1/29/2006: Motorist vs bike courier

[xoxoxoBruce]

Not according to her, dar.

Hello all! I am the girl in the pics.
My name is Leah and although I am a courier, I was WALKING my bike up Agusta when the incident took place. He was driving and opened his door (while driving) and yelling profanities he threw his beef patty on a bun out of his door. I walked over to his car, and right or wrong, I opened the door and "gave" him back his food (which he MUST have dropped by accident!)

He then lost it, and jumped out of his car and threw 2 large Timmies at me and then grabbed me by my helmet and tried to toss me around a bit. It was at that point that my bike lock key (that I wear on a bracelet around my wrist) scratched his car. I have read all the postings about people sympathetic to the car driver due to the expense of repairing the scratch but sorry folks, i doubt that it will cost him anything to repair as it was a 1.2cm mark in the clearcoat only(did not damage the paint) but regardless a scratch none the less.

Then with some "encouraging" from some helpfull bystanders he got in his car and drove away...or so I thought! People were comming up to me and saying that I should have him charged but at that point I just figured I had made my anti-littering point and and eye for and eye with the coffee shower, I mean I did throw that patty right. But just as I was getting on my bike to ride home he came running back and thats when the photos start. He had driven half a block and decided that the scratch was worthy of a more thorough beating I guess.

Now for a bit of clarity on a couple of things...
The blonde girl is his girlfriend...she also makes a pretty good shield from an angry mob!
I was NOT punching anyone! especially not with keys in my hand! I was just trying to save my bike (I just built it a week ago!!)
And as for the police charging him....
He took off in his car as soon as he heard the sirens....they chased him down but it is not a crime to leave the scene. They were going to charge him with a variety of things including assult with a weapon x2, mischief x2, aggravated assult, etc, but the police informed me that if I went ahead and placed those charges then they would have to charge me with mischeif for the scratch.

So in the interests of good karma (and my own sanity) I have opted to "let it go" and allow the universe to repay this angermanagement case in its own way.
And finally to those who say that i must have had a sudden case of self ritousness in regard to littering.....YOU ARE WRONG! I hate littering and NEVER do, In fact I am constantly picking up litter and make my son pick up litter at the park.
I just feel that it is such a fixable issue in the world today. If everyone would not throw their own piece of litter then there would be none!! What a concept eh!?
enjoy the beautiful winter riding!

I think she was stupid but not malicious.

btw, the link works but is VERY slow.

[zippyt]

This is why you should ALWAYS carry one of those U shaped bike locks ,

I cought a dude trying to steal my bike once YEARS ago ,
I locked him to the bike rack around his neck and went for help,
The Principle of the school was NOT happy that I had done this ,
but he did have a slight grin on his face as he had me unlock dude so the cops could haul him away .

[jaguar]

a U-Lock to the jaw is also an effective self-defence move.

[Beestie]

Originally Posted by zippyt

I cought a dude trying to steal my bike once YEARS ago ,
I locked him to the bike rack around his neck...

Zip, you are my hero. That made my day. I have lost count of how many bikes I've had stolen. Its getting to the point where I call my insurance company and as soon as I introduce myself, they just blurt out "...as we have indicated, until you buy a bike that costs more than your deductable, we... suppressed laughter... can not help you."

Of course there was that one time in Philly where it was my fault. Twas the last night before summer break between spring and fall semester. My lease ended so I moved all my stuff to a friend's apt till fall. We all met up at the Irish Pub around 18th and Walnut and I rode my bike there and U-locked it to a parking meter across the street. We got pretty goggenshchloggened as you can imagine. Next morning, a pre-dawn cab to the airport and off to points west for the summer. Fast forward to Sep 5 - a cab ride back to my friend's place. Open door. Where the HELL is my bike??? Dangit - I bet she rode it and lost it.

Yup. You got it. So I shuffle back to the pub - 3 months after the fact and there is a nice back rim U-locked to the meter. I call the insurance co. "You are not going to believe this but ....."

[ferret88]

xoB - the links back up (though it took me awhile to get it loaded on cable connection)

guy musta been trying to impress someone. like it's terribly impressive to beat up on a girl (who made a well-intentioned albeit poorly chosen statement)

[ferret88]

we don't have bike couriers here, but we do have a lot of folks who bike to work or are biking in the relatively thin air up here in preparation for a race somewhere else at lower altitude. many of these folks ride the roads like they OWN the roads. I've often found myself angered by bicyclists but (good LORD< not to this guy's extent.)

now i understand that they "have the same right to the road as do automobiles" according to the law. but that seems to me that they also have the same responsibility to obey the traffic laws that automobiles are expected to obey (stop at stop signs and stop lights for starters.) but a LOT of them don't. and even though there are bike lanes for them, many insist on riding IN the street.

*steps down and kicks soapbox aside*

[Griff]

I'm a cyclist and I get pissed at cyclists who don't share the road. I've even heard self styled experts preach about claiming your space on the pavement, which is fine on curves and blind knolls but freaking give way to pass when it is safe.The bike lane thing is another matter. Often they are carved out of the door space along parked cars. That is a wonderful way to get killed, having someone pop a car door into you. In town, I can accelerate with traffic so why bother useing a dangerous lane?

[ferret88]

Griff - good point.

many of the bike lanes around here don't allow parking (though on trash day all the bins are scattered through the bike lane.)

one of the roads i use daily has a nice PAVED bike path next to it (not part of it) yet many insist on using the road instead. and this road is driven like a freeway by most and there are a couple blind curves. i'm surprised i've not seen any bicycle involved accidents over the years.

thanks for tolerating my vent.

[warch]

There was that case a few years back of the woman in Boston, I think getting wacked by a bus while swerving to avoid a car door opening into the bike lane. She was riding a mountain bike and speculation is that the flat handlebars didnt allow her as much control. She was like a med student, prime fit, strong rider, really sad.

[zippyt]

Rule of the roads , good point Griff , BUT think about this , you and your bike weigh what like 200 lbs ( i don't know what you weigh just a guess ) an average car weighs some where around 1500 2000 lbs ( my F350 work truck with tools and weights weighs 9800 lbs with a full tank of gas ( I am a scale guy and I work on truck scales so I DO know what my truck weighs )
Now do the math , 200 lbs verses 2000lbs ,
Yes you Can accelerate with traffic , but they can't stop as fast as you , they weigh more than you , and can [Hawood Banks]squach you like a grape [/Hawood Banks]!!!!!!