BMW

To the guy who passed me at speed with less than an inch clearance on a tight residential street:

You know people are laughing at you, right?

When you buy the Ultimate Driving Machine, and then actually drive it as if you yourself were in a TV commercial: cartoonishly fast, with complete disregard for laws, conditions or other people, it makes people think that you actually believe the advertising.  And only children believe advertising.  That's one of the definitions of growing up.

When you demonstrate that level of childishness and foolishness what else can normal people do but laugh and feel sorry for you?

How to get away with murder.

I often get frustrated at how we, in this society, tend to forgive an enormous amout of behavior that would be criminal if any object other than an automobile were used.  Crimes that would inspire public revulsion and a long maximum sentence are virtually ignored if the weapon is car.  It's not unusual for people who KILL pedestrians or cyclists to be given no sentence at all.  Sometimes you can kill multiple people and go scott free.

A couple of years ago a driver with MULTIPLE tickets killed a pedestrian in West Seattle.  The police did not ticket the driver.  Although he was speeding and ran a red light and the DA declined to press charges.  They said that since he was a father, a religious leader and a 'moral' man he should be forgiven.  He'd killed someone and there was a pattern of behavior that predicted it!!

Unfortunately for him, although he used the correct weapon for murder, he killed an important person, the aide to a city council member.  The council insisted that the county file charges.  He had a trial (he hit another person between the murder and the trial and got a speeding ticket DURING the trial!)  He was found guilty and given a suspended sentence. No jail time at all. A spree of violence and a cold blooded murder and no jail time.  Chilling?  What's worse is that this violent terror did not lose his driving privileges at all.

I think we've got to stop the special exceptions for assault, battery and murder that go easy on someone if a car is the weapon.  I've ranted about it for years.  I've been wanting to do a blog post on it for 15 years. I've never had the right words, calm enough but strong enough.  Insightful and clear enough to force the paridm shift away from the typical car-head perspective.

We had a terrible crime last year when a cyclist was killed and the driver drove off.  That driver was finally caught and confessed this week after yet another hit and run.  Unfortunately, the maximum sentence allowable for this murder is only 41 months.  The law is so lenient solely because of the weapon used. The prosecution is soliciting letters from the community to give to the judge to help with the sentencing.

I wrote something very quick.  While i don't think it's very good, at least it's to the point.

 Here's what i wrote:

This kind of crime makes people angry.  And it should. It makes me very very angry.

What i WANT is for this guy to be locked up forever and throw away the key.  But that doesn't help anyone or change anything.  That's emotion talking.  It's anger, it's revenge.  It doesn't help me, or him.  Nor does it help or society in general, which is, after all, the point.

What IS important is that he DOES NOT drive anymore.  That is what makes a difference; that is what is important to me, and for that matter that is what is important for society.   It's better for the city of Seattle that this person does not drive a car. And it's good for him too.

Personally, i think he should NEVER be allowed to drive a car again, and that would be my strong vote.  But again, putting emotion aside and trying to think logically, i would suggest a very long license suspension, 4 years at the very minimum, probably much more.  Suspend his driving privileges and give him an ORCA card.  Make his probation dependent on not driving a car. 

And then make it very public that this extremely dangerous driver will be prevented from driving.   That might work as a detergent for future murderers.  And if he IS ever allowed to drive again, he should have to undergo some sort of strong training in safe driving before his privileges are restored.

I don't think it's very well written, or expresses my thoughts well. Now i know it's odd to link to a COMMENT in a blog post,  (Normally all comments on the internet are a good argument for why the internet is idiotic.) but user merlin on Seattle Bike Blog posted their letter in the comments.   It's exceptionally well written.  This is it.  It is what i wish i had said:

We have a parallel case going to trial in Seattle soon:
A 20-year-old man was charged Friday with second-degree murder in the shooting of Justin Ferrari, a father who was driving with his family in the Central District when he was struck by a stray bullet. The suspect, Andrew J. Patterson of Federal Way, was arrested Thursday and booked into the King County Jail. He faces up to 23 years in prison if convicted.

