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The pitched street battle between cyclists and drivers (and pedestrians) just won't let up! Cyclist Anna Letitia Mumford says that she was punched in the face by a driver yesterday during her evening commute in Brooklyn. Here's her story:
I had just crossed the Manhattan Bridge and was biking south on the bike path on Jay Street. The traffic was backed up, but the bike lane was open. Right in front of me, a car peeled out of the traffic and began to cruise up the bike lane. At Willoughby, the light was red so the car stopped. I tapped on the trunk to let the driver know that I was trying to pass.As I squeezed past her driver’s side door, I told her she shouldn’t be trying to bypass traffic by driving in the bike lane. On hearing this, she got out of her car, screaming at me for trying to tell her where she could drive and for touching her car. She started to come towards me and I got off my bike. Before I knew what was going on, she swung at me, punching me in the side of my face.
I lifted up my bike to protect myself as she continued to scream at me. At this point, pedestrians pulled her away and a building security guard called the NYPD. I was a little woozy from the punch but I told her she couldn’t leave the scene because I wanted to press charges.
That part didn't go so well, either! After getting checked out in an ambulance ("The impact was to my lip and jaw, I declined to be driven to the hospital for a cat scan."), Mumford says police interviewed her and ultimately discouraged her from pressing charges. No witnesses stayed at the scene, so it was her word against the driver and the other occupants of her vehicle. Mumford says the officer warned her that if she wanted to press charges, the driver could also press charges against her. Responding to an e-mail, Mumford tells us, "I went to the doctor this morning and they ordered an X-ray for my cheek bone."
The kicker comes when Mumford asked the cop if it mattered that the driver had been illegally using the bike lane to avoid traffic at the time, and the officer said it did not, because "people violate traffic laws in the city all the time." So true! And what is up with drivers' feral response whenever anyone dares lay a finger on their motor vehicles? There's something about operating a big, expensive piece of metal that sparks a primal, territorial rage
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This is why you should always be ready for someone to throw a punch at you when they are angry at coming towards you. Keep your hands ready for the block and the counter attack. Or just ride away and don't argue and try to teach people a life lesson, it's not worth it!
keep one hand on your bike lock...
Always have your Kryptonite U-lock ready and take a lesson from this guy.
http://gothamist.com/2009/07/21/video_bicyclist_attacks_man_with_lo.php
Or - keep your hands off of other people's property!
Don't harass people and you won't have to worry about being punched in the face!
Yes, because when I touch a car (made presumably out of sheet metal & crap like that) I'm decreasing the value of it to a fraction of what it was before I made contact with it. My goodness, I didn't realize that I'm that worthless, this is just going to soooooo boost my self-esteem today!
The driver was (1)blocking the BIKE lane (2) thought she was better than the other motorists who waited in traffic, which might indicate she is overtly pretentious and thinks that she is above the law and above everyone else. Most people do not like people who act like the above manner.
The victim should definitely press charges, if she thinks she's right, it's in her best interests to pursue further legal action. Punching someone is not something grown, matured adults should be doing to other grown, matured adults.
What's the over/under on this post going more than 50 comments?
That is far too modest an estimate. Just have JDS add something about animals and watch the shitstorm balloon to 150+
Cop's an asshole.
Agreed. DYFJ, man.
Hhaha rocknrope
But of course the police discouraged her from pressing charges -- she tapped on a car, that's criminal mischief or worse! It's a car! The driver only punched her face, which is no big deal, but don't mess with cars in this city.
After all, it's their road.
Actually, it is their road - they pay taxes and fees for it - you don't!
I do believe everybody pays for the roads so I consider the miniscule amount of money going into Cycling Transportation Facilities (compared relatively to say "Motor Facilities" such as highways) to be equal to the amount of road space one receives when operating a bicycle on a street with some sort of bicycling lane.
Not true.
Motor vehicle registrations in NYS include a usage tax, as does the tax on gasoline.
