Motorist convicted of attacking cyclists



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Brent Hugh

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A Kansas woman was convicted Wednesday of attacking two cyclists with her motor vehicle, causing
them to crash.

The woman became enraged because the cyclists were riding two abreast on a two-lane highway. Kansas
State law allows such two-abreast riding.

The woman repeated passed the cyclists, shouting at them, and finally swerved abruptly in front of
them, clipping the wheel of one cyclist and causing both cyclists to crash into the ditch.

The cyclists, who were riding in the Bike Across Kansas tour, were not seriously injured.

The woman was convicted of aggravated assault and other counts and faces sentencing on March 31st.
She faces a sentence of 11 to 34 months.

See http://mobikefed.org/2003_01_01_newsarchive.html#90257148

--Brent

Missouri Bicycle Federation: http://www.mobikefed.org

+++++++++++++++++ Brent Hugh / [email protected] +++++++++++++++++
+ Missouri Western St College Dept of Music, St. Joseph, MO +
+ Piano Home Page: http://staff.mwsc.edu/~bhugh +
+ Earthquake Fugue: http://mp3.com/stations/MathMusic + +++ Music of the Human Genome:
http://mp3.com/brent_d_hugh +++
 
30 Jan 2003 18:24:54 -0800,
<[email protected]>, [email protected] (Brent Hugh) wrote:

>The woman was convicted of aggravated assault and other counts and faces sentencing on March 31st.
>She faces a sentence of 11 to 34 months.

" carries a presumption of probation from a sentence of 11 to 34 months."
http://www.saljournal.com/stories/013003/new_roadRage.html

Sound's like she's going to be driving home from court unless they've suspended her license too.

I wonder if she was on Paxil.
--
zk
 
On 30 Jan 2003 18:24:54 -0800, [email protected] (Brent Hugh) said:

>The woman was convicted of aggravated assault and other counts and faces sentencing on March 31st.
>She faces a sentence of 11 to 34 months.

That's a slap on the wrist.

They ought to lock her up and throw away the key.

--

I think. Therefore, I am not a conservative! ------ http://www.todayslastword.org -------
 
>That's a slap on the wrist.
>
>They ought to lock her up and throw away the key.
>

I disagree. Keeping people in prison is derned expensive. I think she should pay a stiff fine. She
should do community service. And they should sentence her to ride across the state on a bicycle.
 
On 31 Jan 2003 14:31:51 GMT in rec.bicycles.misc, [email protected] (Pbwalther) wrote:

> I disagree. Keeping people in prison is derned expensive. I think she should pay a stiff fine. She
> should do community service. And they should sentence her to ride across the state on a bicycle.

well, i agree with the prison time, but they should also have permanently revoked her driving
license, since she obviously is unable to drive without using her car as a weapon.
 
A little bit of old-fashioned corporal punishment might be effective. How about caning?

Robin Hubert

"Pbwalther" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> >That's a slap on the wrist.
> >
> >They ought to lock her up and throw away the key.
> >
>
> I disagree. Keeping people in prison is derned expensive. I think she
should
> pay a stiff fine. She should do community service. And they should
sentence
> her to ride across the state on a bicycle.
 
An insanely long prison terms for an assault is not the answer.

"Pooing Is Cool" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:3e3a1369.46155607@localhost...
> On 30 Jan 2003 18:24:54 -0800, [email protected] (Brent Hugh) said:
>
> >The woman was convicted of aggravated assault and other counts and faces sentencing on March
> >31st. She faces a sentence of 11 to 34 months.
>
> That's a slap on the wrist.
>
> They ought to lock her up and throw away the key.
>
> --
>
> I think. Therefore, I am not a conservative! ------ http://www.todayslastword.org -------
 
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...

>The woman was convicted of aggravated assault and other counts and faces sentencing on March 31st.
>She faces a sentence of 11 to 34 months.

Should have been assault with a deadly weapon.
-----------------
Alex __O _-\<,_ (_)/ (_)
 
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
>
>
>>That's a slap on the wrist.
>>
>>They ought to lock her up and throw away the key.
>>
>
>I disagree. Keeping people in prison is derned expensive. I think she should pay a stiff fine. She
>should do community service. And they should sentence her to ride across the state on a bicycle.

Loss of her license for a period of time should also be part of her punishment.
-----------------
Alex __O _-\<,_ (_)/ (_)
 
[email protected] (Pooing Is Cool) wrote in message news:<3e3a1369.46155607@localhost>...
> On 30 Jan 2003 18:24:54 -0800, [email protected] (Brent Hugh) said:
>
> >The woman was convicted of aggravated assault and other counts and faces sentencing on March
> >31st. She faces a sentence of 11 to 34 months.
>
> That's a slap on the wrist.
>
> They ought to lock her up and throw away the key.

In NC, there was a case last year where a person was riding, by himself, on a "country" road
(meaning little or no traffic). A person came up behind him in a utility van, and there was a curve
in the road, therefore, he couldn't immediately pass the cyclist. He blew the horn several times,
and then came speeding by and almost clipped the cyclist's wheel as he swerved back into the lane
(no oncoming traffic was on the road). The cyclist, much as most of us would do, gave him the
universal signal to **** off. The van driver, deciding that he wasn't going to be taking **** from a
person wearing lycra, stopped, got out of his van, pulled a crow bar from the back, and attacked the
guy riding. The vehicle driver broke the cyclist's arm, and then drove off after he beat him into a
ditch. What did this guy get for a pre-meditated attack on a somewhat defenseless person? $500 fine,
and recommendation for anger management counseling (he didn't have to go, it was just a suggestion).
And that was it. There's something rotten in Denmark when something such as this happens.

