Oftentimes, I see many cyclists willing to condemn the system for letting drivers who have killed cyclists off too easy. Oftentimes, I have seen cyclists state that riding drunk really can harm no one but themselves. Oftentimes I've seen cyclists quick to proclaim themselves the victim of road rage.


But sometimes drunk riding can kill.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003238685_bus01m.html
Simon, 46, had been waiting for a bus on Third Avenue near Macy's, between Stewart and Pine streets, just before 6:20 p.m. when a bicyclist caused her to lose her balance, said Seattle police spokesman Rich Pruitt. Simon was struck by two of the center tires on the 60-foot bus.
[...]
Witnesses also told police the man wobbled as he rode his bike. Police said he had watery eyes, slurred his words, struggled to maintain his balance and smelled of alcohol, according to arresting papers released by the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.


And sometimes it is the cyclist that can be the instigator of road rage.

http://www.komotv.com/stories/45226.htm
But another witness says he didn't think the woman was hit by the bicycle -- or at least that wasn't the cause of her fall. Patrick Bryan, who was working at a restaurant inside Macy's, says he was looking out the window at the time.

He said it is possible the man on the bicycle brushed against the woman, but when he looked out, he saw the two exchanging words and the woman moving toward the man, at which time Bryan says the man pushed her back.

Bryan says at that very moment, the doors of the bus opened and the combination of the gust of air and the shove apparently resulted in her being pulled under the bus' wheels.


And sometimes, it is the cyclist that gets let off too easily.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003238685_bus01m.html
The bicyclist was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and released on his own recognizance.


I think we all need to remember that regardless of the vehicle we're operating, we're all humans and subject to the same frailties. To paraphrase: It's not about the car.

OK, khuon, point taken, but motorists do commit mayhem far more often than bicyclists. I concur that every individual needs to held accountable for his or her actions.

OK, khuon, point taken, but motorists do commit mayhem far more often than bicyclists. I concur that every individual needs to held accountable for his or her actions.
From a total numbers standpoint, this is true. From a relative (normalised) standpoint, I'm not so sure. Be that as it may, there seems to be a propensity for many cyclists to view themselves in a moral superiority that can do no wrong while viewing others (motorists, pedestrians, equestrians, etc) with doubt. In the end, Tyler Durden said it best...

You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your f***ing khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.

I think we all need to remember that regardless of the vehicle we're operating, we're all humans and subject to the same frailties. To paraphrase: It's not about the car.

We all do need to be careful, but some need to be more careful than others.

Large vehicles such as trucks, tractor trailers, buses, dump trucks with full loads, etc. can do much more harm if a drunk is behind the wheel. Likewise a drunk behind the wheel of a car can do more damage than a drunk on a bicycle.

I think that if someone is caught driving drunk the punishment, if there were not injuries to others, should be on a scale in relation to the size and weight of the vehicle they were operating.

I think we all need to remember that regardless of the vehicle we're operating, we're all humans and subject to the same frailties.
Therein is the problem: human frailty.

I admit that on a bicycle, I'm sometimes even more likely to commit road rage, if road rage is defined as displaying strong anger at other road users. It's happened to me as a pedestrian, too.

To paraphrase: It's not about the car.
To paraphrase again: size matters.

And sometimes, it is the cyclist that gets let off too easily.

Just a point of clarification here. Where is it stated that the cyclist got off? He was released on his own reconnaissance. That means they allowed him to remain free pending any charges, further investigation, etc. It does not mean he got off at all.

Caruso

Another point of clarification...

It wasn't like this guy was your typical racer, messenger, or bicycle commuter. I watched the news report of the incident/arrest and the video showed he was a sloven, drunken bum with a bike. While he may have been on a bike, I hardly consider him a "cyclist".

That reads like a bit of a superiority complex. So if the guy on the bike had been a pro racer in kit it would have been okay?

Why was he riding on the sidewalk in the first place? Or are we to believe that the woman killed was standing in the road, waiting for a bus? Hopefully that's just one more thing the D.A. can use to nail him to the wall.

Same laws, same enforcement, same penalties. The vehicle type is unimportant.

Just a point of clarification here. Where is it stated that the cyclist got off? He was released on his own reconnaissance. That means they allowed him to remain free pending any charges, further investigation, etc. It does not mean he got off at all.

They should not have let him go. He is a flight risk. The cyclist fled the scene and they found him hiding. That doesn't sound like recognizance to me.

Just a point of clarification here. Where is it stated that the cyclist got off? He was released on his own reconnaissance. That means they allowed him to remain free pending any charges, further investigation, etc. It does not mean he got off at all.

Caruso


So he was released to scout the area?

This thread is no exposé on the wisdom of the court system and I offer no opinion on whether he should or should not been have released upon his own reconnaissance, but to state that he "got off" because he was not incarcerated pending charges/trial is an obvious exaggeration that exposes what I perceive as an agenda on the part of the OP.

You can read it as you wish.

If the suspect flees, that precipitates another set of charges for which he will be held responsible.

The story is bad enough and doesn't need embellishment. I just like to tell it like it is.

Caruso

They let you out to do recon now?

It wasn't like this guy was your typical racer, messenger, or bicycle commuter. I watched the news report of the incident/arrest and the video showed he was a sloven, drunken bum with a bike. While he may have been on a bike, I hardly consider him a "cyclist".

So that's your definition of who is or isn't a cyclist? You're certainly entitled to your own opinion, but so are motorists. All they see on the road are people on bicycles. They don't care who you are, what you ride, how you dress, or why you ride. In the mind of a typical motorist, you're no different from the guy in question. I've learned that lesson well from motorists taking out their frustrations of other cyclists' illegal behaviors out on me. It's not right, but it goes with the territory of not being one of the majority in any situation. For all practical purposes, this guy is as much a cyclist as some jerk in a clown suit running down strollers on an MUP because they like to treat their commute like a time-trial.