Can't recall cyclists having to pay a registration fee for their bikes. Ever.
I'm not saying that it was ok for the motorist to clock the girl on the cycle...
...but I understand.
punch avoidance FAIL
Ha! You said FAIL. That is cool new slang right?
Two words: Pepper Spray.
She should have kicked in a tail light or two and then ridden off.
lead shot filled Silca pump with a Campy metal head.
What is it with you bikers anyway? I can't even walk across West Dr. into the park without getting sneered at by you silly hat and pants wearing assholes.
Maybe you should lose some weight?
So says the silly hat and pants wearing asshole.
You're the reason your people get punched in the face for being assholes.
Yeah, I dig the new line of cycling "hats" that are currently on the market.
Asshelmet.
Oh I'm so sorry I didn't use the proper nomenclature when describing your silly hat!
You (bikers... oh wait, pardon me I'm profoundly sorry... I mean CYCLYSISTS) people as a whole are overly sensitive jerkoffs who think you own the road.
You don't.
Neither do cars or pedestrians.
It's just you're such easy targets to mock (and run over... LOL) because you're all such a big gang of whiny assholes.
Do us all a favor and go cycle yourself off a bridge.
Right - nobody owns the road. It should be shared. That's why cars have their own lanes (very many) and bicycles have their own lanes (too few). If the driver yesterday on Jay Street understood this concept, there would have been no confrontation.
Come on dude. Alot of normal people (me) ride to work everyday, and I don't dress like an asshat.
I see alot of pedestrians walking around looking like d-bags... are they all?
The other day, I was cycling down a bike lane, going the right way, through a green light, and some pedestrian just walked right in front of me (headphones in, of course).
Every person who ever walks anywhere deserves to get punched in the face.
agree with SP.
Beautiful job with the sign in the article (they are flipping each other off, no?)...very funny, kept me from my usual rage at this type of crap. that bike lane is a joke, I ride straight down the middle of the lane the whole section from bridge to whatever that street is (schemerhorn? wherever it starts to be one way)
Hmmmm, no charges, no witnesses, nothing but a blog gripe. Sounds like two women (one with 2 wheels, one with four) decided to get all Brodigan on each other. Even without charges, lets see a police report (interview requires some paperwork), or at least an ACR (ambulance call report). Or how about she posts photo, license plate, info on the driver? C'mon now, give up a little concrete.
You must be joking about the police report.
this is stupid
Maybe if there was enforcement of VTLs in the city, drivers would not violate them all the time.
Best if cyclist can keep a distance and heave a few gobs of spit into the face of the crazed auto driver. Crude - but it's deserved.
Yes, this works well in summer. I did this once with an asshole cut-off artist who said my bike was not a vehicle because it was not as fast as his car. Spat on his seat (not face) and said, "then catch me." Naturally he got caught in traffic.
Typical
Bicycle
Rider
Douchebag
Driver almost kills me + I spit in his window = we are even? But I'm a douchebag because cars and SUVs were designed to be able to kill but bikes were not designed as expectoration propelling platforms?
The cycle of violence continues.
HA! I just flipped off a driver for standing in the bike lane. *I* kept on going, however.
(And yes, I obey the traffic laws as best as I can.)
"lifted up my bike to protect myself", meaning, "i hit her with my bike"
precisely!
Another one sided story of an altercation from Gothamist.
This is why reporters should do reporting, not gothamist. Reporters at least attempt to get the other side of the story. Gothamist just writes articles citing the story of whoever the hell feels like writing in to them.
yup. but it's a blog, not a news site so, you know, the writers here don't actually have to stick to journalistic standards. or something along those lines. whatever their excuse, it's exactly that: an excuse.
An excuse for what, though?
If you don't like it, don't come to the site. No rational person is claiming that Gothamist is an authoritative source.
um, thanks for the input, JDS.
an excuse for not presenting more than one side of the story, as is often the case here.
and hey, i didn't say i didn't like it. what, if i have something vaguely negative to say, i can't post in the comments section? relax, 'Politburo.' me thinks you've been taking the propaganda a bit too seriously.
