This was a Critical Mass event, which is why the bicyclists are taking up all of the street as a way to reclaim the streets and protest the lack of safety for riders under usual conditions. It’s not legal, but protests are never useful if they’re fully legal now, are they.

  • Steve Dice@sh.itjust.works
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    3 days ago

    For all of the unequivocally civic commenters on this thread, ask yourself this: would you be defending someone driving through a protest if the protesters weren’t on bikes?

  • noname_yet2077@lemmy.world
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    6 days ago

    Idiots in cars, idiots on bikes. Hell yeah I’m pro bikes but setting a wheel on incoming lane? Yeaah… no thanks, I’m fine

    • sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      6 days ago

      In the bike party near me, we take over the traffic lane but not the oncoming lane.

      Maybe that’s why bike party split off from critical mass

  • Geldaran@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    As a Bicycle commuter… there’s plenty of “Am I the Asshole?” that needs to go around here.

    I understand the cyclists are treating this as a protest, but unless the road is closed, get the hell out of the oncoming lane. You’re not doing anything here other than confirming the drivers bias that you’re the problem.

    As for the driver, just fucking STOP until they pass. Is the risk of you hitting someone worth the few minutes that pulling over out of the way costs you? The driver’s pissing and moaning on the video is some self-entitled bull shit.

  • ragas@lemmy.ml
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    6 days ago

    Where I live, critical mass is legal. Bikes can go on the street and we have a law that allows multiple vehicles that move as one to be treated like one vehicle.

      • chaitae3@lemmy.world
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        6 days ago

        The organizers will inform the city that a critical mass protest is taking place, the city will inform the police and they will cordon off the route. If there are enough people talking part in the protest, the public order authorities will have no other choice - thus the name critical mass. The right to protest takes precedence over the right to drive this specific route.

      • Blackmist@feddit.uk
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        5 days ago

        Depends on where you are.

        In most places you can certainly drive in the oncoming lane to overtake things in your own lane or avoid obstacles. You wouldn’t do it if something was coming the other way though, unless you really like the taste of airbag.

  • jagged_circle@feddit.nl
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    6 days ago

    It doesn’t matter if a protest is legal. The word you’re looking for is “non violent”

  • Pnut@lemm.ee
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    5 days ago

    I obey the traffic laws. I’m apparently one of the only people in my town that has read them. I like riding my bike. I like my town. People Hollar at me from their cars. I get called “fag” every second day. For taking a bike ride.

  • PumpkinSkink@lemmy.world
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    6 days ago

    Imo it looks remarkably safe as long as we ignore the person in the car driving into oncoming traffic.

    • RedAggroBest@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      The bikes in the oncoming lane are safe? C’mon what kind of joke. Blocking streets is one thing but they’re actually moving forward straight on in oncoming traffic, in what world is that safe?

      • HikingVet@lemmy.ca
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        5 days ago

        Since when are cars the only one entitled to use the road?

        Edit: Bunch of fucking idiots who don’t understand roads or protests getting all pissy because they were told they don’t own the road.

          • HikingVet@lemmy.ca
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            5 days ago

            Huh, seen as how the driver here was unsafe, it appears you are intentionally misinterpreting what I have posted.

            • RedAggroBest@lemmy.world
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              5 days ago

              Seeing as I’m talking about the BIKES LITERALLY RIDING AGAINST THE DIRECTION OF TRAFFIC, I think you’re missing that that’s what I’m talking about.

                • RedAggroBest@lemmy.world
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                  3 days ago

                  The car with a complaining bitch whining while still fully stopped? Still following the rules of the road? Just because someone is taking out their ass while filming doesn’t stop my point, which has been from the get-go a point about the cyclists who, unlike the rest of their group, are riding in oncoming traffic where the roads have clearly not been closed.

      • WoodScientist@sh.itjust.works
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        6 days ago

        in what world is that safe?

        In the world of every parade that has been performed in every major city for the last two centuries at least.

        • RedAggroBest@lemmy.world
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          5 days ago

          Ahhh, I’ll remember to drive right on into that parade next time they’ve moved off closed streets.

          Nothing you say will stop the parts of this protest that are riding into oncoming traffic as safe. They clearly didn’t get coming traffic directed away.

          • HikingVet@lemmy.ca
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            5 days ago

            The unsafe thing here is the driver who insisted on dangerous driving. Motorists have an obligation to not cause harm regardless of what others are doing.

            • RedAggroBest@lemmy.world
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              5 days ago

              If I threw you into oncoming traffic would that be unsafe? Simple answer, yes. That’s literally the only point I’m making. A protest being good doesn’t make the handful of troublemakers suddenly perfectly safe. They’re on the wrong side of the road.Travel direction does not change because you’re on a bike. Done. That’s it. Unsafe behaviors by some of the cyclists.

                • RedAggroBest@lemmy.world
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                  3 days ago

                  If they were also on a bike would the cyclists suddenly be unsafe? No, being on the wrong side of the road is unsafe. Idk why that’s hard to understand, especially in a protest that’s supposed to promote safer biking conditions. People riding into oncoming traffic is exactly the justification assholes are using for ripping out bike lanes. Shit people just follow the rules of the road.

  • scala@lemmy.ml
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    6 days ago

    This looks like Miami. If it is… critical mass usually has a police force in the loop they do usually to stop people driving right through the crowd. The loop is posted online about a week before and there is always police presence

    • jagged_circle@feddit.nl
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      6 days ago

      Probably LA? Looks similar but police less likely to beat the shit out of white people on bicycles

  • 7eter@feddit.org
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    6 days ago

    This is a CM?

    I have never been to a CM with oncoming lane blocked (or in this case - not really blocked).

    Also where are the corkers?

  • StereoCode@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    I mean Ive been a part of many of these in Orlando and the point was to never cross into incoming traffic. So she sort of has a point. That is super dangerous. The idea isn’t to give people who hate cyclist more fuel to hate cyclist. Have respect for all types of traffic.