San Francisco police are looking for the driver of an SUV who they say mowed down four bicyclists during a five-minute rampage.
Witnesses reported seeing a man in a blue Nissan Rogue weaving in and out of traffic around 9:40 p.m. Wednesday in the city’s Mission District. They say he drove on the wrong side of the road to deliberately run down the victims.
The driver hit three male bicyclists in quick succession. A few minutes later, he hit a fourth, then crashed into a light pole and a parked Jeep Cherokee before running from the scene.
Lt. Lyn Tomioka says police are trying to determine if the driver had known his victims.
Police say three of the bicyclists were taken to the hospital and a fourth was treated at the scene. All suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The post quoted below is from the comment section re: this news. Just don’t understand how any person in his/her right mind thinks like this:
You know, I cannot endorse this behavior, however, the manner in which your typical cyclist operates on the road (with a sense of superiority over other motorists, often NOT obeying the same laws of the road (IE Running lights and stop signs) and generally creating UNSAFE driving conditions for themselves and everyone around them by their wreckless behavior…Well I sort of understand this guys actions! Not saying I agree with them at all, and I feel ‘bad’ for the cyclists and all…… But sometimes you just HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THEIR CRAP!
That is a fair comment I have heard from many folks. Since many folks know I ride a bike, I cannot tell you how many bring up frustrations to me with bikers totally ignore the laws, etc.
That is a fair comment I have heard from many folks. Since many folks know I ride a bike, I cannot tell you how many bring up frustrations to me with bikers totally ignore the laws, etc.
Some states have laws allowing cyclists to go through red lights if it is safe and does not cause a hazard (among other restrictions). Usually, this is for bikers not being able to activate traffic sensors, I know MN has these type of laws. I think there are a couple other exceptions for cyclists that go against laws for other vehicles. Much of this is driver ignorance.
It’s not a “crappy cyclists” vs “crappy drivers” issue. The crappy cyclists ARE the crappy drivers, just in a different vehicle.
What really what scares me are the people riding those E-Bikes along recreational paths. So now you have a crappy cyclist, except now they’re going 20mph on a 50lb bike.
It’s not a “crappy cyclists” vs “crappy drivers” issue. The crappy cyclists ARE the crappy drivers, just in a different vehicle.
What really what scares me are the people riding those E-Bikes along recreational paths. So now you have a crappy cyclist, except now they’re going 20mph on a 50lb bike.
When it comes to discussion of cyclists disobeying rules of the road it raises my dislike of the many inane US driving laws, as well as the extreme lack of common sense by drivers and cyclists.
Im currently spending some time training in Lucca, Italy. Being here even a week has shown me just how nice life on the road can be when drivers and cyclists respect the fact that both have a right to be there.
Drivers obviously understand that the numerous individuals on bicycles are vulnerable not being in a car. They slow down and make sure it is safe to pass. Most will give a nice toot of the horn before going around blind corners on a climb to let cyclists and other drivers know that they are coming. You dont have many drivers barreling along, seemingly unable to slow down to ensure the safety of another human being. In the US it seems that once a driver has their car up to speed, god help anything that gets in front of them.
The cyclists respect the drivers for the most part as well. You will see riders going 2 and 3 abreast all the time, but they have the freaking sense and courtesy to move out of the way to let drivers through. Cyclist here are also used to being in close proximity to cars. If someone passes you within a foot or two at a reasonable speed there is no reason to piss your pants. (If you are on the road you need to have the bike handling skills and wherewithal to deal with having moving objects get very close to you while you ride. If you cant deal with that you really are not safe to be out in traffic on a bike.) Along with this running red lights and splitting lanes when traffic gets backed up is just a part of riding here. As long as the cyclists are being safe (as in slowing down and checking before diving out from a stop sign or light) no one gets in a tizzy and life goes on.
Why cant the US roads be like this?? Why are people so stupid as to run a red light/stop sign without looking, and why do cars get so wound up when a cyclist wants to get safely on their way through a red light. If people on the US roads would act rationally and with less dip-shittery things would be grand.
It baffles me why people cant just use common sense and get on with their lives.
It blows my mind that anyone could sympathize with the homocidal maniac that ran the cyclists down. Condoning that behavior on the basis that cyclists are “annoying” on the roads, is akin to justifying shooting up a playground full of little kids because they were screaming too loudly. It’s just utterly illogical.
