I live in Louisville, and this just occurred yesterday: http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2004/06/04ky/B1-cyclebox06040-8882.html
Road rage is becoming quite the problem, so please everyone be safe out there.
Yes i got hit by a half full beer can a week ago,i see a highway trooper about 15 minutes later and told him,his response? What do you want me to do about it?? So i have a deputy living next door and i think i can get him to follow up,his response,yes we have some bad troopers and he blew me off,and people wonder why i am better and angry
I was at the hospital this morning and my PCP told me about it. A month ago I was out on 1642 and got harassed by a postal employee driving a purple PT Cruiser…she was not hard to track down. I’m getting more than concerned. Nearly every ride something happens. It may be time for a CT.
“Police spokeswoman Alicia Smiley said no arrests have been made and there are no suspects. She said nothing has been ruled out, including the possibility that whatever precipitated the crash was unintentional.” Is this an attempt to get the offender to come forward or is she that clueless?
- nothing has been ruled out
- changed investigators
- lost the evidence
The only rational conclusion is they don’t care.
Get a name and badge number, call your regional highway patrol office and report him. It gets results, I know 'cause I’ve seen it happen.
Yeah people in our society probably don’t give a shit…they are out there driving and talking on their cell phones as if nothing else matters. What happened to the idea that driving is/was a privilege? guess people forgot about this. Thats why I am back on my rant…take away their damn cars on weekends if they haven’t exercised at least an hour during the week. And if convicted of hit and run, drunk driving, intentionally trying to injure a cyclist etc. why not take away their driver’s license forever? Too many cars, too many insensitive, nasty a…holes out there driving things from buses. cars, trucks and they keep on going and don’t care about the cyclists…I am sick of all this and sick of these individuals out there to hurt others …what is wrong with our society? MUCH I am afraid…and its not getting better and probably won’t get better.
sign me angry, bitter, frustrated,
The problem here is that unfortunately you can be as right as rain in your arguments about cyclists vs motorists, but if you’re injured for life it doesn’t really matter. I for one wouldn’t enjoy being in a wheelchair very much, court settlement notwithstanding.
Nonathletes eg most folks in law enforcement and other civil service-type jobs do not have empathy with cyclists or even runners for that matter. There is an unspoken sentiment that we take our life into our own hands when we engage in at-risk behavior. Remember that these guys have very hard jobs: anytime they pull a motorist over they are at risk for being shot through the chest…all for 19K a year and the love of the game.
After 5 yrs of trying to remain a competitive triathlete through riding a Computrainer 99.99% of the time, I’ve given up trying and am enjoying renewed enthusiasm for my swim and run training. There’s plenty of safe training and racing out there that doesn’t involve passive aggressive rednecks throwing textbooks at you.
Total F-cking BS. It’s truely amazing how little respect people give to cyclist. On our Tuesday night ride this week a red POS car pulled up beside me and as I look over my shoulder this high school punk had half his body out the window trying to hit me. I swerved to avoid him and the car move ahead and tried to do the same thing to the next rider in front.
At that point we yelled at the car hoping for him to stop. I was ready to rip their heads off if they did. I’m sick and tired of being a nice guy out on the road and am doing my best to ignore these bastards…but my patience is wearing thin.
Safe training folks. Be careful out there.
I’ve been very fortunate in that I’ve had very few run in’s with people in cars intentionally trying to harrass me. Most of my run ins with cars have been truly “accidents” in the sense the people did not see me or judge my speed correctly and most times I recognized the situation before something really bad happened. When I have been harrassed I usually ignore but if it persistant, I will ride up next to the car (usually at a stoplight) and calmly say, “How would you like to get your a$$ kicked by a man wearing tights?” As I am 6’2" and 185 lbs (and I used to play hockey so I am fairly confident of my fighting skills) no one has taken me up on my offer. Most shut up, roll up their window and drive off. On the flip side I have seen cyclist do things that incur the wrath of cars. Rolling through stop lights without regard for traffic or riding 2 (or even 3) wide on a narrow street holding up traffic really pisses people off (me included when I’m in my car and see others doing this). I’ve made it a practice when I come to intersections to approach slowly, make eye contact with any drivers and give them a wave and a “thank you” if they let me go without stopping, most smile and wave back. When on busy streets and I’m riding with others I make sure we’re single file so cars can get by. I’m not crediting these practices with the sole reason why I’m not harrassed but I think common courtesy (towards motorists) does go a long ways in making my rides safer. Good luck out there and be safe!
Absolutely, EaganMNTri-Guy. There are plenty of cyclists out there who are as big a jerks as the idiots in the cars, and they don’t make it easy on us. However, fact of the matter is drivers are still encased in 1500 lbs of steel and I am on 15 pounds of carbon fiber. I have found myself rolling through certain stop signs in my area because I have too many times heard the screeching of tires/brakes behind me coming from people who live in the area and feel the need to also disregard the traffic laws because they have to get home 15 seconds sooner or the conversation they are having on the phone is way more imporant.
On a side note, one of the people injured in this accident did something similar to a training partner of mine a couple summers ago in the same exact area of this accident, and could have killed my friend. Perhaps now this guy understands his ego doesn’t outweigh the life or safety of another.
I also live in Louisville, KY, ride the area involved often, and just rode with the three attacked riders this past Saturday. Saturday was a real high to ride with folks of this caliber, then to have this happen.
I hope the high public visibility of the involved parties along with the earlier accident involving Brad Swope, that some good can come of this. Watch for a new movement called “One Road”. Anyone in Louisville, plan on attending a meeting at Seneca golf course club house Tuesday 6/8/04 at 6:30. Area cycling clubs and teams are meeting with city and parks offcials regarding the intersection that contributed to Brad and others accidents. We need as many folks as possible to make a huge impact, that we are not going away, and that this is serious business.
Scott
I live in Lexington, KY and I saw the article about the Louisvile riders on cyclingnew.com. Hopefully, this will bring some attention to the issue. I the past two months Lexington has had two deaths, 5 riders being hit by motorist that did not result in death. Weekly, I get harassed by someone. I think I am going to have to start carrying some means to protect myself. It is ridiculous!
On our Tuesday night ride this week a red POS car pulled up beside me and as I look over my shoulder this high school punk had half his body out the window trying to hit me
Ha! The EXACT thing happened to me last night (even down to the red, POS car). I gave the guy a salute, he screeched to a halt and I and invited him to “talk about it” to which he responded by peeling out and driving away.
I keep riding … fuming over this and get to a condo development where the same car pulls up RIGHT AS I’M RIDING BY. This kid’s eyes got a big a saucers, I pulled up next to him and repressing the urge to pull him out of his ride and Abu Gahrib his ass, I explained to him why it wasn’t cool to do what he did. I told him we have no protection and that all we’re trying to do is get a workout. And that it just takes one screw up pulling this stunt for him to land in jail for manslaughter.
He apologized profusely and, I hope, will account himself differently around cyclists the next time.
Nonathletes eg most folks in law enforcement and other civil service-type jobs do not have empathy with cyclists or even runners for that matter.
—Not true.
Remember that these guys have very hard jobs: anytime they pull a motorist over they are at risk for being shot through the chest…all for 19K a year and the love of the game.
—True.
Vehicle/occupant description? Plate #?