Plus it gets all the ladies.
Your home-clown comment is a cheap shot.
Posted on 10/01/2003 6:49:41 AM PDT by Hatteras
Radio host infuriates cyclists
By BRUCE SICELOFF, Staff Writer
G105 radio host Bob Dumas told listeners last week that he just hated to see bicycle riders on the road. He laughed at stories about running cyclists down, and he talked up the idea of throwing bottles at bikers. It wasn't funny to cycling enthusiasts across the Triangle. This week they are lobbying government officials and local advertisers in a campaign to punish radio station WDCG and its corporate owner, Clear Channel of San Antonio, and to promote bicycle safety."One caller said her dad had purposely hit a biker on the road on the way to church one Sunday and kept on going," said G105 listener Holly N. Proctor of Cary on Tuesday of the Sept. 21 and 22 broadcasts. "That got laughs. Bob thought that was funny.
"And Bob said he'd love to be on a motorcycle and driving it down a bike lane. Because he didn't think bikers should be allowed on the road. He said they should ride on the sidewalk," she said.
Proctor, a photo technician at N.C. State University, joined two dozen fellow cyclists at a 5 p.m. protest outside the radio station's offices in North Raleigh.
Tom Norman , director of the N.C. Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation , said that reports about the broadcasts revealed dangerous ignorance of state law.
"I have talked to the G105 manager, who was not aware that it is legal to ride bicycles on the public roadways of North Carolina, that cycles are legally recognized as vehicles in North Carolina," Norman said. "Where do you draw the line? What is the distinction between humor and actually inciting or encouraging listeners to harass a group of people?"
Kenneth C. Spitzer, the station manager, declined to provide tapes or transcripts of the broadcasts to Norman or to a Capital Area transportation planning committee that discussed the controversy Tuesday.
In e-mail responses to several Triangle area residents who complained to the station, Spitzer said the "Bob and Madison " show aims to entertain listeners with "animated banter ... that can be both humorous and caustic." But he said some comments last week "went too far, and for that we sincerely apologize.
"Be assured that G105 does not advocate harm to cyclists," he wrote.
G105 is the third Clear Channel station to draw fire in the past four months for on-air comments perceived as advocating violence or animosity toward bicycle riders. Officials at WMJI in Cleveland and KLOL in Houston apologized in July and September for similar remarks. They agreed to broadcast "share the road" messages and to finance bicycle safety campaigns.
Leaders of the N.C. Bicycle Club outlined requests they said would help Clear Channel "mend relations with Triangle bicyclists," including similar public safety campaigns and a detailed apology.
Spitzer declined to comment. A corporate spokeswoman to whom inquiries were directed Tuesday did not return calls.
Members of area cycling clubs have shared copies over the past week of protest letters to the Federal Communications Commission, to state and local prosecutors and to G105 sponsors. Several critics noted that G105 radio hosts have sparked controversy in the past with crude stunts.
"It's one thing to drive around with a naked man on the radio station's van," said Raleigh lawyer Kimberly Bryan. "To encourage citizens to harm cyclists, that has crossed a different line. It's irresponsible. It's not caustic, it's not banter, it's not funny."
David Smith , 38, a software developer at UNC-Chapel Hill, took it personally. His right forearm still bears the scar of an attack by an Orange County motorist who found Smith cycling down a rural road one afternoon in April 2001.
"How are people going to take this, what was mentioned on G105?" Smith asked. "Are people going to say, 'You know, I'm tired of these cyclists?' Is that situation going to exacerbate what happened to me, with somebody else coming down a back road?"
After running Smith off the road, the driver stopped, chased him down on foot and struck him with a hatchet, sending him into a ditch and over the handlebars of his wrecked bike. Marvin Glenn Manring of Orange County pleaded guilty in July 2001 to assault with a deadly weapon. He promised to enroll in an anger management program.
Staff writer Bruce Siceloff can be reached at 829-4527 or bsicelof@newsobserver.com.
If you had been hanging with me, you'd have learned that one years ago.
Heh heh heh heh.
As a kid, riding with the traffic on my 20" single speed, I felt a rush of wind pass my ear. I looked up to see some idiot holding a pipe out of the window of a truck.
For the rest of my youth, I rode against traffic. Since cyclists are required to follow the traffic laws this is illegal, which is unfortunate, because the cyclist is putting his life in the hands of the drivers. Riding against traffic is tricky, however, when a driver is making a left turn - they are looking for oncoming traffic and won't see the cyclist riding against traffic until the last second, usually.
Recently, here in Summit County, Colorado, the letters-to-the-editor in the Summit Daily got a little heated over the issue of cyclists using roads versus bikepaths. There is a two-lane road over Dillon dam, in particular, that sparked debate. Anti-cyclists even went as far as to write that given the choice of a head on collision, taking a breath and slowing down or hitting a cyclist, they would hit the cyclist. Drivers felt that cyclists had no right to the roadway because there is a bikepath right next to it. When the newspaper ran a picture of the newly posted sign prohibiting cyclists from the roadway, you could see the bikepath in the background. The photo revealed why cyclists would use the roadway when a perfectly good bikepath ran alongside it - on the "bikepath" two pedestrians were walking, side-by-side, with a dog, taking up the whole bikepath.
I have ridden the exact same path many times and when approaching pedestrians, I yell out "hello" 20 yards, or so, in advance. One particular day, a woman with a particularly large posterior was walking alongside with her companion. When I yelled out "hello" she turned, looked at me and continued without making the slightest effort to move to the side. Needless to say, I made a very audible suggestion that involved characterizing her bundinghah as I rode past her.
Yeah, sure. That's what you all say! ;-)
I had no license back then.
Or else you'd have needed your helmet.
AHHHHHMMMM a COMMIN FOR YA!!!!
Many cyclists are motorists too and pay for their cars. The only difference between them and you is you help the export/import balance of payment turn into a river of capital going to Middle Eastern states, and then whine because you are not respected for this unconditionally.
I bike year round, and I served my time in the military, and I pay taxes. Seems your whine has the oder of vinegar.
uuummmmmmmmmmm......?????
Plus it gets all the ladies.
Your home-clown comment is a cheap shot.
You little wimpy concealed carry guns shoots a bullet with maybe 500-1000 ft-lbs of energy.
My Dodge RAM carries 5 million ft-lbs of energy at decent speed.
You sure you want to try a stupid stunt with a pistol on the road ? Cycle all you want, don't be a d*ck in the middle of the road. If it's rush hour, get the h*ll out of the way.
That's true. But, if the cyclist is as far over to thr right as possible, the cars should be able to pass without slowing down.
Yes, it cuts through the wind. That's why you aren't a serious biker unless you shave your legs too. As leg hair can actually cause a drag against the wind and slow you down.
So shave your legs for maximum cutting edge speed......
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.