Driver Brags About Hitting Cyclist on Twitter; Learns Police Have Internet

[pokerfan]

As you can see, Emma Way’s life was made really difficult by the guy she HIT WITH HER CAR. And we see her point. Really, this is kind of the cyclists fault for existing in a place where young Emma was able to hit him with her car, because really, how is she supposed to resist the temptation to do so? And then she’s supposed to what, inform police that she struck someone with an automobile? How troubling for her.

Once the tweet went viral and got her in some impending legal hot water, though, Emma deleted her account, robbing us all of countless stories about her hitting people with things and chuckling about it. Here’s hoping Emma returns to Twitter soon so she can share what will no doubt be an awfully sincere apology. If you need to take notes, here’s a good place to start:

http://www.geekosystem.com/driver-brags-about-hitting-cyclist/

[A HERETIC I AM]

1. Nitwit. n/t

[Xipe Totec]

4. Nitweet nt

[ChairmanAgnostic]

58. NitWayt. Ahem.

[dixiegrrrrl]

170. Twit Wit.

[MineralMan]

2. YAM.

Yet Another Moron.

[PCIntern]

3. What a maroon!!

Road tax? Is she a truck? WTF?

[temporary311]

5. I suspect she's British.

[pokerfan]

6. From the comments...

Dave
She doesn’t either (pay a road tax), there’s no such thing as road tax in the UK.

[Spider Jerusalem]

17. Yes, there is

"Road tax" is the tax paid on a motor vehicle; you have to have a current tax disc in order to legally operate a car. (It's the same thing as a "tag fee" in the USA, where the yearly tax sticker on the license plate shows you're current with your tax payment.)

[riqster]

32. MOT Tests,too nt

[intaglio]

35. Sorry, now it is Vehicle Excise Duty

It used to be for funding road maintenance and improvement but now it is just another tax. Road funding comes from the general fund of tax income so everyone pays a "road tax". Problem for driver in this case is that the majority of cyclists also pay VED because they own cars.

[Spider Jerusalem]

38. Sure, but people still call it "road tax"

the same way some people still refer to a refrigerator as an icebox.

[MADem]

145. If we want to be technical, it's called the CAR TAX--but most people still call it Road Tax.

Link: https://www.gov.uk/browse/driving/car-tax-discs

This is a different thing from your MOT test, which is like the car inspection process in the USA.

https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot/the-mot-test

And of course, that's different from "congestion charges" on some roads. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/congestioncharging/

[pokerfan]

48. Fair enough

Totally unfamiliar with UK bike laws. But we can agree that motorists aren't allowed to "knock them off" their bicycles because they're free-loading scofflaws, right?

[PCIntern]

121. It's DU these days...

I can almost guarantee that there's someone who thinks that it would be justifiable homicide.
Nothing can surprise me anymore...

[MADem]

144. You pay a road tax in UK and display a disc which is evidence of such on your vehicle in UK.

https://www.gov.uk/browse/driving/car-tax-discs

You also have to pay a TV tax and get a license--they have sniffer vans that run around and detect your TV signal, and come to your door and FINE you if you don't have the license.

UK is a huge fan of user fees....

[DCKit]

7. There's a reason they call it "Twitter". nt

[Hoyt]

8. I bet bicyclists delay her a few seconds at most. Hardly deserving of assault, hit/run, etc

Hope she enjoys standing in line in jail.

[galileoreloaded]

9. she brings up a good point though. how to tax cyclists. nt

[HooptieWagon]

10. Quite possible cyclists save more tax money than they would be taxed.

No wear and tear on pavement, thus lower maintainence costs. Fewer motorists, resulting in less need for new or expanded road construction, and less congestion. Fewer traffic officers needed, and associated traffic court. No pollution. Better health, and lowered healthcare costs for cyclists (nationalized in England, thus paid by tax dollars). Lowered demand for fuel, thus lowering fuel cost. All in all, cyclists are a huge benefit to society in general.

[galileoreloaded]

11. totally disagree

the cost of bike lanes is generally wholly born by motorists, and that isn't equitable.

additionally, i think most people will admit, even grudgingly that the majority of cyclists sport an entitlement mentality that makes them both rude and dangerous. id like to see more ticketed.

[frylock]

14. most people who have never got up off their lazy ass might agree about that entitlement..

you're just another irrational hater. how many cyclists have affected you negatively in say the last month? how about the last year?

[galileoreloaded]

16. irrational?

i live in the land of $6000 road bikes and the assholes that love them.

cycling has become just another rich mans sport like sailing, or polo.

and they act like the self entitled douchnozzles they are too. whatever, i always love a good laugh.

[Dawgs]

18. Holy shit your comments are stupid and ignorant.

'Cyclists are rich, entitled, assholes' might be one of the dumbest things I've read on DU in awhile.

[EOTE]

62. If there's anything worse than cyclists, it's readers.

Damned pointy headed intellectuals with their haughty-taughty book lernin'. If god wanted us to ride bikes, he wouldn't have given us cars. And if he wanted us to read, he wouldn't have given us TV and internet porn.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

83. This guy has no idea what he's talking about

Another mouthbreather who fantasizes about "punishing" bicyclists by committing vehicular manslaughter.

[Major Nikon]

136. There's dumber shit on DU

But not much.

[Spider Jerusalem]

19. You live in Arizona

Arizona is not the world, plenty of people in other places use bikes as daily transport. (And in my experience it's usually people in cars, not cyclists, who're the problem.)