How is anyone supposed to get the other side of this story? And if they can't, then it just shouldn't be discussed?
My comment didn't say that you can't post here (as if I have that power in the first place). But bitching about a website on that same website gets tired, especially when it's bitching about them not being able to perform a miracle, and attempting to advance the view that only (self-certified) "reporters" can document events that have transpired.
However I was incorrect to assume that you agreed with the OP and apologize for that.
She kinda asked for it. Fine, the driver was wrong for going up the bike lane -- but it's true, people do it all the time especially during traffic jams. Just like how people Jaywalk when they're impatient. Big deal.
When she was squeezing by the driver, the cyclist should've left it at that and moved on. Her extra two cents got her punched. Maybe this sort of advice giving is taken kindheartedly in the Midwest or something, but get with it -- this is NYC, people are almost always in a pissy mood just waiting to take out their aggression on one thing or another.
And just for the record, I'm not stating how it "should be", just saying this is how it is. Sometimes you just have to adapt or get punched in the face.
A (semi-)related story from Torontoist, for those who haven't been following it:
http://torontoist.com/2009/09/bryant_charged_in_cyclists_death.php
You could say it's a step or two beyond a punch in the face.
No one should be punching anyone, and I'll stay out of a bike lane if it is convenient for me. But until bicyclists stop running red lights and otherwise flouting traffic laws, I have NO sympathy for them and I don't really want to hear anything they have to say about how and where drivers drive.
Why don't the cars just drive on the sidewalk? It's just as good as the bike lane. Maybe if they put up a curb between the bike lane and car lanes that'll work like on 8th ave.
I thought the sidewalks were just for bicyclists.
so, let's be clear here:
this woman deserved a punch in the face [physical violence] because people on bikes on [i]other occasions[/i] go through red lights.
think this though. it makes no sense.
Ok, if we stop at red lights all the time, just wait and see how much that slows you down in your car. You'll go from an average of 6 mph to about 3!
For the record, I think red lights should be treated as yield signs by cyclists - as in all other traffic coming on the other street has right of way, as well as pedestrians crossing in the crosswalk.
Traffic laws were made for cars, which are used on roads that were not designed for them.
Am I reading this right? Cyclist acknowledges her objective was to cruise through on the bike lane even though there was a red light?
As a pedestrian who regularly sees cyclists zip up and down Jay Street no matter what color the light is (and how many pedestrians are attempting to cross at the green), that's the one part of this story which I absolutely credit.
You're not reading it right. While many might assume she was going to run the light, there is no statement where she says this was her intent.
Anyone who seriously believes she was going to stop for the light should stand at the corners of Jay and Tillary, Johnson, Willoughby or Fulton during rush hours. I'm there every day. Cyclists don't even slow down, and definitely seem to believe lights are irrelevant if they're in the bike lane. Someone is going to say I shouldn't condemn all for the actions of some, but I've never seen a cyclist stop for a light unless there was also a physical obstruction (i.e., car or pedestrian) they couldn't intimidate into clearing the lane.
I never said that's an unreasonable assumption. But my answer to your question was correct.
I'm on those corners every day. I see pedestrians doing the same thing and I see cars push through the lights as well. I see cops wave traffic into the path of pedestrians who have the right of way. I just today watched a speeding car honk and rush up on a pedestrian crossing with the light at an intersection not far from this area. Everyone can be wrong some of the time.
She should have absolutely pressed charges. The cops are only telling her not to because they don't want the hassle. Also, as recent events would show, don't ever touch someone's car because they'll then press charges.
A cyclist's best friend: Kryptonite.
Also, old Titlists, C or D Duracell, or 8oz. can of any Del Monte product will do the trick too.