Mr. Patterson did not intend to kill Justin Ferrari. He recklessly fired a shot across the street where Ferrari was driving. He fled the scene, and was eventually tracked down by the police. He is charged, appropriately, with second degree murder, with a possible sentence of 23 years in prison.

Mr. Garcia-Reyes did not intend to kill Michael Wang. He recklessly propelled a dangerous vehicle across the street where Wang was riding. He fled the scene, and was eventually tracked down by the police. He is charged with felony hit and run, with a maximum sentence of 41 months.

Mr. Garcia’s crime is just as serious as Mr. Patterson’s, although it is treated much less seriously by the law. He should receive the maximum sentence. Mr. Patterson, if convicted, will be prohibited from owning a gun. Mr. Garcia-Reyes should be prohibited from driving a car.

These punishments do not even begin to make good the harm caused by these men’s actions. In a just world, Mr. Garcia-Reyes would be required to spend the rest of his life riding a bicycle and teaching classes to automobile drivers about the awesome responsibility that comes with driving.

In addition, Mr. Garcia-Reyes should be required to provide restitution to Mr. Wang’s family in whatever form the family requests.

Three Feet

Yesterday, i'm riding south on 20th Ave S, my normal bike route to the south. I cross Yesler on a green light and it's 3 blocks of residential street, next to Pratt Park, to the light at Jackson. This is NOT an arterial, that's why i'm riding it. Maximum allowable speed is 25 mph. With a park along the west side and another playground one block to the east, kids running in the street is a common occurrence.

I see ahead of me a large white American car has stopped in the street, appears to be letting out or picking up a passenger connected with the park. The proper and legal thing for me to do is to move left:  i look behind me and start to signal but the blue SUV is coming way too fast, 35+ mph, so even though it's my right of way, i cower right for a moment while it passes me and then passes the white car.

Once it has passed me, i shoulder check, signal, shoulder check and move left. A small red car comes out of nowhere, scares the crap out of me because it is aiming right at me as i move left. It's moving very fast, certainly above the speed limit. It actually looks like it is going to try to pass me despite the fact that i am already in the left lane in the process of passing the stopped car. But that would be crazy.  (and illegal) I stick out my arm and make a 'stop' sign.

The car keeps coming. It actually squeezes past me while i'm passing, a staggeringly dangerous maneuver, not to mention extremely rude. Oh and it's illegal, but i know motorists rarely pay the slightest attention to such things. It turns out the little red car is electric, and silent. With environmental bumper stickers on it no less. As this nutcase hurriedly squeezes passed me i just hold on with both hands. I try to slow down enough to get out of the way of this extremely aggressive driver. 

Once she is past me she has to slow almost to a stop, of course, because of the blue SUV in front of her. If she had been paying any attention at all to driving, she would have known that.  But it was much more important to illegally squeeze past me.  I have to grab the brakes to keep from impact. I look at her in the rear view mirror and get a quizzical look on my face and stick both arms out, palms flat, as if to say: 'What was that?' I was pleased that i have gotten over the standard tendency to use a nasty gesture at that point. I didn't say a word.

She leaned out of the window and started yelling hysterically: "I gave you three feet! I gave you three feet!" She drove the entire next block to the next light, leaning out the window screaming "I gave you three feet!". Of course at the next block there was a red light and i stood behind her for the entire light while she screamed. I didn't say a word. I hoped that just the fact that i was behind her would demonstrate that her aggression, speed, illegality, and rage didn't even save her 1 second. But i doubt she noticed.

She just kept shrieking, "I gave you three feet!" Apparently this very sick person thinks that a sketchy bike club's silly bumper sticker is more important than... i don't know. The LAW. Or common sense. Or even just friendliness.

Bicycle Advocacy Made Simple

I've been told i should write a book about Bicycling and Bicycle Advocacy and i may just do that. I have a lot to say. But the more i think about it all, the simpler it becomes. In fact, i find the same basic kernel at the heart of each and every argument about minutia.

