bikers to beat on the car with their bikes?

And, in fact, no, there aren't always two sides to every story.

Note that the story says that when the police tried to ask the alleged bicyclist "victim" of the alleged collision a few questions, he refused to answer (other than to say he wasn't hurt), swore at everyone, and ran away.

If two vehicles come in contact but no one is hurt and there is no damage, that's not a collision. Or a crime.

It would be interesting to know if the alleged collision happened before or after the vehicle was surrounded by the horde of bicyclists.

read a more balanced account here:
http://www.sfbg.com/blogs/politics/2007/04/demonizing_bicyclists.html

The "soccer mom" ran over a bicyclist and then tried to get away which is why she got swarmed.

This is just a case of bad reporting.

Soccer moms and their ilk should stay in their suburbs where they can safely travel in their station wagon bubbles. I'm sure if someone ran over her kid on his bike, we would have heard a completely different story.

Sorry, gonna have to call shenanigans on the biker's perspective here that this started because the minivan hit a bicyclist, pulling the bike under and dragging it.

Given the serious of such an accident, I *VERY* much doubt that the victim would have refused to give an account, his name, or anything, and then ride his bike away. A bike that has been hit and dragged under a car for 15 feet is not just going to be able to be ridden away.

Maybe the minivan driver could have handled the situation better, but as a fellow biker, Critical Mass embarrases the hell out of me.