[HooptieWagon]

68. Agreed. I see a LOT more idiot drivers than idiot cyclists. nt

[freshwest]

123. My area has bike lanes, crosswalks for the blind and sidewalks for wheelchair travelers.

I've been both a bicyclist out of economic necessity and for fun. Some bicyclists are jerks, but most where I live cannot afford the hundreds of dollars a month to license, park, insure and feed a vehicle gas, oil and tires, etc.

We have mass transit with bike racks on the front for those who need to go further distances, cars the city allows us to use, taxis, shuttles, access vans and a lot of alternatives to cars, not that we don't love them, too. We also give pedestrians the right of way - anywhere.

I can't ride anymore, so I drive, and prefer living here. People come first, all of the people, not just a few aggressive drivers of any kind. It's called civilization.

[kestrel91316]

22. I commute to work by bike because I DON'T have a car. I'M not the asshole in this picture.

Oh, and there are virtually no bike lanes in my city.

I pay property and business taxes (and sales tax), so I DO pay for the streets just the same as any driver.

[Jenoch]

134. I don't know where you live,

but the taxes you mentioned do not go road maintenence or construction in Minnesota. The taces that go to trabsportation are auto registration, and gas tax.

[Major Nikon]

137. Which are not nearly high enough

The progressive solution is to have those taxes subsidize alternate means of transportation, which includes bicycles. The rest of the advanced world seems to have figured that out. Instead in the US we promote Hummers and other assorted land behemoths.

[Jenoch]

139. The gas tax is regressive.

No Hummers have been produced in the last three years.

[sigmasix]

143. what were those things being made in osceola indiana then?

I have a friend that has worked for the hummer manufacturer for over 15 years and they were still building hummers last year. Should we really allow the wealthy to take more than thier fair share of our enviroment because they can afford gas sucking, pollution maximizing vehicles? There must come a time when Americans stand up to the criminally wealthy and deny them thier enclaves of superiority and tax dodges in our communities. A time when Americans declare that the criminally wealthy do not have the right to destroy our environment and country, just because they can afford to.

[Jenoch]

150. When was the last time you spoke

with your friend? The production of Hummers ended a long time ago and was completely shut down as a brand of GM more than three years ago, after production ceased.

[MADem]

146. Well, the federal government kicks in when it comes to highways, don't they?

And everyone pays federal taxes.

[Cooley Hurd]

23. ...except when you're poor and can only afford a bicycle.

Yikes, your post hurts my brain with its abject ignorance. Note; I called the content of your post ignorant, not you.

[Katashi_itto]

25. It lives in AZ, explains alot why the state is so screwed up.

[jzola]

43. I also live in Arizona.

I ride a bike and drive a car. I think bike lanes should be every where. I'm sure I've met our friend who is also from Arizona---and I find that he drives like an entitled asshole. Although I have to admit there are several others just like him in Arizona.

[LanternWaste]

30. Might I suggest that a mirror would be both accurate and apt at this precise moment in time...?

"and they act like the self entitled douchnozzles they are too..."

Might I suggest to you that a mirror would be both accurate and apt at this precise moment in time (as you always love a good laugh and all...)?

[LancetChick]

46. I actually agree with you.

There are countless well-maintained paths around here for both bicyclists and pedestrians, in the mountains, in the woods, around lakes, everywhere. Hearing "On your left!" while hiking is not a problem in any way; I think paths should be shared. The roads are another matter. Where there are bike lanes, sure, that's fine. But we have narrow, heavily trafficked main arteries here, where there are no detours. No bike lanes, and a LOT of cyclists in their cycling "leotards" (or whatever they wear) riding side by side, not single file, so that traffic comes to a near standstill. Some of them ride right in the middle of the road down hills. And it's all the time. Responsible cyclists, I used to think kindly of you, but your irresponsible brethren have polluted your reputation, and now I fucking hate ALL cyclists. I even fantasize about side-swiping them, which relaxes me. "Self entitled douchenozzles". That's it exactly.

[bvar22]

91. Hey, LancetChick.

PLEASE get a Twitter Account and share your profound thoughts with The World!
It won't be long before you are as famous as Emma Way.

You are too gifted to hide your brilliance.
The WORLD needs you NOW!
PLEASE!

[HiPointDem]

130. if you have fantasies about side-swiping them, that's your problem.

[progressoid]

53. I've never put anyone on ignore before but,

rather than get banned for what I want to say I better use that function.

Next week will be the third anniversary of my brother's death. He was killed while biking by an auto. He was not rich and he was the least self entitled douchenozzle I've ever known.

Goodbye.

[HangOnKids]

55. I Understand! Did You Read The Other Comment About Wanting To Side Swipe Cyclists?

And it relaxes them? More than one on this thread is now on my ignore list.

[LancetChick]

69. FYI

IMAGINING side-swiping a cyclist as an angry reaction to constant rudeness and irresponsibility on their part is not the same as WANTING to run them off the road. There's a big difference.

[HangOnKids]

72. You Said Fantasize Not Imagining

Do you often fantasize about things you don't want? Regardless, please do not post back to me, I have NO interest in your opinions or thoughts. Bye.

[HooptieWagon]

79. On the occasions I encounter an idiot cyclist, I'm thankful they're not in a car...

[Major Nikon]

142. On the occasions I encounter an idiot driver, I wish they were on a bicycle

Last edited Thu May 23, 2013, 07:30 AM - Edit history (1)

[cliffordu]

96. I'm fantasizing about you starring in an Al Queda video

WOW! This is FUN!!!!

[HiPointDem]

131. it's pretty close. that you entertain such fantasies says something about your thought processes.

