Advocacy & Safety - Letter sent to Utah Governor regarding awful behavior of State Employees

Here's a letter that I'm just about to send off to the Governor of Utah after an expeirence I had during a ride yesterday. I can't imagine anything will come of it, but I think it is my responsibility to at least say something....

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Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr.
Utah State Capitol Complex
East Office Building, Suite E220
PO Box 142220
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-2220

Dear Governor Huntsman,

On Wednesday, December 21st, I was riding my bicycle southbound on Pony Express Road, less than a mile north of the intersection with 14600 South and just south of the state penitentiary. This is a route I take regularly for recreational rides because it is not very heavily traveled. At about 3pm, I was passed by two state vehicles, both of them white 8-passenger vans with state seals on the doors, and “EX” exempt license plates. The second van passed within less than six inches of me while the passenger rolled down his window and simultaneously screamed at me the instant his window was closest to my position. Because the vehicle was traveling so fast, I would estimate in excess of 50 miles per hour, the shock of the close proximity combined with the verbal assault, I was too startled to get the entire license plate number beyond just seeing the “EX” on the Centennial license plate.

While I have found that this type of behavior is relatively common among drivers, I was disgusted that this is how an employee of the state of Utah would behave. Additionally, the fact that the driver “buzzed” me while the passenger screamed out his window clearly shows that they pre-meditated their actions. I am almost certain they simply thought it to be funny but were unaware of how potentially dangerous their actions were. Had I flinched and veered even a few inches towards the vehicle I would have most likely been subjected to serious injuries. In my opinion, state employees should behave as a positive example, not utilizing some of the rudest, unprofessional and juvenile behavior imaginable, not to mention willingly and potentially causing serious injury.

Right now, 66 year-old Elizabeth Deseelhorst faces charges of negligent homicide. She has been accused of driving the Jeep Cherokee that hit 25 year-old bicyclist Josie Johnson, then proceeding to drive away, leaving the Johnson to die on the side of the road. Her actions and the tragic death of Johnson has resulted in HB-49, or the “Josie Law” as it has been coined, that requires all vehicles to allow for a three foot buffer zone around all cyclists. This information, in my opinion, makes the behavior of these state employees all the more deplorable! It also begs to question, how much worse the action of these state employees was that they willfully took such a risk with my safety, and I can only assume the safety of other cyclists or even pedestrians, for their petty amusement.

As I previously mentioned, I experience this type of behavior on a regular and frequent basis as I ride my bicycle for recreation, exercise and sometimes commuting, and while it is upsetting I find it all together disturbing and that any State employee would behave so poorly.

I realize that there is likely no way to be able to identify these individuals for their sordid behavior, and I realize that you have many more pressing issues that you face on a daily basis but I would hope that you would be able to recognize the seriousness of these actions and take any appropriate measures to prevent this sort of thing from happening again. I do not hold you personally responsible for their behavior but I do hope that you would be willing to do more than merely reply with a sympathetic letter.

Sincerely,

I had a similar experience with a local Cable company van. Nobody screamed out the window but the 6 inches at 50MPH sounds real familiar (it felt like 3 inches). Thinking about it, someone screaming, showing that it was premeditated would be a little reassuring. I can only assume the idiot that passed me never knew I was there. Vehicles before and after him were giving me 5 feet. I was close to home so I called the company and complained. I got a call back from a supervisor and had to inform him about the 3ft for bicycles law here in AZ. I should have followed up with a letter.

Same here with UTZ potato chip drivers. I hate even to be near them in my car.

I think that is an outstanding letter. If I were you, after having spent the time to draft it, would mail it.

I would make one correction: "leaving the Johnson to die" presumably should be "leaving Ms. Johnson to die."

Eyestrain

Good letter, although you might consider revising slightly for length. I'd copy it to your state senator and representative, and any bike advocacy groups you may have.

well written

I liked it!

