[Slingen]

Story

What is up? Lot's O' cyclists going down lately....or am I just imagining things?

[John_Kuthe...]

Slingen, on Jan 29 2008, 05:04 AM, said:

Story

What is up? Lot's O' cyclists going down lately....or am I just imagining things?

Maybe more cyclists on the road?

From the perspective of a cyclists, I hate cars. I really do! Too damn many cars! :-(

[Eggman]

Slingen, on Jan 29 2008, 05:04 AM, said:

Story

What is up? Lot's O' cyclists going down lately....or am I just imagining things?

You are not imagining things. And I am not quit sure if there are more cyclists on the road. What I know and feel is cars are way more aggressive these days, and it seems that no week passes by without somebody making serious attempt on my life. I am not sure if it is just stupidity (on my part or them), or people don’t expect you on the road these days.

[klages]

Eggman, on Jan 29 2008, 08:21 AM, said:

...it seems that no week passes by without somebody making serious attempt on my life. I am not sure if it is just stupidity (on my part or them), or people don’t expect you on the road these days.

Niether case (stupidity or not expecting you on the road) is an attempt on your life. An unfortunate and reckless near miss, perhaps, but to imply intent is impossible to determine. And if their intent is to take your life, then they are a bad aim.

[rudy aka 'maninblak']

However there is a way to intend things that are not completely conscious, it is giving those little nasty sub-conscious thoughts and impulses we all have a little too much free rein. And there is the angry gesture or misguided carelessness that goes a little too far, perhaps because of bad aim, or not completely comitted intention, and then there is remorse and fear. Don't ask me how I know.

[Diogenes]

John_Kuthe..., on Jan 29 2008, 06:29 AM, said:

...I hate cars. I really do! Too damn many cars! :-(

Scrapped the minivan, huh?

[Eggman]

klages, on Jan 29 2008, 09:29 AM, said:

Eggman, on Jan 29 2008, 08:21 AM, said:

...it seems that no week passes by without somebody making serious attempt on my life. I am not sure if it is just stupidity (on my part or them), or people don’t expect you on the road these days.

Niether case (stupidity or not expecting you on the road) is an attempt on your life. An unfortunate and reckless near miss, perhaps, but to imply intent is impossible to determine. And if their intent is to take your life, then they are a bad aim.

In the utmost unfortunate event you are hit does it really matter what is the intent. It is going to hurt or worse. What I am saying is just everybody be careful.

[oldfatguy]

Eggman, on Jan 29 2008, 11:23 AM, said:

klages, on Jan 29 2008, 09:29 AM, said:

Eggman, on Jan 29 2008, 08:21 AM, said:

...it seems that no week passes by without somebody making serious attempt on my life. I am not sure if it is just stupidity (on my part or them), or people don’t expect you on the road these days.

Niether case (stupidity or not expecting you on the road) is an attempt on your life. An unfortunate and reckless near miss, perhaps, but to imply intent is impossible to determine. And if their intent is to take your life, then they are a bad aim.

In the utmost unfortunate event you are hit does it really matter what is the intent.

Yes.

[DanSchmatz]

oldfatguy, on Jan 29 2008, 10:38 AM, said:

Eggman, on Jan 29 2008, 11:23 AM, said:

klages, on Jan 29 2008, 09:29 AM, said:

Eggman, on Jan 29 2008, 08:21 AM, said:

...it seems that no week passes by without somebody making serious attempt on my life. I am not sure if it is just stupidity (on my part or them), or people don’t expect you on the road these days.

Niether case (stupidity or not expecting you on the road) is an attempt on your life. An unfortunate and reckless near miss, perhaps, but to imply intent is impossible to determine. And if their intent is to take your life, then they are a bad aim.

In the utmost unfortunate event you are hit does it really matter what is the intent.

Yes.

Double Yes.