[Major Nikon]

140. Not so much really

Those who complain about "irresponsible" cyclists conveniently ignore that drivers of cages are at least as irresponsible and somehow manage to kill a shitload more people. Being irresponsible on a 25lb road bike is not the same as being irresponsible with a 2 ton auto. Those who hate on cyclists don't have rational reasons. They are just upset because their 1/2 mile driving trip to McDonalds for their congestive heart failure fix took them 30 seconds longer than usual.

Just sayin'

[progressoid]

90. Yeah, I saw that too.

There seems to be a lot of hostility out there.

This is my first time using ignore. It certainly cleaned up the post quickly.

[blueamy66]

73. How about the kids just riding their bikes to school?

Can they please share your road? Can you please abide by the rules for their sake? Not all bike riders are "douchenozzles".

[sufrommich]

75. That's like saying that car driving is a rich man's sport

because Bentleys exist.

[a la izquierda]

76. Not rich and not a man

And my bike isn't $6000. But you just go on.

[cliffordu]

94. I ride everywhere I go - haven't owned a car for 30 of the last 35 years or so.

I''m one of the millions of cyclists who are apparently invisible to you. We essentially live on our bikes.

It might be a rich mans sport in the rarified air where you sound off, but my last three bikes were all worth less than 800 bucks a pop.

My current expedition bike is worth a lot more because it has to carry 100 lbs of camping gear and water, and my 200 lb ass,

but rich douchenozzles and their cagebound critics would know exactly dick about that.

Your charming and ignorant stance is, well, charming and ignorant.

And about them taxes - Every time I fill the girlfriend's car, I pays the taxes.

[Art_from_Ark]

133. I'm still using the same bicycle I bought 26 years ago, used, for $350

I use it for getting around my city, as do hundreds if not thousands of others here.
It's hardly a "rich man's sport".

[LanternWaste]

29. What leads you to that premise?

"the cost of bike lanes is generally wholly born by motorists, and that isn't equitable...."

What precisely leads you to that premise? My understanding is that local, municipal, county and state bonds and grants are as involved in developing and maintaining bike paths as much as is local and state taxes.

[GoCubsGo]

100. Also...

How many of those cyclists are also motorists? Many people who cycle do it for exercise. Just because they're on a bike now, doesn't mean they own cars and pay road and gas taxes, and vehicle fees. I don't know anyone whose sole source of transportation is a bicycle.

[cliffordu]

103. Me. I am.

Between 2002 and 2009 I spent an average of about 30 dollars a year on gas, generally when borrowing a car to move items too large to move by bike. I don't own a car now my girlfriend has one so I drive more than I should.....but since she's moving back to Georgia this summer I'll be (gratefully) car-less again....

The bicycle and Amtrak. Perfect.

[Blue_Tires]

113. Forget it, he's rolling...

and I don't recognize this DU anymore...

[TekGryphon]

37. I agree with you about bike lanes.

We're progressives. We're supposed to believe in everyone chipping in for the greater good.

As a motorist I have no problem with bike lanes existing, but I think it's ridiculous that the full cost for those bike lanes are put on motorists. Bikers who expect to get a free ride are no better than the conservatives who only vote for their own selfish interests and expect others to foot the bill.

The question is how do we tax bikers? A tax on bike tires? Tag requirements for bikes? I honestly don't know, but I think we need to think about it rationally.

[progressoid]

52. This problem is also being considered for electric vehicles since they don't pay a fuel tax.

[Gormy Cuss]

50. And the cost of those bike lanes is more than offset by the savings detailed by HooptieWagon.

Last edited Wed May 22, 2013, 02:56 PM - Edit history (2)

Most of the cost of a bike lane is establishing it in the first place. Beyond that it's trivial.

eta: gas taxes pay for only 1/3 to 1/2 of the road costs depending on whose measurement is used.

[tinrobot]

63. Every bike in a bike lane is one less car/bike in front of you...

Motorists should be happy to fund bike lanes. They encourage people to drive less, creating less vehicular traffic. They also get cyclists out of the vehicle lanes, helping speed the flow of traffic.

[Marr]

85. I certainly wouldn't "admit" that.

Cyclists seem, to me, all too aware of their vulnerable position on the side of the road.

We need a lot more people riding bikes for short trips around town, not fewer. It's silly to tax them more, particularly since they're probably just about all motorists as well.

[rhett o rick]

87. Let me get this straight. You want to tax bicyclists because they "sport an entitlement

mentality"? Or you want to tax them so they would pay for the bike lanes? How petty. Sounds to me like you and Emma are on the same page.

[Blue_Tires]

95. Please post a source that the bike lane costs are "wholly born by motorists"

Maybe in your city/county, but it's not like that everywhere....

[galileoreloaded]

97. please show me an apportionment of lane costs to a

cyclist. I'll accept a fee on the sale or a use fee based on tolls. or anything else.

secret....it doesn't exist because bikes would cost tens of thousands of dollars.

[Blue_Tires]

101. Here in Virginia Beach (quick example)

http://hamptonroads.com/2011/08/virginia-beach-plans-bike-lane-along-shore-drive

The city paid for it out of the capital budget, so *ALL* municipal taxpayers (bikers and non-bikers) shared the cost, including myself...Besides, some people DO own both a car and a bicycle...

[galileoreloaded]

106. so 95% of citizens paid for a benefit only 5% of people use? thats my ENTIRE point

......i think that cost should be apportioned into a special "bike tax" for cyclists. get those prices up to about 8-10K and let responsible riders that respect the privilege enjoy it.

[Travis_0004]

108. So you think only the 1% should have bikes

And the poor should just piss off and get out of your way?

