Tag Archive for road rage

A bloody few days in Long Beach — two cyclists critically injured, one intentionally

November 8, 2011 / / 5 comments

This has not been a good few days for Long Beach cyclists.

Two riders are critically injured — one because a driver ran a red light, the other because he was intentionally run down by a driver following a dispute.

In the first case, a 67 year old man, who has not been publicly identified, was riding east on Bixby Road at Cherry Avenue around 11 am Friday when he was hit by a pickup traveling south on Cherry. The Press Telegram reports that the driver of the pickup apparently ran the red light.

The rider was rushed to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition. The 66-year old driver was not charged at the scene; however the investigation continues. Anyone with information is asked to call Long Beach Police Department Accident Investigation’s detectives at 562-570-7355.

In the second, and in some ways, more serious case, the Press Telegram reports that a cyclist is clinging to life at a local hospital after being intentionally hit by a motorist, who then fled the scene.

The incident occurred around 3:20 Tuesday afternoon at the intersection of Bellflower Blvd and 23rd Street, following a dispute between the cyclist and a driver.

According to KCBS-2, there’s no word on what caused the dispute. However, the victim, who again was not publicly identified, was described as a homeless man who was known to be aggressive and violent.

The station says some accounts — they don’t say whether from the driver or independent witnesses — have lead police to believe that the victim may have attacked the driver by reaching into his van.

The Press Telegram writes that witness followed the van for several blocks before flagging down a police officer who detained the driver and eventually arrested him for assault with a deadly weapon.

Remarkably, KCBS disputes that account, not only reporting that the driver turned himself in, but that he may not face charges.

Running an unarmed man over with a van is not self-defense, and even belligerent homeless people have a right to live. Unless the driver can prove he was attacked in an unprovoked assault, then inadvertently struck the victim in an attempt to get away, he should face an assault charge.

Or murder if the rider doesn’t make it.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Long Beach Police Department’s Accident Investigations Detail at 562-570-7357.

Meanwhile, the KCBS story is so different from the Press Telegram article that it raises serious questions, going out of their way to paint the driver as the real victim.

Did they uncover the story that the local paper missed? Or are they letting a bias against the victim — the real victim — color their story?

It will be interesting to see how this story unfolds.

Thanks to Rex Reese for the tip.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , ,

SaMo road rage hearing postponed, Mahdavi goes to Europe and Shannon Richards pleads no contest

November 3, 2011 / / 3 comments

According to cyclist/attorney Dj Wheels, Jeffrey Adams, the driver charged with two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon in the Santa Monica Dr. Thompson-lite case, was scheduled for a preliminary hearing Wednesday.

However, both Wheels and a comment left by Andrew note that the hearing was continued to December 13th.

Wheels also notes that Celine Mahdavi, the driver given a slap on the wrist sentenced to 90 days in the hit-and-run maiming of cyclist Louis Deliz, was scheduled for a restitution hearing on October 12th, which was rescheduled for December 1st.

Despite being sentenced to three years probation, in addition to her extremely limited jail time, the judge allowed her to travel to Europe for nine days.

Which suggests that the only person really being punished for her crime is her victim.

……..

Ventura resident Shannon Richard pleaded no contest to leaving the scene of a fatal collision on Tuesday.

Richard was charged with fleeing the scene after she hit Jose Louis Carmona as he walked along the the roadway when she was distracted by a crying child, leaving him to die on the side of the road.

The Ventura County Star reports that she thought that she had hit a deer, coyote or some other animal — in other words, she had no idea what the hell she hit, and didn’t care enough to find out.

Richard was not charged with driving under the influence, despite an initial arrest on drunk driving charges. Her lawyer said she was under the legal limit, and had only drank wine after the collision.

Note to drivers: if you want to get away with it, go home and have a couple of drinks. Then if you’re caught, just claim you only drank after you got home.

Reading between the lines, the victim was blamed for causing his own death by walking along the roadway without lights on his bike. Oddly, pedestrians — which is what Carmona was while walking his bike — aren’t normally required to have lights and are allowed to walk on the shoulder of a roadway.

Unless he was actually within the traffic lane, the driver should have been at fault.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 9th; Richard faces anything from four years in jail to probation with jail time.

Guess which one she’ll probably get.

……..

A couple other quick notes.

Rex Reese points out that bicycling was once reputed to ride the gay away; undoubtedly, it’s a popular for of recreation at the clinic run by Michelle Bachmann’s husband.

Nebraska alum Todd Munson points us to a hit-and-run that took out a couple of Lincoln motorcyclists; the perpetrator is the star of the volleyball team — and daughter of the coach; needless to say, she remains on the team since fleeing the scene of a collision isn’t that big deal.

A Culver City cyclist tells the city council of that city that not only did a CCPD officer ignore a mild hit-and-run, the officer followed up by frisking and fondling him. This may be the first time anyone has used the phrase “does stuff with my anal cavity” in an open council session.

A Houston cop claims his supervisor ordered officers to stop riders for biking while black.

Bike unfriendly USC takes a first step in dealing with bikes by asking two-wheeled students to be more considerate; the university will also hire consultants to study additional solutions to “the bike problem.”

University of Wisconsin researchers say the secret to a long life could be as simple as riding to the store.

Local bike shops face a considerable challenge in competing with online retailers, however, a group of New Hampshire bike shops have banded together to create a coop website allowing riders to shop online and still buy local; could be a good model for L.A. shops.

This is why you need a helmet; not because of car collisions that exceed their safety requirements, but because bad things can happen when you bike. I rode with a helmet for over 20 years without ever needing it; the one time I did, I was glad I had it.

After a cross-country cyclist is killed on a New Mexico reservation, tribal police fail to conduct an investigation because they didn’t think it was serious. Note to drivers: if you want to kill a cyclist, try doing it on tribal lands.

Here’s a new one. A London bus driver ran over and killed a cyclist because he had a sudden painful spasm that kept him from stepping on the brake. Note to drivers: see your doctor now to complain about back pain to document your excuse in case you ever need it.

