This Has Got To Stop!
Please forgive the rant, but I am livid. If I do not share I just might hurt someone (most likely myself…seriously, is anyone really intimidated by a gimpy old fat guy?). Frankly, I don’t expect even 1% of the few who ever read this to reach the end. Writing is therapy.
Today I had a disabled veteran bring her bike in for repair. She was walking her bike through a crosswalk when an overly anxious motorist ran into THE BACK of her bike,. He pinned her beneath it, as he attempted a right on red!
Let’s just say that the light had changed (it had not…there are witnesses) She still had the right of way until she cleared the intersection. Let’s just say she rushed out in front of him (she did not). He hit the back of her bike, not the front! The police officer said, ‘cars can lunge like that sometimes.’ Of course, because of her mental condition, she was given the bum’s rush at the hospital too. Only a patient advocate got her any care at all (local VA closed at the time). You should see her swollen leg (I told her always to insist they take her to The VA in Iowa City). She is getting NO follow-up care.
She deserves a new bike. His insurance, not us citizens, should shoulder the cost of her medical bills and the driver should be fined. Unfortunately, as happens way too often, she now has a hospital bill and no follow-up care. The driver got off scott free and
I am trying to find a 7 speed, 26″ cruiser rear wheel to get her only means of transportation on the road again (miraculously, I will be able to repair it if I can find one I can afford…this is a part time gig folks).
Now, you may think this is a rare occurrence or unique situation. It is not. Last year a teen from our shop was hit on his way to school. The driver destroyed his fork, wheel and more. The kid was injured, his helmet split. The driver left him $60 and drove off. We have a hit and run killing in Rock Island, with a person charged and that name has not yet been released, after THREE YEARS! Do you really believe that would be the case of they had killed another motorist? Heck, we had a drunk kill three teens, on a segregated MUP and the main focus has been on how the cities should have kept drunks from driving on essentially a bicycle path (no where else, in the whole world, is this a concern).
At least a few times a year I will have a parent bring a kid’s bike into the shop that has been run over. Their attitude is, ‘accidents will happen (that is until they get the bill).’ They are just so glad their child survived that they let the motorist drive off with no consequences. There is no police follow-up. Not once; not ever. Not their fault. WE have chosen to make The Car our king. WE have chosen to make our officers answer to insurance companies rather than protect the rights of the injured. I reiterate, not officers’ fault.
Please understand; cycling is a relatively safe means of transport. Statistically, bikes make motorcyclists look like dare devils. According to The NTSB, if you are not drunk, a child, riding like a salmon or without lights, you are more likely to sustain a permanent injury from any high school contact sport (and many non-contact sports). Still, we need to reign in the recklessness not just for cyclists, but pedestrians, motorcyclists and other motorists (if an airline were killing 35,000 people per year, it would be shut down).
We should not be surprised. In The Christian community we have something called Cafeteria Christians. They pick and choose which parts of The Bible they choose to thump (when was the last time you heard a sermon on gluttony in The U.S?). We are in danger of becoming cafeteria citizens.
We say we back the badge, but speeding isn’t so bad. We are all for law and order, but can’t we settle this with a check? Oh sure, he would have lived if I weren’t speeding, but he did jaywalk. Of course the law says we should not encroach on a crosswalk, but c’mon, pedestrians can wait. Of course I was drunk, but what were those kids doing out so late at night and why wasn’t I blocked from driving on that path whil impaired (we’ve had our first cyclist crash into the new planters already).
Folks, we have a large and growing subculture that will never again be able to afford a safe or reliable automobile. Still more are chosing not to be saddled with the never ending expense. More and more people will be walking, riding bikes, taking busses and sharing rides. We cannot be speeding, driving recklessly, turning across bike lanes or paths, encroaching on crosswalks, following too closely or playing chicken with vulnerable road users.
Safe streets start with demanding that our traffic laws be enforced. That is not a slap at officers. They are following your orders. We need to demand it of our communities. If ever I am killed or injured on my bike, I have asked my family to sue the city. Laws that are not enforced are no laws at all.