Everyone else's best friend: caltrops
I hate to say it but she asked for it. For one, it sounds like she wasn't obeying the rules of the road herself and nothing is more irritating to me than a self-righteous cyclist who doesn't practice what they preach. Second, come on. Her evening would have been perfectly fine had she not felt the need to educate this woman. This is NYC. She's actually lucky she didn't have a gun pulled on her. Just not worth it.
where was the cyclist not obeying the rules?
and why was she 'asking for it'?
If a pedestrian tells a biker who runs a red light "hey, you have red!", does the pedestrian deserve to be punched in the face as well?
I read the original account as the cyclist was passing in order to run a red light. I may be mistaken.
And, no, she didn't "deserve to be punched in the face". Nobody does, jackass. But she asked for an altercation when she stopped to educate that driver. If you're going to stop someone in NYC and attempt to teach them a lesson, about anything, you best be prepared for whatever reaction you get. I'm not saying it's right, but it is common sense.
For all you know they could both be native New Yorkers. It can be argued that the driver was extremely lucky not to have her teeth knocked out with a chain. Although I have no issue with confronting a cyclist on the pedestrian area of the Pulaski Bridge, or shaking my fist when someone is cycling down Bedford the wrong way, I'm almost run down by a driver at least a few times a week. The driver in this case was clearly at fault. I only wish someone had taken a pic of the beast so she could be publicly shamed.
I'm always amused when people invoke the "it's NYC" excuse to defend blatantly aggressive assholes in some scenarios, and criticize others for not having the balls to tackle a situation in the next.
shovel: you invoke the NYC aggressive attitude b/c its true. if you educate someone - you should AT THE VERY LEAST expect them to get into your face. You have to have the balls to stand up for yourself when it happens.
Right blueballs....if you tap on someone's car that's asking for a face punching. Sure, that's reasonable.... Cars are so important to people's ego that we should all know that and expect it. Riiiight.
no, if you tapped on my car to signal your passage, it wouldn't mean anything. all i can do in that situation is let you pass -- since you've probably begun attempting said passage already.
however, mid-passage, if you decide to educate me using your two-wheeled i'm-better-than-you-because-i'm-green or whateverthefu*k your reasoning is for riding a bike ego, chances are i'd get pissed too.
would i react and punch you in the face? probably not, since that's personally not my thing. however, the driver of the car had her own reaction. am i saying it's fair? no. i am saying however that the cyclist had it coming since she went the extra mile.
still wanna talk egos?
Get pissed all you want. You still shouldn't go around punching people. And i know you claim you "probably" wouldn't do that, but you're supporting that behaviour.
Juvenile.
a new yorker's best advice: don't preach to people on the streets, nobody gives a shit about how right you think you are and sometimes you'll get punched in the face.
In other words: be spineless.
no asshole. if you feel the need to preach: punch first, preach second.
Running every morning I see why pedestrians and bikers get so pissed off. Cars always shoot through stop signs and you have to watch carefully everywhere. Driving around Williamsburg on a nice day with all the bitchy hipsters riding their bikes through red lights and getting pissed at the slightest thing is also common. Everyone is on edge it seems, and the second someone steps up and seems like an immediate fight.
"And what is up with drivers' feral response whenever anyone dares lay a finger on their motor vehicles?"
It's really a sad reflection of society where the things you own are more important to you than your fellow man.
If the car was stopped at a red light, why is the bicyclist trying to pass it unless she's planning on going through the red light? Another cyclist who thinks red lights, stop signs and one-way streets don't apply to them.
It's not clear that she was going through the red light. She may have wanted to position herself in front of the car, while waiting at the light.
Very observant! Of course she was going to run a red light? Don't 99.9% of whining cyclists? That is, unless
they are on the sidewalk.
And she calls an ambulance and an X-ray for a punch? What a wimp. Likely, she is some newbie hipster from Shit's Creek, USA who moved to Brooklyn last year and received her first taste of Brooklyn Street justice.
Love it!
As Thomas Wolfe wrote: Only the Dead Know Brooklyn. If this hipsterette gets in many more Brooklynites' faces or touches many more of their cars, she might finally get to know Brooklyn.