A former leader of the League of American Wheelmen — now League of American Bicyclists — receives a posthumous honor from the Dutch for inventing the center line.

Finally, don’t get too comfortable in your position on the road; you can be replaced.

Category: Bikes & the Law, Injuries and Fatalities, Legal Cases / Tags: , , , , , ,

Felony charges in SaMo road rage after all, and I nearly run down a seemingly semi-suicidal cyclist

October 5, 2011 / / 3 comments

I was wrong.

Twice, as it turns out.

Last week, I wrote that a report that the charges against SaMo road rager Jeffrey Ray Adams had been upgraded to a felony appeared to be incorrect, based on responses from both the DA’s office and the Santa Monica City Attorney’s office.

And I had previously written that any charge against Adams was likely to be filed as a misdemeanor rather than a felony, based on the victim’s lack of serious injuries.

Wrong on both counts.

Cyclist/attorney Dj Wheels reports that as recently as last Thursday, both offices still said the case had been referred to the CA. However, when he checked on it again today, he discovered that on September 23rd, the DA had filed two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon, case No. SA078790.

Why two felony counts for the one incident, I have no idea. And no word on why the DA’s office changed their minds.

As I noted last week, Adams was scheduled to appear for arraignment on September 26th; a felony bench warrant was issued when he failed to appear. The warrant was recalled when he appeared on the 28th with a new attorney at his side.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 2nd at the LAX courthouse.

My apologies to the victim, and to everyone else, for getting it wrong this time.

And thanks to the DA’s office for taking this case seriously, and to Dj Wheels for staying on top of it.

……..

Tuesday afternoon, I nearly hit a cyclist.

I was driving back from REI in Santa Monica, partly because I needed some new arm warmers and partly because our dog has had a difficult week. And like a typical Angeleno, there’s nothing she enjoys more than a ride in the car to cheer her up.

Just what I need, an auto-centric Corgi.

This particular cyclist was hugging the parking lane, riding closer to the curb between the parked cars, then coming back out into the traffic lane to go around parked vehicles.

When he moved back towards the curb in an extended space between cars, I took my opportunity to pass, moving slightly to the left just in case. Then watched him look back over his shoulder, my car clearly visible on his left. I responded by letting up a little on the gas.

And sure enough, even though we were in the middle of the block, he suddenly threw his arm out to signal a left turn and immediately cut across my path, forcing me to hit my brakes to avoid him.

Suddenly, I had a far different perspective on all those SWSS collisions — Single Witness Suicide Swerve — in which drivers swear the cyclists they hit pulled out in front of them without any warning.

Because I was that close to being one of them.

Fortunately, I recognized the warning signs and reacted in time, although my move to the left actually increased the risk of a collision by putting me closer to him as he cut across.

Although if it hadn’t been another cyclist following behind him and recognizing the warning signs, he might not have been so lucky.

Then, oddly, I came home to read a few online news stories I’d been saving from the weekend, and discovered one from a British cyclist who had a nearly identical experience.

And went back to talk to the offending rider the next day.

……..

Governor Brown has just five days to sign SB 910, the 3feet2pass bill, despite opposition from the CHP — and eloquent support from a retired CHP officer paralyzed on the job. Best biking buddies Lance and Tony urge the re-governor to sign, too.

……..

Joe Linton offers a behind-the-scenes look at Sunday’s CicLAvia, while Mayor Villaraigosa stands up for it. This year’s route will cover 10 blissfully car-free miles. Bikerwave is closing Sunday so they can be there; maybe they’ll meet with some of the candidates for city council in CD15 hosted by Bikeside.

And half of your Veggie Grill purchase tonight will go to support CicLAvia.

Speaking of Linton, he offers a remarkable review of the results of the recent ThinkBike workshops for Downtown, Pacoima and South L.A. And likes what he sees, despite complaints about the process from some quarters.

……..

Gas 2.0 says no one walks in L.A., but we do bike. KPPC’s Air Talk program talks bikes with the co-author of The Urban Cyclist’s Survival Guide. Jaclyn Andrea Garcia is scheduled to start her jail sentence on Thursday. LADOT is three-quarters of the way to its first 40 mile annual bikeway commitment, assuming you count sharrows. A beginner’s guide to surviving the streets of Los Angeles. South Pasadena plans a new citywide bike network. Santa Monica gets a new bike riding training course. Bike-friendly UCLA offers students free use of a new $1400 repair station, while free air stations are a big hit in the South Bay. Long Beach is ready for its close-up. A bike riding Downey gardener refuses to use power tools. The importance of overcoming obstacles of the mind when you ride.

Temecula police arrest an 18-year old mask-wearing cyclist who appeared to be casing parked cars; okay, but how exactly do you ride suspiciously? An OC cyclist loses control on a busy roadway and slams into an SUV; sounds like he’s lucky that’s all he lost. Corona del Mar cyclists could soon have new signs and striping at key intersections. The Voice of San Diego says it’s time to fix the city’s cycling problems; as usual, the comments offer the same battle between cyclists, bike haters and vehicular cyclists you’ll find on almost any online infrastructure story. A lightless cyclist is sideswiped by a Chico State University police officer. If you’re looking for an emotionally charged name for a new hockey team, how about Critical Mass?

Tea Party members who criticize “socialist” bikeways might be surprised to learn arch-conservatives have supported cycling for over 40 years. What can be done to cut the unacceptably high rate of cycling fatalities. Evidently, drivers don’t like other drivers, either; turns out we’re all responsible for the tensions on the street. Bob Mionske says it’s time to stop blaming the victims. A Hawaii father says urges cyclists to make an informed choice on wearing a helmet. Bikes, cars and trucks attempt to occupy the same space/time on Seattle streets. As if the endless conflict between cars and bikes isn’t bad enough, in Colorado it’s cyclists vs. sheep dogs; I’ve had a few stare downs with stray flocks myself, but can’t recall a run-in the with the dogs guarding them. Texas A&M cracks down on cyclists for their own good, while bike laws don’t protect cyclists at LSU. If you don’t have plans for next May, you might consider the Tour de Rouge, a six-day ride from Houston to New Orleans; any ride that gets you out of Houston and ends in the Big Easy can’t be bad. Chicago bans hand-held cell phones and texting by cyclists; having watched in amazement as texting cyclists blundered into dangerous situations, I seriously do not have a problem with that. Senator Chuck Schumer walks, but apparently doesn’t ride, the Prospect Park West bike lanes his wife continues to fight, even though opponents knew their case had no merit. The Wall Street Journal puts a couple of negative bike studies in perspective, and not surprisingly, the results look a lot different from what the press has been reporting with baited breath; thanks to George Wolfberg for the heads-up. Streetsblog points out that bike-on-pedestrian injuries actually dropped as bicycling rates soared. Why DC needs their version of L.A.’s bicyclist anti-harassment ordinance.

