Critical Mass resumes with smooth ride
SEATTLE -- Hundreds of bicyclists rallied on the city streets on Friday for the first Critical Mass since a clash that resulted in the arrest of two bicyclists lat month.
Police escorts kept pace with the riders in an effort to keep the mood of the ride steady in hopes of preventing another bout of violence. The bicyclists, shouting hoots and hollers, were determined to reassert their right to the road.
Last month David Maxwell and John Lawson were arrested after the attack against the driver, who was pulling out of a parking spot in Capitol Hill as a mob of up to 300 bicyclists passed through the neighborhood.
Larry Hilde, attorney for the bicyclists, said the driver put the lives of several bicyclists in danger through his actions.
But in an interview with KOMO News, the driver said about a dozen cyclists ganged up on him and that he was "really scared." He says he panicked and accidentally hit some bikes with his car.
"I overreacted and freaked out," he said.
Some of the cyclists then attacked the driver and his car, smashing the front and rear windows, slashing the tires, punching dents in the vehicle and ripping out a mirror.
Someone also bashed the driver in the back of the head with a bike lock. Police are still looking for this person.
"It's unfortunate that on both sides of the issue, cars and bikes, there's always a minority that polarizes things," said Kevin Engle, Critical Mass rider.
Prosecutors are still reviewing the case and have not decided whether to file any charges.
On Friday as the bicyclists hit the road, rush-hour traffic was brought to a halt in order to allow the procession to pass. But even so, there were no clashes, which may, in part, be due to the flyers police officers distributed to remind bike riders of the rules of the road.
"We're going to watch them and monitor and observe and hope that they'll do the right thing tonight," said Capt. Steve Brown.
And Critical Mass paid attention. On Friday the riders stopped when traffic lights turned red and banned a practice known as corking, which involves temporarily blocking cars with their bicycles. Corking is believed to have been one of the causes of last month's violence.
"If you start blocking motorists in, it creates fear, and we want them to avoid that," Brown.
Cyclists say they're simply trying to help each other avoid getting hit.
"We understand what it's like to wait in traffic, but the ride usually passes in a couple of minutes and just to be patient with us," said Meghan Guthrie, Critical Mass rider.
Police escorts kept pace with the riders in an effort to keep the mood of the ride steady in hopes of preventing another bout of violence. The bicyclists, shouting hoots and hollers, were determined to reassert their right to the road.
Last month David Maxwell and John Lawson were arrested after the attack against the driver, who was pulling out of a parking spot in Capitol Hill as a mob of up to 300 bicyclists passed through the neighborhood.
Larry Hilde, attorney for the bicyclists, said the driver put the lives of several bicyclists in danger through his actions.
But in an interview with KOMO News, the driver said about a dozen cyclists ganged up on him and that he was "really scared." He says he panicked and accidentally hit some bikes with his car.
"I overreacted and freaked out," he said.
Some of the cyclists then attacked the driver and his car, smashing the front and rear windows, slashing the tires, punching dents in the vehicle and ripping out a mirror.
Someone also bashed the driver in the back of the head with a bike lock. Police are still looking for this person.
"It's unfortunate that on both sides of the issue, cars and bikes, there's always a minority that polarizes things," said Kevin Engle, Critical Mass rider.
Prosecutors are still reviewing the case and have not decided whether to file any charges.
On Friday as the bicyclists hit the road, rush-hour traffic was brought to a halt in order to allow the procession to pass. But even so, there were no clashes, which may, in part, be due to the flyers police officers distributed to remind bike riders of the rules of the road.
"We're going to watch them and monitor and observe and hope that they'll do the right thing tonight," said Capt. Steve Brown.
And Critical Mass paid attention. On Friday the riders stopped when traffic lights turned red and banned a practice known as corking, which involves temporarily blocking cars with their bicycles. Corking is believed to have been one of the causes of last month's violence.
"If you start blocking motorists in, it creates fear, and we want them to avoid that," Brown.
Cyclists say they're simply trying to help each other avoid getting hit.
"We understand what it's like to wait in traffic, but the ride usually passes in a couple of minutes and just to be patient with us," said Meghan Guthrie, Critical Mass rider.