Hundreds of motorcyclists take over San Francisco, disrupt drivers

Approximately 200 unidentified motorcyclists took over the streets of San Francisco this past weekend, drawing the ire of drivers far and wide, officials confirmed.  

On Sunday, the San Francisco Police Department received calls that the bikers — many of whom had no license plates — were committing traffic violations and causing disturbances near the intersection 14th Avenue and Lake Street by the Presidio. For about 15 minutes, they were doing “wheelies, doughnuts, just blocking traffic” and “preventing motorists from getting to their destinations,” California Highway Patrol Officer Darrel Horner told SFGATE. No citations or arrests were made that day, he said. 

“As officers were attempting to gather sufficient resources and create a plan to address the issue, the motorcyclists left the area,” wrote SFPD Officer Gonee Sepulveda in a statement to SFGATE. “It was not reported where they went from there.” When the dust settled, videos on the viral Instagram account Oakland State of Mind showed the bikers popping wheelies on the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge.

Part of the reason no one was apprehended that day has to do with CHP and SFPD’s strict pursuit policies. “Oftentimes, when officers attempt to stop vehicles during these incidents, the drivers flee causing a greater danger to the public and themselves,” Sepulveda wrote. In the case of Sunday’s mass rideout, there were too many weekend drivers on the road for officials to safely pursue them, Horner explained. 

“Since the motorcyclists ceased their illegal driving activities, and they were not engaged in a violent felony, pursuing them would have been a violation of department policies,” SFPD Sgt. Kathryn Winters wrote in a statement to SFGATE. 

Similar videos in the past have shown large groups of motorcyclists riding in Oakland, but neither SFPD nor CHP could confirm where they come from or why they show up in the city. Regardless, officials said they believe that their presence alone will resolve the issue. 

“This is essentially an example of our officers using time and distance to deescalate a situation,” Winters wrote, “whereas attempting to pursue would escalate it.”