Bicycling uses Geraint Thomas as an example of how to fall right, and offers eight examples of why The Cannibal may be the greatest cyclist of all time; no offense, Lance. Lululemon steps in to save the highly successful HTC-Highroad women’s team. New Calgary bike lanes oddly force riders to swerve out into the traffic lane. After nearly getting killed in an Arizona collision last year, adventurer James Cracknell cracks just 68 miles short of a tandem crossing of the British Isle; amazing that he could make it that after nearly dying last year. British cyclists prepare to go back to Blackfriars Bridge to demand safer cycling conditions. Another tragic — and predictable — London cycling death. The Dutch Cycling Embassy says cycling is for everyone, even if Dutch cyclists may not be qualified to ride in the UK. An Aussie magazine puts bike locks to the test. Tokyo police crack down on fixies (correction: Rick Risemberg points out they’re only going after brakeless fixies). Biking regains popularity in China.

Finally, cool L.A. bike jazz — and a cool L.A. bike jazz video — from Garfield Adams; I’ve started my day with this video for the past five days and it hasn’t failed to put a smile on my face yet. The music track is every bit as good without the bikes, too.

And I’m all for innovation when it comes to bike wheels, but no. Just no.

……..

One other quick note: I was hoping to highlight an exciting and heartbreaking new exhibit honoring fallen cyclists at the end of this month, but this post got a little too crowded. I’ll try to get to that in the next day or two.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bikes & the Law, Legal Cases / Tags: , , , , , , ,

79-year old Escondido cyclist killed in apparent solo wreck; Coroner rules Alan Deane death an accident

September 28, 2011 / / 5 comments

What started out as a very good month on SoCal streets has turned bloody for area cyclists.

After going nearly four full weeks without a fatal collision — and yes, that’s good for the heavily populated Southern California region that averages over one bike death a week — three riders have died in the last 10 days.

The latest is a 79-year old Escondido man who apparently died in a solo collision.

According to the North County Times, the rider, who has not yet been publicly identified, was found along the 400 block of East Mission Avenue in Escondido. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The Union-Tribune’s Sign On San Diego website reports that the victim was not wearing a helmet, and did not have lights on his bike. In this case, the lack of a helmet is relevant because this appears to be exactly the sort of slow speed impact that helmets were designed to protect against.

The cause of his fall is unknown;  however, police report that no other vehicles were involved.

Of course, it is entirely possible for a car to cause a crash, without leaving any sign, by cutting off a rider or passing too closely and causing the victim to lose control of his bike.

Unless a witness unexpectedly turns up, it’s unlikely we’ll ever know. But this could be exactly the sort of situation that SB 910, the 3feet2pass bill that’s currently sitting on the governor’s desk awaiting his signature, is designed to prevent.

Are you listening, Governor Brown?

This is the 54th confirmed traffic-related death in Southern California this year, and the 11th in San Diego County. That compares to an average of just under seven deaths each year in the San Diego area, and is just one below the 55 deaths recorded in the seven county SoCal region in each of the last two years currently on record.

It’s also the 5th fatal solo bike collision this year.

Update: The victim has been identified as Jerzy Nowak of Escondido; San Diego’s 10 News reports that there were witnesses who saw him fall, and confirm that no other vehicles were involved. 

……..

Meanwhile, the carnage continues in Pasadena, as another cyclist is injured in a hit-and run at the intersection of Walnut Street and Los Robles Ave; fortunately, he was not seriously injured.

And the death last week of popular cyclist and musician Alan Deane has been ruled accidental by the coroner’s office. What effect that will have on the police investigation remains to be seen.

Oddly, for someone whose death brought forth such an outpouring of grief, police have been unable to find Deane’s last known address.

Maybe you know where he was living?

……..

Of course, it’s not just Pasadena. Or Escondido, for that matter.

KABC-7 reports that a 15-year old bike rider was injured when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver on the 5500 block of North Victoria Avenue in Highland on Monday afternoon. He was taken to the hospital with a head injury; authorities are looking for the driver of a black, 1980s pickup truck.

……..

Finally, I’ve gotten word that Jeffrey Ray Adams, the driver accused of intentionally cutting off a cyclist in Santa Monica — then ranting about it in a video captured by the victim — missed a court appearance on Monday. As a result, I’m told that a felony bench warrant has been issued for failing to appear.

However, reports that the case has been upgraded to a felony charge appear to be incorrect. According to cyclist/attorney Dj Wheels, the District Attorney’s office still reports that the case has been referred to the Santa Monica City Attorney for misdemeanor filing, while the SaMo CA says the case is still under evaluation.

As he notes, however, it’s always possible that neither of their computer systems have been updated yet. We’ll check back in a few days.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bikes & the Law, Injuries and Fatalities, Legal Cases / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Major road rage chutzpah, Jeannie Longo breaks my heart & LA’s anti-harassment ordinance spreads east

September 18, 2011 / / 4 comments

In an unbelievable display of chutzpah, the driver accused of running down a Highland Park cyclist in a road rage assault has spoken out against bikes lanes on North Figueroa.

According to the Highland Park-Mount Washington Patch, Louis Mraz used a recent meeting of the Mt. Washington Homeowners’ Alliance to warn that efforts by the recently formed Figueroa for All initiative could return the street to a single lane for cars and one for bikes, like it was in the ‘40s when the Red Cars reduced vehicular traffic to one lane in each direction.

