At least this doesn’t seem to be happening any more
This reads like it came out of the Onion. A guy gets doored, and when the police arrive they ticket him for not having a bell on his bike and apologize to the motorist who doored him.
Later that day the bicyclist gets back from the hospital to discover his bike has been stolen.
One of the reasons I started this blog back in 2007 was because I kept encountering similar stories here in Tucson of bicyclists being treated extremely badly by the police.
But I am seeing less and less of that now. Police reports seem to be getting better and better, and only rarely do I find the police blaming the rider for being right-hooked, left-hooked, and hit from behind.
This is not to say there isn’t an awful lot of work to be done, but as I have said many times before, I think things are getting better. And one reason for that is that stories like the one above are getting a lot of play, and embarrassing the agencies that are at fault.
–Erik Ryberg
April 2nd, 2010 at 1:19 pm
This story makes me want to send Mayor Bloomberg a bell to personally present to Mr. Seymour. I think you are right, some saner minds are starting to prevail.
April 2nd, 2010 at 7:10 pm
I agree this story reads like satire. I feel so bad for this poor chap, but at least his story is being told!
Apparently he was also ticketed for not having reflectors on his wheels?
April 2nd, 2010 at 7:28 pm
This reminds me of another report I read a couple weeks ago from NYC. Cyclist hits jaywalking pedestrian and both go down, cyclist not badly injured, pedestrian has a nasty scalp wound that bled like a stuck pig. Cyclist gets dinged for a bell and reflector violation in broad daylight, reflector statute only applies after sundown. Jaywalking pedestrian gets bupkiss.
April 3rd, 2010 at 8:07 am
That was a good April Fool’s posting by Streetsblog, no?
April 5th, 2010 at 9:11 am
Are you sure he did not have a bell? Sounded like it was “rung” to me. Wes
April 7th, 2010 at 11:07 am
“…but as I have said many times before, I think things are getting better…”
I can’t speak for Tucson, but where I ride in Phoenix; i would second the motion — things ARE getting better. I’ve been riding daily for about 12 years here now. I can’t remember the last time someone shouted “get on the @#$% sidewalk”, or somesuch.
I’ve never had an unwanted encounter with police. In my (only) encounter with police after a (fortunately, relatively minor) collision, the (In this case, Chandler) police responded quickly, efficiently, and professionally. I wrote a little note to the Chandler Chief praising the officer; the chief responded with a really nice reply. Such a simple thing as noting good behavior on the part of law enforcement i think can really make a difference. Positive reinforcement.
April 7th, 2010 at 2:49 pm
Does “Get your bitch ass on the sidewalk” count? Two weeks ago in Tucson. Windows are typically rolled down this time of year, but still, I see zero improvement.
April 10th, 2010 at 10:13 am
I’d agree that things seem to be getting better, but to be fair, I’ve felt that they’ve been pretty good for years – at least between drivers/cyclists. I very rarely get harassed by drivers – and when I do, I just laugh at them. As for police interactions, I’ve only had one in the last five years so I can’t really say much – except of course to make a point that I’ve only had one. What makes me different? Beyond using lights, brakes, and stopping at reds/signs, I’m not sure. Luck, maybe, that I haven’t been in an accident situation that forces the involvement of a cop? I know I’m not the only cyclist in Tucson who stops when he’s supposed to and who uses lights at night, but I sure as shit see a lot who don’t. I also see a lot of brakeless fixies around. I rode brakeless for a while too, and it was fun, but I was also ready to be ticketed on any given day for technically breaking the law. Why is any one surprised or angry when they get ticketed for breaking actual laws?
I’m not saying that following every rule will keep a given person out of any kind of trouble – accidents happen. I’m also not saying that every cop is a good cop. What I’m trying to say is that there are some shitty cops and shitty drivers and shitty cyclists. Overall,
April 10th, 2010 at 10:18 am
oops… accidentally submitted early…
Overall, I think the majority of any one of those groups are good, well-to-do people, and the bad apples are only a few. If one follows the most fundamental laws, and doesn’t go out of his or her way to fuck with drivers or cops, then he or she will more than likely not have issues. The shitty situations that end badly, I think, are rare. I cringe every time I hear about one, but I also have to consider how many times those things happen to drivers, or pedestrians, or any one in any random kind of situation.
When I moved here a few years ago, I immediately noticed that anyone who says cycling in Tucson sucks is almost always someone who is NOT a cyclist, or a shitty cyclist.
April 11th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
I agree. Anybody who doesn’t share my experience is a shitty cyclist.
April 12th, 2010 at 8:58 am
Stunning interpretation, P.S.
Perhaps I need to be more forward – being whiny and cynical is not going to help you or any one else. Try being optimistic that you live in a good city, a good bike city. See what happens, I dare you. Better yet, try going to almost any other city and compare it to Tucson. Tucson IS a lot better than you think it is. You take it for granted. I’m not saying there’s no room for improvement – there always is – but if you think Tucson isn’t a good bike city or hasn’t improved in the last few years, then you’re doing something wrong.
April 12th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
I am with you Rhys, and I mostly agree with you, but remember — some people have had some really bad experiences here, and it has not been their fault. Those people probably have a different point of view than you do about the merits of cycling in Tucson.
I have been ticketed for rolling through a four-way stop with a roundabout, in the middle of the night, at approximately a walking speed, and then got a lecture from the officer about how he never stops in those circumstances either, but he doesn’t have to because he’s a cop.
I have also been assaulted by passengers in a vehicle who reached out the window and pushed me to the ground as they drove past.
And I have many clients who have been assaulted or badly injured by motorists, or injured by hit-and-run drivers, and so on.
Tucson is a good cycling city, better than any I have ever lived in (riding my bike in Rochester, NY in the 1980’s was utterly terrifying and dangerous), but if you find yourself in the crosshairs of the wrong person, your view can change in a heartbeat. Not all careful cyclists have been as lucky as you.
EBR
April 12th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
I look at it this way:
aficionado’s demands are
a bit higher for whatever
it is they are aficionado
about. If Tucson wants to
be attractive to the level
of cyclist that can have
a positive influence on the
overall flow of this town,
then it has to at least look
like it’s ready for them.
Coghauler bought that nice
new section of Mountain between
Prince and Roger with the steel
holding his collarbone together.
And it was so unnecessary. The
City was too lax: the road was
allowed to deteriorate too long.
I think I understand where that
approach comes from. Things just
last a long time in the desert;
sometimes too long for their own
good. Facility-wise, we look
pretty good. Attitude-wise, we
need some work.
April 12th, 2010 at 9:35 pm
Sorry, Cog. I hadn’t heard about this.
On good days I have Rhys’ attitude, I really do. No hard feelings to anyone.
April 13th, 2010 at 6:56 am
Ouch! Another member of the collarbone club? We had such a rash of these a couple years ago on another forum I frequent that we made up our own club T-shirts. Just print the image backwards on some transfer paper and iron away.
http://www.optics.arizona.edu/scott/images/cbcshirt.jpg
April 13th, 2010 at 5:14 pm
BTW, I witnessed karma in action around noon today at the intersection of University and Cherry. Student on a bike southbound on Cherry turned right (W) on University without stopping or even slowing for either the stop sign or the puddle of standing water (? – the sprinklers must have been running earlier) at the base of the stop sign post and slid out, hitting the pavement hard. I started over to see if he was ok, but he just made some sort of adjustment/check of his bike, got back on, and rode away.
Anybody think he might learn anything from the experience?
April 15th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
@Scott No.