Posted on 08/17/2012 3:49:13 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Police are looking for an elderly, white, gray-haired man who, in an apparent fit of road rage, chased a bicyclist onto a golf course in Santa Rosa and ran him down.
The bicyclist told Santa Rosa police he was cycling down Pythian Road at about 5 p.m. Wednesday when the driver began yelling at him and tried to hit him.
To get the angry motorist off his tail, the cyclist told police he raced onto the nearby Oakmont Golf Course. But the driver steered onto the course and continued chasing him, eventually hitting him before speeding away.
The cyclist had moderate injuries and was transported to a local hospital. He described the driver as an elderly man with gray hair, and the car as a gold or beige sedan similar to a Toyota Corolla.
The sedan may have a broken passenger side mirror, police said.
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.sfgate.com ...
Only in SF does “old dude” find it’s way into a newspaper headline
Well, what stupid thing did the bicyclist do to set the guy off?
I don’t have any more sympathy for bicyclists, since every single one I see nowadays recklessly flaunts traffic laws constantly. I’m not exagerating when I say every single one, either. I’ve been watching for a bicyclist to stop at a stop sign for several years, and I have not seen a single one stop.
Must always share the road and yield to pedestrians!
If I had to, I would ride ahead and stop, letting the bike rider pass, over and over and over again!
The answer is NO but there are ways around the law.
They didn’t seem all that happy with me...
It never occurred to me to close my eyes and gun it.
I suspect the A-hole conundrum was solved for many cycling in the air...
You don't like federal highway dollars being used to accommodate non-motorists? Ok, I don't like commuter sewers destroying pleasant residential neighborhoods, arterial highways with few crossings and no sidewalks or bike lanes that create impassible barriers to anyone not in a car, and the use of eminent domain to wreck neighborhoods in the interest of shaving a few minutes off suburban commuter times. So we're even. And we have to strike a reasonable balance.
Roads in metro areas (and heavily travelled suburban areas) should be built with sidewalks, generous shoulders, and/or bike lanes. A friend who works for the Sierra Club calls these "complete roads," and I have to say this is one of the few things political about which we agree.
Roads that cannot accommodate pedestrians and bike traffic are barriers to anyone not in a car. I try not to be prejudiced against commuters, but I am keenly aware that most suburbanites view neighborhoods like mine as obstacles to their daily grind and would happily pave us over to shave five minutes off their commutes. Yes, we need a good highway system to get people around, but cars should not be allowed to monopolize the rights of way. Not all of us regard everthing between our own drivewayss and the office or mall parking lot as "drive through" territory. We actually live here, and we like being able to get around the neighborhood without getting in our cars for every trip.
So if you want cyclists and pedestrians out of your way, build adequate sidewalks and bike lanes, and bike trails in the 'burbs. "Complete roads" is a pretty good term. This would not be very expensive if it were simply designed in from the start, so I'd begin there and retrofit older streets bit by bit as major maintenance is done.
Just like other obstructions in the road, one must make the decision ahead of time as to ones actions:
prarie dog - gun it
squirrel - hit it
dog - slow down
pedestrian - stop
car stop - stop / swerve
dump truck - lock ‘em up
biker - flip coin. darn. 2 out of 3?
That’s a pretty nasty picture. Since people are mocking the cyclists, I’ll just point out that this is a bad motorist pic. It’s the car on the wrong side of the road, smashing into oncoming traffic. The bikes are where they’re supposed to be.
So what you’re saying is that you’re a fat and happy leech.
“Complete Roads?” You are a Dingaling!
What I’m saying is that everything doesn’t have to revolve around the almighty automobile. I’ll strke you a libertarian bargain. No use of federal gas tax funds for anything other than roadbuilding and repair. And no use of eminent domain to steal people’s property to accommodate commuters.
Sorry, but I must reply - EVERY GROUP has IDIOTS! I do ride my bicycle everywhere I can and the money that I save is part of what I donate as a MONTHLY FR Donor. I signal and stop like you say I should.
I have been rear-ended by idiots on cell phones and just plain blind. I have had vehicles swerve into me because they could get away with it. I have had coke and beer cans thrown at me. I have had 3 helmets cracked because I would rather take the fall than swerve into traffic.
I do not approve or participate in any of those IDIOT bicycle protests, I share the road and am ever cognizant that even the lightest car outweighs me by a ton. Remember that every gallon of gas that I don’t use is there for you to use and that does count. I do SHARE the road, don’t let your feelings change our shared values, PLEASE.
Tell you what: You sonsabitches start paying the taxes I do and obeying the traffic laws...aw hell...just obey the damned traffic laws and I might start thinking your way.
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