Our younger son, who is an avid biker with several excellent bikes lived in the Portland area for about 17 years.
Fortunately, he returned to California two years ago, before these current groups of insane bikers became a problem in Portland. He said many of the good Portland drivers are beginning to hate all bike riders because of these insane biker. I think they call themselves retro bikers.
These insane bikers blow through red lights, ignore stop signs, go the wrong way on their bikes, ride on sidewalks and try to cause problems with drivers and pedistrians.
The punk cited in the article provoked the driver, a friend of my son several times before attacking the car and driver.
The punk made the mistake of taking a swing at the driver’s son and got his clock cleaned with a great ko punch.
The driver of the car is a long time biker, in the bike industry and has pushed for high standards of bike riders. He tried to get the insane rider to calm down and not be a disgrace for other bike riders.
Apparently several of these bikers are no longer around as they hit cars and trucks like Kamikazis.
In our area, we have a problem with illegal aliens in our area riding bikes, riding the wrong way, on side walks and running red lights. Fortunately, a lawyer friend told me to carry a disposable camera in case of a run in with one of these bastards on bikes or in some rolling wreck of a vehicle.
Shortly after I bought the disposable camera, one of these biking idiots ran a light on a cross walk and ran into the hood of my OJ Simpson Bronco and hit the right front wheel of the Bronco and flew over the hood of the Bronco. I had just started go on the green light when I saw him kamikazing at me in the crosswalk while running the red light on my right side. I hit the brakes and was stopped when he hit and did his airborn flip over the hood of my truck.
He was cursing me until I stepped out with the camera taking pictures of him and walked around to take pictures of his bike laying by my Bronco and my cell phone in my other hand. He ran around the Bronco and grabbed his now deformed bike and ran up the street and turned at the first alley. I think he was saying nasty things about my parents and me as he was running away.
Just awesome! It is amazing what pointing a camera at a person will do.
Will he pay for the damage though?
I have an 18 speed mountain bike that I haven’t ridden in about 10 years. I like bikes with engines, like my Suzuki SV650. ;)
Cyclists need to be able to be picked up on red-light cameras just as well as motorists. We have the technology.
There's also no reason for police not to ticket cyclists for traffic infractions at least as readily as motorists. Heck, where I live the police---not lifeguards---police will whistle in and ticket a surfer who's surfing out of the designated surf zones ("lanes").
Cyclists are not special (and, yes, skateboarding can be a crime ;) ).