Good luck on getting this resolved

Often the "letters" folks post here aren't particularly well written, but yours is well put together, nice! One typo where you put "the Johnson" and clearly meant something else. Send it out, see what happens (likely nothing but at least you tried).

Often the "letters" folks post here aren't particularly well written, but yours is well put together, nice! One typo where you put "the Johnson" and clearly meant something else. Send it out, see what happens (likely nothing but at least you tried).

A good way to have an answer would be to send the same letter every week until they show life sign.

Yea .. I listened again to the "Shawshank Redemption" yesterday .. :rolleyes: But man .. he had his library ;)

Well written letter. Keep us posted if you receive (or even if you don't receive) a reply. I think that 90 days would be a good time frame.

In general, every rider should feel obligated to contact a company whose truck comes close to hitting them.
Word it well. Be civil and professional and courteous, and you'll have a greater impact.

In the case of the Cable Co., for instance, the company will likely send a memo throughout their company to remind drivers of their responsibilities. They don't want the bad PR (or the paperwork) that goes with an incident on the road.

Sadly, it's like holding back the ocean with a broom.

Since you were close to the prison, the vehicles probably were probaly headed there. You might send your letter to the warden of the prison. Chances are you will get a better response from the prison than the governor. The prison would probably be able to determine what vehicle it was and track down the driver and passenger since there are probably records of when vehicles enter and leave the prison.

The governor's office might send your complaint to the prison (if they make the connection) but I wouldn't rely on it.

Are you sure the governor's office is the correct place to send this? I can't tell you for sure but one time i had a bad experience with a state employee. I was at a state location delivering a product as a vendor to the state in which i live. A couple state employees as well as myself and one of my employees was unloading this heavy piece of equipment out of the back of the van. The door on my delivery van somehow came to rest on a nearby by truck. It made a tiny little scratch in the truck door.

It happened quietly and i never even noticed as i was busy unloading the product. Some long haired idiot came outside and started screaming at me. He was really mad and told me that i scratched "his" truck and that i was a dumb blankety, blank.

I apologized but he kept going at me. He told me it was going to cost me. He was literally spitting, he was yelling so loud at me. He threw an accident report at me and told me to fill it out and say that i damaged his truck. I told him that I wasn't 100 % sure that we damaged it. I said that although it was our vehicle, his employees were also helping and it just as well could have been one of them that opened the door into his truck. I simply coudln't remember.

So I stated that in the report. He was really pissed when he read that. :D STill, i wasn't going to admit guilt for something i was unsure of. ANyway, when i got back to the office i really started to stew over this. This guy was actually working for ME as a taxpayer. It wasn't even HIS truck. It was just as much mine as his. It was a state truck with state tags on it!

So I contacted the Secretary of Human Resources for the State via email. I was amazed to see that she herself replied to me within 24 hrs. She was very apologetic and told me that this would be corrected. A week or so later, she followed up and told me that the individual had been reprimanded.

My point? Not sure i guess, but it just got me thinking that maybe you need to be dealing with someone other than the governor's office.

Since you were close to the prison, the vehicles probably were probaly headed there. You might send your letter to the warden of the prison. Chances are you will get a better response from the prison than the governor. The prison would probably be able to determine what vehicle it was and track down the driver and passenger since there are probably records of when vehicles enter and leave the prison.

The governor's office might send your complaint to the prison (if they make the connection) but I wouldn't rely on it.I agree. If you know which department the vehicles were from, it might be more effective to contact it directly. You're more likely to get through to the guilty parties that way.

I would make one correction: "leaving the Johnson to die" presumably should be "leaving Ms. Johnson to die."


Thanks for all the compliements guys, and funny thing with that typo. I swear I read that letter half a dozen times, twice outloud, and still missed that one thanks!

And great suggestions on sending a copy to the prison and my state reps. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they were prison vans and state reps may be worthy of a few more stamps.

I was also thinking of revising it a bit and turning into a letter to the editor for our two papers.

