Bicycle mob attack driver after collision, fracture his ribs and back, and destroy his car
From healthy hobby to outright thuggery
The Bay Area is experiencing mobs of bicycle riders stopping to attack and seriously injure drivers who provoke their wrath, while riding around in large groups that the cyclists call “ride outs.” ABC7News (KGO Television) reports:
A Santa Clara driver suffered fractures to his ribs and back after a mob of bicyclists brutally assaulted him following an accident involving one of them.
This is the latest in a string of violent incidents involving large groups of bicyclists, popularly known as “ride outs”, a rapidly growing trend where large, often informal groups of cyclists -- from dozens to thousands -- gather to ride through city streets.
“On my left side, I have fractured rib number 12,” Hidalgo said. “And my number two lumbar vertebrae was fractured. You know, might not look like I’m severely injured, but, you know, I am in pain.”
Hidalgo says his car was hit by someone on an e-bike who ran a red light.
A larger group also on bicycles arrived shortly after and blamed him for the accident.
Video shared on social media shows the group brutally beating, kicking, and jumping on Hildalgo, and destroying his car.
Public domain graphic.
I have encountered nonviolent ride outs on city streets and found them very hostile, taking pleasure in delaying motorists and forcing them to go as slowly as the slowest bikes in their group.
I can understand why bicyclists resent cars: we outweigh them and can be very dangerous in a collision. Some seem to feel they have an absolute moral entitlement to dominance, perhaps because they consider themselves wrapped in carbon-neutral virtue (except, of course for all the CO2 they exhale) and see drivers as polluting, illegitimate occupiers of streets that belong, rightly, to them.
The incident in Santa Clara was not unique:
Our cameras captured video of another ‘ride out’ on Highway 101 in San Jose, where bike riders were slowing traffic behind them.
We’ve also recently reported on other ‘ride outs’ that turned violent, including one where a man was attacked near San Francisco’s Aquatic Park.
I have noticed that many riders of fancy bikes, especially the ones wearing tight Lycra outfits, don’t bother with the stop signs or even red lights that force motorists to stop, causing me to resent them. Now, I learn that the petty miscreants are capable of turning on the unfortunate motorists whom they might run into and beating them badly while destroying their cars.
Santa Clara Police are investigating. We’ll see if anyone gets arrested, but I am not optimistic.
If they came after me... they might not like the outcome.
Several years ago there was a similar incident in Portland, although people on foot, where a man was dragged from his car and beaten. They people blocking the street just demanded that drivers detour around their gathering in the intersection. The swarming and destruction of the insides of convenience stores, jewelry shops and department stores also comes to mind. What is reported here sounds like a morphing and ramping up of mob violence and cruelty. Sadly, I think there is a small, but well-connected segment of our population that enjoys and supports this kind of cruel and destructive behavior.