Like that would be a bad thing.

Except for impatient road raging drivers, of course.

He went on to suggest that cyclists should be routed to less-traveled streets, warning that North Fig could soon become “jammed with bikes.”

Then again, he seems to take offense if there’s just one bike in his way. Or at least, that’s what he currently stands accused of.

Maybe it’s just me.

But I’d think that when you’re facing charges for a vehicular assault against a cyclist, it might be wise to keep any obvious anti-bike bias to yourself.

Especially if it’s not the first time you’ve been accused of a road rage attack.

……..

Tell me it ain’t so, Jeannie.

The legendary Jeannie Longo is under investigation for dodging dope tests, while her husband stands accused of buying EPO on her behalf.

This one just breaks my heart.

Longo is — or was — one of the greatest cyclists of all time, and certainly stands as one of the best I’ve ever had the privilege watching ride to victory. If she’s cheating, it raising the question of just how long and when she started. And casts pall on a career that’s lasted through parts of five decades.

And if one of the greatest riders of our time is cheating, then who isn’t?

Maybe Greg LeMond is right, and just about everyone except him is dirty. Or everyone after him, anyway.

Even teams famously dedicated to riding clean face problems, as HTC-Highroad rider Alex Rasmussen is fired from the team and suspended by Denmark’s cycling federation after missing three drug tests in 18 months.

It’s starting to look like a clean pro cyclist is about as rare a clean college football program.

……..

L.A.’s groundbreaking bicyclist anti-harassment could soon spread east as Washington DC considers a similar ordinance in the wake of a deliberate assault on a rider.

……..

Seattle’s bike-friendly mayor says it’s time to stop finding fault and start finding solutions to the city’s recent rash of bike deaths — including a rider who may have been killed by a bad bikeway design. And The Stranger says as long as cyclists are dying, if people want to think there’s a war against cars, then maybe there should be.

Meanwhile, a Seattle author takes cyclists to task for failing to share the road.

She’s got a point. But seriously, if a cyclist is pounding on your car when you’re busy taking on the phone — hands-free or otherwise — there’s a reasonable chance you may have done something to deserve it.

Just saying.

……..

A very positive year for L.A. cyclists — though the notoriously anti-bike L.A. Weekly bizarrely calls it ass-kissing — leads to an honorable mention from the League of American Bicyclists. New LADOT General Manager Jaime de la Vega says L.A. is committed to becoming a more bike-friendly city. L.A. will soon get its first green bike lanes on 1st Street, and the Reseda Blvd bike lanes are now complete from Roscoe to Parthenia. Joe Linton explores the new Cahuenga Blvd bike lanes, the first to reach Hollywood. The BPIT agenda for October is officially unveiled. Bikerowave will host a swap meet on Sunday, October 2nd. Check out the shiny new CicLAvia website. Long Beach gets a new bike station. Thousand Oaks passes on hosting next year’s Amgen Tour of California. A mountain biker is killed by a train while riding on the tracks in Redding. A bike-riding Santa Cruz bank robber faces sentencing after pleading no contest; something tells me he’ll serve a lot more time for stealing money on a bike than most drivers get for killing someone on one. In a case that didn’t smell right from the beginning, CHP reverses itself to rule that a Los Altos Hills cyclist wasn’t responsible for the collision that killed her after all.

After beating back a challenge to bike funding in the federal transportation bill, Senate Majority leader Harry Reid says biking facilities are absolutely important. Defending Olympic time trial champion Kristin Armstrong is replaced by Amber Neben on the U.S squad for the World Championships. A Dutch student becomes the world’s second fastest cyclist at 82.81 miles per hour in a Nevada desert. Cyclists take to Boulder CO’s new 40-acre off-road bike park. The New York Times says don’t forget to pack your folding bike when you travel, while the bike wars continue in the letters to the Times; heads-up courtesy of George Wolfberg. NYC chooses Alta to run its bike share program. A Maryland woman becomes an unintended bike activist after a motorist is fined $507.50 for killing her bike-riding husband.

Mexico City cyclists ride to reclaim their streets following threats from a journalist. Brazil plans to devote 15% of all traffic fines to promote cycling. A Canadian writer concludes that law-flouting kamikaze bikers have declared war on pedestrians. A UK cyclist suffers a broken collarbone after being intentionally rammed in a road rage incident, while Sussex cyclists are being pelted with eggs. Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour has to tear down his beachfront bike hut. Surrey police target inconsiderate cyclists with a possible £1000 fine; link courtesy of Bob Davis. Bikes will soon be allowed on a Yorkshire pathway for the first time in 150 years. Hugh Jackman rides a Brompton. Sleek, sturdy wooden bikes that actually ride like, well, bikes. The NY Times swears Copenhagen pedestrians feel squeezed out by the city’s cyclists. Cyclists and drivers fight for supremacy on German roadways; Dave Moulton asks when cyclists in bike-friendly countries cross the line to become unfriendly to everyone else on the road. A Queensland cyclist remains unidentified after a fatal cycling collision — which is why you should always carry ID when you ride. China is falling back in love with the bicycle.

Finally, in case you missed it, an Orange County driver takes a short cut directly through Mission Viejo’s Rock N’ Road Cyclery. And Der Spiegel says L.A., here I come. No idea what it says, but the pictures are nice; thanks to Dr. Michael Cahn for the link.

Category: Bikes & the Law, General, Legal Cases / Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Jeffrey Ray Adams and the Santa Monica road rage case — call it Dr. Thompson lite

September 2, 2011 / / 16 comments

View of collision site shows how hard driver had to turn to cross center median; photo courtesy of Steve Herbert

Some of you have wondered why I haven’t written about the Santa Monica road rage assault that took place one week ago Thursday, other than a brief link earlier in the week.

It wasn’t for lack of trying.

I first became aware of this case on Saturday morning when a reader named Joy forwarded an email that had been sent to members of the Conejo Valley Cyclists.

In it, the author — who I won’t identify, since he hasn’t been publicly named by other news sources for reasons that escape me— told his side of the incident that occurred on Barnard Way on the evening of August 25th.

