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A reasonable question. With no clear answer.
One of the major questions the community is grappling with after the deaths of both Tracey Sparling and Brett Jarolimek is; why were the truck drivers not given a citation for failure to yield to a bicycle in a bike lane?
Read bikeportland.org
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The frightening reality is “We’ve got a system that is designed to exonerate the car driver.”
Because people on bicycles are typically not the desirable sort of consumer that the business interests behind Portland’s city government view as their constituency. C’mon, ask me a hard one now…
How about a class-action suit for “discrimination in the enforcement of the law” ?
Boobo nailed it. Cops don’t like cyclists, and I firmly believe that. I am sure there are a few (very few) good ones, but for the most part, we are a nousance to them.
…glad we’re getting a ‘follow-up’ on these two cases but not glad to read about the apathetic response by the powers that be in “bike friendly portland”…
…par for the course…it makes for good socio-political claptrap to express concern regarding cycling in the community…different story to actually do something about it…
…”we’re willing to spend tax dollars putting up signs & painting lines & symbols on the streets, so the general public thinks we are concerned, but as far as actually providing a safer cycling environment by utilizing the legal & judicial systems, well, not so much”…
I would like to see the families file a civil suit against the chief of police, the city, the drivers of the vehicles and the employers of the drivers. That would bring a bright spot light on this case. The city has admitted the intersection is dangerously designed and has already made changes and purposed additional changes to make it safer for cyclist. Looks like a slam dunk lawsuit.
Got to be a lawyer willing to take this suit.
Perhaps and enterprising and daring Portland cyclist should SAFELY blow through a stop sign or red light in front of the cops, get the citation for failure to yield and then proceed to argue for equitable justice. Apparently if said cyclist argues that s/he “perceived” it was safe to proceed then the citation would be revoked. I know, I know … fat chance; dream on; good luck!
Uh, because people on bicycles aren’t typically the sort of desirable consumers that the business interests who are the true constituents of Portland’s city government give a flying fuck about. C’mon, ask me a tough one…
I was hit this past April. Stupid redneck in a pickup hit me in the head with his truck mirror. He was cited for “improper pass”, and I suspect that’s only because I was taken away in an ambulance. No “following too closely”, which he admitted he was. No “failure to maintain control”. No, just a $120 ticket.
I, a cyclist, hit a fellow cyclist a few years ago. Scenario.
I was stopped at a stop sign, proceeded through checking the intersection, started the car forward. BOOOOOM!!!!!! Oh fuck. I jacked a guy who came (quickly, it seemed) from behind the building to my right, riding on the sidewalk. anyway the guy was okay, i gave him a bike because his smashed one was his “only transportation” and it basically felt like shit hitting the guy. Overall though I felt I was driving attentively and it really was an accident. I did discuss with the guy the importance of our rights and why we should ride in the road. Anyway it sucked, but it ended okay, I couldn’t believe I hit a fucking guy on a bike, when I bitch all the time about drivers being dicks.