A group of about 100 motorcyclists caused traffic congestion on the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge on Saturday afternoon during an illegal sideshow.
The motorcyclists were caught on camera performing dangerous stunts, including popping wheelies, which brought all westbound lanes of the bridge to a halt.
The inconvenient spectacle led to traffic congestion. Some drivers who got stuck in traffic got out of their cars to capture the chaos.
The motorcyclists were seen performing donuts with smoke from the burnt rubber filling the air.
Others revved their engines intimidatingly and drove in circles, testing the patience of other motorists who were powerless to do anything but watch.
A group of about 100 motorcyclists illegally staged a sideshow on the Bay Bridge between San Francisco and Oakland
You could see the screeching tires of the engines emitting smoke from the burnt rubber
A motorcyclist was seen making donuts on his motorcycle in the middle of the road
It caused all westbound lanes to come to a halt as the riders performed stunts including wheelies – there have been similar incidents in the past year
Drivers watching in their cars remained surprisingly calm without honking horns.
A woman who shot the scene explained that such displays were common after being embroiled in something similar last month.
“Just got caught with another one on the bridge last month…bay culture for sure!” user lalasantola wrote on her Instagram.
This isn’t the first time such an event has taken place on the Bay Bridge, with several sideshows taking place on the bridge in the past year alone.
On one occasion ATVs were also involved in the incident.
The California Highway Patrol confirmed that the outage lasted about two minutes before traffic was able to move again.
It is as yet unclear whether any arrests or fines have been issued in connection with the stunt.
Other motorists could do nothing but watch as the mob of motorcycles moved on
Motorcyclists blocked traffic across the bridge for several minutes while performing stunts
Motorcyclists seemed in no hurry to move on as they caused a nuisance on Saturday afternoon
The San Francisco Bay Bridge connects the city to Oakland
This isn’t the first time such an event has taken place on the Bay Bridge, with several sideshows taking place on the bridge in the past year alone.
In 2021, a group of motorcyclists drove onto the Bay Bridge between San Francisco and Oakland, going the wrong way
In 2021, a wave of motorcycles, dirt and quad bikes weaved in and out of traffic on the bridge that runs between San Francisco and Oakland
The lawlessness seen on the bridge is symbolic of the city’s drug and crime problems elsewhere.
San Francisco continues to be plagued by crime – particularly against property – in part because the police force is underpowered.
It doesn’t help that the city is ravaged by fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid.
Addicts say users flock to San Francisco because drugs are readily available and the police just watch them get high. Last year, an estimated 620 people died of drug overdoses there.
There’s also the constant fear of crime, much of which is committed by addicts who are shockingly unpredictable.
The number of homeless people in San Francisco reached nearly 8,000 in February last year, the second highest figure since 2005, according to the government’s official census that takes place every three years.
Drug addicts and homeless people in the SOMA (South of Market) district, San Francisco
Drug addicts and homeless people in the SOMA (South of Market) district, San Francisco
Homeless tents line Main Street in San Francisco’s financial district during a shelter order. Tents are surrounded by modern skyscrapers in an affluent part of the city
Various liberal politicians and city leaders have attempted to implement numerous policies to curb the many problems created as a result of the growing homeless and drug-addicted population.
One specific harm reduction policy that failed was last year’s opening of the Tenderloin Center, which was intended to alleviate the city’s drug and homelessness crisis.
It cost the taxpayer a staggering $22 million and was supposed to be a “safe place” for addicts to “get high without getting robbed” and without fear of fatal overdosing.
It also intended to direct users to help centers, although during its first four months of operation it only referred 18 people out of the more than 23,000 people welcome to the site.