Police don't like cyclists and they ignore drivers who are on the bike lanes. Shame on all the hatred toward cyclists.
While crossing the street I will start "tapping" on bicyclists to let them know I am crossing. I'm sure they will act as reasonably as the motorist.
Yeah, totally comparable situations there..
Yesterday a colleague of mine was crossing Madison Avenue with the light and was hit by a cyclist going the wrong way. The biker yelled at him for not looking both ways before he crossed. There are plenty of assholes on 2 wheels as well as 4. Did this lady deserved to get punched in the face? Seems like she felt the need to chastise the driver for being in a bike lane and tap the car. Perhaps the driver felt the need to rearrange her face. If someone gets out of their car and moves toward you-it is pretty clear they are looking for a confrontation. This bike rider lingered a bit too long to find that out.
Yesterday walking home from work two Lance Armstrong wannabees came within two feet of hitting me while I was crossing the road in Central Park, with the light and in the crosswalk. That happens at least twice a week.
Doesn't mean that this woman deserved to get punched. But I am curious -- why did she get off her bike? Better to just pedal away, yes?
Say what you will and feel free to color it with your own biases, what we have here is a unilateral blog report. Sure, the PD probably made it a 90XR, but an ambulance on the scene makes paper. Even if the patient refuses medical attention. And to those who advocate contact and/or violence toward persons or vehicles, don't forget that you have no idea what is in the other person's car/bag/pocket, or the proclities of that person. You confront or contact, you are accepting the responsibility for what happens. And it might not be pretty for you, might not agree with your sense of ethics/justice, and your beliefs regarding many issues mean nothing when you have a few holes in you in places not normally planned by nature.
BTW, that was of course, "proclivities"
it's ok Doc, i think most of us here are pro-clitties one way or another.
To add another anecdote, i was waiting for the bus on 23rd across from madison square park last night, basking in the delicious aroma of a not too distant shake shack, when a cyclist riding the wrong way down the wrong side for the road mounted the curb right in front of me, and cut off about 8 people walking on the sidewalk, in the process riding over the foot of a midlife crisis douchey looking "creative" executive (you know, mid 40's, with the scruffy beard and long hair). executive was about my height (6'6), little bit shorter, cyclist was about 5'10. executive kicks the guys back tire after he rode over his foot. cyclist rides back in a circle (on a crowded side walk) and starts to chew the guy out for "kicking my fucking bike". executive tells him "fuck off, you ran over my foot". Bicycalist keeps spewing venom, executive puts his book bag down and say, fine let's go (i believe there were a few "faggots" slung back and forth as well). bike dude rides to the building-with-the-fed-ex's doorway when he realizes how big dude is and says "yeah, fighting is sooo cool" and scampers inside with his bike.
i was amused. the bus was late.
I sure hate drivers. A lot. I wish less bikers were jerks though; they make it hard to take their side, with all the folks riding on sidewalks or against traffic or running red lights (& thus into crossing pedestrians...)
I ride this street everyday and yeah, it's a bit of a frogger game. There are tons of double parked cars, inattentive drivers pulling into and out of traffic every few feet etc. I always have my hands on the brakes no matter where I am in any lane.
But, as for the short temper issue? Keep in mind this is next to all the major courthouses. Between jurors, cops, defendants, witnesses, family members, angry ex's,lawyers et al, there are a LOT of stressed out, mad, stupid, all of the above, people walking into and out of those courthouses everyday. Still, never an excuse to assault someone. I don't care if it's NYC or Kansas City, control yourself.
1) I bike to work nearly everyday, and I see pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers all acting like idiots on a pretty regular basis. No point even trying to sort out which group is dumber.
2) Don't provoke if you can't back it up. No way I tap the car of the 250 lb. Russian body-builder in Brighton Beach. But the 110 lb. hipster in Williamsburg? Yeah.
