Commuting - How NOT to promote cycling/commuting

http://www.Break.com/index/demonstrator-gets-run-over.html

I suppose you should never intentionally run someone over but I can't imagine the frustration that driver felt. They had all the room in the world to move over and get out of his way.

Hopefully he learned his lesson about being a jackass.

I wonder what happened to the driver. Obviously they had his plate # and it was all on tape. I hope the guys foot is okay.

Actually, I think that driver was going the opposite direction as the bikers, and jumped the median to run over the guy's foot.

Just saying.

I am very much for cycling rights, and I put more miles on my bike every year than on my car. But those cyclists would really piss me off. If I were on the street and they came by, I'd divert somewhere else to avoid being associated with them.

In writing, there's what's called the "idiot plot," which is a plot that can only work if all the characters are idiots.

This video is a great example.

that driver should be in jail. clearly the riders are trying to be a**holes but the driver clearly drove over the median with the intent to hit those cyclists. without question it was premeditated and the driver should be treated as if he/she pulled out a gun and shot that rider in the foot.

WTF??? What a bunch of ******s. They had it coming.

Yeah, it's so TOTALLY worth running someone over 'cause they're blocking your path.

that driver should be in jail. clearly the riders are trying to be a**holes but the driver clearly drove over the median with the intent to hit those cyclists. without question it was premeditated and the driver should be treated as if he/she pulled out a gun and shot that rider in the foot.

You can actually watch him try to make a left turn and like idiots they blocked him.... they had it coming!

I don't think it's right he ran them over, but you have to expect things like that are gonna happen, just saying!

I suppose you should never intentionally run someone over but I can't imagine the frustration that driver felt. They had all the room in the world to move over and get out of his way.

Hopefully he learned his lesson about being a jackass.


I am very much for cycling rights, and I put more miles on my bike every year than on my car. But those cyclists would really piss me off. If I were on the street and they came by, I'd divert somewhere else to avoid being associated with them.


In writing, there's what's called the "idiot plot," which is a plot that can only work if all the characters are idiots.

This video is a great example.

You guys did see the driver come over the center median to then "go at" the cyclists, right? (referred to as "crazy car" by at least one cyclist.)

And as far as impeding traffic... the cyclists were moving at the same speed as the right hand lane... other traffic was impeding traffic.

Classic case of motorist "trying to race the cyclist to the stop sign..." :rolleyes:

Now I will admit that perhaps the cyclists should have been in the right hand lane. But I still wonder about that driver coming over the median... I mean come on, what was that all about?!?

You guys did see the driver come over the center median to then "go at" the cyclists, right?

Yes. That's what made him an idiot.

No one in this video isn't an idiot.

Yes. That's what made him an idiot.

No one in this video isn't an idiot.


Ah yes, but only one idiot was damaging property and running over people and bikes. The other "idiots" were doing no more harm than a bunch of "cruisers" on any other street.

Yes. That's what made him an idiot.

No one in this video isn't an idiot.

Well put!

And as far as impeding traffic... the cyclists were moving at the same speed as the right hand lane...

Perhaps because there were other cyclists in the right lane blocking them?

Secondly, I don't see why that one guy stopped next to the car - it's almost as though he was trying to get his foot run over. I mean, how can someone on a bike get his foot run over by a car going 2mph?

Ah yes, but only one idiot was damaging property and running over people and bikes. The other "idiots" were doing no more harm than a bunch of "cruisers" on any other street.

I agree. They're all idiots.

the part that pisses me off the most about watching that video is that if any of the drivers that pass me on my commute see it, they are going to assume that I am some a hole trying to block traffic and protest something, when the truth is that I am just taking my lane so I don't get buzzed.

wasn't the guy going over the median to try to pass in the opposing lane? The car in the middle of the cyclists was doing that too.

The thing about critical mass type rides is that there better be a critical mass, or don't block traffic. The drivers in this video could see the promised land past the cyclists, and they were anxious to get there. The way most people are, they could have been much more effective if they had blocked the right lane. There are tons of drivers that couldn't handle that

Car drivers time is always more valuable than anyone elses.
They deserve the road, we dont. We should have seperate
entrances and water fountains too, so those more worthy than us
arent inconvenienced on the way to the mall or to pick up a 6er
and a bag of pork rinds.