Accidents happen and it sucks when you get hit (1st hand knowledge on this) but when its a hit and run (1st hand knowledge on this also) it really sucks. My ex wife was hit in downtown STL by an old guy that didn't see her, she turned left when she had the away and she couldn't alter course so she got smashed. The guy stopped and called 911 and she was rushed to the hospital and after a few months was healthy again. When I was hit in GA I was found on the side of road broken and bloody trying to ride my bike which had the fork sheered off. When asked if I knew where i was I responded "judging by your accent somewhere in the south." I had internal bleeding and had lost consciousness and was airlifted to Atlanta.

[Bill S.]

Slingen, on Jan 29 2008, 05:04 AM, said:

Story

What is up? Lot's O' cyclists going down lately....or am I just imagining things?

Perhaps they are getting more press? This may be due in part to I64 construction and in part to residual ToM interest?

Intent does have alot to do with it.

Sorry for turning someones bad luck into a pragmatic discussion.

[Eric S]

Probably due more to the historical fact that drivers have not been held accountable for the mayhem they've created, particularly when the victims are cyclists. This would explain why a multi-time DUIer could possibly be driving (instead of in jail as a demonstrable and repeated threat to public safety), or why it's so easy to evade points on one's driving record (pay a fine, go to traffic school), why victims are required to ID the driver in order to trigger an investigation (driver is usually driving away; the tag # is apparently insufficient in these parts to ask the owner who was driving and when) or why police ask a cyclist what he or she did to incite a driver to assault or throw something at a cyclist. Motorists know this.

Speaking of intent, we recently had a great result with the DA here in Lawrence, KS. While he agreed that he had cause to bring assault charges against a driver for swerving at and slamming on the brakes in front of 4 cyclists traveling at almost 30 mph, no jury (comprised, of course, entirely of motorists and not of cyclists) would convict because intent was impossible to prove, especially since there were no skid marks or (fortunately) collisions. However, the DA agreed to consider reckless driving charges. After all, coming to a sudden stop in front of moving traffic, on a highway open to 55-mph traffic, is certainly reckless. They charged reckless, the guy didn't show, a warrant was issued, he was arrested and pled guilty. 6 months license suspension and $250 fine. This is important, because a felony assault conviction would have been pled down and would have had ZERO impact on his driving record. I recently wrote about this to the VeloNews bike lawyer, Bob Mionske, with the moral of the story: don't try to bite off more than the prosecution can chew--bring the proper (and most effective) charge. Felony assault is sexy, but reckless gets the driver's license suspended.

Hope the rider is OK and that the driver is found and charges brought. Check the grilles of the dark SUV's you see if possible, and keep that cell phone handy. It could mean one more criminal off the road.

E

[Patrick]

If Each of us put in say twenty or forty bucks........i bet we would start grabbing peoples attention. Plus it would get the story on the air for a 2nd time. Bike fed could get on the air and give a little speech about the lack of help in going after those people.

For information leading to the arrest and conviction of the driver who committed this hit in run we have x amount

The chances of anyone ever collecting this money would be on the slim side. so it we might be able to roll it over to the next.

Ill start the pot with $100.00

anyone

total as of 3:11pm is $220.00

[jamesdemien]

If I were in my cage and saw this I'd follow the guy and at least get his plate number.

People who hit cyclists, pedestrians or other cars and take off should be jailed.

[Eggman]

Patrick, on Jan 29 2008, 02:33 PM, said:

If Each of us put in say twenty or forty bucks........i bet we would start grabbing peoples attention. Plus it would get the story on the air for a 2nd time. Bike fed could get on the air and give a little speech about the lack of help in going after those people.

For information leading to the arrest of the driver who committed this hit in run we have x amount

The chances of anyone ever collecting this money would be on the slim side. so it we might be able to roll it over to the next.

Ill start the pot with $100.00

anyone

I'll add another 100$

[Adam Woehler]

I'm in for $20, as I said on the STLBikeFed group.