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| 5/25 |
| 2010/1/8-29 [Transportation/Bicycle] UID:53617 Activity:nil |
12/8 http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/01/cyclist-sentenced.html Car driver gets 5 years for assualting bicylists with car. \_ How many years do cyclists get when they run red lights? I almost hit one last week when a cyclist ran a red light in front of me while I was about to start moving on my green light in Fremont. \_ How many years do motorists get when they run red lights? I almost got hit by one last week when a motorist ran a red light in front of me while I was about to start moving on my green light. (true, btw, not just a tongue-in-cheek copy of the pp) \_ True, but most people would (correctly) assume that it's the driver's fault if you did get hit. \_ How many years do car drivers get for speeding? As far as I can tell, every car driver breaks the law. And speeding kills far more people than cyclists running red lights. The real difference here is that a cyclist running a red endangers himself, car drivers endanger everyone. Don't get me wrong though, I think both cyclists and car drivers should obey the law. But the penalty for running a red light or speeding should be much less than for deliberately assaulting someone with a deadly weapon and causing great bodily harm. \_ But the problem is that when a speeding driver hits someone/something, people naturally assume that it's the speeding driver's fault; whereas when a driver hits a red-light-running cyclists, people naturally assume that it's the driver's fault given the current politics unless the driver can prove that the cyclist ran the red light which is hard to do unless there is a witness or a camera at the intersection. -- PP \_ Man, what city do you live in? Here in San Francisco car drivers who hit cyclists are almost never even cited, even when there are multiple witnesses to them being at fault. http://sf.streetsblog.org for many examples. \_ Fremont. -- PP \_ I've been hit on my bicycle by cars 3 times and all 3 times it was the drivers fault. All three times they didn't even bother to get out of the car. The last one hit me from behind, launching me over the car in front. The woman driving, yelled "your fault", turned up her stereo and drove off. We've created a society where people are too afraid to be concerned. \_ I'm Spike Bike. I hate cars. \_ Too afraid? It sounds like too selfish to me. Did you get a license plate any of those times? Witnesses? |
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| latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/01/cyclist-sentenced.html Doctor sentenced to 5 years in prison for assaulting bicyclists in Brentwood January 8, 2010 | 11:05 am _S1G1212 A doctor convicted of assaulting two bicyclists by slamming on his car brakes after a confrontation on a narrow Brentwood road was sentenced today to five years in prison. Christopher Thompson, wearing dark blue jail scrubs, wept as he apologized to the injured cyclists shortly before he was sentenced. "I would like to apologize deeply, profoundly from the bottom of my heart," he told them, his right hand cuffed to a court chair. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Scott T Millington called the case a "wake-up call" to motorists and cyclists and urged local government to provide riders with more bike lanes. He said he believed that Thompson had shown a lack of remorse during the case and that the victims were particularly vulnerable while riding their bicycles. The case against Thompson, 60, has drawn close scrutiny from bicycle riders around the country, many of whom viewed the outcome as a test of the justice system's commitment to protecting cyclists. Millington said he did not take into account more than 270 e-mails and letters from cyclists that were filed with the court urging a tough sentence. The July 4, 2008, crash also highlighted simmering tensions between cyclists and residents along Mandeville Canyon Road, the winding five-mile residential street where the crash took place. One cyclist was flung face-first into the rear window of Thompson's red Infiniti, breaking his front teeth and nose and cutting his face. The other cyclist slammed into the sidewalk and suffered a separated shoulder. At his sentencing hearing at the county's airport branch court, Thompson cited the Bible in urging cyclists and residents of Mandeville Canyon to try to resolve their differences peacefully. "If my incident shows anything it's that confrontation leads to an escalation of hostilities," Thompson said. Thompson, a former emergency room physician who described the crash as a terrible accident, testified during his trial last year that he and other Mandeville Canyon residents were upset that some cyclists rode dangerously and acted disrespectfully toward residents and motorists along the street, a popular route for bike riders. On the day of the crash, Thompson said he was driving down the road on his way to work when several cyclists swore at him and flipped him off as he called on them to ride single file. He said he stopped his car to take a photo to identify the riders and never intended to hurt anyone. But the cyclists said the doctor was acting aggressively from the start. They said he honked loudly from behind them and passed by dangerously close as they moved to ride single file before he pulled in front and braked hard. A police officer told jurors that shortly after the crash that Thompson said he slammed on his brakes in front of the riders to "teach them a lesson." Prosecutors said Thompson had a history of run-ins with bike riders, including a similar episode four months before the crash when two cyclists told police that the doctor tried to run them off the road and braked suddenly in front of them. Comments: Preview Post Comments (68) I agree that the guy was wrong, but 5 years is insanity. If someone brakes too quickly on the highway and you ram into them, it's your fault. Society would have been much better served if the doctor was sentenced to five years of working for the uninsured. January 08, 2010 at 11:19 AM A 5 year sentence is a good start, but he also needs to have his drivers and medical licenses permanently revoked and anger management as part of the terms of his parole. January 08, 2010 at 11:37 AM I hope that