Bike vs. Car

[dando]

I reads about this in today's Monday AM QB:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/bike_vs_car


This time, however, motorist Colin Yates and bicyclist Steven McAtee are at the center of the debate.

Yates, a cycling advocate who has been involved in the bike industry for more than 30 years, was driving his Subaru in southeastern Portland on Sunday when he saw a bicyclist pass him on the left and run a stoplight.

The 47-year-old Yates told police he caught up with McAtee, honking his horn and telling him that he shouldn't run stoplights because it gives cycling a bad name.

McAtee became irate and challenged Yates to get out of the car, asking him "if he wanted some," said Sgt. Brian Schmautz.

McAtee picked up his bike and used it to strike Yates' car, and when Yates got out of the Subaru, McAtee used his two-wheeler to strike Yates, Schmautz said.

:eek:

Getting a tad edgy out there in Puddle City. :shakehead

-Kevin

[cameraman]

There is a significant number of bicyclists who are total asshats.
Same goes for motorists and motorcyclists.

I'm coming to believe that asshats are one of this country's leading products.

[Ankf00]

I'm coming to believe that asshats are one of this country's leading products.

Gotta close up that trade deficet somehow

[Michaelhatesfans]

Getting a tad edgy out there in Puddle City. :shakehead

-Kevin

:laugh:

Actually, this story is perfect for Portland. An altercation between a motorist and a cyclist in which the motorist is a major cycling advocate, the drunk cyclist swinging his bike like a club, and then the vengeful vigilante mob arriving and assuming that the motorist was at fault, the driver only spared by the arrival of the police.:thumbup:



http://www.buymusichere.net/stores/musicmillennium/user-images/KeepPDX%20copy.jpg

[Sean Malone]

There is a significant number of bicyclists who are total asshats.
Same goes for motorists and motorcyclists.

I'm coming to believe that asshats are one of this country's leading products.

I see multiple examples of it every day. As a sportbike rider it embarrasses the hell out of me to see guys ride recklessly in traffic.

One thing about modern society is that you keep your thoughts confined to the anonymous internet in the name of safety. A couple of weeks ago I was out for a ride. Stopped at a light, two guys pulled up on their brand new R1's (flavor of the month bike) both dressed in wife beaters, no helmets, shorts and the icing on the cake...flip flops. I, with full gear on, simply looked over to them and shook my head, raised my visor and said "nice flip flops'. Well, in return for my compliment I got a barrage of profanities and middle fingers. The light turned green and I left these two monkeys fighting to keep their flip flops on while getting their bikes in gear. Dumb-ass's. They never did catch up to me.

[dando]

A couple of weeks ago I was out for a ride. Stopped at a light, two guys pulled up on their brand new R1's (flavor of the month bike) both dressed in wife beaters, no helmets, shorts and the icing on the cake...flip flops. I, with full gear on, simply looked over to them and shook my head, raised my visor and said "nice flip flops'. Well, in return for my compliment I got a barrage of profanities and middle fingers. The light turned green and I left these two monkeys fighting to keep their flip flops on while getting their bikes in gear. Dumb-ass's. They never did catch up to me.

Oh, Jeebus....there you go again. :eek: :gomer: And your wife prolly wasn't there to save yer @ss... :p

-Kevin

[nrc]

Just another day at "critical mass".

I was surprised to see a cyclist signal a turn the other day. Then I realized it was a bicycle cop. Not sure if that makes it more or less surprising.

[cameraman]

Okay I'm walking back to the building and I'm coming in the back door by the loading dock. There is some idiot walking in front of me deeply engrossed in his texting, there is also a UPS freight semi backing into the loading dock. What does this idiot do but walk right into the side of the trailer, he smacked his face right into the side of box. The truck was only doing 1 mph or less but the driver was not impressed.

How do you t-bone a semi when you are walking:confused::saywhat::rolleyes:

[oddlycalm]

Agreed, fits Portland perfectly, particularly in Southeast where 10% of all commuters are on bikes. People are also jacked after a string of egregious DUI hit-and-run homicides, trucks turning in front and running over bike riders with the usual "didn't see her" excuse.

Columnist Steve Duin had some smack suggestions for anyone in a similar situation. My faves.

1. "You're the kind of rider who gives drunks a bad name."

3. "You know, with a carbon frame bike, you get a lot more torque with your overhead smash."