The all too often cited argument against cyclists (that they are dangerous, take up the road, run stop signs, etc) is weak at best - and in no way could ever possibly justify aggressive behavior from drivers. Clearly a cyclist taking up too much of the road, running a light, etc is primarily endangering himself, and possibly a pedestrian or two in a crowded city. That’s on a completely level than a bad driver who is endangering literally everyone else around him: other drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, even people inside buildings. The reality is, a 2 ton weapon is a lot more dangerous than a 20 pound toy.
If roads had adequate shoulders or dedicated bike lines, cyclists wouldn’t be as aggravating to road raged drivers. Most of my run-ins with drivers have occured while on a road with a virtually nonexistent shoulder and the guy/girl behind the wheel was doing like 50 in a 35. My favorite though is when I’m doing the speed limit, either down a hill, or in a 25mph zone and people lay on the horn. Not that it’s my job to regulate how fast you drive - but it seems a little unreasonable that you’re pissed that I’m getting in your way of breaking the law.
I suspect this is an issue we’re sadly going to continue to hear too much about.
You only have to live in a city with bike couriers to understand why there’s so much hate for the cyclist. Unfortunately we catch the resulting dangerous acts on the weekend when out riding.
It all seems to come back to the issue in the USA, me, me, me. No longer can there be a little give and take. Oh well, when it is time to take the next step, it will be time, no matter what the cause.
.Well I sort of understand this guys actions! Not saying I agree with them at all, and I feel ‘bad’ for the cyclists and all…… But sometimes you just HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THEIR CRAP!
Does that mean it is okay for me to bring a gun along to the ST get-together at IMC!
.Well I sort of understand this guys actions! Not saying I agree with them at all, and I feel ‘bad’ for the cyclists and all…… But sometimes you just HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THEIR CRAP!
Does that mean it is okay for me to bring a gun along to the ST get-together at IMC!
.
I always bring mine Nick. You never know what kind of psychos are going to show up
It blows my mind that anyone could sympathize with the homocidal maniac that ran the cyclists down. Condoning that behavior on the basis that cyclists are “annoying” on the roads, is akin to justifying shooting up a playground full of little kids because they were screaming too loudly. It’s just utterly illogical.
The all too often cited argument against cyclists (that they are dangerous, take up the road, run stop signs, etc) is weak at best - and in no way could ever possibly justify aggressive behavior from drivers. Clearly a cyclist taking up too much of the road, running a light, etc is primarily endangering himself, and possibly a pedestrian or two in a crowded city. That’s on a completely level than a bad driver who is endangering literally everyone else around him: other drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, even people inside buildings. The reality is, a 2 ton weapon is a lot more dangerous than a 20 pound toy.
Don’t get me wrong, running down a cyclist with a vehicle is bad in so many ways.
But (unlike a kid screaming in a playground), a cyclist running stoplights, riding the wrong way on a one way street, and blowing through red lights is breaking a law. They are generally endangering themselves more than someone in a vehicle. However, I’ve been a vehicle driver having to avoid a cyclist riding illegally (or simply recklessly) and because of this myself, the passengers in my vehicle, and others in the vicinity of my vehicle were also unnecessarily placed at risk.
I don’t know what the story was with these four cyclists, but I can at least imagine how a vehicle driver could be aggravated by the behavior of some of the cyclists on the roads today. That doesn’t justify this driver’s actions, but all of us who ride bikes suffer because of the behavior of a few idiots and the way they ride their bikes.
How many auto drivers break laws on a given trip? If you consider breaking the speed limit breaking a law, most drivers ignore the law on a daily basis. Driving a car at a speed greater than is safe for the road conditions is definitely more dangerous to innocent victims than a cyclist going through a red light or wrong way on a street.
If auto drivers got upset about the laws fellow auto drivers break each day and somehow had a justifiable right to crash their vehicle into the offending vehicle, or just another vehicle that reminds them of an offending vehicle, it would be like a demolition derby on the roads.
Drivers just don’t like anyone slowing then down or getting through traffic in a way that they can’t. It’s selfish behavior. I’m not immune to it myself.
No matter who is “right”, a car still weighs more than a bike. So, a crazy person behind a car wheel just is not worth letting them know they are crazy