Dr Thomson has learned his lesson if not I am sure he will learn about vulnerability while in prison. This whole event has expended too much emotion energy to be good for either side. I am just grateful that the cyclist in this case where able to supply enough evidence that the local constables where unable to rationalize this unfortunate and illegal activity in their usual fashion to just an accident. He shouldn't have done that to them but they also should be more considerate. I have almost hit them so many times coming around corners at the speed limit and they are 4 and 5 a brest going 5 miles an hour. It scares me to death, they don't deserve all this attention they are as much to blame as he is. They make mororists go 5 miles an hour, refusing to go single file. So here's a new rule to make they can't ride buddy system they should ride single file always avoiding this problem. The driver should never have done what he did but neither should theyAnd to take down a good man a doctor and throw him in jail for this, you should all be ashamed of yourselves, totally and completely. What he did was not civilized but what you did wasn't either. January 08, 2010 at 11:41 AM This case is a "wake-up call". The time has come to give them full and equal rights on the road. Bike lanes, bike infrastructure and enough space to ride safely and expediently on the roads. We need to make it a crime to harass, threaten or willingly injure a bicyclist due to intolerance and hate. January 08, 2010 at 11:42 AM Thank you Judge Millington, with this verdict the bicycle riders out on the road stand a bit of a chance at getting some protection. Just about every rider I know had their share of aggressive drivers. These riders in this case were lucky in that everything fell in place correctly and that there were no "problems" with them. So many of my friends are not so lucky and drivers, if they even manage to stop, are seldom charged with an infraction. January 08, 2010 at 11:47 AM A good day for cycling advocates and for justice. I hope Mayor Villaraigosa hears the Judge's plea for more bike lanes and education. Let's all slow down and be safe, and give safety to those around us. January 08, 2010 at 11:49 AM The thing that is the most revolting is the story made up by the doctor's attorney: that the doctor was only stopping to take a photograph. The attorney also produced an "expert" who said that there was enough time for the riders to stop. Why are attorneys allowed to tell lies for a living and get paid vast amounts of money for it? to swear in court that up is down, black is white and day is night. that seems a lot but then his pattern of aggression and his clear intention to injure (apparently) would set a terrible precedent for other motorists if not given a stiff punishment. as a cyclist myself, LA drivers need every incentive possible to become more considerate of those who choose to get around on 2 wheels. January 08, 2010 at 11:52 AM It's unfortunate that Mr Thompson didn't express his remorse in the years prior to being sentenced. Just goes to show that people get sorry when the get caught. another freakin' obstacle in the road because you know, people driving crazy, not obeying the signs and rules and running red lights is just not enough to deal with. January 08, 2010 at 12:13 PM Los Angeles has a long way to go before it becomes a safe place for cyclists. Never before have I experienced such vitriol as when I rode my bike (respectfully) around the city. Drivers would cut me off, flip me off, and scream obscenities at me for no good reason. I hope this can be a wake up call to motorists to share the road. January 08, 2010 at 12:56 PM Congratulations, and thanks to the district attorney's office for pursuing this with the enthusiasm this case deserved. I've read far too many accounts from other states that fail to file charges of any kind. January 08, 2010 at 01:04 PM This sentence is outrageous and doesn't fit the crime. Real criminals have served less time for rape, child abuse and even manslaughter. January 08, 2010 at 01:06 PM ALL motorists need to take head: In the age of the cell phone camera, every one of your road rages gets captured. If you cause an accident, everyone you ever cut off will come out of the woodwork and send you to prison. That's what happened here and, frankly, it may be deserved. You can kvetch about cyclists slowing us down or running stop signs but this comes down to dangerous ... |
| sf.streetsblog.org LAist Christopher Thompson - aka the Road Rage Doctor - was sentenced to five years in prison today for intentionally causing a crash that hospitalized two cyclists on Mandeville Canyon Road in Los Angeles' Brentwood neighborhood. Streetsblog Los Angeles report that Thompson received two years for assault with a deadly weapon for his attack on Ron Peterson, with a three-year enhancement for causing great bodily injury. The judge in the case denied a motion from Thompson's defense for probation. graphic images captured of the aftermath, and a 911 tape where Thompson admitted to slamming on his breaks and assured the dispatcher that the cyclists weren't seriously harmed even as the cyclists lay injured on the ground, some bleeding profusely. gif Screenshot from the Facebook group promoting dooring, among other acts that injure cyclists. A number of Streetsblog readers have noticed a particularly loathsome group that has sprouted up on Facebook and has a legion of fans. "There's a perfectly good bike path right next to the road you stupid cyclist," a group page with a bunch of anti-cyclist screeds and some pretty nasty photos of bicycle crashes and car-on-bike violence. Facebook has concluded that the group does not violate the site's terms of use and will not shut it down. "It's a stupid and offensive joke and unfortunately there are still people who don't see that bicyclists have the same rights as everyone else," said Marc Caswell, Program Manager at the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. "It's a cruel example of the ignorance of cyclists' rights. The site is full of the vitriol one has come to expect online and in anonymous comment sections, but unlike blogs or online forums, all the fuming leaves a clear path to the users who posted it. Ryan Woolcott, who hails from Australia, and several of the references to road rules