3) New York has always been, and should always be, a place where laws kind of take a back seat to pragmatism. So what if a car is in the bike lane? As long as it doesn't swerve into the bike lane while you're riding.
4) Thank god the cops have better things to do than fill out a ton of paperwork on this. I've got to think the witnesses left because they didn't think it was that big a deal.
cutlass, Amen to your #1. Idiots exist in all groups.
In reference to point #4, please refer to the link above (where it says drivers feral response). In that case, the cops didn't mind doing the paperwork to press charges against a biker who brushed a car with his hand, despite being thrown on the ground by a fat angry driver. Cops also don't mind doing paperwork for drinking on stoops, etc. How is a blatant punch in the face, requiring x-rays, a lesser crime than the 67,000 "open alcohol containers" the city has written out this year so far (as or like a month ago)?
So if an asshole punched a member of your mother in the jaw, I'm assuming you also wouldn't consider it a "big deal."
As for assuming it's ok to harass only certain people based on their experience, I've lived in enough states not to underestimate the potential psychotic reaction of anyone, regardless of size. I can guarantee you I've rarely met a New Yorker crazier than some people I've known in flyover land.
"punched your mother," that is, but I like the idea of a mother's member!
I've only been biking for about a year now and while I can't claim to be in the same mindset of the majority of the bikers, I think I do a decent job of "do unto others." Sure I will ride through a red light, but that's only after stopping to A. Make sure I'm not going to be hit by a car (that has the right of way or not) and B. Make sure I don't hit anyone crossing the street. It's common sense for the most part. When I'm on my bike, I'm looking out for #1, but I'm not going to be a jerk about it. The best piece of advice I was given when I first started riding was to always assume I'm invisible and that every car will run a red light.
It seems like outright hypocrisy that drivers think it's ok to use the bike lane as their personal passing lane or parking spot when you know they would happily run down a biker for stopping in the middle of the street.
Totally agree with you on this.
Yeah, I'm the biggest car-hater ever. I'd shoot them all into the sun if I could. But, as someone whose preferred mode of transportation is the good old trusty foot, I have to say that bicyclists (not all, but many) are creating a huge PR issue with this red-light running thing, and if they want to be taken seriously, they should really shape up.
I'm totally sympathetic to bicyclists in theory, but in practice I get nearly run over by two-wheeled assholes on a daily basis, and I'm getting fucking sick of it.
Let's not forget that speeding bicycles have the potential to hurt, maim, or kill pedestrians. Maybe not as easily as cars, but the threat is there.
Hey good bicyclists, can't you talk to your buddies about stopping at red lights? Please, because I want to be on your side.
"I have to say that bicyclists (not all, but many) are creating a huge PR issue with this red-light running thing, and if they want to be taken seriously, they should really shape up."
Are pedestrians creating a huge PR issue by jay walking and crossing when they have the DO NOT WALK signal? Are motorists creating a huge PR issue by speeding? Why the double standard?
For the record, cyclists who blow through red lights ought to be given a ticket. Really. But stopping, looking and proceeding carefully doesn't bother me any more than pedestrians who stop, look and proceed carefully (which - in my experience - seem to be in the minority!)
I'm in that minority and love my bell :)
Calm down with the double standard BS. I was just trying to make a reasonable appeal to bicyclists, whom I appreciate in general.
Yes, of course cars have their own PR issues. They suck for speeding and a million other reasons. I said that.
As for pedestrians, we generally don't have the ability to seriously injure others just be running into them.
Bicyclist should also try being less shrill when commenting on the internet. We're not all against you just because we criticisms about certain things that certain bicyclists do.
Well, I haven't been able to push ups, chin ups or lift anything with my right arm extended for months now after a pedestrian ran right out onto the middle of 23rd street without looking. That's a four-lane street! I ended up hitting her full-speed - I had no time to brake. She got up, blamed me for 'not seeing her' and walked away (back onto the sidewalk). I wasn't able to get up.