Not that the incedent was really all that upsetting. This sort of thing happens all the time. In fact it didn't even put a damper on my ride. But after reading a blurb in the paper today about the continuation of Josie Johnson's case, I mean the lady hit her and just kept right on driving!!. I felt morally obligated to say something.

So thanks again for all the advice!

dp

the tragic death of Johnson has resulted in HB-49, or the “Josie Law” as it has been coined, that requires all vehicles to allow for a three foot buffer zone around all cyclists.


Is this a state or federal law?

Is this a state or federal law?

I believe it is just a Utah law...

dp

Moving to Advocacy sand Safety.

I'd send it to the warden of the state prison nearby. I would also get rid of the language saying that they can't find out who did it. They very well might be able to figure out who was driving two vans together at 3pm on a certain day on a certain highway. So ask the warden to try to figure out who did it. Who knows, you might get lucky.

With slight editing, you could also submit this to you local papers. It's amazingly easy to get published in the "Letters to the Editor" section. Just trim it down a bit and get more mileage out of your words. :) This is something everybody should read. Good work, and I'm glad you weren't hurt.

Is this a state or federal law?

It is not a federal law.

It was a Hell's Angel on a chopper.
Two wheels. He's still on our team. :)

[
So I stated that in the report. He was really pissed when he read that. :D STill, i wasn't going to admit guilt for something i was unsure of. ANyway, when i got back to the office i really started to stew over this. This guy was actually working for ME as a taxpayer. It wasn't even HIS truck. It was just as much mine as his. It was a state truck with state tags on it!
.[/QUOTE]



I'm not going to say what he did was right or proper. I will say as a municipal employee who has a vehicle assigned to him I'm reponsible for my vehicle. If it comes back damaged, accident, etc. I'm the one who'll get written up and have the accident on my employment record or maybe ruin a 10 year safe driver string etc. this can and will be used against you if mgm't needs a reason.

"While I have found that this type of behavior is relatively common among drivers..."

Cyclists may be more aware of how common this behaviour may be - personally I would not volunteer this piece of information, and would infact atempt to imply the opposite, thus justifying outrage e.g. "in my many years of cycling I have never been subject to such aggresive and truly dangerous behaviour".

"It also begs to question..."

Shouldn't that be "It also begs the question"? Google returns 1,700 hits for your usage and 1.7 million for the latter.

"As I previously mentioned, I experience this type of behavior on a regular and frequent basis..." see earlier suggestion.

"I realize that there is likely no way to be able to identify..." I agree with other posts that this may not be a valid assumption. I would encourage that no effort be spared in finding and admonishing the culprits.

Your letter should include a comprehensice CC list including publication on numerous web sites (actually list them) and submission to all local news papers etc.

In general an excellent letter, sorry to hear that you also have been on the receiving end of this kind of reckless and totally infantile abuse - I hope it costs him/her/them their jobs. You might also want to mention the financial liabilty that these miscreants were potentially exposing the state to.

Good letter. I'd endorse that.

Excellent. Let us know what happens, if anything.

Other than this, is Utah a good place for cycists?

it's a little too uptight sounding... it sound like some english gentleman pacing around, seething with anger, saying things in a nice way...

maybe you could make it a litte more forward?

"leaving the Johnson to die"

Sounds like Lorena Bobbitt to me. :eek: :D

Other than that small but potentially craptacular typo...good letter.

Keep in mind that all gov't vehicles carry the "ex" plate. So the vehicles could have been county vehicles (or city? or is that unincorporated area?) and not state vehicles. So you may want to acknowledge that in the letter and make sure the County officials get it as well!

UT is one of the more progressive states as far as addressing bicycle safety in its codes (see Velonews' recent legally speaking on Kentucky!). That doesn't mean drivers of other vehicles treat cyclists any better, though.