They were going all of 10mph and taking up three lanes of traffic, swerving all over the damn place and just generally screwing around. One guy was facing BACKWARDS on his bicycle for a while. You don't get to see why the car crossed the median so I can't say if he was intending to run the guy over or not, but the guy's bike definitely deserved what it got.

These types of people make the rest of us who actually obey traffic laws look bad.

You can call the cyclist an idiot all you want but I still felt bad that his bike got mangled. Imagine if that was your bike! I hope they found that driver and punished him to the full extent of the law.

They were going all of 10mph and taking up three lanes of traffic, swerving all over the damn place and just generally screwing around. One guy was facing BACKWARDS on his bicycle for a while. You don't get to see why the car crossed the median so I can't say if he was intending to run the guy over or not, but the guy's bike definitely deserved what it got.

These types of people make the rest of us who actually obey traffic laws look bad.

This same stuff can happen to you anytime you go out.
If you think it cant, you are naive.

It would not be MY bike b/c I would not do that. Dewfending these idiots does no cyclists good. He put his foot under the car. Next time you are at a light put your foot under a cars tire and scream like a girl. Then accuse the car of assault. You don't have to defend stupidity just because you and the idiots ride bikes

This is a case of assault and leaving the scene of a crime. Did any of you even watch the same video I did?

This same stuff can happen to you anytime you go out.
If you think it cant, you are naive.

If you have a problem with swerving from lane to lane and sticking your feet under vehicles while antagonizing them, perhaps you should not ride.

This is a case of assault and leaving the scene of a crime. Did any of you even watch the same video I did?

Of course you are right about that. After riding a bike for 45 years, that's not very remarkable.

If you have a problem with swerving from lane to lane and sticking your feet under vehicles while antagonizing them, perhaps you should not ride.

if you didnt watch the video while antagonizing the people who did, perhaps you should not comment.

This is a case of assault and leaving the scene of a crime. Did any of you even watch the same video I did?

Yes.

Nothing you said makes the cyclists not idiots. It just makes the driver a criminal idiot.

The driver should be imprisoned. The cyclists should be spanked by their mommies and have their bike privileges taken away.

This is a case of assault and leaving the scene of a crime. Did any of you even watch the same video I did?

Apparently not. What a bunch of brown-nosers. What do they think, if they spend enough time on public forums castigating other cyclists as "idiots" for having the gall to use the public roads, and sympathizing with the poor oppressed frustrated driver who was practically forced at gunpoint to run someone over, that drivers everyone will somehow recognize them on sight? "Oh, there's a good cyclist, one who knows his proper place in the pecking order, one that can be counted on to always yield to me no matter what and GET THE HELL OUT OF MY ROAD!!! Yeah, I think I'll let that one live."

What a pack of idjits.

This is a case of assault and leaving the scene of a crime. Did any of you even watch the same video I did?

Was this assault? That's like telling someone to beat you up, then accusing them of assault.

Leaving the scene? Sure, but the crowd of idiots surrounding/threatening the car probably encouraged that. If the driver had stayed, he would've undoubtedly gotten beaten up or at the very least gotten his car vandalized.

if you didnt watch the video while antagonizing the people who did, perhaps you should not comment.

What? I watched the video.twice.

la estupidez humana no tiene limites,en este video parecen todos idiotas

I remember this vid from a while back, it's a small group of CM'ers that the driver was apparently very fed up with. He jumped the median and ran over several bikes and nearly injured several riders. I know that the police caught the guy a few blocks down but don't remember if he was prosecuted or not. I totally agree if you are going to have a CM ride where you take up the entire street then you better have enough people to qualify for "critical mass," meaning enough that drivers can't get through. This ride was small and the people were just being jerks trying to exert some form of meaningless power they thought they had. They should have taken one lane rather than both, there just weren't enough of them.

