# Hit a cyclist. Brag about it in your tweet. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 22, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037 "2013-05-22T16:51:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/61 "2013-05-23T12:20:50Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Don’t you just love how she sees the tweet as being stupid not because of the crime she admitted in it but because the tweet has impacted her career and personal life? > > Hmmm…I think I know what kind of impact she should have on her personal life. The UK does still incarcerate people for short stints, don’t they? I’m not clear what the legal position is. The cyclist who’s come forward said he didn’t get her number, so there’s no proof that this was the incident she was referring to in the tweet. I’m surprised her lawyer didn’t just say “the tweet was a joke and didn’t refer to an actual incident”. Absent any other evidence (although possibly they’ll be able to take paint traces from the bike and match it to her car now she’s a suspect) I don’t see how you’d build a case… it’s all circumstantial. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/62 "2013-05-23T12:46:14Z")
> [@Wallenstein](#): > > I don’t see how you’d build a case… it’s all circumstantial. Well, if the struck cyclist will testify, it’s no longer all circumstantial. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/63 "2013-05-23T13:07:55Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > Anyway, hopefully she gets the book thrown at her. Or an old Huffy. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/64 "2013-05-23T13:16:36Z")
Regarding Mr. Miskatonic’s assertions: In Philadelphia, cyclists are widely regarded as skofflaws. I don’t know if the city keeps statistics on cyclists’ violations versus auto or pedestrian violations against cyclists. I don’t know if most cyclists are skofflaws. I myself am a safe, law-abiding cyclist. I wouldn’t be surprised by his story that police refused to investigate when the cyclist survived the accident with minor injuries, but I’ve also seen news accounts of police investigating when someone is seriously injured or killed. That is probably consistent with cases where two motor vehicles collide with minor damage/no injuries. ---
**Author:** ![Troppus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@Troppus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troppus)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/65 "2013-05-23T13:36:00Z")
If one anecdote is sufficient to support a view of an entire country, my hometown heavily promotes two yearly bike races that attract tourists and most major roads have dedicated bike lanes. Those that don’t have warning signs that state “Watch for cyclists” and at least two members of the city police force ride bikes and are in the city endorsed cycle club. Cycling is part of the culture around here, therefore cyclists all over the US are revered as small time heroes here ya know. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/66 "2013-05-23T13:39:09Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > What cites from reputable sources are you talking about? > > Did she list them and I missed them? Let’s go down to the quarry… ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/67 "2013-05-23T13:49:42Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > What’s weird to me is that the cyclist “had not intended to report the incident, fearing that his girlfriend would be worried about him cycling in the future.” “You bastard.. is that _chain lube_ on your ankle?” “It’s not what it looks like, I swear!” ---
**Author:** ![GomiBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@GomiBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GomiBoy)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/68 "2013-05-23T14:58:33Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > The hell is “road tax” ? > I know, I shouldn’t be paying attention to the stupid rantings of a random British internet psycho. But still… WTH is “road tax” ? Road tax is a historic tax back when Britain’s taxation system was use-specific. It was discontinued in 1932 iirc. Now there is something called Vehicle Excise Duty, but it is not ring-fenced for only paying for roads; road maintenance comes out of the general fund which is largely funded from income tax. VED is determined based on the price of the car, the emissions of the car, and the engine size and is paid annually; I pay £230 per year in VED on my Volvo. The argument by the anti-cycling groups in the UK is that cyclists are not entitled to use the roads as they don’t pay ‘road tax’ although they are wrong - VED doesn’t solely pay for roads, most road funding comes from the overall tax pot in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![Catfood\_Purrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Catfood\_Purrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catfood_Purrito)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/69 "2013-05-23T15:09:27Z")
I have a personal anecdote too! A relative of mine is, as we speak, serving three years in prison for basically the same thing, striking a cyclist with his mirror and knocking her over. I’m torn…on the one hand, he’s totally guilty, but on the other hand, she wasn’t even injured, and three years seems a bit excessive (though it looks like he’s only going to serve half of it). ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/70 "2013-05-23T15:14:18Z")
> [@Catfood\_Purrito](#): > > I have a personal anecdote too! A relative of mine is, as we speak, serving three years in prison for basically the same thing, striking a cyclist with his mirror and knocking her over. I’m torn…on the one hand, he’s totally guilty, but on the other hand, she wasn’t even injured, and three years seems a bit excessive (though it looks like he’s only going to serve half of it). You have a case number of something like that? Because usually you can outright kill cyclists and pedestrians with your car and have no legal consequences. ---
**Author:** ![GomiBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@GomiBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GomiBoy)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/71 "2013-05-23T15:17:29Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > You have a case number of something like that? Because usually you can outright kill cyclists and pedestrians with your car and have no legal consequences. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/72 "2013-05-23T15:17:30Z")
> [@11811](#): > > In Philadelphia, cyclists are widely regarded as skofflaws… Ooh, I would _love_ to be a scofflaw. I already scoff… come to think of it, just last month I biked in the “Exit Only” driveway at my school\*, and as I did I muttered “I _SNEER_ at your laws, Western Civilization!” So scoffing would be just a shrug away from that. \*I sure as hell didn’t tweet about getting away with it. (Off to get “Scofflaw” added to my business cards…) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/73 "2013-05-23T15:23:05Z")