[galileoreloaded]

114. im saying that the dipshits riding their $6000 carbon roadbikes ARE

the 1% and the biggest entitled whiners around.

don't obey traffic laws and they aren't poor. don't get it twisted. for effect:

these guys dont bitch about bike lanes and are pretty kind/polite


these guys.......not so much:

[Travis_0004]

115. My experience is the exact opposite

When I see bikers on nice bikes, they tend to be mostly following the rules. Sure they roll a few stop signs, but if nobody else is around, that doesn't bug me.

Its the people who are biking for commuting that I see going to wrong way on the street, riding on the sidewalk, riding without lights, etc.

[U4ikLefty]

119. Yes, ALL cyclist are either homeless or racers

Stay in Arizona

BTW, the road is not only for automobiles...Einstein.

[Blue_Tires]

111. No, about 70-80% of residents paid for something 100% COULD use if they wanted...

Not only that, but it's a safety issue on that road as well...Long history of bikers/joggers being hit...

But most of all, it's just a quality-of-life thing -- What makes it so difficult to understand?? No matter where you live in real life, I'm betting dollars to yen there is a nearby free admission public park, kiddie play place or attraction that you seldom, if ever take advantage of even though you pay taxes on them...Where is your outrage for that?

And for the record, the whole À la carte "just-tax-me-on-the-services-I-use" is one of those long-discredited AEI/Bircher proposals...

[leftyohiolib]

15. the roads need to be maintained for them as well as cars - make them license their bikes

at a higher rate than cars b/c they dont pay the taxes for the roads that motor vehicles pay when the vehicle drivers buy gas.

[HooptieWagon]

24. OK. Then send the bill for Oil Wars and enviromental damage to car owners.

Just the wars alone amount to $30,000 per car. Untill car owners pay up all the costs that society is now collectively bearing, they have no right to complain about a cyclist using 3' of shoulder untaxed....you all are sounding a whole lot like the woman driver in OP.

[Orrex]

27. If oil were only used for cars, that might make sense

But you use plastic that's made from petroleum, and you use goods and services factilitated by gas-powered vehicles.

I have no problem with bike lanes as part of a taxpayer-funded road; I'd prefer it to having cyclists splattered all over the road, to be honest. Still, the notion that our oil wars should be funded by car owners is problematic.

[pokerfan]

49. This is true

Only a small percentage (2/3) of oil goes to transportation:

While petroleum is also used as a source for plastics and other chemicals, and powers various industrial processes, today two-thirds of oil consumption in the U.S. is in the form of its derived transportation fuels. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_in_the_United_States

[Orrex]

54. Thanks for that

I didn't have the breakdown, and although a cyclist obviously uses less oil than a car driver, there's still a lot of oil used in the shipping of goods used by cyclists and drivers alike.

[HooptieWagon]

60. Only a small percentage (two thirds) used for transportation....

Did you forget the sarcasm thingy?

Even a small reduction in oil consumption goes a long way in reducing pollution, and dependence on foreign oil. Although I primarily drive, I'll be the first to acknowledge cyclists do their part to make this a better country and world. I don't begrudge them a few feet of space on the road.

[pokerfan]

74. Can't sarcasm be implied?

[HooptieWagon]

78. I sensed it as sarcasm, some peep might not... nt

[pokerfan]

88. My posts are for smart people

[leftyohiolib]

28. ok that's done now go get your bike license and stop being ridiculous

[EOTE]

67. A lefty that denigrates transportation by bike.

And excuses the awful costs of petroleum consumption by drivers in this country. Ain't no lefty that I know of. You do know that the bike riders you denigrate make the country a better place for all of us, right? Some of the comments I'm reading on this thread are nauseating. Stop being ridiculous? Physician, heal thyself.

[kestrel91316]

34. Look at its name: lefty tends to be a perjorative used by the RW, and I have noticed that most DUers

with that in their name are ANYTHING BUT. It's sort of a red flag for somebody who actually hates the left. Explains a lot about the anti-bike crap.

[Lizzie Poppet]

77. The rather large majority of adult cyclists also own cars.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

86. Yes, and we pay taxes. And we have the law on our side.

And many of us carry large, heavy U-shaped locks that can become dual-use should some driver's fantasy about hitting a cyclist go beyond the realm of fantasy.

[frylock]

13. why? because my 25 lb bike causes so much damage to the road?

we DO pay taxes.

[kestrel91316]

21. While we're at it, we need to tax pedestrians, too. They use the sidewalks and DON'T EVEN PAY FOR

USING THEM!!! What nerve!

[Gormy Cuss]

51. You're right. We should have toll sidewalks to recoup the costs.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

59. Toll sewers, Toll water fountains, Toll house cookies . . . .

[Throckmorton]

128. I pay for my sewers, based on my domestic water consumption.

I also pay for my toll house cookies, nom, nom, nom.

[kestrel91316]

117. Pedestrians need to be licensed and pay a higher rate than car drivers/autos.

Buncha freeloaders wearing out our infrastructure - if EVERYONE drove cars we'd NEVER have to resurface streets and highways - they'd last forever!!

[Egalitarian Thug]

39. Just as soon as the hidden subsidies to the trucking industry stop.

The companies & truckers just love to whine about how much they pay in taxes until some smart ass looks at the actual numbers and finds that the taxes they pay only cover about 10% of the damage they do to our roads.

[PoliticAverse]

41. I am taxed through property taxes that go to the town highway department that builds local roads.

Last edited Wed May 22, 2013, 02:19 PM - Edit history (1)

[DisgustipatedinCA]

82. As a driver and cyclist, I already pay taxes. What more do you want from me?

[Incitatus]

160. I would bet most people who ride bicycles also drive.

I'm sure there are some that don't, but every cyclist I know also has a car and license.

