11 Comments

  1. I received a similar “love letter” in response to a victim’s impact statement I wrote on my blog. The letter is below. You can read my blog statement here: http://bicyclesafetyinstitute.org/2014/04/03/one-persons-victim-impact-statement/

    Rick, PhD, I am Jim PhD, chemical engineer.

    I am saddened by this death of a cyclist a the hand of an auto driver. There is no way that the driver can defend this death.

    Yet, you are negating the simple fact that many of your cyclist friends have apparent death wishes and are protected by auto drivers.. I will elaborate…

    I learned to ride in Los Angeles, Westwood, near UCLA, on very high-traffic streets. I quickly developed “situational awareness” to protect my life. A 200lb cyclist vs a 4000lb auto is a no-win situation, as we both can agree. Every cyclist has a personal obligation to protect his/her life.

    Yet, I have encountered cyclists in Old Town on College Ave and environs that wend their way, oblivious to auto traffic; auto drivers have to protect these cyclists because they cannot protect themselves.

    I have encountered many cyclists near CSU at Shields and Elizabeth that test my above thesis of cyclist vs auto frequently. Auto drivers have to protect these cyclists because they cannot protect themselves.

    Your cyclists are not being injured or dead because we auto drivers are taking care of them, because many cyclists cannot take care of themselves – no situational awareness, and apparent death wishes.

    I live near Horsetooth Mountain Park on County Road 38E (CR38E). CR38E is a very popular cycling road, good weather and bad, as you well know.

    I cannot enumerate the number of times on CR38E that your cyclists ride after dark, without adequate lighting, in dark, non-reflective clothing. We auto drivers have to take care of your cyclists because they cannot take care of themselves. The roadside deer have more self-awareness of their personal safeties than many of your cyclist compatriots!

    We auto drivers have to protect your packs of cyclists on CR38E who, I think, are reliving the Tour de France, and block the road, pull out suddenly in front of traffic, etc, without apparent regard for their lives. We auto drivers have to take care of your cyclists because they cannot take care of themselves.

    I cannot enumerate the number of times that your cyclists, on the downhill eastbound on CR38E to South Bay, tucked up to minimize air resistance and maximize speed, suddenly pull out into traffic with complete disregard for their own well-beings. We auto drivers have to take care of your cyclists because they cannot take care of themselves.

    Lastly, westbound on Harmony near Taft Hill , a family – mother, father, three children (with flags on their bikes), simply crossed Harmony in front of auto traffic in both directions. Auto drivers have to protect these cyclists because they cannot protect themselves.

    Frankly, Rick, the primary reason that your cyclist compatriots are not being injured and killed is because we auto drivers are taking care of many of your brain-dead cyclists.

    Many of your cyclist compatriots cannot comprehend the simple fact: A 200lb cyclist vs a 4000lb auto is a no-win situation, as we both can agree.

    If it were not for we auto drivers taking care of your cyclists, cyclist injury and death at the hands of auto drivers might be an issue. It is not.

    Your obligation is to educate your cyclist friends about THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES TO THEIR PERSONAL SAFETY while riding. We auto drivers are doing what we can to obviate your failed efforts.

    It is “SHARE THE ROAD”, not “DEMAND THE ROAD”. Teach this, test this, In the meantime, we auto drivers will protect your cyclists as we always do.

    The comment was posted by James Glass, apparently a retired chemical engineer who lives in rural Larimer County, Colorado.

  2. Saw a car in SF the other morning parked with the hood covered in blood and some front end damage that looked like a hit and run. I really hope it wasn’t want it looked like but I called it in to the police to investigate.

    We are only road debris when some inhuman monster runs us down.

  3. Death threats like that are why I carry concealed when I ride. And I ride every day

  4. In California it is legal to open carry swords unless local ordinances prohibit it. I’m doing the research I need to begin open carrying a sword while I ride, and yes I know how to use one.

  5. Well this man has the right to free speech.

    But driving is not a right. He should had his license revoked, as a precaution for the vulnerable road users he might kill. You know, like joggers (who don’t pay a special tax to jog), or children on bikes. Or just about anybody.

  6. so if i paid ”taxes” [of which i do play plenty for my car already] then this moron would ”be able to tell” somehow, and he would be all nice-nice?

    what sense does that make?

    how does a bicycle ”risk his life”?

    wle

  7. Post 1: In most communities it is lawful for bikes to take the lane if it is unsafe to stay to the right. I suggest you follow the law. If you cannot handle following the law, relinquish your drivers license and buy a bus pass.

    Also note that if you ever get into an accident with a cyclist, if the cyclist’s lawyer goes looking through your FB account and sees this comment, he/she will happily use this against you in court. And remember that nothing on FB is every truly deleted.

    Post 2: I own three cars. I probably pay more than you in road tax. Try again.

  8. Sounds like tremayne wants to raise taxes on motor vehicle drivers so they actually WILL be paying all the costs of the roads.

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