The unfortunate thing is that this happened. The other unfortunate thing is that this sort of foolishness goes on pretty regularly in much of Richmond
The fortunate thing is that where this happened is not exactly a major bike arterial. The odds of one of us being there at all, lt alone at 3:00 a.m., are about as close to zero as you can get without actually hitting it.
And for our out-of-the-area friends, thanks for your concern, but rest arssured that the city of Richmond is not San Francisco. Depending on traffic, it's 30 miles and at least one bridge (depending on your route) away. There is a Richmond District in SF, but that is a very different place. Richmond is, unfortunately, well-known as a place better avaoided, for the most part. Fortunately, the bad parts of town are off the beaten path for most cyclists. Not all, but most.
Actually, the Bay Area and surrounding area, taken as a whole, is God's Country for riding. Most drivers are civilized - not all, but most - the weather cooperates 7/8ths of the time, it's not hard to escape the urban areas and get into peceful countryside, and there is a huge supply of riding of whatever kind you want, road or off-road, hilly or flat, forested or wide-open. Plenty of good shops, plenty of sunshine, plenty of scenery.
And. It. Doesn't. Snow. Here.
Sorry. Didn't mean to rub it in.