[Jester Messiah]

104. Because we cause such wear and tear on the roads?? [nt]

[tblue37]

125. If the cyclist or his family own a car, they are already

paying taxes for roads.

[JackRiddler]

168. Yeah, man, need to tax the walkers too.

A rational society would be paying people to cycle.

[Peregrine Took]

12. Chicago has tilted way over in favor of bikes over cars.

They can do anything they want here with impunity. I love bikes but the riders, not so much.

99% of them here (north side) cruise right through stop signs and red lights, go the opposite way down one way streets, ride on non-bike lane streets, ride on the sidewalks, will often show up in the middle of the street shocking the hell out of drivers, ec. I thought they were supposed to try to get along with cars, too.

The other day some special smartass's did that manuver where they flip their front wheel into oncoming traffic so it looks like they are going to pull out right in front of you then pull it back at the last second and laugh. This isn't the first time I've seen cyclists do this. I guess it shows their contempt for cars. Also, others in their group rode right in front of a car - I think they were playing "chicken" - as they were riding with the other jackass who "flipped" us and then they were all laughing like they pulled off some daring stunt. The driver was an older man and they could have caused him to have a heart attack as seeing them race by right in front of him could have caused one.

[Gormy Cuss]

57. Riding on a non-bike lane street? Of course they are. As long as it's a public, local access road

cyclists have as much right to use them as cars. Cyclists do not have the right to cruise through stop signs/red lights, travel on the wrong side of the street or on sidewalks (except where sidewalks are designated bike routes according to the state or local laws.) Cyclists also have the same responsibility as car drivers when it comes to using turn signals before moving to the left or right so those other bad behaviors are also illegal. Cops can and should cite cyclists who act that way just as they would cite car drivers. No excuses for those behaviors.

But cyclists don't just "show up in the middle of the street." There are legal reasons for cyclists to be in the travel lane and because of that drivers should ALWAYS be looking for cyclists when rounding blind corners or turning into a travel lanes from parking lots, etc.

[Travis_0004]

148. Why is everybody so obsessed with cyclist running stop signs?

I'll admit, I run stop signs on my bike, but mostly in 4 way stops in neighborhoods where I can see in every direction, and nobody is nearby.

I don't run through stop signs on busy streets where I can not see other traffic, and I'm guessing most other cyclist don't either.

Idaho has a law that says when you are on a bike, you may treat a stop sign as a yield sign, so they have legalized running stop signs.

By the way, that law was passed in 1982, so if it caused a lot of problems, I'm sure it would have been repealed in the 30 years its been law, but it hasn't.

[Gormy Cuss]

151. Idaho has it right.

I agree with you that most cyclists aren't flying through stop signs at busy intersections. I think part of the perception problem is caused by poor lines of sight at intersections and the confusion some drivers seem to have over bicycles counting as a vehicle at a four way stop. The latter is something I deal with at least three times a week -- I'm watching cars take their turns and one decides to go ahead of me because there's no car at my stop sign.

In my experience the most dangerous cyclists are 1)10-18 year olds traveling in groups, 2) tourists renting bikes for sightseeing (big business in San Francisco,) and 3) people who either ride facing traffic or ride at night without lights and reflective clothing. They all share the same trait, namely being unclear on the rules of the road.

[GoCubsGo]

20. This is why my bike is rotting in my garage.

This place is loaded with people with her attitude. Cyclists are target practice around here. I was already sick of having things hurled at me from passing cars, but nearly getting creamed by a passing car did it for me. And, these assholes are ALWAYS calling into the anonymous "Talk Back" column in the local fish wrap, or writing LTEs bitching about cyclists not having to pay taxes or any sorts of fees.

[cui bono]

61. Wow. The only thing I've ever done to a cyclist was

yell "Nice butt crack"! He laughed.

[GoCubsGo]

99. I have had cups of soft drinks/ice heaved at me, among other things.

They like to spit at cyclists, too. One of my old housemates was hit with a full 2 liter bottle of Coca Cola while he was cycling.

Roughly 100 or 200 yards from where final close call occurred, a couple on a tandem bike was hit last summer. He died. Anyone who rides a bike on that road is nuts. I last rode down it 20 years ago, and it was bad then. It's a hundred times worse now. If I ever manage to escape this fucking hell hole, I truly hope I wind up somewhere that has bike trails or bike lanes.

[shrike]

124. Reminds me of "Miles From Nowhere"

This was a book written by a woman who cycled around the world in the '80s. She talked about drivers running her off the road, throwing crushed ice in her face. One woman threw a dirty diaper at her.

She biked through India, Nepal and New Zealand. And after her trip she was killed right near her home, while on a bicycle. Died of head injuries.

[Art_from_Ark]

173. If I may ask, what is the name of that bicycle hell hole?

I want to make sure to avoid it. Sounds like a real collection of jerks and idiots (present company excepted, of course )

[Incitatus]

161. I stick to the bike trails.

Cyclists getting injured or killed by a vehicle is not a rare occurrence around here.

[GoCubsGo]

166. No such thing here, sadly.

The closest thing to a bike trail around here is a 45 minute drive. I really hate this place. Wish I could escape it.

[90-percent]

26. Arrogant cyclists

I've enjoyed bike riding from the time I learned how up to the present. I have had plenty of close calls from asleep at the wheel drivers and two serious collisions with cars. In both cases I had the right of way and the car simply didn't see me. I now make eye contact with any driver I'm approaching that is trying to get into traffic. You simply have to be on your guard and expect the worst from asleep at the wheel drivers.

