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# Crackdown on bikers unjustified
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/crackdown-on-bikers-unjustified-editor/
- Published: 2007-11-20T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T04:00:50.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By Alex Cantarero Santa Monica*

I’m an 18-year resident of Santa Monica and I am a participant of Santa Monica Critical Mass. I no longer contribute to one of Santa Monica’s biggest problems — traffic. Santa Monica has taken many steps to make itself more bicycle friendly; things like bicycle racks on the Big Blue Bus, bicycle valet at Santa Monica events, bicycle lanes and Share-the-road signs on major boulevards and side streets all attempt to make you feel safe. Still, Santa Monica is not a safe city in which to ride your bicycle.

The Santa Monica Police Department says that the Nov. 2 enforcement (of the monthly Critical Mass ride) was in the interest of public safety (“Riders of the storm,” Nov. 9). Parking police vehicles in the bicycle lane and forcing bicyclists to merge left into the right lane is not in the interest of public safety. Citing bicyclists when they merge left, a maneuver allowed by the California Vehicle Code 21202 section 3 is unfair. Issuing 32 bicycling citations is not in character with the “bicycle-friendly” image Santa Monica desires. Police officers were present to film our pre-ride announcements, which were to “Have fun! Obey the law. Don’t run red lights!.” I hope it is noted that Critical Mass had stopped corking intersections and running red lights before Nov. 2.

I personally handed out over 500 printouts of the California Vehicle code regarding bicycling to participants. Santa Monica Critical Mass — not the Santa Monica Police Department — attempted to enforce public safety.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 20, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/112007.pdf?ref=smdp.com)