With high gas prices and the talk of global climate change, people are turning to their bikes as a mode of transportation. It's also better for your health. Right?..... Not on the mean streets of L.A.. Tensions between cyclists and motorists have become dangerous. Cyclists have equal rights, but a lot of motorists think they should get off the roads.

About a year and a half ago, Christopher Thompson, a former ER physician, was accused of assaulting two cyclists in Brentwood by driving in front of them and slamming on his brakes. Last Friday he was sentenced to five years in prison, ending a case the judge described as a wake-up call about tension between cyclists and motorists on Los Angeles' streets.

On the day of the crash, Thompson said, he was driving on his way to work when he came across cyclists taking up the whole road. When he asked them to ride single file, they responded with jeers and inappropriate gestures. He stopped his car to take a photo to identify the riders but never intended to hurt anyone.

The cyclists said the doctor was acting aggressively from the start. He honked loudly from behind and passed by dangerously close as they moved to ride single file before he pulled in front and braked hard. One cyclist went through the rear window of Thompson's car, breaking his front teeth and nose and cutting his face. The other cyclist slammed into the sidewalk and suffered a separated shoulder.

The judge's words to reduce tensions between cyclists and drivers has started a movement that wants to improve transportation conditions for Los Angeles' cyclists. The city is notoriously short on bike lanes, bike paths and bike racks. Bicycles are illegal on the freeways, and city streets are packed with motorists who seem angry about the increase in cyclists.