From K-QED.

You're listening to Bay Curious.

I'm Jessica Plachik standing in for Olivia Allen Price.

Today we're going to start the show with a little quiz. First question, what is a

side show? Is it A? The small tent at a circus.

Or is it B? Cars in motion, revved up engines, fancy paint jobs, sick rims, and dang good speaker systems.

In Oakland, there's only one answer.

Side shows are these kind of pop-up street shows.

They feature tricked-out vehicles that pull wild stunts for cheering crowds.

Here's the next question.

Our side shows A, moments for cultural expression, or B, spaces where violence and vandalism break out.

That one may be harder to answer.

They say several large groups used social media to plant the illegal side shows.

Oakland police... I've only seen side shows on the news.

This week's question asker is Shirley Eun.

She moved to Oakland six years ago. I had to do

Wikipedia search after the news just to see like okay what is this about why are

people taking their cars out during all these crazy

stunts and now Charlie wants to know more what's up with side shows why are they a

thing in Oakland and how did crime become associated with them?

Support for Bay Curious is brought to you by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company,

still family owned, operated, and argued over.

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