are of British provenance or from former British colonies. In the "About Me" section, it reads: "No matter how far to the left you are, you're taking up my road. as too distant a possibility to factor in or, ironically, they view rail transit as a means to get employees to sprawling office parks built with ample municipal tax breaks or as a park-and-ride commuting option for residents. And so even if transit is being considered as part of a larger regional plan, sites are sought that can provide highway visibility and acres of surface parking. New Starts grant program, deciding to award transit money to cities and towns that pursue mixed-use development very early on in the process. When local officials decide to pursue the downtown revitalization that Payton discusses, their priorities often begin and end with economic growth -- those often-misguided municipal tax breaks, are often used to lure new employers to a particular area. A federal system that rewards localities for promoting density even in the absence of transit would provide a powerful incentive to look beyond businesses promising that, say, 1,000 new parking spaces are a prerequisite for job creation. Sarah Goodyear If you are a person who rides a bicycle, how do you refer to yourself? As riding a bicycle for transportation has become more common around the country, the question comes up more and more often. The word "cyclist," in common usage, has long meant someone wearing Lycra, often riding for recreation. Copenhagen Cycle Chic -- has been fed by people like this, people who just want to be themselves, riding a bike in their own clothes. People who don't want to put on what they perceive as a cyclist costume. ImageMD via Flickr I struggle a lot with the term "cyclist." It feels dishonest to use it when referring to myself, but lord knows "biker" is all wrong, too. Although I've dedicated myself to riding my bike, I don't feel like I am really a part of the bike community. This isn't some sort of high school drama feeling -- it's more that I feel too new to identify myself that way.... For me, riding is as much an act of advocacy as it is of pleasure. I do enjoy riding my bike, but it's not part of my history. Maybe I'm a late bloomer, but I guess I'm forging that love affair only now. I ride because I sincerely believe my riding can make a difference, no matter how small. I ride because not only do I want my community to be healthier and greener, but also because I tend to think that having a progressive bike culture will lead to all kinds of other cultural progress. Somehow I think that tolerance is woven in with a general sense of community goodness -- whatever that means. If that's what a cyclist is, or how it's perceived by the "masses," I'm not sure it's what I want to be. I suppose I could just be a person on a bike, but that's no fun. CommuteOrlando Blog on efforts to protest a particularly hateful Facebook group that incites drivers to hit cyclists (or people on bikes -- we don't think the folks who run these groups make semantic distinctions). View Larger Map A 55-year-old San Francisco woman died early this morning at San Francisco General Hospital nearly ten hours after after she was hit by a driver while crossing Sloat Boulevard at Forest View Drive. The 6:23 pm crash yesterday occurred as the victim attempted to cross six-lane Sloat Boulevard from the south. Using the crosswalk, she made it across the first three lanes to the wide median, but was struck by the driver of a Toyota Corolla heading westbound as she made her way across the final three lanes. The driver remained at the scene, and was not arrested, though Officer Samson Chan of the SFPD said the investigation is open and active. SF Appeal, which first reported the crash, said the driver was a 68-year-old San Francisco resident. Crossing Sloat at Forest View Drive is a daunting task for pedestrians: the speed limit on Sloat is 40 miles per hour, and Forest View Drive intersects it directly in the middle of a stretch almost a mile long without a single stoplight or stop sign for cars on Sloat. Pedestrians have little choice but to brave the six-lane boulevard, hoping to beat the cars, which have considerable room to pick up speed as they travel a full mile uninterrupted. Congressman John Garamendi from California's 10th District conducted a tour of the planned station sites of BART's 10-mile extension from Pittsburg Bay Point to Antioch. Garamendi joined BART Director Joel Keller, Brentwood Mayor Robert Taylor, and representatives from the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, BART, Tri Delta Transit and the State Route 4 Bypass Authority on a Tri-Delta bus for the tour. The $462 million eBART extension is funded mostly through bridge tolls and a Contra Costa sales tax measure and will accompany the widening of Highway 4 to six and eight lanes along the corridor from the existing four lanes. BART Director Keller asserted eBART would finally be delivering on a BART promise to bring transit to eastern Contra Costa County. Keller said he routinely hears from his constituents that they have been paying taxes for decades and that cities like Antioch were upset that they didn't have the rapid transit that was promised when BART was originally built. "The perception of taxpayers in my district is 'We've paid for BART, we should get BART," said Keller. eBART will use Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) technology and won't run on the traditional BART lines, a choice that was made for financial reasons. Photo: Michael Rhodes The driver of a 9-San Bruno Muni bus struck a male bicyclist from behind on Market at Front Street at 10:40 this morning. The bicyclist was removed from the intersection in an ambulance with "moderate injuries," according to an officer at the scene. The Fire Department confirmed that the injuries were not life-threatening. Fortunately, both the bus and the bicycle were reportedly moving at low speeds at the time of the crash. "It appears at this point that the bus may have contacted the back of the bike from behind," said Sgt. "This is still under investigation as to the actual cause of the accident." Susan Dhillon witnessed the aftermath of the crash as she drove by on Market shortly after it occurred and said she was shocked to see the bicyclist on his feet given the conditi... |