He described an ongoing dispute that continued as he rode down the street, as an angry driver repeatedly cut him off, gesturing and swearing. The rider responded by swerving into the paved median area, planning to pass the driver on the left when the car stopped for a stop sign. Instead, the driver, Jeffrey Ray Adams, cut sharply to the left across the rider’s path, causing a collision — apparently intentionally, in an incident all too reminiscent of the infamous Mandeville Canyon case.

Then to make matters worse, Adams continued to threaten the victim, as well as bystanders who intervened to protect him, in a video capturing the events that followed the collision.

I immediately reached out to both the victim and to Sgt. Thomas McLaughlin, the Santa Monica Police Department’s new liaison to the cycling community — sort of like LAPD Sgt. Krumer, but taller and closer to the coast.

Sgt. McLaughlin responded quickly to let me know he was off that day, but would pull the file the following day (Sunday) and get back to me.

As for the rider, I never heard back.

Which is odd, since he followed up on his first email with another directed to some 30 recipients, including members of the LACBC, Los Angeles Times and Santa Monica City Council, among others, asking them to report the story and demanding justice.

Note to cyclists: If you want someone to tell your story, trying responding to emails offering to do just that. Just a hint.

Meanwhile, Mihai Peteu of Bikeside broke the story later that night, with a link to the same information that Sgt. McLaughlin had offered to pull for me the next day. His story provided the name of the driver, as well as reporting that Adams had been booked on a charge of Assault with a Deadly Weapon and released on $30,000 bail.

Sgt. McLaughlin confirmed that Bikeside’s story contained all the relevant information he would have been able to give me from the incident report. And since Mihai had already reported everything I knew — and even turned the You Tube video the right way — I was more than willing to let them run with it.

Meanwhile, the story was soon picked up by the Santa Monica Mirror, LookOut News, Santa Monica Daily Press and L.A. Weekly. Although the first, and best, of news report came in a detailed story from the Canyon News.

Which meant that there was really no point in writing about it until I had something to add.

Which is, simply, this.

While cyclists are justified in their outrage over this dangerous and deliberate assault, this is not another Mandeville Canyon, despite the similarities.

In that case, the driver jammed his brakes directly in front of two riders, resulting in serious injuries to both, simply because they were in his way. Then the Good Doctor, who made his living treating trauma victims like the two he had just created, stuck around expecting a pat on the head from the responding officers. And was shocked to find himself cuffed in the back of a patrol car, because he’d gotten away with it before.

In this case, there was an ongoing dispute between the driver and cyclist; what started it, we have no idea. Although the rider’s initial email suggests the driver may have simply been pissed off to find himself stuck behind a cyclist on a road too narrow to allow passing, even though said rider said he was traveling at the 25 mph speed limit at the time.

But despite the outrageousness of the driver’s attack in turning directly into the path of the rider — then repeatedly claiming the rider hit his car and trying to goad witnesses into a fight — the bottom line is that the cyclist apparently suffered only minor injuries.

Or at least, what’s considered minor under the law. And under California law, that makes the crime a misdemeanor, rather than a felony. Even if his $3,000 bike was totaled.

Which is why Adams was out on just $30,000 bail within hours of his arrest.

The incident is still under investigation. And chances are, Adams will end up facing charges; his actions were clearly deliberate, there were too many witnesses and he made far too many stupid statements in front of a camera.

Unfortunately, it’s not against the law to be an idiot.

Or a jerk.

Then again, if it was, I could have faced my third strike years ago.

Whether he’ll do any time is another matter. Especially considering that Jaclyn Andrea Garcia is looking at just one year in jail — or in reality, six months or less — for nearly killing a cyclist while driving drunk, despite being underage.

And writing every council member in the City of Santa Monica won’t make a damn bit of difference.

What will make a difference, for other riders who find themselves in similar situations — and no, this is not the first time something like this has happened and it won’t be the last — is to get yourself out of it. Whatever it takes.

I’ve learned the hard way that it doesn’t pay to have an angry driver behind you. Or in this case, in front of you.

Or beside you, for that matter.

So when a driver rages, pull over and let him pass. Or take the next turn and go a different way, as I did recently in a similar situation just blocks from where this happened.

And no, it wasn’t the same guy. Which means there are at least two of them out there roaming the streets of Santa Monica.

It’s not always easy. But it’s just not worth it to confront a threatening driver armed with a multi-ton four-wheeled weapon of mass destruction.

Especially now that the newly passed L.A. cyclist anti-harassment ordinance will become law on Monday. Not that it would help in Santa Monica, of course.

Just take down the license or grab a photo if you can, note any other details, and get the hell out of the way.

And never, ever flip off the driver behind you.

Trust me on that one.

Category: Bikes & the Law, Car vs Bike, Legal Cases / Tags: , , , ,

Today’s post, in which I play the race card in support of L.A.’s cyclist anti-harassment ordinance

July 20, 2011 / / 4 comments

When I moved to the deep south over three decades ago, I found myself, perhaps not surprisingly, in a town deeply divided by race.

After all, it was just over a decade after the civil rights era, and far less than that since the city’s last violent demonstrations over school busing.

It didn’t take long notice an unfortunate pattern. Every day, thousands of people, both black and white, would come into the city’s business district where I worked; every night, they would go back home to their separate parts of town.

And most people seemed okay with that.

The attitude was expressed to me many times by people of both races. “We may not like you,” they said, “but we all have to get along if this city is going to survive.”

And so they did, working side-by-side by day, then going their own separate ways, to their own separate parts of town.

So when some of my coworkers invited me to go out bar hopping on their side of the tracks, I jumped at the chance.

I’d been raving about a band I’d heard the night before, in a bar where I rarely saw a face much darker than mine. And they said if I really wanted to have a good time, I was hanging out on the wrong side of town.

A few days later, I found myself in a car with a small groups of friends and co-workers, making our way down streets familiar to them, yet which I had never travelled before.

