[T@H] Re: Driver held to answer on felony charges

Henry Baker

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Subject: [T@H] Re: Driver held to answer on felony charges
Date: 12/16/2008 8:21:09 AM
List: Tandem

In my experience, the BMW & Infiniti _sedans_ aren't the the biggest problem;
it's the SUV drivers on their cellphones (& women SUV drivers are much worse
than men). These people have no clue how far out their vehicles protrude, and
having only one hand on the wheel and no eyes on the road doesn't help their
driving.

BTW, my personal, unscientific survey of drivers in Los Angeles does not portend
good things for L.A. cyclists. ***Better than 50% of the people I've spoken
with think that the cyclists got what they deserved!*** What in the world have
cyclists done to deserve this kind of hatred? I've seen cyclists do a number of
dumb things, but these were primarily dumb things that would get themselves
killed -- but not the sorts of things that should piss off drivers.

The _motor_ cyclists do far, far worse things to piss off drivers, but for some
reason, they don't get quite the same level of hatred.

At 07:18 AM 12/16/2008, David Burckhard wrote:
>Dave Whitmon posted a link to support Charles' post:
>> This is on youtube
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZfydzXx9P0
>
>Being assaulted by a doctor wins the "Irony o' The Day" award. Of course, it
seems, individuals from most every other profession are vying for that award
daily.
>
>Surely, everyone on this list has a story or a dozen about similar situations.
I do recall that BMW drivers have been the most egregious but maybe that's just
me and that doesn't imply all BMW drivers are cyclist killers. Indeed, my
stoker, best friend and wife who all happen to be the same person, drove a BMW
when I met her and, to my knowledge, she's never tried to kill a bicyclist but
that doesn't mean she wouldn't if I crossed her. So I behave. But that's not my
point.
>
>My point is: There are all kinds of road users. The ones with chips on their
shoulders don't all drive white vans and pickup trucks so you can't spot them
easily. Wait, that's not my point either. I guess what I really want to
emphasize is that the driver of the car apparently has a pent-up rage that was
based on a number of incidents not just with bicyclists but with other
motorists. Also his lack of physical prowess and certain anatomical
short-comings make him feel small and powerless as a man. He compensates by
driving a sports car and hiring a body guard. He's frustrated, he's angry. His
wife or girlfriend, if one exists, laughs at his failures to satisfy her. He
can't engage with another mano-a-mano so he uses his vehicle as a powered
extension of his body. At some point he breaks and tries to harm two riders,
easy targets really, for some offense real or imaginary. He's a sad and pitiful
man driven to a breakdown by demons spawn of his own
> tortured spirit.
>
>Or maybe he's just a jerk.
>
>Regardless, best that he's put away for some time. I hope he finds the special
kind of love that only a state penitentiary can offer.
>
>Dave "Jung" Burckhard
>San Jose