Posted by Kevin Egan on August 22, 2008 at 16:06:53:
In Reply to: Two More Bikers Down posted by Monetta Roberts on August 21, 2008 at 22:55:27:
Nice rant. Well put. What was about as aggravating was the comments in the Sound Off today that said in effect - those bikes weren't being ridden legally.... it was dark.... What did they expect????.....
HUH? Even if it WAS true they were not legal, since when is a traffic violation a capital crime? Mow a guy down for not riding in the appropriate lane or riding two abreast. Gimme a friggin' break.
Same soapbox (continued)
1. a letter campaign to the Judge and/or prosecutor *may* have some impact. Not to rail on the fact that she was DUI, but the fact that she didn't yeild to the cyclists. I do not believe she was charged with the fail to yeild BTW.
2. Mobile PD doesn't operate a Bicycle Unit (to my knowledge). The fire dept does I believe. Maybe if a bike unit was in place, some greater enforcement, by all officers, would be realized.
3. Directed Patrol - For the folks I see riding on organized rides (Thursday AM around Carpe for instance), get with the MPD precint commander. Advise him of your ride time and location. Ask him to assign some traffic officers for a directed patrol. Not to protect the riders, but to nail the SUV's that think cyclists are like pin-balls to bump back and forth.
Off the soapbox. Return to your regular programming.