Evidently, not many like me had; the owner of one bar we visited bought me a drink because he said mine was the first white face that had ever entered his club unaccompanied by a license or a badge.

At first, my presence was met by skepticism; once I explained, in response to the inevitable questions, that I was just there to have some fun with my friends, the reactions from other patrons ranged from indifference to warmly welcoming, like a long lost friend they’d never met.

With one notable exception.

A very angry man came up at one of the clubs and went nose to nose with me, hissing “We don’t need your kind in here.”

The next thing I knew, one of my friends was standing directly between us and facing down my challenger, who stood a good head taller and outweighed her by at least a margin of 2-1. She wasted no time in telling him that I was with her, and if he didn’t like it, he could get the hell out.

And he did.

Later, as we discussed it on the way home, she asked if I’d enjoyed myself. I replied that I’d had a great time, but learned the hard way that it only takes one jerk to ruin things for everyone.

“Now,” she said, “You know how we feel.”

That’s a lesson I’ve never forgotten. And one that often comes back to me as I ride these mean streets we call home.

The overwhelming majority of drivers I encounter on the streets as I ride my bike treat me with anything from courtesy to indifference.

But every now and then, I run into someone who doesn’t think our kind — the two wheeled kind — belongs on their streets.

Sometimes it takes the form of honking aggressively or passing too close, maybe escalating into thrown objects, insults or getting run off the road.

Or maybe it turns into a violent assault, with a driver using her car as a weapon, like the woman who deliberately ran me down on a Westwood street.

It only takes one jerk to ruin things.

And there’s usually no one there to step in between and save the day. Even if there is a cop nearby, or they happen to take your 911 call seriously and send out a patrol car, he or she is just as likely to take the driver’s side and say it was just an accident, or defend the attackers against their victim. In my experience, anyway.

That’s why L.A.’s proposed Bicyclist Anti-Harassment Ordinance is so important.

For the first time, we’ll be able to defend ourselves against driveway vigilantes who attempt to enforce their own, usually made up, version of the law.

Not with words or gestures. Or even U-locks.

But with lawyers and subpoenas.

It won’t work miracles. We’ll still have to gather enough evidence to make it worth taking a case to court, which isn’t always easy to do from the saddle of a bike — let alone laying on the road after a driver has knocked you on your ass.

And we’ll still have to prove our case before a judge and jury, even if it only requires the simple majority of a civil case, rather than the unanimous agreement required for a criminal conviction.

But we’ll finally have a chance to defend ourselves against those handful of jerks who think we don’t belong. And it will only take a few verdicts on our favor before they get the message loud and clear.

We have a right to the road.

And the law — this law — will be on our side.

……..

L.A.’s groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind anywhere Bicyclist Anti-Harassment Ordinance comes before the full City Council for final approval at 10 am Wednesday at Downtown City Hall, 200 N. Spring Street. It’s number #19 on the agenda, but could be moved up if the council wants to address it sooner to accommodate the anticipated crowd of cyclists in the room.

And yes, I’ll be there.

Category: Advocacy & Politics / Tags: , , ,

Breaking news — Downtown cyclist killed in apparent road rage incident between two drivers

July 19, 2011 / / 5 comments

A cyclist is dead, collateral damage in a roadway dispute between two motorists in Downtown L.A.

The cyclist, who has not been publicly identified, was riding near the onramp to the 110 Freeway at the intersection of Francisco and 8th Streets when he was struck around 7 or 8 pm. The rider has only been described as an older Hispanic male, whose age has been various reported as 59 or 62.

According to the Los Angeles Times, a 23-year old woman in a Kia and a 37-year old man in a Chevy Avalanche were involved in some sort of dispute while driving north on Figueroa, then the Avalanche tried to pass the Kia on the right after they had turned left onto 8th Street, striking the victim in the process.

The Times reports that the driver of the Avalanche has been taken into custody for questioning, while the other driver remained at the scene but has not been detained.

And an innocent man is dead because one or both drivers couldn’t manage hold their damn temper behind the wheel.

As I said before, we need a policy of One and Done; a single conviction on a road rage charge should result in a loss of driving privileges for life.

No exceptions.

Thanks to Dj Wheels for the heads-up.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Valencia sentenced, BOLO for killer car, arrest in Angeles Crest road rage and 3 feet 2 pass passes

June 28, 2011 / / 9 comments

Lots of news to catch up on while I take a break from work.

……..

First up, Marco Antonio Valencia has finally been sentenced in the drunken and high hit-and-run death of Joseph Novotny over two years ago. Valencia had an estimated BAC of .23— nearly three times the legal limit — as well as methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana in his system at the time of the 11 am collision.

The now 22-year old driver will spend the next 26 years to life in state prison.

Unlike some other notable cases, there’s no satisfaction or sense of victory in this case. At least, not for me.

Just an overwhelming sense of sadness that two lives ended that day — Novotny and the man who killed him — because we as a society couldn’t manage to keep a repeat, underage drunk driver off the roads.

And fear of how many more Valencia’s there are out there just waiting to happen.

……..

Next up, there’s BOLO alert in the hit-and-run death of Alex Romero on the Valley’s Canoga Park Blvd last April.

Authorities have identified the car used to flee the scene after killing Romero in a high-speed collision, and traced it first to Palmdale, then San Pedro before losing track of it. As a result, you’re urged to be on the lookout for the following vehicle —

SUSPECT VEHICLE:

2003 TOYOTA COROLLA 4 DOOR, LIGHT GRY OR SILVER

LIC PLATE: 5FCA061

(REGISTERED TO ADDRESS IN PORTER RANCH)

MISSING RIGHT SIDE MIRROR & FRONT EMBLEM, DAMAGE TO RIGHT PORTION OF WINDSHIELD, AND POSSIBLE FRONT GRILL DAMAGE

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call Valley Traffic Detective Krajchir, at (818) 644-8034. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477). Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting the word “TIPLA” and the message to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. Tipsters may also go to www.lacrimestoppers.org, click on “Submit a Tip” and follow the prompts.

……..

An arrest has been made in the case discussed here recently in which a driver was accused of threatening cyclists on Angeles Crest Highway.

