Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Bike Messenger on Judge Judy

Got home around four this afternoon, flipped on the tube, and Judge Judy (http://www.judgejudy.com/Episode/episode.asp) was in the middle of a case involving messenger whose bike was run over by a woman in an Isuzu Trooper. The plaintiff had been riding with a group of other cyclists, and he even offered a video into evidence. I won't post the verdict, but the plaintiff was not absolved of responsibility.



A bike messenger claims an irate driver ran over his bike because he was blocking traffic. He brings a video of her actions to prove it.

why won't you post the verdict?
don't want to ruin the ending?
no one watches that ****

why won't you post the verdict?
don't want to ruin the ending?
no one watches that ****

I thought there might be one person on this whole forum that watches it.

* * * * * SPOILER ALERT * * * * *











She ruled in favor of the plaintiff, awarding him I think $750 for the bike. He got zero on his lost-wage claim because she found that he participated in instigating the incident. Sounded like behavior one might encounter on a Critical Mass ride.

did they show the video? any idea what kind of bike it is?

There's actually a 20-second summary clip on the Judge Judy (http://www.judgejudy.com/Episode/episode.asp) web site. It shows all the characters and has a few shots from the video taken at the scene. They never showed the plaintiff's bike getting run over. It shows how irate the defendant was that there were cyclists surrounding her and "taunting" her.

I didn't have a chance to I.D. the bike, since I was doing some work on my computer and facing away from the TV.

I wonder if the plaintiff is a BF member . . .

Sounded like behavior one might encounter on a Critical Mass ride.

The incident did happen on a Critical Mass ride, sometime last summer here in Boston. I know because I was one of the voices in the video footage. We're not taunting her at all. She kept rushing the mass so we stopped her and tried to calm her down. In the video, I'm saying repeatedly, "Calm down, you're going to hurt somebody. Calm down, you're going to hurt somebody." The plaintiff is saying the same thing. He's the guy you can see on the passenger side of the vehicle.

As I said, there was no taunting involved from anybody, either in the Mass, or in the small circle of riders who tried to contain the vehicle from hurting riders in the back of the Mass. She was pretty much crazy angry before anybody said anything. I try to be as polite as possible when I'm blocking intersections and I remember her just dropping mad curses as I tried to say we'd be out of her way as soon as we could.

I know there's a lot of hatred for Critical Mass and what it's trying to accomplish (certainly I'm not free of criticism) but anybody who reacts like this just because they have to wait three minutes for a group of bikes to ride past...well, it's going to lose you a court case on national TV.

Damn, I wish I could've seen the episode. Anybody record it?

rob

Oh, and there weren't "hundreds" of people surrounding her car, as the lady says in the website clip. There were probably four of us, which is why she was able to gun the SUV through us and mangle that kid's bike.

I love how the TV people edited the teaser clip to be as sensational as possible. I guess in the show, the lady claims that she's a victim because she was videotaped without her permission. Nice. That makes her not responsible for reckless endangerment.

rob

what video does judge judy want the plantiff to revisit?

and i signed up for an e-mail reminder so i could know the day before the show airs next time

I know that guy. Great dude, one of most vocal people on Critical Mass, and he did it for the "right" reasons. Sad I missed the show!

I try to be as polite as possible when I'm blocking intersections and I remember her just dropping mad curses as I tried to say we'd be out of her way as soon as we could.
I saw the JJ episode and it seems as though the woman thought that the cyclists blocking the intersection was the problem. In most, if not all, states, bikes must abide by the same rules as cars. If a car was blocking an intersection would you be so understanding?

I saw the JJ episode and it seems as though the woman thought that the cyclists blocking the intersection was the problem. In most, if not all, states, bikes must abide by the same rules as cars. If a car was blocking an intersection would you be so understanding?

If it was a car and I destroyed it with my vehicle, I'd certainly expect to be culpable for my actions, yes.

If it was a car I'd bike around it, or if it was an elephant (but i'd keep my distance).

I saw the JJ episode and it seems as though the woman thought that the cyclists blocking the intersection was the problem. In most, if not all, states, bikes must abide by the same rules as cars. If a car was blocking an intersection would you be so understanding?

Cars block intersections all the time and nobody goes ramming into them just for spite. I love how people get all worked up about bikes breaking laws when cars do much worse as a matter of routine (at least here in Boston). I have never once heard a driver say, "You make other drivers look bad," and yet I hear it all the time from other bikers. Misbehaving bikers, just like misbehaving drivers, only make themselves look bad.

