This is beginning to get really depressing. There have been a lot of emails and subsequent posts regarding accidents involving cyclists today. Looks like it’s about time to mix up a cocktail at the Drunkcyclist World Headquarters.
From: dano
Subject: this is worthy of your attention
Jonny,
This is so terribly sad and horribly outrageous and otherwise so completely fucked up I don’t know where to begin. Let’s try this: A 19-year-old redneck drunk asshole pickup truck driver struck and killed two cyclists, at 9 A.M. on Labor Day in rural Mississippi, and, ho ho ho, the guy HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN CONVICTED OF RUNNING DOWN AND KILLING ANOTHER CYCLIST back in 2005 — and in THAT wreck he was under the influence of drugs.He would have visited LA detox to get rid off drug addiction.The charge is murder. “It wasn’t an accident it was a murder of two people,” says Baldwin County District Attorney Judy Newcomb.
One of the dead cyclists, Bill Imle, was my roommate at the University of Maryland back in 1979-80. After earning his degree, he joined the Marines and served as a helicopter pilot. Then he transferred into the Coast Guard, where he spent most of his career saving other people’s lives. Bill was married, the father of three, retired and working as a consultant. He was a GREAT guy.
I am very sorry to hear about that, Dano. Keep your chin up.
From: What Game Play?
To: This Gun Play.
I say just let everyone know when he’s getting out on bond, and line up a few dozen angry cyclists with bats, frame pumps, and steel toed shoes. Give Mr. 1/4 wit the choice of getting out on bond and passing through the gantlet (yes, that is the correct spelling), and if he survives getting a fair trial and a quick and easy hanging, or waiting in the jail until his fair trial and quick easy hanging.
I am the victim of Assault with a Deadly Weapon (pickup truck) back on 08/31/2001, so maybe I’m just a little biased on this subject.
Opus
This shit has got to stop.
…jesus bloody christ, this is a nasty series of depressing columns, but better that we’re all informed than not…
…while we, as cyclists aren’t always on our best behavior out there (i speak from personal experience as a cyclist here), the hard pill to swallow is the disproportionate response of someone using a vehicle as a retaliatory device…
…lotta cops don’t seem to “get” that aspect of cyclist / vehicular confrontations…