# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/81 "2013-05-23T16:20:51Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > [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/) You know, when I was a kid, if I’d have been run over while crossing the street even in a crosswalk with walk signal and getting hit by someone doing 65 in a 25 zone; or if I’d been run over on my bike–I’d have caught absolute hell when I got home. It was just the lesson: you can be in the right and still get killed if you don’t remain accountable for your own personal safety. Look both ways before crossing a one way street and don’t simply pretend you’re invisible to traffic, pretend other traffic is trying to kill you. I don’t have the details on all the cases in your cites, but the point being made against yours is essentially: Yes, sometimes the police force IS in the wrong, but in the majority of cases the accident would have been avoided had the pedestrian/cyclist respected the danger of what they were doing. And given the number of pedestrians & cyclists that aren’t mowed down every day, laws and basic morality seem to effectively deter wanton assaults. > [@Mr. Miskatonic](#): > > Because usually you can outright kill cyclists and pedestrians with your car and have no legal consequences. Dude, you’re not even trying now. And if you truly believe this then do yourself a favor and don’t ride/walk anywhere. I’ve seen plenty of cases where the driver did go free, however. But those were cases where the bicyclist was clearly in the wrong (blowing stopsigns, riding against traffic, exceeding the speed limit, riding at night wth no lights, etc.). There’s a reason so many motorists hate the bike people, and it has little to do with the funny pants they wear. ---
**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, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/82 "2013-05-23T16:25:50Z")
> [@GomiBoy](#): > > Lots of individual incidents. Great. WTF?! Are you on crack or something? The very first link: **“Bay Area drivers who kill pedestrians rarely face punishment, analysis finds”** ---
**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, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/83 "2013-05-23T16:26:54Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > 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. Again, you’re casting aspersions against every cop in America. I don’t think that this attitude is prevalent everywhere with every cop, as evidenced by the top cop in your own anecdote talking to the group. Get your story straight - either every cop in America has it out for cyclists (and will ignore the law and public outcry to try to ‘get them’) or maybe your individual anecdotal stories aren’t the whole picture. ---
**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, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/84 "2013-05-23T16:28:14Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > WTF?! Are you on crack or something? The very first link: > > **“Bay Area drivers who kill pedestrians rarely face punishment, analysis finds”** Of an analysis of a small, regional problem. You’re saying is a country-wide (nay world-wide) problem. Are you reading impaired? Or perhaps comprehension impaired? ---
**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, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/85 "2013-05-23T16:31:56Z")
> [@GomiBoy](#): > > Of an analysis of a small, regional problem. You’re saying is a country-wide (nay world-wide) problem. > > Are you reading impaired? Or perhaps comprehension impaired? You said: > [@](#): > > Lots of individual incidents. Great.\*\*\*\* You want to put those goalposts on rails to make moving them easier? ---
**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, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/86 "2013-05-23T16:32:58Z")
> [@GomiBoy](#): > > 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. Well, the link behind fucking is an article about why so few arrests are made in New York when a driver hits a cyclist. The cites about pedestrians were dumb - cyclists aren’t pedestrians. But c’mon - isn’t it an outrage that drivers not being charged when they’re at fault hitting a cyclist is more than just an occasional rogue cop? ---
**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, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/87 "2013-05-23T16:34:50Z")
> [@GomiBoy](#): > > Again, you’re casting aspersions against every cop in America. Boo-hoo. > [@](#): > > I don’t think that this attitude is prevalent everywhere with every cop, as evidenced by the top cop in your own anecdote talking to the group. And I said that while the situation has improved, it is by no means up to where it should be. Far too many police still have a poor understanding of the laws and a bad attitude towards cyclists. > [@](#): > > Get your story straight - either every cop in America has it out for cyclists (and will ignore the law and public outcry to try to ‘get them’) or maybe your individual anecdotal stories aren’t the whole picture. Wow. Exclude middles much? ---
**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, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/88 "2013-05-23T16:36:49Z")
> [@bup](#): > > The cites about pedestrians were dumb - cyclists aren’t pedestrians. Well, my initial comment that he demanded a cite for was: > [@](#): > > 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:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/89 "2013-05-23T17:00:33Z")
Some motor vehicles also don’t pay vehicle excise duty. People receiving higher rates of dla don’t pay it, people driving cars built before 1973 don’t pay it, people driving tractors don’t pay it, and people driving hybrid cars are not exempt but don’t have to pay anything. Even if bicycles were to be assessed for ved, they’d pay nothing, because they have zero emissions. The idiot in the OP also tweeted pics of her speedometer showing 95mph. She’s fucked. As to whether they can find out which cyclist she hit, well, we have tons of cameras. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/90 "2013-05-23T17:55:40Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > Boo-hoo. When this is your style of debate, it’s really hard to take you seriously. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/91 "2013-05-23T18:20:05Z")
Unsubbing from this thread. Dammit, can’t we all just agree to make fun of the idiotic woman who committed a crime, tweeted about it, and was then sorry that it had a negative impact on her career? ---