Sorry to vent, but the situation in Boston can be pretty messed up. But I guess what can you expect from a city that actually makes it the cyclist's fault if s/he gets doored?

wow.....


that's all i can say



wow!

just ride on the sidewalk,it's safe.

Got home around four this afternoon, flipped on the tube, and Judge Judy (http://www.judgejudy.com/Episode/episode.asp) was in the middle of a case involving messenger whose bike was run over by a woman in an Isuzu Trooper. The plaintiff had been riding with a group of other cyclists, and he even offered a video into evidence. I won't post the verdict, but the plaintiff was not absolved of responsibility.

I saw the episode. The judge found for the plaintiff, but refused to give him the entire amount he was asking ($750, I believe). He wanted his lost wages covered,and did not get that, but did get $500 in damages because even though the judge felt he was partially responsible for the impact, "she can't hit your bike". Seemed reasonable. Critical mass rides generally do not inspire fluffy bunny feelings in the drivers with whom they interfere. Most of the behavior of the cyclists is contrary to the laws governing traffic, so the plaintiff did not come to the court with "clean hands". He may very well have been attempting to act as a peacemaker, but "Please calm down and don't get mad while we illegally block the roads." is not likely to be very soothing to a person in a hurry. I also saw the tape. Peacemaking or not, it looked more like riders messing with the motorist. I heard jeers, not psychology. She had the superior weapon. The plaintiff got a reminder of that. The defendant paid for it.

I think we all learned our lesson from this case. If you're going to a CM ride, take your friend's bike.

Critical mass rides generally do not inspire fluffy bunny feelings in the drivers with whom they interfere.

Ha! I'm going to make t-shirts that say "Fluffy Bunny" for our next ride.

To clarify, the video was taken *after* she'd already charged at the rear end of the Mass. So any hostility from the cyclists, I think, is fairly justified. Again, why do cyclists always expect other cyclists to be saints in the face of potential bodily harm or death? Amazing. And yet, if you watched the whole video, you should be able to hear my voice pleading with her to calm down so she doesn't hurt somebody. Nobody U-locked her, and nobody used her personal address (which the State Patrol dude freely gave us) to exact more immediate revenge.

Here's how the event unfolded: 1) Stickyfoot blocks intersection with an apology that we'll be out of the way soon. 2) Stickyfoot notices the lady in the second car back is having a major temper tantrum, shouting a storm even though no bikers have approached her. 3) The Mass passes and Stickyfoot frees the intersection. 4) Second car back guns around the car in front of her (nearly hitting poor Stickyfoot, not to mention the other cars around her) and charges the rear of the Mass several times to try and intimidate us out of her way. She also nearly hits several bikers. It should be noted here that the vast majority of cars do not behave this way, despite the fact that CM rides interrupt their commutes too. 5) Stickyfoot and a few others jump in front of her car at the next intersection to try and give the Mass some distance before she goes again. 6) Video footage ensues.

Ever since this event, I've been trying to think of a way to cool heads at intersections. I've even thought about writing up a little card to hand out to drivers thanking them for their patience and explaining our mission. But really, as I said, most drivers are either minorly annoyed or simply curious. I'm thinking no amount of positivity will help somebody like this woman. If we weren't in her way, she'd have been road raging on somebody else.

A 7-year old watches in horror as his pet chicken is mauled by the neighbor’s terrier.

What was the verdict on this case from that episode?

just ride on the sidewalk,it's safe.

Wont work. Last week a cyclist was riding on the street when a car not paying attention came across the middle of the street,a side street. He went into a driveway and down the sidewalk and back out the next driveway and boom,cop car,red lights and a ticket. No sidewalks for bikes. Cop said it wasnt that close for him to endanger kids walking on the sidewalk.

...Here's how the event unfolded: 1) Stickyfoot blocks intersection with an apology that we'll be out of the way soon....
Your post makes a good point in that there is more to the story than they show on TV. It's really hard to make a judgement as to what really happened based on a 5 second video and a few questions from the judge. Both the car driver and the cyclist seemed like they were telling the truth the best that they remembered it.

Your post makes a good point in that there is more to the story than they show on TV. It's really hard to make a judgement as to what really happened based on a 5 second video and a few questions from the judge. Both the car driver and the cyclist seemed like they were telling the truth the best that they remembered it.
It's not hard, Judge Judy does every single one in less than half an hour. DING! Next!

Editing really fooled you to,didnt it?

i never thought i'd ever have a reason to go to the judge judy website. oy.