Welcome to the sideshow: Rowdy motorcyclists stall San Francisco’s Bay Bridge
Zachary Faria
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A “sideshow” is often used to refer derisively to stories or events that distract from something far more important. But what about when you can’t turn around, or even drive away, from that distraction?
These “sideshows” occur when motorcyclists decide to put on a show for fellow commuters who do not have the option to do anything other than watch. The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge was home to a recent one, with around 100 bikers bringing traffic to a halt so they could spin donuts and pop wheelies to a crowd of hundreds of drivers who had no other choice but to sit in their cars and have their time wasted.
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The entire display lasted for an eternity in road rage time, which translates to about two minutes in real time. The bikers sped off, well before any police officers could arrive on the scene, and drivers were free to continue on their way. No one was arrested because the police couldn’t get there fast enough to arrest anyone, and drivers were left with a story they could laugh (or fume) over with friends.
Those drivers may have had a better time than the ones who sat through a 15-20 minute sideshow on the Golden Gate Bridge in March. A California Highway Patrol officer was on the scene but couldn’t begin a pursuit because, of course, he was stuck in the freshly created traffic mob.
These sideshows are becoming far too common and should not be tolerated. When criminals feel empowered to break the law at will, lawbreaking will not stay a sideshow for long.