**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, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/92 "2013-05-23T18:33:08Z")
> [@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. I don’t have time right now to go hunting for a case number, but here’s a news article. It’s from before sentencing. I can’t find anything from post sentencing. I’ll see what I can find later, if you want further information. [Breaking News: Louis Mraz Found Guilty in Cyclist Road Rage Incident | Highland Park, CA Patch](http://highlandpark-ca.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/breaking-news-louis-mraz-found-guilty-of-assault-with817fb0c04e) I swear, he’s actually a really sweet guy, he just has a bit of a temper. This is a somewhat different situation since there was road rage involved. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/93 "2013-05-23T19:03:10Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > Unsubbing from this thread. Dammit, can’t we all just agree to make fun of the idiotic woman who committed a crime, tweeted about it, and was then sorry that it had a negative impact on her career? Low hanging fruit, dude. Bicycle crowd has an obvious source of outrage, bike-haters will still agree she’s a moron, responsible motorists will take both positions. YAWN-City! Even what fighting there IS in this thread is half-hearted. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/94 "2013-05-23T19:04:19Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > Boo-hoo. Go away Butthole. ---
**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, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/95 "2013-05-23T19:06:16Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > 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. He was acquitted of the hit and run part, but convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and something else. They couldn’t prove he actually hit her versus just driving really close to her. There was a witness to the yelling and whatnot, but no one could actually say they saw him hit her. He was 100% sober, just kind of a nut with a volatile temper, and he was convicted in 1999 of punching an elderly guy in the face in another road rage incident. I just think it was a bit much to put a very sickly 64-year-old who has to use a walker in actual prison when the victim wasn’t even seriously injured. House arrest and taking away his driver’s license (permanently, I really don’t think he ought to drive anymore) would have been sufficient, IMHO. He’s super cool once you get to know him…reeeeeeally odd, though. ---
**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, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/96 "2013-05-23T19:07:09Z")
> [@Catfood\_Purrito](#): > > I don’t have time right now to go hunting for a case number, but here’s a news article. It’s from before sentencing. I can’t find anything from post sentencing. I’ll see what I can find later, if you want further information. > > [Breaking News: Louis Mraz Found Guilty in Cyclist Road Rage Incident | Highland Park, CA Patch](http://highlandpark-ca.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/breaking-news-louis-mraz-found-guilty-of-assault-with817fb0c04e) > > I swear, he’s actually a really sweet guy, he just has a bit of a temper. This is a somewhat different situation since there was road rage involved. Actually that seems plenty of info. That’s a… little more violent than you described initially (your initial description made it seem like negligence, not assault). He might be a sweet guy outside of the car, but this says to me that maybe he should not be driving, ever. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/97 "2013-05-23T19:08:55Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > Dammit, can’t we all just agree to make fun of the idiotic woman who committed a crime, tweeted about it, and was then sorry that it had a negative impact on her career? When the OP is as idiotic as the woman, these hijinks tend to happen. ---
**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, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/98 "2013-05-23T19:22:42Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > Actually that seems plenty of info. > > That’s a… little more violent than you described initially (your initial description made it seem like negligence, not assault). > > He might be a sweet guy outside of the car, but this says to me that maybe he should not be driving, ever. I didn’t intend to imply it was mere negligence…I do believe he probably did hit her, but I don’t think it was on purpose. I think he meant to drive too close and scare her. My point was that it isn’t true that motorists can fuck with cyclists with impunity. Some people have faced consequences, sometimes fairly harsh ones. And yes, he should absolutely not be allowed to drive! ---
**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, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/99 "2013-05-23T19:40:51Z")
> [@Catfood\_Purrito](#): > > I didn’t intend to imply it was mere negligence…I do believe he probably did hit her, but I don’t think it was on purpose. I think he meant to drive too close and scare her. Mind you, I don’t want to make you defend this person as it isn’t entirely fair, but what if I were to say after an accidental shooting that someone only waved the gun at the victim to ‘scare them’? But as you note, this wasn’t your point: > [@](#): > > My point was that it isn’t true that motorists can fuck with cyclists with impunity. Some people have faced consequences, sometimes fairly harsh ones. This is a fairly recent case, and as I have mentioned things have gotten a bit better of late. But there is still way too far to go and drivers still have way too much ability to get away with not being responsible for their vehicle. I still have the sense that far too many cops in the USA don’t want to deal with cyclist issues. are ignorant of bicycle laws. I admit to being jaded, but I’ve seen and heard too much in my cycling life to say there’s no problem as some imply. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037/100 "2013-05-23T21:14:33Z")
> [@Catfood\_Purrito](#): > > I just think it was a bit much to put a very sickly 64-year-old who has to use a walker in actual prison when the victim wasn’t even seriously injured. House arrest and taking away his driver’s license (permanently, I really don’t think he ought to drive anymore) would have been sufficient, IMHO. Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time. > [@](#): > > He’s super cool once you get to know him…reeeeeeally odd, though. Riiight. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hit-a-cyclist-brag-about-it-in-your-tweet/659037.md?page=6)