Driver Brags About Hitting Cyclist on Twitter; Learns Police Have Internet

[calimary]

71. That's a smart move. Always making eye contact with any driver you're approaching.

'Cause if you connect eye-to-eye, it's probably a good bet that THEY'VE seen YOU, too. Probably. But we have some residential streets here in L.A. where bicycle riders are totally disrespected. Granted, some of them are arrogant and disregard safety rules because they think they own the road and their rights supercede all others. And yeah, some of them do take advantage and make car drivers tear their hair. That said, they're THERE. On the road. Sheesh - you can't just mow 'em down, no matter what you may think of them or how reckless they themselves are on the road that - yes - THEY have to share too, or how much of a hurry you're in. Sometimes I get annoyed at pedestrians also, but shit - you just sit there ANYWAY and let them pass, and THEN you proceed when they've moved out of range. What's the alternative? To mow' em down because they're in your way?

We have a couple of single-lane canyon roads where, unfortunately, the bike riders have asserted themselves perhaps a little too militantly. There have been car drivers through there who've shown them corresponding disrespect to the point where they flip each other off as they pass, or shake fists, or yell some obscenity. Open hostilities. One guy in a Mercedes actually sped ahead, around several of them - who WERE being rude and confrontational, btw, then cut in front of them and slammed on his brakes. Of course the riders immediately behind him couldn't stop in time and some severe injuries resulted as they came crashing into the back of his car and through his rear window. And that's just the medical part. The accompanying legal and criminal headaches were, understandably, astronomical.

You just have to grin 'n' bear it, and find a way to be okay with sharing the road. Even with arrogant, selfish, thoughtless assholes - who can be on bicycles - AND also in cars, and trucks, big rigs, and on motorcycles. I find it hard to keep my cool sometimes, too. But what other choice is there? Answer: NONE.