The one I'd add in consideration of the number of concealed carry permits; "Dude, never pick up a bike in a gun fight."

oc

[Insomniac]

Okay I'm walking back to the building and I'm coming in the back door by the loading dock. There is some idiot walking in front of me deeply engrossed in his texting, there is also a UPS freight semi backing into the loading dock. What does this idiot do but walk right into the side of the trailer, he smacked his face right into the side of box. The truck was only doing 1 mph or less but the driver was not impressed.

How do you t-bone a semi when you are walking:confused::saywhat::rolleyes:

That's what the beeping sound is for!

[cameraman]

That's what the beeping sound is for!

Not in Utah. Beeping is optional here and the vast majority of vehicles around here opt not to have beepers.

[Michaelhatesfans]

"You know, with a carbon frame bike, you get a lot more torque with your overhead smash."

Yeah, I wonder what he was using? That obviously wasn't some Wal Mart Huffy that he was swinging around like a baseball bat!

[indyfan31]

There is a significant number of bicyclists who are total asshats.

... and a significant number of them live in San Francisco. Just sayin'.

[Insomniac]

Not in Utah. Beeping is optional here and the vast majority of vehicles around here opt not to have beepers.

See, the people who decided the beeping sound was a good idea were real forward thinkers. :)

[Methanolandbrats]

:mad:No place on Earth has more bikers per capita than Madison WI. I grew up there, but escaped to a nearby town to escape the political stupidity. Anyway we have a huge network of bikepaths and most bikers are cool. The problem is the tools who buy a $5000 bike and a colorful shirt so they can feel like Lance while maintaining a 17 mph average on a 30 mile ride. Those asswipes do two things: First of all, they hammer in town on bikepaths dodging kids, old people, walkers, runners, commuters, etc.....totally out of line and dangerous.
Secondly they form up a pelliton on the way out of town with 20 or 30 other a-holes. They block a two lane road for several miles while noodling along at sub-20mph speed. Not cool. The speed limit is 25mph, so if you are IN SHAPE and can ride 25 mph, that's ok, but these chubby asshats and tour wannabes can't even maintain 20mph, so they should be riding single file...........but nooooo, the road belongs to them and the cops don't GAF.:mad:

[coolhand]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008074874_webcriticalmass26m.html


Seattle police said they were still looking today for one of a group of Critical Mass bicyclists who attacked and injured a driver during a violent altercation on Capitol Hill Friday evening.

Two other bicyclists have been jailed. But some riders in the event have said the driver was the aggressor.

Just after 7 p.m. Friday, the group of at least 100 bicyclists was moving en masse down East Aloha Street when a man and his girlfriend in a Subaru station wagon tried to pull out of a parking spot, said Seattle police spokesman Mark Jamieson.

For years, Critical Mass has held monthly public bike rides through Seattle to demonstrate for bicyclists' road rights.

According to Jamieson, as the Critical Mass group moved down the street, blocking traffic, some riders got in the way of the Subaru and prevented it from leaving. Some bikers sat on the car and were banging on it, he said.

"The driver was pretty fearful that he was about to be assaulted by the bicyclists," Jamieson said.The man tried to back up, but bumped into a biker. "This enraged the group," Jamieson said.

Several of the bikers bashed up the Subaru, shattering the windshield and rear window, Jamieson said.

The driver tried to drive away, but hit another bicyclist, Jamieson said. Still, he drove about a block, to the corner of Aloha and 15th Avenue East, before the Critical Mass riders cornered the car again and started spitting on it and banging against it.

One bicyclist punched the driver through his open window, and another used a knife to slash the Subaru's tires, Jamieson said.

The driver got out of his car, and was hit in the back of the head, opening a large ****.


Critical Mass is just a guise for thug anarchists and radical-environmentals to cause problems.

[Gnam]

When the Hell's Angels sponsor a ride through San Francisco every now and then, there's actually less mayhem then a typical Critical Mass event. :laugh:

Like to see how one of 'deese stands up in a similar situation: :gomer:
Ford SYNus
http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/2458/fordsynus7832siy0.jpg

[cameraman]

Ford SYNus
http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/2458/fordsynus7832siy0.jpg

That is why Ford richly deserves to go out of business:shakehead

[Andrew Longman]

And the cyclist, police say, turned out to be drunk.

Really? :\

[oddlycalm]

[url]Critical Mass is just a guise for thug anarchists and radical-environmentals to cause problems.

