Prominent Local Bicyclist Struck By Hit And Run Dr

[Warkitty]

and THAT is where the real beef lies. It's in the fact that when these drivers decide to let their resistance known, they seem invariably to do so in a manner that's not only unsafe, but oft times deadly.


Oh, and while in the minds of most people "cars were there first," rural roads started getting paved not for cars, but for bicycles. As you pointed out, bikes actually were around first, and the initial drive to pave rural roads came from the cycling community. After cars became more prevalent, there was a brief period in time where the auto and bicycle communities banded together in the drive to pave more roads, and later the bicycles took second, then third, then a non-existent seat. I know you're talking "in the lifetime and minds of the people," but I thought I'd throw in a little history lesson.

[LimitedRecourse]

Never let facts get in the way of your opinions. Blackfox sure doesn't.

[Warkitty]

I've said it before, that certain drivers seem to be targeting cyclists with intent to cause harm. Well, right on the same stretch of road that Van was hit, there was another incident today. A group of cyclists climbing the stairsteps were passed by a vehicle (investigation is pending, make, model, description and license have been reported) that passed everyone, then a little later BACKED UP to the group of cyclists. Fortunately, they'd slowed down to wait on one of the riders and even more fortunately, there was a non-cycling witness that saw the vehicle BACK UP, then DRIVE INTO the paceline. A paceline, for those not conversant, is a single file line of bicycles, usually not much more than 6-8" off each other's back wheels to take advantage of the slipstream. The front bumper hit one of the riders, knocking her off the bike into the grass. Fortunately, she wasn't seriously injured. The car then buzzed close to the other riders and sped off.

Now, tell me... was that necessary? Does that sound right?

This is the kind of driver I worry about. The driver talking on a cell phone or texting too, but they're nothing to this kind of driver. The one that really is actively trying to kill us.

[Babs]

Back in my running days, we had the same sort of stuff happen. Drivers would veer over or throw cans or bottles at runners. The theory was they viewed athletes as something they weren't and just couldn't get over it. Or, it provided some sort of sport by an ananmous driver. Wierd people. A pick up truck with very obese red necks ran me off the road in Tiftonia. I actually caught them later at a convience store. I was so mad, I really let them had it. Took their license number and yelled. They just laughed. I saw them a week later driving down McCallie Avenue, and they flipped me a bird.

[gridbug]

Motorists were there first

I guess that we can now tell the Native Americans to bugger off, by that reasoning the white man was here first. I am not surprised to hear things like this. There are still people out in the county that can't be bothered to bag their trash either, it just goes in the crik out back.

But as I was driving out in the county this weekend I saw multiple occurrences of children riding bikes in the road, no helmets, no regard for any of the rules of the road. There were no sidewalks of course, but then I saw no pedestrians either. What do the anti-cyclist drivers think of kids in the road?

[daworm]

Really, I do but that doesn't excuse a driver from maintaining control of his car.

I never said that, and in fact I went to great pains not to say that. I said, and I will say it again, even in a perfect world where everyone does everything right, there will still be accidents, and with more cyclists, there will be more accidents. There will still be times when that car doing 45 MPH (assumed speed limit) comes around a curve and there is a 5 MPH bike there and absolutely no time to stop or anywhere to swerve. The motorist and cyclist both may be obeying all of the laws and all of the best safety practices, and there will still be collisions between car and bike, and more and more of them the more bikes there are on the roads.

[daworm]

It's in the fact that when these drivers decide to let their resistance known, they seem invariably to do so in a manner that's not only unsafe, but oft times deadly.

Just don't lump all drivers who don't share your opinions into the same category as drivers like that. Its like opposition to Obama: not all people who oppose him are racists, even if some are.