OTOH, I've encountered plenty of arrogant cyclists, usually riding in packs, that simply refuse to yield to cars on narrow roads and will not move over and allow you to pass.

I always yield to motor vehicles when biking. First, it's the law, and second, for my own self protection. Being on a bike does not give you the right to be in the middle of the traffic lane doing 10 or 15 mph when the cars you share the road with can do the speed limit, be it 30 40 50 mph or what ever.

Arrogant cyclists do not give the motorist a license to kill, as our Emma seems to think.

-90% Jimmy

[LanternWaste]

44. I believe arrogance is predicated on the individual rather than the vehicle...

I believe arrogance is predicated on the individual rather than the vehicle. If that is the case, the amount of arrogance in car and truck drivers would maintain the same ratio as cyclists.

Anecdotal evidence aside, there is rarely anything else. On the other hand, I have yet to see a facebook post or a tweet by a cyclist proudly claiming to have hit a motorist... but maybe you have.

[deurbano]

89. I agree there is plenty of arrogance to go around...

I haven’t ridden a bike in decades, but I fully support bike lanes because bike riding is beneficial to the environment (including MY environment)… takes some of the traffic off the roads (including MY roads)… and contributes to a more active (and healthy) populace. I want my tax dollars to support these benefits.

That said, quite a few cyclists (in my town, San Francisco) DO seem to exhibit an entitlement mentality, as they run stop signs and lights… come (too) close to mowing down my (pedestrian) children when said children are simply trying to cross the street in a crosswalk… etc..

Of course, many drivers of SUV’s and other large vehicles (and why people want such large vehicles in a city with scarce parking-- and often narrow streets-- escapes me) also exhibit an entitlement mentality. When we are coming at each other on a narrow road, I (the driver in the compact car) am the one who always yields (finding a space to pull to the side) as the behemoths hog the street and barely slow down. (And drivers of cars of all sizes have had a much more profound—and tragic—impact on pedestrians in my town than cyclists ever could.)

And then there are the entitled-acting Cal student pedestrians who descend on the streets around Berkeley (my alma mater) in oblivious hordes, with no consciousness of the traffic around them... and no acknowledgement of pesky annoyances like stop signs, crosswalks and traffic lights. I have to admit, though, when I find myself in such a pedestrian mob, it is very easy to just follow the herd, even when I have been a driver just moments before, silently cursing that mob. (It’s catching!)

[calimary]

71. That's a smart move. Always making eye contact with any driver you're approaching.

'Cause if you connect eye-to-eye, it's probably a good bet that THEY'VE seen YOU, too. Probably. But we have some residential streets here in L.A. where bicycle riders are totally disrespected. Granted, some of them are arrogant and disregard safety rules because they think they own the road and their rights supercede all others. And yeah, some of them do take advantage and make car drivers tear their hair. That said, they're THERE. On the road. Sheesh - you can't just mow 'em down, no matter what you may think of them or how reckless they themselves are on the road that - yes - THEY have to share too, or how much of a hurry you're in. Sometimes I get annoyed at pedestrians also, but shit - you just sit there ANYWAY and let them pass, and THEN you proceed when they've moved out of range. What's the alternative? To mow' em down because they're in your way?

We have a couple of single-lane canyon roads where, unfortunately, the bike riders have asserted themselves perhaps a little too militantly. There have been car drivers through there who've shown them corresponding disrespect to the point where they flip each other off as they pass, or shake fists, or yell some obscenity. Open hostilities. One guy in a Mercedes actually sped ahead, around several of them - who WERE being rude and confrontational, btw, then cut in front of them and slammed on his brakes. Of course the riders immediately behind him couldn't stop in time and some severe injuries resulted as they came crashing into the back of his car and through his rear window. And that's just the medical part. The accompanying legal and criminal headaches were, understandably, astronomical.

You just have to grin 'n' bear it, and find a way to be okay with sharing the road. Even with arrogant, selfish, thoughtless assholes - who can be on bicycles - AND also in cars, and trucks, big rigs, and on motorcycles. I find it hard to keep my cool sometimes, too. But what other choice is there? Answer: NONE.

[RobertEarl]

31. This is a sign of nuclear pollution

This lady has been irradiated. Has to be. No one in their right mind would profess to such stupidity.

[Puzzledtraveller]

64. Reality TV

and a generation raised on popular media. Bad combo. Nothing is real, even when it's real.

[liberal N proud]

33. I have watched the drivers in our area with bicyclist - it is scary

Roads here are too narrow for the amount of traffic they see. They were country roads with little or no shoulder, deep ditches, and then the city moved in.

Drivers will not wait for clear traffic to pass the cyclist and will run dangerously close to them as they squeeze past the rider at or above the speed limit. All so they could get little Suzy to soccer practice.

My bike has been hanging in the garage for several years.

[KG]

36. this is why, on busy streets (which I try to avoid) you'll find me on the sidewalks...

oh, no!. look at all those pedestrians I'm endangering!

[AtheistCrusader]

40. Same.

I have a legal right to use the lane, but as they say, tonnage has right of way. If I can use the sidewalk safely, I will.

[kentauros]

70. Collision Type #3: __ The Crosswalk Slam

You're riding on the sidewalk, you cross the street at a crosswalk, and a car makes a right turn, right into you. Drivers aren't expecting bikes in the crosswalk, and it's hard for them to see you because of the nature of turning from one street to another, so it's very easy for you to get hit this way. In fact, this collision is so common we've lost track of the number of people who've told us they were hit this way, such as Ray John Ray. One study showed that sidewalk-riding was twice as dangerous as road riding, and another study said it's even more dangerous than that.



