George Feels Britney's Paparazzi Pain

Tue., Nov. 20, 2007 5:34 PM PST by Natalie Finn

Knowing what it's like to hit the pavement, George Clooney has no qualms about reminding others—namely, the paparazzi—to watch the road.

The vigilant motorcycle enthusiast took time out from a bike ride through the Hollywood Hills with girlfriend Sarah Larson on Friday to give the shutterbugs on their tail a piece of his mind.

Which, of course, meant that someone videotaped the confrontation.

Footage shot by X17 shows Clooney climbing off his motorcycle to take down the license plate number of a photographer's car.

"You can drive all you want, you can take my picture all you want, but what you cannot do is put people in danger," Clooney, who suffered a fractured rib two months ago when a car collided with his Harley-Davidson in New Jersey, tells his pursuers.

While a few spills haven't affected his love of the open road, the Oscar winner's frustration with the lengths people will go to get their money shots prompted him to speak out in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, in which he expounds on the paparazzi's "bounty hunter" mentality and sympathizes somewhat with fellow headline-maker Britney Spears, who's had her share of literal run-ins with the madding crowd.

"You look at the footage of Britney running the red light," Clooney told ET, referring to the video that helped cement Kevin Federline's argument that Spears shouldn't be allowed to drive their children around anymore. "There's eight guys with cameras at night in the middle of the street. There are no rules now. It's getting to a point where people that are not involved are getting hurt.

"What they're doing is illegal, it's high speed chases and they're competing with each other," Clooney added.

"They're not trying to catch me doing something stupid; they're trying to create me doing something stupid. You don't get to break all these laws and then say, 'I'm just doing my job.' The guys that commit all these crimes are rewarded for it. It creates bounty hunters in a way."

The 46-year-old actor, who can currently be found on the big screen in Michael Clayton, also had a few words of advice for the lead-footed lensmen out there:

"I don't want to restrict anyone's rights," Clooney said. "Take your pictures—but don't go 60 miles-per-hour down a one-way street. Don't cause injury to people who aren't involved."