Were there any tickets issued? Even if there was "no malice"?
I can think of: Improper overtaking of a vehicle, Improper passing, passing
within 3 feet of a
bicycle, Inattentive driving.
>From my experience here are two type of drivers who honk at me.
1) the extremely old who think it is the proper thing to do.
2) others who are exressing their displeasure with you biking on the
road.
State law eliminated the requirement that one must honk when passing a vehicle.
I personally believe that the driver intentially tried to come close to the
bike, but "blew" it.
Also most tow truck operators work closely with law enforcement so there should
have
been/should be an independent review.
Mike Rewey
******************
On 17 Jul 2007 at 11:04, Cathy Van Maren wrote:
Eric writes that the Vernon County incident should be left as an
accident and that's that.
I'm sorry to clog up the list with non-Madison bike stuff.
I just think it's too easy for drivers to be let off. This has happened
in La Crosse - a bicyclist killed from behind and no charges - and in
Dane Co. and all over the place. In rural Wisconsin there is often a
culture of us (real red meat eatin' Americans) and them (hippie
bicyclists in their silly tight shorts). This seems to be strong in
Vernon, where Organic Valley and the Waldorf schools have brought many
new "different thinking" residents to the county. Some older residents
are afraid of the change.
I think the whole biking community needs to make a big deal out of all
of these, accidents or not. Drivers of giant heavy dangerous machines
have the duty to watch out for pedestrians, bicyclists, Amish buggies
and other slower moving vehicles. But unless they're made to be held
responsible, sometimes they are not. Disturbing in the VC incident is
the sheriff's obvious, to me, siding with the driver and ready to move
along. I'd still like to know whether or not alcohol was involved, was
there damage to the vehicle and whether or not there will even be a
ticket for passing an a no pass zone, following too closely, unsafe
driving, etc.
But as long as these "accidents" are allowed to happen and that's that,
I think it emboldens the attack drivers (and passengers) we've all had
experiences with. Drunk drivers are still a major menace but thanks to
MADD and others, at least culturally it's not taken as lightly as it
used to be. Maybe there needs to be an organization called BADD
(Bicyclists Against Dangerous Drivers), as angry and active as ACT Up
was about AIDS, to make a big deal every time.
I saw SICKO (at home - it's not in any theaters here) last night. In one
segment, Moore interviews Tony Benn, a veteran Old Labour politician.
Benn notes that people don't take and use the power they have when they
are afraid and hopeless. And people in power just take more of it as
long as they can. He was speaking economically, but it's also true
Bike-onomically. Is this a 'new direction" for BFW? I stopped paying in
when I heard about the Dar Dump.
So, no more on this incident unless some charges are brought or a real
investigation turns up some criminal activity.
- cathy in la crosse
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