According to the Arcadia Patch, Earl Clyde Cox of La Crescenta threatened two separate groups of cyclists along the highway in a road rage incident.

Frighteningly, he reportedly told deputies that the riders weren’t being considerate, so he appointed himself as a driveway vigilante fashion and set out to teach them some manners.

I have a feeling he’s going to learn some the hard way himself.

……..

There’s good news from Sacramento for a change, as the proposed three-foot passing law passed the state Assembly’s Transportation Committee.

According to the California Bicycle Coalition, the measure passed on an 8 to 5 vote after an hour of impassioned testimony, including support from Bakersfield Senator Michael Rubio, who spoke as a private citizen and cyclist.

Not surprisingly, the AAA — both NorCal and SoCal editions — came out strongly against the bill, suggesting that it be made optional for drivers. So basically, they think their members should have the right to buzz you if the mood strikes.

Meanwhile, a lobbyist for the Teamsters insisted on their members’ right to continue killing cyclists by passing too closely.

Now the bill moves on to the full Assembly, which means it’s time to flood your own representative with letters of support for SB 910.

Let’s end with this quote from CBC Executive Director Dave Snyder —

“…Yesterday’s hearing offered a sobering reminder of how far California still has to go to ensure that everyone who uses the roads can do so safely. It’s disturbing to see AAA and the Teamsters try to defeat a measure that would give drivers – those with the greatest potential to harm others on the road – clear guidance on how to share the road more safely. Drivers who ride bicycles or know someone who does should be deeply concerned about how they’re being represented before lawmakers in Sacramento.”

On second thought, let’s end on this from Cyclelicious, as he urges you to support another bill, SB 582, that could begin to level the playing field for those who prefer to commute via something other than four wheels.

Like a bicycle, for instance.

……..

There’s been a non-development in Dr. Christopher Thompson’s appeal of his conviction in the Mandeville Canyon Brake Check, in which the Good Doctor tested his stopping power by slamming on the brakes in front of two riders, seriously injuring both.

According to cyclist/attorney Dj Wheels, the oral arguments scheduled for Wednesday have been cancelled after Thompson’s attorney declined to argue his case.

Evidently, that’s not unusual. And since the appellant chose not to appear, the attorney for the People of California chose not to appear, as well. After all, there’s no point in responding when there’s no one to respond to.

So what’s next?

Brace yourself. According to Wheels,

In the normal course, the case will be “submitted” tomorrow (Wednesday), without oral argument, and the court will have 90 days from that date to file its opinion.  If the conviction is affirmed, appellant will have the opportunity to seek rehearing, if he can identify a very specific error in facts in the Court of Appeal.  He can also, and universally will, file a petition for review in the California Supreme Court, identifying specific issues under specific conditions that would justify a  grant of review in the Cal. Supreme court.  He may also collaterally attack the conviction in the California courts by means of a writ of habeas corpus.  For those federal claims that have been exhausted in state court, he may then file a petition for writ of habeas corpus in the federal district court, which could lead to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and the US Supreme Court.

In other words, we’ve got a long damn row to hoe before the case involving this particular repellant appellant is finally settled.

……..

Jury selection is scheduled for Wednesday in the case of Gordon Catlett Wray, the driver accused of killing local scientist and cyclist Doug Caldwell and injuring fellow rider Scott Evans; opening arguments will follow either Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning, depending on what time jury selection concludes. The trial will take place at the San Fernando Courthouse, 900 Third Street in the city of San Fernando, case #0SR05313. Cyclists are urged to attend to show their support for the victims.

Update: I’ve just been informed that the charge against Wray is misdemeanor vehicular homicide; as always, that could be reduced if there’s a settlement.

Thanks to John Stesney for the reminder.

……..

Outrage from cyclists has had an effect in Mississippi, as a local DA has agreed to reopen the investigation into the hit-and-run driver who ran over a cyclist, got out of her car to look at her, then got back in and ran over her again. The victim was victimized yet again when authorities concluded that her actions weren’t prohibited under Mississippi and there was nothing they could charge her with.

Hopefully, a more thorough scouring of state laws will turn up something this time.

Personally, I vote for attempted murder. Or at the very least, a couple counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

……..

Finally, thanks to George Wolfberg, and Tim Rutt of Altadenablog, for forwarding the New York Times report on noseless saddles designed to help put a little less pressure on the groins of male riders, and help them get a little more wood out of the saddle.

Not that you have a problem with that, of course.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bikes & the Law, Legal Cases / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Don’t ever do anything that could possibly piss a driver off

September 3, 2010 / / 10 comments

No.

Oh, hell no.

It’s true, like it or not, that our behavior on the road can affect how drivers respond to us. And yes, we have as much responsibility for avoiding confrontations on the streets as drivers do, even though they have to potential to do far more harm.

Sharing the road goes both ways, requiring all road users to observe the law and show courtesy and respect for others. And yes, that includes you and me.

But you can take that philosophy too damn far.

A bicyclist and writer for New West does exactly that, arguing that cyclists must “do what they can to stop angering and inconveniencing motorists.”

It’s not like the writer is completely out of line. Of the five pieces of advice he offers, four make perfect sense. For the most part, anyway.

He tells riders to hold your line, noting that riding in a straight line is “perhaps the best habit a cyclist can have,” in terms of safety and allowing drivers to maneuver around you.

He suggests wearing bright clothing — which is something I’ve always advocated, despite the current fashion for muted earthtone bikewear — as well as using lights and reflectors in low-light conditions.

And as many others have, he notes that there is safety in numbers, and that more bikes on the roads means drivers will get more used to sharing them with us. However, he also says cyclists should ride single file; mostly true, even though it can be safer to ride two abreast in some cases in order to control the lane and increase visibility.

He also instructs riders to obey traffic laws. Again, good advice, although there can be cases where what’s safe and what’s legal aren’t always the same thing in a world where traffic laws weren’t written with cyclists in mind.

So far, so good.

The problem comes in the final bit of advice — the first in his list —  where he accuses “too many” riders of angering drivers with a “holier-than-thou attitude” and thinking they have special rights.

