The simplest reason for my concern is that the kind of hate mongering (there's simply no other word for it) the media has been engaging in - openly encouraged by Mayor Brown - has been demonstrated again and again to statistically increase the chances of injury to the group on the receiving end of the verbal assaults. Cyclists (men, women, and children) are vulnerable enough on SF streets without the TV and newspapers pushing already over-aggressive individuals to acts of violence with their cars.

The most direct solution I have been able to come up with so far to this problem is to redirect the media away from Critical Mass and to this simple question:

"Why did the San Francisco Police Department withdraw its traditional escort at the last minute without notice and thereby put 5,000 peacefully gathered cyclists at risk?"

This is a common sense, public safety 101 issue and police all over the world are completely aware of what can happen if you fail to provide adequately for public safety at events attended by thousands. This is to say nothing of promising to provide such support and then withdrawing it without notice or warning.

As someone else has pointed out, there were numerous <"families with small children and babies" in the ride. The conditions that were created by the police withdrawing their escort put these people in particular at great risk.

I have found one news service (only one out of the over 20 I have spoken with today ) that shows even the slightest bit of interest in investigating and reporting on this fundamental question.

Here's what is urgently needed now:

1. People who can step up and say: I was there and there was no escort. (Believe it or not this is "news" to the newsmen and women of this town.) E-mail report is fine, just include contact info too.

2. People who heard the officers in charge admit their withdrawl and present their reasoning. At least one person has said they told her "not our responsibility" "we handed out flyers, that's enough" etc.

3. If there are any "real" journalists out there, we need to hear from you.

I need to provide journalists with eye witnesses to the above.

Also, if anyone was hurt in the ride or otherwise caused harm, I believe you may have grounds for a lawsuit against the city.

The city traditionally provided a police escort for this event, they publicly promised one for this ride. everyone who participated in it had the full expectation of an escort yet the police capriciously withdrew their escort exposing 5,000 to the potential of harm. (Come to think of it, maybe even people in cars, buses, and on foot can join this lawsuit. All were put at risk.)

Hopefully, Mayor Brown can be named personally since it's hard to imagine the Police Department behaving so outrageously as to put such a large number of people at risk without Brown's direct orders. A seven figure lawsit against the city will also go a long way to redirecting the media's focus. Reporting blood and conflict seem to be their reason for being.

"Everyone" who lives, works, or visits San Francisco needs to understand that our system of public safety was "seriously" compromised on July 25, 1997.

There is something fundamentally wrong with the governance of a city if the mayor and the management of the police department feel they are free to deliberately put the public at risk for political purposes. That they were mindlessly supported in their actions by the mainstream media makes this story all the more disturbing.

Ride with pride and kindness. Why not? It's your city.