My buddy Denny was in his car following another car on one-way Washington Street here on Capitol Hill. Both cars were under or right at the speed limit: 30mph. As Denny watched, the car in front of him (driven by a 60ish woman) hit a cyclist.
The car hit the woman cyclist as she was crossing Washington. The rider flew up onto the hood of the car, hitting the windshield but not breaking it. Freaked the driver right out.
Denny watched it all, noting that the woman had an earbud in her ear. She'd been looking down at her iPhone, texting as she ran the stop sign, right in front of the woman DRIVING THE CAR.
He stayed to tell his story to the attending officer.
Denny felt that the officer was not present, not really listening to the participants and witnesses. So he asked the officer to summon his superior, who appeared in no-time. That officer dealt with the cyclist's husband, who showed up and announced to one and all that he is a lawyer - and that his wife would never focus on her phone as she rode.
As they all stood there, cops and citizens, two cyclists rode the wrong way down the one-way, brass-bold in the middle of the street, giving them all a good reason to shake their individual heads.
4 comments:
This distracted driving/cycling thing works both ways.
If the woman cyclist was texting while riding, despite the lawyerly blather of her husband, there is a permanent, timestamped record which the driver's insurance company attorneys will be obtaining.
If she was just fiddling with her iPod, the eyewitness testimony will be crucial.
Neither cyclist nor driver needed to experience this trauma.
If the cyclist caused this, I feel really bad for the driver who is now unnecessarily traumatized after injuring another person.
I hope the scars heal quickly and the cyclist steps up and counters her husband's nonsense with the truth.
That won't happen but a guy can hope, right?
Easy peasy--cite the stop sign runner, cite the cyclists.
I'm glad the lawyer set your friend/witness straight by declaring her actions impossible. BTW your friend is to be commended as well for the superior summons.
Jim
"...how many idiots can there be?
Some say its one out of three
If you don't know take it from me
you're the dee-dee-dee..."
-Carlos Mencia
http://www.livevideo.com/video/BF9906D7480D4546A2D8064C61F6C44C/dee-dee-song-.aspx
While the cyclist's actions-texting while riding-may rate a story in Denver, here in The People's Republic Of Oakland/Berkeley it's normal practice, usually while riding hands free-from the bars, that is.
I hope the cyclist is cited.
Phil Brown
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