Didn’t we have a Pit thread not so long ago about the L.A.-area emergency room doc who decided to “teach a lesson” to rude bicyclists? [More than his day got ruined.](http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/01/cyclist-sentenced.html) I also suspect that if you ran into a bicyclist in the U.S. and tweeted about it, the cops would do more initially than respond in social media suggesting you report the incident to the police (as happened in Norwich). :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/74 "2013-05-23T15:26:04Z")
> [@GomiBoy](#): > > Cite? Really? Really?! Is everyone in this thread raised in a box or something? [Because](https://www.baycitizen.org/news/transportation/bay-area-drivers-who-kill-pedestrians-rarely-face/) [this](http://www.bicyclepaper.com/articles/389-Kill-a-Cyclist-and-Get-Away-With-It-) [is](http://gothamist.com/2013/03/25/no_big_deal_if_you_run_people_over.php) [your](http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2013/02/15/cyclists-react-with-anger-after-grand-jury-returns-indictment-wellesley-bike-crash-case/NbaHbWRHk7fpez15fKGZhI/story.html) [fucking](http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/transportation-nation/2012/apr/08/killed-while-cycling-why-so-few-fatal-bike-crashes-lead-to-arrest-in-nyc/)[cite](http://westtennessee.net/2013/05/17/news/shelby-county/pedestrian-hit-and-killed-no-charges-filed/8577/) ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/75 "2013-05-23T15:38:16Z")
Do you have the state seal on those cites? And would you happen to have them in long form? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/76 "2013-05-23T15:50:16Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > Not for me it didn’t. I had a friend who was struck by a woman running a red light. Police at the station later on told him not to file a report as it would ‘ruin her day’. He was supposed to just suck up a $400 bike repair. > [@Yorikke](#): > > Bullshit. > [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > So you are calling him a liar. He made the whole post-accident events up out of whole cloth. Gotcha. It does stink a little, your version of events differs from the video and account provided in your link. Secondly, your “friend”'s one-sided account of events does not make it fact. …Purple Monkey Diswasher! ETA: Even if everything you believe is true, I still don’t get how you can go from one small incident with a local city cop to the broader statement that all police in the US don’t care about cyclists. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/77 "2013-05-23T16:09:16Z")
My favorite part is that she thought deleting her account would get rid of the tweet. Sweetie, it’s on the internet. That shit’s going to last for.ev.er. ---
**Author:** ![GomiBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@GomiBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GomiBoy)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/78 "2013-05-23T16:10:14Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > Really? Really?! > > Is everyone in this thread raised in a box or something? > > [Because](https://www.baycitizen.org/news/transportation/bay-area-drivers-who-kill-pedestrians-rarely-face/) [this](http://www.bicyclepaper.com/articles/389-Kill-a-Cyclist-and-Get-Away-With-It-) [is](http://gothamist.com/2013/03/25/no_big_deal_if_you_run_people_over.php) [your](http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2013/02/15/cyclists-react-with-anger-after-grand-jury-returns-indictment-wellesley-bike-crash-case/NbaHbWRHk7fpez15fKGZhI/story.html) [fucking](http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/transportation-nation/2012/apr/08/killed-while-cycling-why-so-few-fatal-bike-crashes-lead-to-arrest-in-nyc/)[cite](http://westtennessee.net/2013/05/17/news/shelby-county/pedestrian-hit-and-killed-no-charges-filed/8577/) Lots of individual incidents. Great. You said ‘usually’ which isn’t true either in this incident or in many others where drivers were punished for injuring or killing cyclists. And a lot of those do sound like true accidents, in which case if the driver was doing nothing illegal, the punishment by law is minor as well. A conviction for negligent driving doesn’t exactly carry a stiff sentence. I’m not saying there isn’t a problem - as a cyclist in a major city myself, there clearly is - but you’re saying that the usual course of action is that motorists get away scot-free from killing and maiming cyclists and I don’t think that’s true. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/79 "2013-05-23T16:11:06Z")
> [@Catfood\_Purrito](#): > > I have a personal anecdote too! A relative of mine is, as we speak, serving three years in prison for basically the same thing, striking a cyclist with his mirror and knocking her over. I’m torn…on the one hand, he’s totally guilty, but on the other hand, she wasn’t even injured, and three years seems a bit excessive (though it looks like he’s only going to serve half of it). Is it only for hitting her? Was he intoxicated or driving on a suspended license? Did he know he hit her and leave, flee the scene? Was hitting her part of a pattern of aggressive or inattentive driving? Beyond such factors, I do have some problems with people getting off easy when their bad actions end up having only modest consequences due mostly to luck. On the one hand there is no reason the victim and the perpetrator aught not to share in the good fortune. On the other hand, if your belt buckle stops the bullet I fired at you, I need to be put away for a long time even though you only ended up with a bruise. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/80 "2013-05-23T16:17:01Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > It does stink a little, your version of events differs from the video and account provided in your link. > Secondly, your “friend”'s one-sided account of events does not make it fact. If you choose to feel that way, fine. I trust someone I know, and not prone to inventing stories. I am shocked at the police’s attitude but not completely surprised. Most cops do not even know or understand the basic of bicycle law, many cops often treat all cyclists as scofflaws. When the a PPD Lt. came to a meeting with the bicycle coalition of Philadelphia he told them, with a straight face (probably because he though it was true) that the police always take reports - the previously calm crowd had their jaws drop then proceeded to give him dozens of tales that make Anastasi’s tale look like a minor stumble. He suddenly realize that the rosy picture that the officers under him were painting might not be all that true. Things changed a bit after that meeting. Quite a few policy changes. I suspect what happened to Anastasi happened today they might have a better attitude but that remains to be seen > [@](#): > > ETA: Even if everything you believe is true, I still don’t get how you can go from one small incident with a local city cop to the broader statement that all police in the US don’t care about cyclists. See above. Far too many cops are part of the US ‘car culture’ and consider cyclists to be an obstacle or automatically at fault in any incident. When cops flat out knock cyclists off their bikes, hit them with their cars and send the cyclist a bill for the damage, and rarely ever charge or prosecute abusive and harassing drivers you have to wonder if they give a shit about us. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037.md?page=5)