That said, i don't oppose CM rides but don't bother flaming my opinion, it's already happened in numerous other forums :)

Apparently not. What a bunch of brown-nosers. What do they think, if they spend enough time on public forums castigating other cyclists as "idiots" for having the gall to use the public roads, and sympathizing with the poor oppressed frustrated driver who was practically forced at gunpoint to run someone over, that drivers everyone will somehow recognize them on sight? "Oh, there's a good cyclist, one who knows his proper place in the pecking order, one that can be counted on to always yield to me no matter what and GET THE HELL OUT OF MY ROAD!!! Yeah, I think I'll let that one live."

What a pack of idjits.

What are you going on about? Your line of reasoning seems to be this: Drivers bad! I am a cyclist, they are cyclists, driver must be at fault. As mentioned earlier, they were all idiots. If you do ride like this, and do particpate in these events, then you may be one too. There are many good drivers. Many bad ones too. We notiece the idiot drivers, just as they notice the idiot cyclist. If you advocate for idiot-cycling, then don't get mad at drivers who think that most cyclist are idiots.

Apparently not. What a bunch of brown-nosers. What do they think, if they spend enough time on public forums castigating other cyclists as "idiots" for having the gall to use the public roads, and sympathizing with the poor oppressed frustrated driver who was practically forced at gunpoint to run someone over, that drivers everyone will somehow recognize them on sight? "Oh, there's a good cyclist, one who knows his proper place in the pecking order, one that can be counted on to always yield to me no matter what and GET THE HELL OUT OF MY ROAD!!! Yeah, I think I'll let that one live."

What a pack of idjits.

You were one of those people who stood in the middle of the hallway back in high school weren't you.

I didn't say the driver wasn't the bigger idiot, and that he shouldn't be prosecuted for what he did. That's assault with a deadly weapon and felony hit and run, plus maybe other stuff.

However, those cyclists were doing something that I would never do or even want to be associated with. They're a** holes for doing what they're doing, and idiots for thinking that just because there are a lot of them that someone isn't going to snap and do something aggressive towards them.

There's nobody in that video that's in the right, IMHO. I won't say the cyclists "had it coming" but they do appear to be almost inviting someone to do something aggressive towards them, possibly in order to get it on camera and make the news.

there are quite a few non-idiots in that video. Look at all the vehicles that ignore them and act civil, in spite of what they are doing. How many vehicles did they pass, and how long were they doing this until they got the reaction that they wanted? How many rides do this stuff with no reaction? Once it happens -BAM!- all drivers are jerks and idiots :rolleyes:

I didn't say the driver wasn't the bigger idiot, and that he shouldn't be prosecuted for what he did. That's assault with a deadly weapon and felony hit and run, plus maybe other stuff.

However, those cyclists were doing something that I would never do or even want to be associated with. They're a** holes for doing what they're doing, and idiots for thinking that just because there are a lot of them that someone isn't going to snap and do something aggressive towards them.

There's nobody in that video that's in the right, IMHO. I won't say the cyclists "had it coming" but they do appear to be almost inviting someone to do something aggressive towards them, possibly in order to get it on camera and make the news.

+1

If you invite trouble, be prepared for the invitation to be accepted.

There was at least one intelligent person in the video. The lady in the SUV that politely asked the cyclist what this was all about, - cause it certainly didn't look like anything more than a dozen cyclists aimlessly riding in 3 lanes of traffic.

Demonstration? Demonstrating what? How would anyone know?

I cant believe some of you guys are making excuses for the car driver. Clearly, the bikers were being silly, but that does not warrant running over them or damaging their bikes, what an *******.

The bikers deserve a slap at most. The other guy, a kick in the nuts.

I cant believe some of you guys are making excuses for the car driver. Clearly, the bikers were being silly, but that does not warrant running over them or damaging their bikes, what an *******.

The bikers deserve a slap at most. The other guy, a kick in the nuts.


My point too......
You dont violently assault someone with a deadly weapon for
holding you up for a minute. WTF has our society come to that
the "they deserved it" crowd thinks hitting a kid with a car is
acceptable under any circumstance. Its a comment on what a
apathetic, violence crazed society we have become more so
than a bicycle issue.