How to avoid this collision:

1. Get a headlight. If you're riding at night, a headlight is absolutely essential. It's required by law, anyway.

2. Slow down. Slow down enough that you're able to stop completely if necessary.

3. Don't ride on the sidewalk in the first place. Crossing between sidewalks is a fairly dangerous maneuver. If you do it on the left-hand side of the street, you risk getting slammed as per the diagram. If you do it on the right-hand side of the street, you risk getting slammed by a car behind you that's turning right. Sidewalk riding also makes you vulnerable to cars pulling out of parking lots or driveways. And you're threatening to pedestrians on the sidewalk, who could get hurt if you hit them. These kinds of accidents are hard to avoid, which is a compelling reason to not ride on the sidewalk in the first place. In addition, riding on the sidewalk is illegal in some places.

Some special sidewalks are safe to ride on. If the sidewalk is really long (no need to frequently cross streets), and free of driveways and peds, then there's little risk to you and others. Just make sure when you do cross a street or driveway that you slow down considerably and that you check the traffic in all directions, especially behind you if you're riding with the flow of traffic.

http://bicyclesafe.com/

[Ms. Toad]

157. Thank you. n/t

[kentauros]

158. You're welcome :)

I post that link on some of these threads, though I don't think too many around here ever read it, much less put its advice to use.

I really wish the site had a printable (& foldable) PDF version to hand out to cyclists and drivers alike. It might do some good to all concerned.

[Ms. Toad]

159. It is amazing how many of the solutions include

Ride to the left.

My daughter freaked my mother out when mom took her to test out a bike. My daughter had been riding with me and headed down the road about 3' left of the white line. My mother thought she should be to the right of it (where there was all of 1' of pavement, at most).

I guess my daughter must have been listening to me. Aside from anything else, some of the drivers who believe bikes don't belong on the road will deliberately buzz me wherever I am. At least if I'm 3' into solid pavement, I have a place to ditch to where I can still control the bike if they get to close.

Plus all of the other good reasons at the link.

I survived Collision Type #1 because of where I ride. A driver who shouldn't have been behind the wheel backed out into the path of about 1500 bikers (me being the closest) without looking. (The route was well marked to warn residents in advance of the ride, and has included that street at least since 1994 when I started doing the ride.) Had I been hugging the curb he would have not have been able to stop before hitting me, once he heard my screams. As it is, he got away with a kick to the rear of his vehicle in a last minute attempt to get his attention and I got away with my pedals briefly tangled with a rider who pulled up to pass at just the wrong moment.

[kentauros]

163. It seems to me that the advice of "ride to the left"

is to get you more in front of the driver, for visibility. Plus, it forces the driver to take action to get around you, versus just thinking "oh, you have enough room for me to get by."

I'm glad you were able to avoid a potentially nasty collision. I'd say that driver would have ended up in a collision with a vehicle, too, had the bikes not been there. Some people just have no concept of awareness and how to apply it, whether driving or cycling.

I hope to get back on my bike again, once I've gotten in a little better condition. My stamina isn't much at the moment. The nearest hike/bike trail is about 1.5 miles away, and I'd need to be able to cycle that distance home after however many more miles on the paths

[Ms. Toad]

164. I've got vertigo issues -

since last fall - so I am struggling with figuring out how to start and stop riding safely. While I'm riding is no issue - but changing from moving to stationary, or vice versa, is.

Good luck with building stamina!

[kentauros]

165. I'm taking brisk walks in the evenings right now,

and will build that up as I can. Houston Summer is coming, so I may have to switch them to the early morning

I may also need to get my bike adjusted professionally somewhere as the last time I was on it, I ended up with sciatic problems a week later.

[Ms. Toad]

167. A professional bike adjustment might be in order.

I'm thinking of trying a recumbent - which might be less dangerous with my current vertigo.

[Dawgs]

171. Thank you. I was almost run over when deciding to take a shortcut on a sidewalk.

I'll never do it again.

[kentauros]

172. You're welcome :)

I've had to become hyper-vigilant in being aware of cyclists on sidewalks. Many of the immigrants use them here (when there are sidewalks at all) so I have to pay attention to where they're headed next as most don't use hand-signals, either. Hopefully, I can help them remain safe from drivers around or behind me that are more focused on their phones than anything else on the roads by giving them the right of way.

[Baitball Blogger]

42. Emma Way stupid!

Way, way stupid.

[pokerfan]

47. Stay out of Emma's Way

or she might "knock you off" your bike!

[another_liberal]

45. Reminds me of another woman . . .

This horrid girl reminds me of another woman who caused an accident and then bragged about it when she got to work. She had been cut off in traffic and got even by braking hard in front of the offending driver, who then swerved into the path of a semi. She got a vehicular homicide conviction for the death of an unborn child. The woman she caused to have an accident was five months pregnant.

[onethatcares]

107. I thought for sure I was

going to see the booking shot of Alice Walton of walmart shame.

Your tale is just as gruesome, only Alice escape any punishment due to her large wallet successfully defending her.

[another_liberal]

110. They really hushed that one up!

What the hell did she do?

[onethatcares]

116. not much really,

just drinks and drives and runs over people in her way.

The story is available here on DU, I just don't have it at my fingertips. Just use your search engine for

Alice Walton, drunk driving death.

[another_liberal]

118. I'll use the site search.

Thanks for the heads-up.

[sulphurdunn]

56. She definitely

has a future with Young Republicans.

[gopiscrap]

65. What an idiot!

[Jack Rabbit]

66. I guess that deserves the stupid crook award for the day

I know some people who think running down a cyclist should be a capital offense. If it were, this could be upgraded to a Darwin Award.

