BikinginLA

The sad thing is, it isn’t even really news anymore.

A bicyclist was hit by a car at the intersection of Avalon and 51st streets over the weekend, the driver becoming just one more in a long line of local motorists to flee the scene.

Evidently, only one news outlet thought it was worth reporting. And even they didn’t think it was worth getting the facts right.

Or at all.

According to KABC Channel 7, the rider was crossing the street when he was hit. Which street he was crossing or what direction he and the car that hit him were traveling, God only knows.

Then again, just when the collision occurred seems to be a state secret, as well. The article doesn’t say, and doesn’t indicate when it was posted, other than sometime Sunday, August 8.

Judging by the single photo that accompanies the six sentence report, it appears to have been taken at night. And since the only comment on the article was posted Sunday morning, my best guess is that it happened sometime Saturday night.

Though you’d think mentioning exactly when the collision occurred would be kind of helpful to the police in searching for witnesses who might have seen a mid-sized, light colored car fleeing the scene — which pretty much describes a large percentage of the cars in L.A.

However, if you did happen to notice one that fits that description in that area sometime over the weekend, or have any other information that might help identify the driver, call the LAPD at 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247).

Fortunately, the article says the unidentified rider is expected to be okay.

I love to criticize KABC for such a lousy job of reporting. But considering that they seem to be the only news outlet who bothered to report the story at all, I feel compelled to hold back.

And yes, this is me holding back.

So let’s just hope the rider makes a complete recovery. And that the authorities have more luck finding the driver than they have with the killers of Robert Painter and Ovidio Morales.

But based on the description and the lack of information provided, I wouldn’t count on it.

Thanks to the LACBC’s Allison Mannos for the heads-up.

………

One important item I left off last weekend’s long list of upcoming events — the L.A. Bicycle Advisory Committee will be meeting tonight at the Hollywood Neighborhood City Hall Community Room, 6501 Fountain Avenue.

According to BAC Chair Glenn Bailey, they have a packed agenda, including discussion of the new bike plan, the Mayor’s planned Bike Summit and a report from the City Attorney about the proposed anti-harassment ordinance. And the CA has come up with a very interesting twist on how to protect L.A. cyclists.

………

The LACBC will be unveiling the first phase of a new bike safety campaign soon, and is pushing the Mayor to do a Public Service Announcement on the subject. San Diego businesses band together to offer discounts to people who arrive by bike. A 73-year old grandmother is the victim of a hit-and-run Central Park cyclist. Riding home from the bar in New York, where there’s no law against biking under the influence. Could you forgive the driver who killed your love one? Arrested for running a teenage bike chop shop. The U.S. military could be funding research into the next generation of bike doping; maybe they’re trying to stay a step ahead of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s latest crackdown on elite riders. Correction: that Colorado Tea Party candidate doesn’t hate bikes, just the UN agency he thinks is behind them; meanwhile, the revolution will have 27 speeds and a cute little bell. A cycling family suffers serious injuries in a collision, and they weren’t even riding their bikes. After completing a Los Angeles to NYC bike tour, a seasoned cyclist is killed while riding through North Carolina on his way home to Phoenix. Charlotte drivers and cyclists unhappily share the road. Salt Lake cyclists say the bike lane should be the safest place to ride, and it isn’t. A Louisiana driver has nightmares about running down weaving cyclists. A man claims to be riding cross country to prevent teen suicide, but may not be telling the truth. A South Bend cyclist suffers from Copenhagen bike lane envy. Despite decamping for Florida, the NBA’s King James hosts his annual fund-raising bike ride in Akron OH; thanks to George Wolfburg for the NY Times link. George also points our attention to HuffPo’s report on the new iBike — or rather, the comments that follow. For a new cyclist, riding past the sewage plant is as good as Disneyland. Police are on the lookout for bike bombs in India; evidently, that’s not as strange as it seems. The hottest thing for Japanese families: three seat bicycles, with or without electric assist; a DIY version rolls through Santa Barbara with dog up front, daughter in back. Considering the bicycle as a solution for Nairobi traffic. The story of cyclist’s obsessive worldwide search to build the perfect bike. Cambridge encourages cycling by cutting the speed limit Downtown to 20 mph.

Finally, how would you respond if a nearby bike started getting cheeky?