I cant believe some of you guys are making excuses for the car driver. Clearly, the bikers were being silly, but that does not warrant running over them or damaging their bikes, what an *******.

The bikers deserve a slap at most. The other guy, a kick in the nuts.

I don't think anyone is defending the driver. I don't know what the f*(k they thought they were doing. But several cyclists were stupid on a number of different levels. I'll just start with what happens after the guy gets his foot pinned or run over. Let's say it's a buddy of yours that finds himself in that situation.

Do you:

a. Go to your buddy and help him anyway you can

b. get the driver to stop and back up (some tried)

c. go around to the other side of the car to get the driver on tape 'cause of course the driver is going to stay there and smile nicely for the camera while his car is on top of your buddy's foot.

I'll have to admit those cyclists were recklessly endangering their own lives to blatantly antagonize all of the other vehicles on the road. They easily could have stayed in only one lane--the right lane, but no. They were riding all over the place, mainly in the fast lane. I'm a major advocate of commuter cycling; however, I respect motorists and (hopefully) they reciprocate that respect. Aside from the occasional teeny bopper showboating for friends, I hardly ever have any problems with motorists. Even when the teeny boppers shout something witty from their windows, I usually just smile and wave. I don't know if those people were trying to make a statement, or if they were just being selfish, but there's absolutely no point in taking up the entire road when there are two lanes. But hey, what do I know?

I cant believe some of you guys are making excuses for the car driver. Clearly, the bikers were not following the traffic laws, but that does not warrant running over them or damaging their bikes, what an *******.

The bikers deserve a ticket at least. The other guy, a kick in the nuts.

fixed.

Oh and, even though the cyclists were being a bit obnoxious, no one deserves to be run over. That guy is a maniacal stooge in a deadly 4 wheeled, gas powered, weapon.

I totally agree if you are going to have a CM ride where you take up the entire street then you better have enough people to qualify for "critical mass," meaning enough that drivers can't get through. This ride was small and the people were just being jerks trying to exert some form of meaningless power they thought they had. They should have taken one lane rather than both, there just weren't enough of them.

Yeah! If it's only a few people, they're jerks. If there are more, it's...

Wait, I don't follow.

If there are more, then it's a critical mass.
Funny how people get so worked up when they come across a bunch of bikes in the road, but just sigh and wait when they come across a bunch of cars going even slower.

I cant believe some of you guys are making excuses for the car driver. Clearly, the bikers were being silly, but that does not warrant running over them or damaging their bikes, what an *******.

The bikers deserve a slap at most. The other guy, a kick in the nuts.


Yet again someone treats a discussion as a black and white issue.

Just because I may choose to spend a post talking about what jackasses the cyclists were, at least some of them, doesn't meant I don't think the driver was an ass as well, it just means that I didn't feel like discussing that.

On the contrary, I actually assume that 99.99% of people who view the video think the driver is wrong. I think a great many of us take that for a given and move on to something actually worth discussing. What baffles me is the group of "us vs them" cyclists who seem to always want to excuse or ignore the provocation in these cases.

Hell, I want to punch some of those guys in the neck and I'm not even there.

Funny how people get so worked up when they come across a bunch of bikes in the road, but just sigh and wait when they come across a bunch of cars going even slower.

The cars are actually going places, while the bikes are fooling around and intentionally blocking traffic for no reason. Do you really think any critical mass riders are actually going anywhere?

The cars are actually going places, while the bikes are fooling around and intentionally blocking traffic for no reason. Do you really think any critical mass riders are actually going anywhere?

What make the cars 'places' any more important than anyone elses ?
Its supposed to be a civilized society. People dont
need to have their reasons for using a PUBLIC Right-of-WAY
questioned by anyone. If you have a problem with being
held up by someone who you feel doesnt have a valid reason
its only a 'you' problem, and I guarantee at some time you that
you have or will hold someone up somewhere that doesnt feel
you should. Should you just shrug when they hit you because
if they feel you 'deserved' it, you must have ? :rolleyes:
You guys need to put stuff in perspective. Their 'places' arent
that important. Really.