[redstatebluegirl]

80. Young and stupid is a dangerous combination!

[Tikki]

81. Somebody will marry this fool and then spend time cleaning up after her...

Emma darlin'..remember..'what comes around, goes around...I'll tell you why.'



Tikki

[kudzu22]

92. It's hard to believe anyone is that stupid

But then again, it really isn't.

[Initech]

93. Social media claims another dumbass.

[Dreamer Tatum]

98. Enjoy the slammer, kid nt

[Earth_First]

102. The thinly veiled attempt at creating a 'gotcha' thread is duely noted.

Horrible situation (the content of the OP) however you got the views and recs that you were desperately angling for...

Bravo!

[pokerfan]

109. If you think the OP is out of line, you're free to alert

Otherwise, thank you for kicking it to the top!

[JI7]

129. i don't understand what the problem is, it's not like the subject line was misleading

in order to get more views .

[nomorenomore08]

105. I've been irritated by motorists as a cyclist, and irritated by cyclists as a motorist.

Like somebody said, plenty of arrogance (and boneheadedness) to go around. Difference is, an idiot/asshole in a car is a lot more potentially destructive than one on a bike.

[City Lights]

112. A twofer. A jerk and an idiot. nt

[Skittles]

120. her lack of concern for the cyclist is extremely disturbing

she needs her license yanked - she's a menace on the road

[pokerfan]

122. 'Cycle tweet' girl breaks her silence

Says she didn't think the cyclist had come off his bike...

Miss Way has now been suspended from the accountancy firm where she works and has given her version of events to police.

Speaking exclusively to ITV News Anglia, the 21-year-old said she was sorry for what had happened. She insisted that she was driving carefully and says she didn't stop because she didn't think the cyclist had come off his bike or had been hurt.

Video at link: http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2013-05-22/cycle-tweet-girl-breaks-her-silence/

[HooptieWagon]

152. Too bad for her that screenshots of her tweet are out there...

...and contradict her new story. I hope she spends a few weeks in the slammer.

[pokerfan]

153. But she's sorry

Sorry that she got caught, sorry that the world saw her tweet, sorry that she's been suspended from her job, etc.

[HooptieWagon]

154. Yep, sorry she got caught.

She seemed pretty gleeful in her tweet...what a pos.

[Deep13]

126. Cuff 'er and stuff 'er, guk-yuk-yuk-yuk.

[HiPointDem]

127. omg! "i have right of way"? well, i guess you're free to run over people...

god, what an entitled little (expletive).

[HiPointDem]

132. listening to her on video, it seems she has a posh/upperclass accent...

http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2013-05-22/cycle-tweet-girl-breaks-her-silence/

though i'm no expert on british accents. i'd like to know if my impression is correct or not.

[defacto7]

135. Most of what I see in the comments to this OP

gleam with entitlement. Both sides.

It's simple.
Stop thinking everything is yours and no one else's.
Give right of way. Don't take it. Who gives a damn whether the law says it's yours. The law is an ass where respect for humanity is concerned.
Respect everyone on the road, not just those who are nice.
You don't have to be first.
You don't have to be the punisher.
You don't have to belong to the clan of the righteous, defending to the death.
It doesn't have to be a war. That's for assholes.
Go ahead, get taken advantage of. It doesn't matter.
It doesn't matter.
IT DOESN'T MATTER!
and get over it.

Now, this comment will be ignored because no one wants anyone telling them what to do...

But there's your answer to everything!

Jezuz, can we go home now?

[kenny blankenship]

138. In 2010, pitbulls claimed the lives of 22 people in the US

In the same twelve months, bicycles killed 618.

Pitbulls nomnomnom on humans:
http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-fatalities-2010.php
Cycling morbidity:
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811624.pdf

Pitbulls don't have any choice about being territorial, kill-crazy carnivores. They are bred that way; the causes that lead them to "snap" and to kill humans are beyond their control. You DO, however, have a choice to ride your bike on a street full of cars, or not to. Choose wisely.

[MADem]

147. Well, according to that link, motor vehicles killed those cyclists...

It wasn't the bike what did it:

In 2010, 618 pedalcyclists were killed and an additional 52,000 were injured in
motor vehicle traffic crashes. Pedalcyclist deaths accounted for 2 percent of all
motor vehicle traffic fatalities, and made up 2 percent of all the people injured in
traffic crashes during the year

Perhaps the wisest advice of all would be to urge everyone to follow the rules of the road, no matter what their mode of conveyance.

[kenny blankenship]

149. That's kinda being stupid to act smart

And it won't do you much good when you're dead. Cheers.

[MADem]

156. What a petty little remark, that! So hostile!

Bottom line--the motor vehicle's impact with the bike is what killed the cyclist.

Riding the bike, on its own, was not the cause of death. Take away the car and the impact, and that cyclist is on his merry way, alive and kicking. Cause of death is not "riding a bike," it's "impact with motor vehicle."

Cheers back at you, I suppose.

[Luminous Animal]

162. No. 618 Is how many bicyclist were killed. Not how many killed.

[bhikkhu]

141. Fortunately she is in the extreme minority

I have cycled to work every day for years, and ride quite a bit for recreation as well. 30 years on the road, and I've been given the finger a time or two, but never had a run-in with a car. For the most part, drivers are careful, respectful, and predictable. I try to do the same and its worked well so far.

[HooptieWagon]

155. Unfortunately not.

There's a DUer upthread who admits to "fantasizing" about running down cyclists.

[stuntcat]

169. this is humanity

Sorry y'all but this is it. #humanity