[BCM] UAV accosts biker in Brookline

Tue May 27 09:04:19 EDT 2008

Thanks E O for your words.

       I'm still trying to figure out if I did the right thing last
night.  I don't think so.   I was riding on a Sanders road in Medford
when an SUV came very quickly around the corner without any regard to if
someone might be there or not, swore at me to get the f out of his way.
I noticed he turned and parked on Scott St just a block away so I called
Medford Police.  A cruiser showed up.   I watched the whole thing as
some guy came out shook the officers hand; obviously they were buddies.
Next the kid who was driving the SUV comes out and the officer has some
words with him.  The kid has a sorta smirk on his face.   Turns out the
kid was 17 years old and the officer said he spoke to the kid and that
these things work against the kid -whatever that means.   The thing is I
got the distict feeling that this cop just saw me as a nuisance and the
Kid thought the whole thing was pretty funny.  Here's a kid who has this
attitude driving a brand new 200 plus horsepower tank and his parents
and other adults see it as perfectly fine.  I think I may have just
wasted my time by calling the cops.   The cop obviously know the adults
in the house but told me they were not the kids parents.  The cop then
said to me "well no one was hurt".   As you say stay calm and the odds
ARE stacked against us.  Awful but true.  In retrospect, I should have
just rode on and ignored it.  I will always do that now.

B

________________________________

From: bostoncriticalmass-bounces at bostoncriticalmass.org
[mailto:bostoncriticalmass-bounces at bostoncriticalmass.org] On Behalf Of
E O Altman
Sent: Sunday, May 25, 2008 1:10 PM
To: list at bostoncriticalmass.org
Subject: [*BCM*] UAV accosts biker in Brookline

I do not condone bad or aggressive driving, by UAVs (urban assault
vehicles) or pedalcyclists.

When will we, as a community of cyclists, get together on this?

It stands to reason that every time a cyclist pulls a BS move in traffic
or aggresses a vehicular driver or a pedestrian that that cyclist is
creating a wave of negativity that may well take down another hapless,
law-abiding, careful, courteous cyclist later on.

I empathize with the cyclist in Brookline.  There are plenty of drivers
out there who navigate carelessly, even with hostility in their hearts,
around cyclists.  Quell the urge to hit back.  Stay calm and be
vigilant.  The odds ARE stacked against us cyclists in more ways than
you may realize.

Some years ago I was hit by a car.  I was hurt pretty badly: coma, back
and neck injuries, wrecked bike and bike clothing (thousands of
dollars).  Even so, several lawyers told me that it would not be worth
my while to seek compensation for my losses, that it would cost me
thousands (investigative costs) on the front end, to try to get damages
from the offending driver. By the time a trial could be scheduled, I
would walk into the courtroom, tall, healthy-looking, etc. (even though
I still have to take pain-killers and have adjustments seven years after
the accident).  The jury, most of whom would be licensed drivers, would
quite likely not see it my way.  All the defense needed was a single
juror who had an issue with cyclists.  Every day drivers are put out by
cyclists in this city.  Ultimately, we lose; and, when we do, we lose
big time!

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,

In 2002, 662 pedalcyclists were killed and an additional 48,000 were

injured in traffic crashes.  [Forty-eight thousand!]

The number of pedalcyclist fatalities in 2002 was 8 percent lower than
the

723 fatalities reported in 1992. The highest number of pedalcyclist
fatalities

ever recorded in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) was 1,003

in 1975.

These numbers are staggering.  Even so, statistics seem to be improving
for pedalcyclists.  There are many reasons for this, e.g.: there are
more pedalcyclists (when they get behind the wheel of a car they tend to
empathize with those who are biking and exercise greater care); cities
are working to improve bicycle safety with improved street designs and
signs, safety awareness programs and laws; there are more biking clubs,
with ever increasing memberships, dedicated to getting people out on
bicycles and riding safely.

Critical Mass Boston riders really need to re-evaluate why they come
together to ride through Boston.

The aggressors who ride in Critical Mass think they are cool.  They are
not doing any of us any favors.  When the safe cyclist ignors the
hooligan on a bicycle, he is contributing to growing hostilities
directed at cyclists.  

Thi year' May Day, I rode (for 2 blocks, before I pulled up - I did not
want to be part of the negative energy being created) with the Boston
Critical Mass Ride.  My vocal requests for fairness, to share the road,
were met with sophomoric sneers.  On their way to protest the "unfair
treatment of immigrants", to sing about peace and gentle diplomacy, to
celebrate the working man (and woman) who is the foundation of America,
the May Day Critical Mass cyclists went out to attack Boston.  Even
though it was a small crowd of bikers, they still managed to harass
drivers, enter and block intersections when they did not have the right
of way, whoop and holler and disrupt the peace.

Do not get drawn into the mob fray.   Be a role model of safe,
courteous, law-abiding cycling.  If you are going to ride in traffic,
ride accordingly: refrain from dawdling and disrupting the flow of
traffic, signal your intentions and move accordingly, obey traffic
rules, yield to pedestrians (do not weave through those walking when
they have the right of way and do not block crosswalks), smile, have fun
and pay attention.

I know we can make Boston a more bike-friendly town.  Every time a
cyclist pulls a BS move in traffic or aggresses a vehicular driver or a
pedestrian we make our town less friendly and our streets more dangerous
for all. 

e o altman

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