As an odd -- but maybe not that odd -- counter example to your expeience with state employees, a few weeks ago I had a guy on a motorcycle loudly come up behind me and wait for me to pass through a busy intersection safely before he went through. As he carefully passed me on the next block I waved thanks to him.

It was a Hell's Angel on a chopper.

I've had an even more pronounced experience. After getting buzzed earlier on a ride by a jerk on a japaneese pocket rocket I heard a chopper comming up behind me. About a hundred yards back he throttled down and coasted past me.

Yup a Hells Angel.

My theory. They assume anything on two wheels is a friend until shown otherwise. Of course the beard doesn't hurt either.

Keep in mind that all gov't vehicles carry the "ex" plate. So the vehicles could have been county vehicles (or city? or is that unincorporated area?) and not state vehicles. So you may want to acknowledge that in the letter and make sure the County officials get it as well!

UT is one of the more progressive states as far as addressing bicycle safety in its codes (see Velonews' recent legally speaking on Kentucky!). That doesn't mean drivers of other vehicles treat cyclists any better, though.

The vans had the blue-circle state seal on the door. County vehicles tend to have county logo's on the door. But a very good point. In subsequent rides, I have seen six similar looking vans parked at about four varying buildings on that road. One is the penitentiary, and the others look to be lower security jails/juvenile/whatever type facilities. So its likely that the offender came from one of those places.


And it seems like this stuff happens more in the south end of the salt lake valley - more rural - than the more urbanized areas of the city. We are considering a move to an area where there are more cyclists for this reason. But for the most part, I think Utah is a pretty great state for cycling.

dp

And it seems like this stuff happens more in the south end of the salt lake valley - more rural - than the more urbanized areas of the city. We are considering a move to an area where there are more cyclists for this reason. But for the most part, I think Utah is a pretty great state for cycling.



So you think that moving will prevent someone from buzzing you and yelling at you? I don't get it. Bad drivers are everywhere. You are not going to move somewhere to avoid them unless you know something i don't.

I'll take rural over urban any day. Just because of the fact that there are fewer cars.

So you think that moving will prevent someone from buzzing you and yelling at you? I don't get it. Bad drivers are everywhere. You are not going to move somewhere to avoid them unless you know something i don't.

I'll take rural over urban any day. Just because of the fact that there are fewer cars.

No, thats not it at all. And when I said rural - its actually quite urban by many peoples standards. A sea of sub-divisions...

My thinking is that if I was where there were more cyclists, this stuff would happen less frequently simply because bicycles wouldn't be such a novelty.

dp

One additional point you might think of noting in a letter of this sort (though I realize you've probably already sent it, so it's a bit late now). If an accident were caused by the driver of state-owned vehicle, the state would likely be the liable party. As a general rule, you can't sue the government for damages, but most states abrogate immunity when it comes to vehicular accidents.

There's no question that what these folks did was just plain rude, callous, and dangerous. However, I think a good old fashioned threat to the bank account is what often gets people's attention.

Here's a letter that I'm just about to send off to the Governor of Utah after an expeirence I had during a ride yesterday. I can't imagine anything will come of it, but I think it is my responsibility to at least say something....
I'm not from Utah, but you might want to check out http://fleet.utah.gov/ They even have a complaint form http://fleet.utah.gov/services/forms/howsmydriving.htm

Did you get the plates? If you did and report it to the proper authority, you can expect that the agency responsible for checking out the van as well as the worker will get a warning. At least in my state, they take that sort of thing extremely seriously.

This is a good time play a bit of bureaucratic ping pong. For example, don't just fill out the form -- call up agitated, play the P.O'd Joe Taxpayer routine and let them tell you about the form. Be assertive, and report the incident to multiple people that you think might want to be in on the loop. For example, in addition to complaining to the normal motor pool channels, report it to the director as well since she's in charge of allocating cars that are being irresponsibly driven.

BTW, just in case y'all think I'm some sort of government hating wacko, I feed at the public trough (i.e. I work for the state) and am just relaying what I know works well here.