If you have a concealed carry license can you start shooting these people in this situation?
Actually, it has not a thing to do with environmentalism. Critical Mass is a road rights group. No argument about the thuggery though. While the thuggery is primarily an age/gender issue Critical Mass will not be tolerated if it continues. Road rights doesn't equal road rage.

It's no coincidence that the police have cracked down here on cyclists blowing stop signs and red lights. There were traps last week and many dozens of very expensive tickets were handed out in a very high profile manner.

The other side of the message needs to be clear as well. Drivers that run over cyclists or pull out on them causing a wreck can't be allowed to get off with the same old "I didn't see him/her" crap. There have to be consequences. If they can't see or don't want to look then they should be made to hang up their keys and walk for a while.

Cars and bikes have to share the streets and that means everyone has to take responsibility for their driving or riding. Both groups should be treated equally when it comes to violations or it's not going to work.

You have the legal right to defend yourself and family in all states and in carry permit states that would mean a handgun. The problem with that tactic when facing a large angry mob is that waiving a gun around may not have the desired effect. Same with using the gun. Shooting someone may make it very much worse. Even for people with extensive tactical training this can be a lose/lose situation so someone without that training is generally going to make things worse, not better.

The best strategy would have been to look before pulling out.

oc

[coolhand]

I just cannot see the cyclist's point. Especially here on the West Coast. In my town the City Council has had major roads repaved due to normal upkeep.

Except this time they changed all 4 lane roads down to 2 lanes. 2 lanes with a center storage lane plus bike lanes on each side with car parking outside the bike lanes. Much more cars sitting around in traffic while the few bike riders get their own luxury lane.

The tide is going their way. The only reason they will be treated unfairly and like criminals is because of their thuggish critical mass behavior.

[Ankf00]

Critical Mass is just a guise for thug anarchists and radical-environmentals to cause problems.

hilarious how critical mass gets under people's skin

SOURCE (http://www.geekologie.com/2008/07/officer_brutally_rams_cycler_f.php)

oUkiyBVytRQ


The video, posted anonymously, shows the officer standing in the street as bikes whiz past. He moves toward a cyclist and violently knocks him to the ground in front of crowds of people. The biker, Christopher Long, of Hoboken, N.J., was arrested because he was obstructing traffic in the heart of Times Square, a criminal complaint said. He was charged with attempted assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

The complaint said Long, 29, deliberately steered his bicycle into the officer, causing both of them to fall to the ground.

During his arrest, Long squirmed and kicked, saying to the officers, "You are pawns in the game. I'm gonna have your job," the complaint said.

[KaBoom21]

hilarious how critical mass gets under people's skin

Yeah, it's funny how douchebags tend to do that.

[Andrew Longman]

Ank I saw that clip on the news last night and I thought of this thread.

Of course the worst crime the cop committed was making false statement. The bike was veering away from him as he got cross checked. The assault as clearly the other way around. That will cost the cop his job and probably worse.

Not one of New York's finest.

[nrc]

Ank I saw that clip on the news last night and I thought of this thread.

Of course the worst crime the cop committed was making false statement. The bike was veering away from him as he got cross checked. The assault as clearly the other way around. That will cost the cop his job and probably worse.

He's on "modified duty" right now and I would bet that he'll get a week or two suspended without pay, tops.

He had every right to stop the guy but given that he never ordered him to stop, he used excessive force.

You're right, though, the worst part is the false statement. Clearly he didn't anticipate video - pretty stupid in this day and age. He should have just said, I intended to stop him and he appeared to be attempting to evade me.

[nrc]

hilarious how critical mass gets under people's skin


Not as hilarious as an event which claims to be about safely sharing the road but deliberately blocks vehicle traffic and ignores traffic laws.

Someone should peacefully demonstrate for pedestrian rights by clogging the crosswalks during these events.

[Ankf00]

civil disobedience, anarchists and greenies living together, mass hysteria!

[cameraman]

Someone should peacefully demonstrate for pedestrian rights by clogging the crosswalks during these events. Get about a hundred of your beefier friends and cross the street solidly according to the crosswalk light:rofl:

I'd be carrying a baseball bat tho'

[indyfan31]

Did anyone notice the cop handed the bike to some other biker, who promptly took off with it?

[Gnam]

The cop was tracking the biker the whole way toward the merge. Something got his attention. I didn't hear any taunts directed at the cop, and the biker kept changing his direction to avoid a collision.

Also, the cop didn't jump on the guy right after he went down to put him in cuffs. He just sort of stands over him. Looks like the takedown was motivated by anger.