Tom
 
One of the things that I've always thought would be appropriate punishment for drivers doing
something like this is to force them to ride a bicycle for a period of time to see exactly how it
feels to be on the receiving end of the stick.

The **** we have to deal with on a daily basis would amaze most drivers.

"Pbwalther" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> >That's a slap on the wrist.
> >
> >They ought to lock her up and throw away the key.
> >
>
> I disagree. Keeping people in prison is derned expensive. I think she
should
> pay a stiff fine. She should do community service. And they should
sentence
> her to ride across the state on a bicycle.
 
...and that's why I tell people that as long as you're smiling and waving, you can say anything you
want. Why give them the pleasure of seeing you ****** off at their stupidity??

The cycle of escalating violence between a car and a cyclist means that the guy/gal on a bike loses
every time... not to mention makes the idiot behind the wheel sees every cyclist the same way as the
last guy that flipped him off.

Mike

"Tom Arsenault" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] (Pooing Is Cool) wrote in message
news:<3e3a1369.46155607@localhost>...
> > On 30 Jan 2003 18:24:54 -0800, [email protected] (Brent Hugh) said:
> >
> > >The woman was convicted of aggravated assault and other counts and faces sentencing on March
> > >31st. She faces a sentence of 11 to 34 months.
> >
> > That's a slap on the wrist.
> >
> > They ought to lock her up and throw away the key.
>
> In NC, there was a case last year where a person was riding, by himself, on a "country" road
> (meaning little or no traffic). A person came up behind him in a utility van, and there was a
> curve in the road, therefore, he couldn't immediately pass the cyclist. He blew the horn several
> times, and then came speeding by and almost clipped the cyclist's wheel as he swerved back into
> the lane (no oncoming traffic was on the road). The cyclist, much as most of us would do, gave him
> the universal signal to **** off. The van driver, deciding that he wasn't going to be taking ****
> from a person wearing lycra, stopped, got out of his van, pulled a crow bar from the back, and
> attacked the guy riding. The vehicle driver broke the cyclist's arm, and then drove off after he
> beat him into a ditch. What did this guy get for a pre-meditated attack on a somewhat defenseless
> person? $500 fine, and recommendation for anger management counseling (he didn't have to go, it
> was just a suggestion). And that was it. There's something rotten in Denmark when something such
> as this happens.
>
> Tom
 
On Fri, 31 Jan 2003 18:40:19 GMT, "Mike S." <mikeshaw2@coxDOTnet> said:

>One of the things that I've always thought would be appropriate punishment for drivers doing
>something like this is to force them to ride a bicycle for a period of time to see exactly how it
>feels to be on the receiving end of the stick.

Maybe they don't know how to ride a bike. They've probably had everything handed to them on a silver
platter their entire lives - with the fanciest new cars, chauffeurs, and everything - so they've
probably never had a reason to try to learn how to ride one.

--

I think. Therefore, I am not a conservative! ------ http://www.todayslastword.org -------
 
On 31 Jan 2003 10:22:59 -0800, [email protected] (Tom Arsenault) said:

>What did this guy get for a pre-meditated attack on a somewhat defenseless person? $500 fine, and
>recommendation for anger management counseling (he didn't have to go, it was just a suggestion).

And yet they'll put some 13-year-old kid in prison for one joint.

--

I think. Therefore, I am not a conservative! ------ http://www.todayslastword.org -------
 
[email protected] (Dennis P. Harris) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
>
> well, i agree with the prison time, but they should also have permanently revoked her driving
> license, since she obviously is unable to drive without using her car as a weapon.

I think that this is a good point. No one that ever uses a motor vehicle as a weapon should ever be
eligible for a drivers license again.
 
"Tom Arsenault" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> . The cyclist, much as most of us would do, gave him the universal signal to **** off.
....further....

> What did this guy get for a pre-meditated attack on a somewhat defenseless person? $500 fine, and
> recommendation for anger management counseling (he didn't have to go, it was just a suggestion).

The "universal signal" by the bicyclist is why this person only got a $500 fine. Think about that
next time you flip the finger at a car. It is clearly meant to provoke the car. You know why some
cars enjoy bothering bicyclist? Because they get a kick out of watching our knee jerk reactions.
(flipping the finger, shouting et al). Best to just ignore them, even if they are in the wrong.
 
"Mike S." <mikeshaw2@coxDOTnet> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> ...and that's why I tell people that as long as you're smiling and waving, you can say anything
> you want. Why give them the pleasure of seeing you ****** off at their stupidity??

Which is exactly the goal of them doing such actions, they want to see bicyclist have knee-jerk
reactions. Like I have said many times, when you flip off a car and such, you only make it more
dangerous for the next bicyclist they come across or yourself. It accomplishes nothing.
 
The best thing I have found so far to do when harassed by a car is to yell out very loud "Jesus
Loves Still You" Remember most of the folks that tend to get angry at bikes are pretty religious, so
yelling that at them usually freaks them out and makes them go away feeling guilty. There are
potential problems if they do not hear you correctly.

<[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> "Brent Hugh" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
> > The woman was convicted of aggravated assault and other counts and faces sentencing on March
> > 31st. She faces a sentence of 11 to 34 months.
>
> From the real news article http://www.saljournal.com/stories/013003/new_roadRage.html
>
> Yes, this sentence is too light.
 
On 31 Jan 2003 20:13:15 GMT, [email protected] (Hunrobe) wrote:

>In reality, these kinds of attacks have little if anything to do with any anti-cyclist feeling.
>They happen regardless of what mode of transportation is being used.

A classic traffic tantrum, as you say. The problem being, of course, that when the victim is not
surrounded by a steel cage the effects can be fatal.

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com (BT ADSL and
dynamic DNS permitting)
NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
work. Apologies.
 
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