Audio from the April 8 Tuesday Night Bike Ride 911 calls
Uncategorized April 24th, 2008
Hopefully I have the bugs worked out of this.
Lauren obtained the audio of the 911 calls that got the helicopter called out on the April 8 Tuesday Night Bike Ride. It’s a .wav file. If it doesn’t work for you, try right clicking and downloading, but it should open up right away with a traditional left click.
–Erik Ryberg
April 24th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Thanks Lauren and Erik for tracking that down and posting. I found my bike light unnecessary during that part of the ride thanks to the helicopter search light. And maybe that lady placing the 911 call SHOULD get a bike!
-localmusicfan
April 24th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
I’m going to call 911 every time I see a car with missing lights.
April 24th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Martinez doesn’t know the difference between Lee and Elm.
He also doesn’t know if the riders “need a permit.”
Tucson’s finest!
April 24th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Why is the audio quality so poor?
Very interesting. What is the validity to the callers statements? (I’ve never been on a Tucson TNBR)
April 24th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
I have never heard a TNBR cyclist say anything but kind words to a motorist, including the few times when motorists have been really rude. But I expect it has happened.
These rides are all about waving to people, ringing the bike bells, and smiling — there isn’t much attitude at these things. It is true that a significant number of people show up without headlights or don’t turn them on, but there are many, many people with headlights in the group, and most have rear blinky lights on.
That said, it’s possible if a driver leaned out the window and yelled at a rider to get out of the way, she would be greeted with a recommendation to get a bike and join us. So it’s hard to say.
And, 400 bicyclists on a small residential street do tend to take up the whole lane. I admit it.
Sorry about the audio quality. I can only work with what the cops give me.
–EBR
April 25th, 2008 at 8:37 am
On a more friendly note a friend of mine happened to be sitting at Bobdobs (Spelling???) when the ride rolled through Tucson and 6th street and noted riders following the law and the organized manner in which the ride proceeded. Again just a second hand account but nice to hear after hearing something like this.
April 25th, 2008 at 11:30 am
What I enjoy are the pretenses that people give for trying to get us arrested. “none of them are wearing lights. I almost hit two of them and another guy almost hit seven.”
Seven? Exactly seven? How the hell do you almost hit two people out of a crowd of 200.
“They’ve got to be protesting or something”
Is it really that hard to accept that a bunch people like riding bikes just for the fun of it?
April 26th, 2008 at 11:48 am
I can’t download or listen to the audio at all. What happened? I guess I should start going to the rides again if I want to know these things
April 26th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
manchineel, your computer probably does not recognize .wav files, which is what the Tucson Police Department uses.
You can probably download the needed software by googling .wav, or open the link on another computer.
EBR
April 26th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
If there is any problem with having large numbers of bikes on a street, then there should be mass arrests every weekday during rush hour as all the cars block the streets, just saying, fair is fair.
Opus
April 26th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Well, I’m going to have to chime in here…as a cyclist who occasionally drives at night. Nothing irks me more than people on bikes who do nothing to help drivers see them at night. I do not want to hit a cyclist,
but if you are out there, wearing black,
no lights, mixing it up with traffic……
Guys, it’s a dark town. Bicyclists disappear in just a few hundred feet. Riders who themselves drive should know that your eye is drawn to bright lights
in the dark and if you are not lit, a driver can be looking right at you and not see you.
Wear white at night…
Get a light…
and earn a little respect from those trying to see you.
April 28th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
The things I like about the TNBR are the lack of agenda, the promotion of peace, and the simple enjoyment of a group slow ride. People seem to have a hard time comprehending this. THIS is good.—-DG