So tell me. How can any driver — or any other cyclist, for that matter — know what someone’s attitude is without stopping and asking them? Stepping behind the wheel of car or onto the saddle of a bike does not make me or anyone else a mind reader. And whatever attitudes I may ascribe to those I share the road with is more a projection of my own state of mind than any deep psychological insights into others.

Besides, what some may see as a “holier-than-thou” attitude may reflect nothing more than a thorough knowledge of the law and our right to the road.

He goes on to suggest that you never, ever do anything to tick off drivers.

Basically, be constantly careful not to give motorists any reason to dislike cyclists. Don’t take over a road. Don’t inconvenience motorists. Pull over when you have traffic backed up. When waiting at a stoplight, leave room for motorists to turn right on red. Be considerate.

Reward politeness with politeness. Smile and wave when a motorist gives some courtesy and space. Be careful you wave correctly so it isn’t misinterpreted as an obscene gesture.

Yes, it is often courteous to move a little to the left at a red light, so cars can use the right turn lane; however, in places without a turn lane, it’s not always safe to do so.

And you should allow others to pass when it’s safe and there’s enough room. Although nothing says you have to pull over and stop unless there are five or more cars backed up behind you and unable to pass.

Simply put, if they can go around you, you aren’t impeding traffic. Period.

I also believe in giving a wave of thanks when a driver shows me courtesy or operates with unusual safety. But I have a right to be there, and thanking a driver for merely giving me the space the law requires just reinforces the mistaken idea that streets are for cars and that bikes don’t belong there.

And whatever you do, he says, don’t ever express anger or talk to a driver to let them know that they did something dangerous.

Reward meanness with kindness. Even when a motorist cuts you off, yells obscenities or hazes you, don’t yell back or offer up the universal salute. Don’t ride over the driver’s side window for a little chat; this almost never has a good outcome. Again, smile and wave. Nothing will change that incident; but next time, the motorist might feel and behave differently. Suck it up; take one for the team; do it for all cyclists who will come down that road after you do. Guilt is a powerful motivator.

Yeah, I’m just going to smile and wave and take one for the team when a driver leaves me in a bloody heap in the road.

I don’t think so.

And as the cyclist who may come down the road after you, I’d strongly prefer that you politely let a driver know when he or she does something dangerous. My life may depend on it.

Look, I understand where he’s coming from. A little courtesy goes a long way towards making everyone’s trip safer and more enjoyable. And in any confrontation, the cyclist is the one who is most likely to come out on the losing end; after all, we’re not the ones armed with two-ton weapons of mass destruction.

But the sort of condescending obsequiousness he suggests only reinforces the common, but mistaken, attitude that we’re interlopers on the drivers’ turf.

Finally, he concludes by repeating his call for bike riders to be “ambassadors for everybody who rides a bicycle, now and in the future.”

So lets make this very clear.

I am not an ambassador for bicyclists, any more than any driver is an ambassador for every other motorist on the roads.

An ambassador is someone who represents others in a foreign land. But these streets are not foreign territory belonging to motorists.

I belong here. I have a right to be here.

And I’m not going to apologize for it.

………

Meanwhile, a new survey shows 65% of Brits think biking is normal, and only 7% think cyclists are strange. And 43% wish they were on a bike while they sit stuck in traffic.

I’m not sure I want to know what a similar stateside survey would show.

………

Allesandro Petacchi jets to victory in a mass sprint in stage 7 of the Vuelta. Christian Vande Velde looks to make a comeback at the Vuelta, if he can stay in one piece. And the Times says new evidence may have surfaced implicating Lance Armstrong in the government doping investigation.

………

Funding approved for the first phase of the West Valley Greenway. The Southern California Association of Governments prepares to take a collaborative approach by launching a BikePed Wiki website next month. UCLA Today looks at Ayla Stern, new BAC member and co-founder of the Valley Bikery. LACBC looks at Wednesday’s Monthly Mixer. Claremont Cyclist looks back at the weekly Wednesday Griffith Park Ride. Courtesy of dudeonabike, proof that even cars in Oregon can support bikes. Santa Rosa installs a 65-foot obelisk made of recycled bikes in the middle of the city’s automotive district; isn’t every city an automotive district? Cyclists complain about getting bumped from Caltrain. Struggling to focus on the road while riding through Big Sur. A San Francisco conservative — there’s an endangered species for you — ridicules Obama for wearing a helmet, a year after he was criticized for not wearing one; sometimes you just can’t win. The University of Arizona opens an on-campus bike valet. A Spokane city councilman starts a flame war with cyclists, insisting he can be rude if they can and suggests banning bikes “if this ignorance continues to happen here.” A look at the court case that established your right to ride on the road, hard to believe it’s only been 10 years; the lawyer who handled that case says you have to fight for your rights. A cross-country cyclist has his bike and gear stolen in Missouri. Why Chicago is falling behind other biking cities. Some drivers take the blame and some pass it. A cyclist gets hit twice in one month in Downtown DC; bad luck or bad biking? Florida cyclists complain about misplaced rumblestrips on roadway shoulders; at least that’s one problem we don’t have on PCH. Yet. A helmetless Ottawa cyclist dies in a solo accident after flipping over the handlebars. An Irish cyclist is found dead on the side of the road, with no sign of a collision. Bonnie Prince Charlie joins with British Cycling to promote bikes as sustainable transport. A Brit cyclist falls off his bike and punches the paramedic who tries to help him after downing 12 pints. Photos of the latest bikes from Eurobike 2010; the latest bike shorts have a fly. Police in North Wales says no race marshals from the local cycling association, no race. Doubling the number of Danes who bike to work. Yet another warning to beware of middle-aged men in Lycra, aka Mamils.

Finally, in yet another example of heartlessness, a Sacramento cyclist is killed when a driver hits him from behind at 55 mph, then stops, sees a body lying in the roadway, and continues driving for another hour before calling to 911 to report that she thinks she hit a dog.

I swear, there is a special place in hell…

Category: General / Tags: , , , , ,
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