Cyclist beaten in Campbell CA
 

This story out to make your blood boil.
http://www.pbase.com/bohebe/campbell_reporter

A wonder if it would've mattered had either one of them been packing...

http://jamesbond007.net/Images/P99.jpg

WTF!!? I swear... Sometimes I want to carry my security baton in my saddle bag and the second one of these bastards start, put it through their window. Why do drivers have this unsatisfiable urge to taunt cyclists!?

Jeebus.

that was a really good read, thanks for the link.

glad he was okay after the beating, that is why I try not to provoke drivers any more than they already are. it's a shame they never caught the two that assaulted him.

Until some of these dum ass closed eye judges start doing there job we all have a problem. What do these guys have to afraid of?? A slap of the hand? I bet the Police have an undercover officer riding in the area to see if these guys come around again. Dreaming right? I don't think it's really motorist we have the problem with. Look at the element of the people in the cars causing the problem and that says it all. Think about it, there have been Police officers murdered in the line of duty and these dirt bags still come up for perole. Judges: Where are your heads**********
There is no respect for life period. These guys had a lot of class. They are only brave when they are in groups. I carry mace for dogs and if there was more than one person I had to deal with I would not hestiate to use it.
Happy and safe riding to all!

You know what it is? Cyclists are usually smaller guys, dress "funny," and are on bikes, which is a leverage disadvantage. I'd love to see one of these little bad asses pull up next to some big fat guy on a Harley and even do anything but roll up the windows and lock the doors.

We're easy targets folks. Bottom line.

Maybe it's time to start riding with a gun in a saddle holster.

Read the article and it was right on. Here in San Diego we have had issues with kids (~20 year olds) that have done things like this "just for kicks;" recently a woman was badly hurt when these young thugs drove an open car door into her while she was riding slowly up a long hill. No reason given, no reason could ever be good enough.

My take on the whole thing is that larger vehicles and more people have made the roads even more crowded then ever, and this frustration has to be vented somewhere... couple that with Madison Avenue ads that tout cars as "sex symbols" and "escape vehicles" and all sorts of nonsense, where frankly, no matter how luxurious the leather seating, an auto is nothing more than a box with wheels... and if you paid over 20K for it, you deserve what you did to yourself.

I think the dumbest thing on the road these days (that I see all too often) is the H2. They drive around in this area in a rather affluent part of town... here is an oversize, overpriced vehicle, that gets around 12MPG, that doesn't seat even 6 adults comfortably and is "made" for off road, and I have yet to see a single one with even a single brush scratch. Yet this is current vehicle mentality of the US driver. D'OH!

Now as to what should be done... how about PSAs that educate drivers on "share the road." This should be done to emphasize not only that the road is to be shared with bikes, but also pedestrians, and other cars... friendly driving is something that has long been ignored. Courtesy and respect for fellow road users needs to drummed back into the drivers' heads. Period.

Got manners... ?

I think that is exactly right. Last time some kids yelled at me and I came up to them at the light they were all sorry. I guess everyone looks small from inside a car... untill they see me next to their car. I was thinking the motorcyclists don't catch crap becasue there are some badassed ones of them. I think we just need some rouge bike gangs to ride around and wait for people to mess with them then they can bring the ruckus and we'll all get some more respect.

One thing I know, the next person who yells at me and I see they are drinking and driving I'm going to destroy them and their car. If they call the cops they get a drunk driving charge anyways. Skrew em.

Amen, Bethechange. I couldn't agree more if I wrote it myself.

I have a feeling that the ones packing woulda been the cagers and then the guys really woulda been screwed.

Yes it does.

Especially if they were packing one of these

http://search.eb.com/normandy/art/obazook001p1.jpg

Too bad we aren't allowed to carry here. Even if we wanted to.

I imagine the recoil from that would be pretty tough to counter if yuu were firing while riding. You'd definitely want to dismount first. Definitely.

Actually since the back blast encounters no resistance there is no recoil. However you do NOT want to fire during a group ride when there are riders behind you. Can you say EXTRA CRISPY?

And folks wonder why we 'Mass' every month. And I don't buy the argument that these crimes of violence are incited by CM either. These idiots problably never heard of CM. But I'm sure they would of behaved better if they were surrounded by 100 bikes.

Two words...Pepper Spray. Oh, and a cell phone with photo capabilities. Last time I had someone try something I just pulled up to their window and snapped a picture of them. Chilled them out real quick...

You bet it does . . . I ride almost all of the streets mentioned in that article, on a daily basis. Frightening!

What about one of these?
http://www.hkpro.com/oicwsoldier.jpg

hmm, you would think his parter would have taken the car description, and made SURE it showed up in every newspaper in the area. Also the plate number would help...if the cops can't get them with that...then the cops need to get back to training.

It is no coincidence that they are called recoilless rifles ;)

They are not rifled - that is why they are called rocket launchers.

Actually, they did have a description of the car and located the female driver of the car and her female companion (the two men who were the actual assailants fled the scene). The two women (both minors) were unwilling to provide the identities of the assailants. According to the police, there was no legal pressure they could bring to bear on the two girls. Also, the local cycling community worked hard to get this story out to the media.

You would thin kif they drove the assailants, that they are now accessories to asault and battery.

That's what we all thought. But evidently, that is not the case. The reason given by the police is that after the assault the two men fled on foot and the women did not drive them from the scene. If the men had jumped back in the car and the woman drove off with the it would have been a different story.