Thugs on Bikes
Everything You Need To Know About The Terrifying SUV Vs Biker Attack
Jeez. Why did this all happen?
Well, it's hard to tell because the video starts after what appears to be some kind of altercation between Lien and Cruz, so it's possible Lien bumped Cruz before Cruz brake checked him. One rider claimed the initial approach around Lien's car was non-violent, but after Lien panicked and drove over Mieses everything pretty much goes to shit.
No, I mean, what were a few hundred motorcycles doing on the highway and why'd they try to make the Range Rover slow down in the first place?
It looks like the riders, loosely organized around a website called 'Hollywood Stuntz,' were on an annual ride planning to collect in Times Square. At the time they slowed down Lien, they were apparently trying to close the highway .
4
Close the highway?
Yeah, the
New York Post reports that the riders were trying to stop all traffic on the West Side Highway to make room for stunts. The
New York Times reports that detectives are looking into this as a possibility.
WHAT? Please tell me this isn't normal.
Bikers beating up a driver is rare, but huge pop-up motorcycle rides are pretty common in the north end of Manhattan and in the Bronx. If you live up here you might see a hundred dirtbikes, quads, and other bikers go by a few times in a summer.
5
Don't the police shut this stuff down?
New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly stated that the NYPD was aware that this ride was going to happen and they successfully kept it out of Times Square. They got over 200 calls, the
Times reports. Beyond that, though, the police are instructed not to chase after illegal riders like this, as the
Post points out.
Wait, the cops don't chase these guys?
Generally not. It's too easy for these riders to evade the cops by riding on the sidewalk or going against traffic, particularly for the dirt bike riders, and it's therefore dangerous for everyone.
But everyone in this ride is recorded in the video, surely catching them will be easy now.
Not quite. Many of these bikes have no plates at all, and the ones that do often belong on a different bike. Beyond that, these bikers wear masks and helmets so their faces obscured.
So you're saying it's like Grand Theft Auto out there?
A little bit, yeah. These guys ride like dicks, they get caught up in mob mentality any time a car driver acts out, and the cops generally don't chase them.
6
So what the hell am I supposed to do if I'm in Lien's position?
Well, Lien didn't do everything right. As you can see in the video, other drivers make it out of the situation okay by moving slowly to the right. The riders go by those cars, but Lien remains in the center lane, gets brake-checked and things go downhill from there. Lien did call the cops early in the incident, it should be said.
If you find yourself in Lien's situation, I would advise that you:
- Move to the right.78
- Slow down.
- Lock your doors.
- Call the cops.
Basically, just do what you can to let the riders by and get out of the way. When it's you surrounded by a couple hundred bikers, anything you try and do will probably get one of them hurt, and then you'll have hell to pay.