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Photos of last nights ride in no particular order.
The SF ride was exceptional, incredible, and confrontational but peaceful and safe. Costumes, music and celebration marked the culmination of Bike Summer - A love filled event. The ride was tight and efficient until a few rogue police officers decided to try to break up the mass. They stopped the bikes on a green light and of course the cars in the opposite direction were very hesitant about going forward through a red light which just caused traffic and spread the cyclists out around many more blocks.
Those who left in the back suddenly found themselves the victims of road rage aggression from angry commuters. So many riders came back to help cork while the front slowed down and the whole mass slowly but surely stuck together across 10 or more blocks.
There were about 2500 cyclists by my estimation and approximately 50,000 supportive cheers from pedestrians, shoppers, drivers and famlies shouting from their windows, 5 helicopters, 30-40 police, two FBI agents and not one serious incident, except the typical road rage spouted by people in cars angry about transit.
Unique in this ride, hundreds of people took it upon themselves to be a leader. They pleasantly corked the intersections at busy lights, they stopped and spoke to drivers and pedestrians. Many among the most deliberate in their actions were WOMEN. Beautiful WOMEN. Few will confront or even question the efforts of an assertive woman corking an intersection. Moreover, the ride was alove fest with so many beautiful people, hundreds of women in dresses and skirts, Dinosaurs, musicians, bells and did I mention that there plentiful free bikes. Yes, I met people from all over the world who had borrowed bikes or picked a free yellow or lime green bike to use and leave when they reach their destination.
There is nothing like the freedom of a free bike. You can go where you want and just leave the bike outside for another to use. No worries about locks or anything like that.
We all finally met up again, led by a young rider about 9 years old. Criss-crossing through the Potrero we ended up at the top of the hill. From a window overlooking the group, a small child named Sophie about 1 ½ years old waved and shouted hi! to the cyclists resulting in cheers, a bike raise and a demands for speech, speech, speech!
A neighbor named Dave opened his window overlooking the cyclists, raising a glass a red wine he spoke. "People, we appeciate you. Enjoy yourselves." Hurrah! "Safe Streets for all!"
The support of so many thousands was overwhelming.
Photos by Vince Vitale
Man that was a long hill
Onwards to the crookedest street in the world
Stay away from this man!
