FU: why some cyclists feel the enforcement of our traffic laws are unfair and even deadly (no charges in case)

[mattkime]

previous thread - http://forums.macresource.com/read.php?1...65,1613165

http://www.streetsblog.org/2013/11/14/no...ian-green/

(tried to find a link from a "neutral" source)



is this justice?

[C(-)ris]

All that means is that they couldn't find anything to charge him with that they thought would stick given the way the laws are written. You can blame your elected officials for that.

The Civil suit on the other hand...That is going to be costly for him.

[Lemon Drop]

I want more protected bike lanes.

http://dc.streetsblog.org/2013/08/20/ama...dquarters/

[mattkime]

>>The Civil suit on the other hand...That is going to be costly for him.

A civil suit isn't going to take him off the street.

[deckeda]

Whether behind the wheel of a car or riding a bike, intent matters, not only the result. We punish behavior based on intent because we seek to discourage the intent, the root of the behavior.

There's NO such thing as being able to discourage an accident. And the moment you talk about preventing accidents you're talking about discouraging behavior that leads to them ... but the connection between behavior and result is broken when intent is absent and what lies between is an accident.

You could say, I think, the cabbie had intent towards the bike messenger but not the tourist. But it's an unfortunate red herring and yes, a lot to swallow when emotions are involved.

[TheTominator]

The law has "felony murder" but I've not heard of "felony maiming". Perhaps the law should include such a charge.

[mattkime]

I want to be certain that i understand this correctly -

Its okay if a cab driver drives recklessly (how else does one jump a curb?) maims someone and remains out driving.

[M A V I C]

The tourist was mangled after a Sixth Ave. confrontation between the Bangladeshi immigrant cabbie and bike messenger Kenneth Olivo.

Himon said the crash occurred after Olivo, 40, pounded on the hood of his cab and he lost control of the vehicle. Olivo said the cabbie deliberately tried to slam into his bike before hitting Green.

Surveillance video in the case showed neither man’s story panned out, according to a source. Olivo made a sharp turn in the cab’s path, with the taxi plowing into the bicyclist.

When Olivo landed on the hood of the taxi, the vehicle jumped the curb and struck Sian — with the whole terrifying incident lasting about three seconds, the source indicated.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/cabb...-1.1516765

[M A V I C]

Your source: "He confessed to the media that he intentionally stepped on the gas before mounting the curb."

What the guy actually said: "He started pounding on my car with his hands and was yelling things at me. I suddenly felt like I had to get out of there. It was becoming a bad situation. So I accelerated to get in front of him.”

While the source is technically correct, the way I read it was that he stepped on the gas to help him get over the curb. Instead he pushed on the gas to pass, the biker cut in front of him, and then he lost control of the car. Then it went over the curb.

Matt, do you believe the cyclist was fully within his rights to cut in front of the driver? Do you think the cyclist bears zero responsibility for the injuries to the woman?

[mattkime]

>>Matt, do you believe the cyclist was fully within his rights to cut in front of the driver? Do you think the cyclist bears zero responsibility for the injuries to the woman?

people get cut off in traffic constantly in nyc traffic. how does that result in jumping a curb?