mcgron

I first would like to share a few things as a motorist, a cyclist, and a pedestrian. As a motorist I once had a car full of thugs stop in front of me for no apparent reason, then all four jumped out and proceeded to kick and punch my vehicle. My wife and four young children were in the car including a baby in a car seat. There were at least 40 to 60 people who had witnessed the damage but other than myself....NO ONE reported it. I have also had several incidents with road rage particularly truckers who get within inches of my bumper, pass me, and before they get all the way around, intentionally cut in to run me off the road.......call the police? Nobody hurt, no damage done, who cares? As a cyclist and pedestrian here are a few things that have been thrown from moving vehicles: cans, bottles, full and empty, flaming roll of toilet paper, brake drum, food, urine. Just last summer I had a car full of teenagers laughing head on within inches of me at well over 100 mph. An elderly woman pulled up beside me in Richmond In. while finishing the RAIN ride one year, she allowed her large dog to bark within inches of my face for about 20 seconds, then rolled up the window enough to back the dog off and proceeded to tell me she hopes I rott in hell. I have had bikers kick at me doing 60 to 70 mph (I dont think they realize that if they were to hit me, they probably either wouldn't have a leg nor remain on the bike). The Race Across America just finshed up this year, one of the competitors, had a truck with four persons in it throw gasoline on him. He was afraid they might come back and light him up. ENOUGH OF THIS!!!!!!!!!!! The dictionary defines Terrorism as the following : The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons. We need to introduce a Bill that would include individuals mistreated with intent to harm or damage, in fact, lets make all types of assault to be considered as acts of terrorism. Then and only then would a lot of these acts stop. Let someone consider the fact that they may be prosecuted as a terrorist when they harm a fellow American and this would change a lot of folks minds about doing these things. Not only this, but it would also encourage people who witness acts of assault/terrorism to report it to the authorities as helpful even patriotic perhaps instead of turning a blind eye to crime.

blackDoggy

have you ever considered moving to Europe?

mac

I see what you're saying, but it's a bad idea. We have enough laws at it is that covers all of the situations you described:


Assault and battery. We have laws against this.


Assault with a deadly weapon. We have laws against this.


Assault and battery with a deadly weapon. We have laws against this.


Everyone's entitled to their opinions. As long as she did not attempt to injure you with her vehicle or sic her animal on you, she did not assault you. Be careful as you as treading into an authoritation form of government where people's thoughts are regulated.


Assault and battery with a deadly weapon. We have laws against this.


No we don't. It will only create more bureaucracy, more government waste, not do a damn thing at all, and raise our taxes. All that needs to be done is for the existing laws to be enforced. Using vehicles in any way to injure a cyclist or a pedestrian is assault with a deadly weapon. The drivers should be charged and punished accordingly. Enforcing the existing laws will reduce crime, more legislation will not.

linux_author

- move to florida...

- not only enlightened statutes with liberal concealed weapons carry, but the governor recently signed a law allowing citizens to use deadly force in public if they are threatened...

see:

https://washingtontimes.com/upi-break...2349-4789r.htm

(i know it's not practical to move to florida... a couple benefits are that there is no state income tax and you can ride year round!)

:-)

mcgron

Thanks Mac! Hmmmmmmmmm......law and enforcement.....good idea but in reality, like I said, nobody hurt? nothing broken? who cares? Go ahead.....get a plate number and call the authorities and these are the questions you will get. Been there done that many times over the last 35 years. People in our society act on impulse. When there is no consequence or little chance there of, then the sky is the limit to what they will do. I will probably end up as another statistic and a side line in the paper someday because dead men dont talk.

jhota

actually, that's assault.

definition: Unlawful threat of bodily violence or harm to somebody else, or an attempt to do such violence or harm; and have the means to carry out the threat

notice assault is the threat to do violence paired with the ability. no physical harm is necessary for assault. she made a threat (the dog, closeness of vehicle, possibly the "rott in hell" {sic} comment) and had the means to follow through. therefore, she committed the crime of assault. had she hit him or allowed the dog to attack, it would have become aggravated assault.

AverageCommuter

So then why is it you think adding a new law will have any effect? An apathetic police force, no one willing to act as a witness, no proof that anything happened other than your word against thiers. Changing the name of the crime is NOT going to make it any more enforceable.

mac

Telling something "I hope you rot in hell" is not assault.

jhota

combined with the rest of her actions, it could be argued in court. that's why i said "possibly." it goes to her state of mind and personal prejudices. verbal assault ("i'm gonna beat the hell out of you") is still assault, and still a crime. not only that, assault is usually considered from the viewpoint of the person being threatened; even if there is no avowed intent by the assaulter to cause fear, if fear is reasonable on the part of the victim it's still a crime.

konageezer

If they FEEL threatened? No, I don't think I'll be moving to Florida, lest a goofball on the MUP "feels" threatened by my bike. Holy carp, what a system.

thechrisproject

That's just silly. I'm sorry you've gotten sh** on, figuratively speaking, so many times, but your conclusion is based on nothing and would demean the real value of labeling something "an act of terrorism", debatable as though that value may be. What this would lead to would be wasted time and money by courts and law enforcement officials. What if you accidentally trip someone while you're walking and end up being labelled a terrorist?

phinney

Where do you live?

mcgron

Indiana.....I bike between 10 and 15k a year