A few years ago on a very long ride i realized that i could put everything that is important for cycling on a T-shirt. It would include the distilled message that fully explains what Cyclists need to know and follow, as well as what Motorists need to know and follow.

On the back, for Motorists it would say:
ADULTS CAN WAIT THEIR TURN. And on the front, for Cyclists, it would say... exactly the same thing.

Share The Road

The chant of the bicycle advocate for the last 15 or 20 years has been Share The Road. It's a wonderfully crafted political phrase. Happy and smiley, it quietly tries to sneak in a message that bicycles belong.

I think it made a difference. It had a good run, it may have been right for the time, but that time is clearly over. It's just too timid, too hesitant, and far too subtle for today.

I've been a bicycle advocate for 32 years, i'm passionate about bicycles' right to the road, but even i,



when i see the classic SHARE THE ROAD sign, think: hmmm, Bicycles need to share the road!

It's time to retire this message.

It is the wrong message. Putting the bike icon on it makes it seem to apply only to Cyclists. Most of us correct that message in our head consciously but we are still sending the wrong message. We do not need to demurely request permission to use a tiny piece of motorists' own private pavement. We need to demand that motorists, however distracted or disinterested, obey the law of the land and the law of good sense.

UPDATE: Science shows that this weak, confusing message does not work.  Neither motorists nor cyclists understand that it means Bicycles are legal in the lane.  http://usa.streetsblog.org/2015/09/02/share-the-road-signs-dont-work/



Let's stop saying Share The Road and start saying something more like Get out of my way!

About a year ago i was riding to work, i was descending Yesler way, a very, very steep 4 block two lane street with a double yellow line and TWO stop signs in those 4 blocks. I stopped at the first stop sign and waited my turn. I took the lane, it was the obvious, safe, legal decision. It is far too dangerous for a car to pass a bicycle on that section and i have to hold my brakes to keep below the speed limit, no car can legally pass me. Some wack job in a red BMW accelerated, crossed the double yellow into oncoming traffic, leans over, rolls down her window, and yells, Share The Road!! I thought she was going to throw her coffee at me. All this while descending a very steep, shorthill. Then she cut hard in front of me and slammed on the brakes and skidded through the stop sign.

Let The Judge Decide

I was about to turn right off of Fuhrman Ave E northbound on to the University bridge. To my left, the northbound approach on Eastlake Ave E is a notoriously dangerous area, a small bike lane where cars frequently turn right in front of cyclists in the bike lane.

As i looked up a car turned right onto Fuhrman and drove off, while a cyclist, a guy in his 20s, lay on the ground yelling, "You hit me!".

I was on my way to an appointment, but i couldn't leave that alone, i made a quick U turn and pedaled as hard as i could after the car. At first i gained some ground, but after a block and a half he got through the traffic circle and started to accelerate quite a bit. I don't know if he knew i was chasing him, but he was going to certainly lose me at that speed. But he turned right on the next block and i caught up to him half a block later as he was parking his car.

He was a middle aged man in an expensive suit. I told him that it looked like he had hit a cyclist. He said that he didn't see anything. I argued with him for a few minutes. I kept saying that i didn't know what happened, but that the cyclist was yelling that he had been hit. I told the driver several times that leaving the scene of a accident was a serious offense in Washington State. He kept saying that he didn't hit the bike, although he did let on that he saw it before his turn and heard the yelling afterwards. I told him i didn't see it, i didn't know what happened, but that it wasn't his job to decide what had happened it was the police or the judge's job.

It took a couple of minutes, but i convinced him. He got back in his car and drove back the way he came.

I was really proud of myself how i handled it. I didn't scream and yell and call the guy names. I didn't even make demands. I stayed cool and appealed to his better nature. And in a way, i succeeded.

Not all stories end happily. The bicyclist had left the scene when i rode back by.