Honestly, I'm surprised she wasn't more seriously hurt. In a way, I'm glad it was me who mowed her down because if I hadn't had been there, the bus to my left would probably have killed her. But my point here as that pedestrians have as much potential to injure cyclists as the other way around. I was definitely more injured than she was.
Stopping, looking and proceeding carefully at a red light will eventually be the law for cyclists. This should happen in the next few years.
how close is too close? I hear posters saying a biker rode too close to a ped. what about cars getting too close or pedestrians on the sidewalk too close?
there's 8 million people here, get used to being too close.
I was cycling and I got knocked over by once of those kit wearing fckers on the west side. Douche tried to pass me when I was passing someone first and his headphone line got caught on my handlebar and I flipped off my bike onto some huge rocks. Ended up spraining a wrist and slightly tearing my shoulder. There are cyclists on cyclists crimes too. Seems like the "armstrong" fckers are the big dicks in town.
don't snitch.
asâ‹…sault (noun)
1.a sudden, violent attack; onslaught: an assault on tradition.
2.Law. an unlawful physical attack upon another; an attempt or offer to do violence to another, with or without battery.
3.to make an assault upon; attack; assail.
seems pretty clear that this cyclist was "assaulted" and I hope she got the badge number of the lazy f*ckwad NYPD officer that didn't want to be bothered w/ filing a report so she could press charges. I just lost even more respect for the NYPD.
on another note, 2 months ago while on Boreum, I got hit by a gypsy car who decided to pass traffic via the bike lane. wow. look at that, cyclists use that lane, amazing! while the driver did stop and acknowledge it was hit fault it still sucked that I had a few hundred dollars worth of bills to pay all because of the city's lack of enforcing the law.
Ive actually filed a complaint in this district about the Jay St bike lane. A few months later, I got a phone call from the district commander (or whatever they're called), to talk about it.
Not only that. I missed the first call, and he called back.
The guy takes his shit seriously.
Bicycles are difficult to deal with because they are neither car nor pedestrian. No one bats an eye when a pedestrian crosses without the light (after checking there is no traffic, of course) but people freak out when bicycles do the same thing. But bicycles are not cars, people almost never die from collisions with bicycles. Cyclists need to be more respectful of pedestrians and sometimes motorists, but they are mostly a danger to themselves and rarely cause serious injuries to pedestrians (when considering the number of cyclists/bicycle road miles).
And as a cyclist, nothing annoys me more than jackasses riding the wrong way on a road, especially avenues. But cyclists who go through red lights in the same way as jaywalking pedestrians (i.e. not blowing through but slowing and yielding if there is any foot/car traffic), save the righteous indignation for something that deserves it. I'm all for eliminating the douchebag cyclists, whom are all too common, but most cyclists are not aggressive.
true, I'm on the sissyest looking folding bike in the world. I'm not out to run you over, the bike can barely get up to 10mph without me pedaling like a crazed jackrabbit. at an intersection, I stop and put my feet on the ground, I don't do any track stands, or riding in a circle till a break in traffic. but if the traffic looks WAY clear and not pedestrian are crossing, I will take the light. just like the millions of jaywalkers seen crossing 7th ave at Penn Station or 42nd street at Grand Central Terminal.
The lesson? Never ride alone. Always bring a posse member with you, preferably someone who won't mind doing a little time on Rikers if necessary.
Stop at red lights or you will get killed. Twice in the last week, once on 4th ave and the other on Flatbush I was 10 feet away from killing bikers...I had green lights, they didnt. The only time I ever saw someone stop at a red was when they had a baby on the back.
And yes, confront strangers on the streets of NY at your own risk.
Why are people hitting (sorry, "tapping") cars anyway? Bells are required on bikes in the city. That's the proper way to get the attention of a stopped car. I wouldn't attack someone over it, but I wouldn't want someone hitting my car, either.
Because they are overentitled bike rider douchebags, who think they deserve special privileges.
cyclists tap on cars to get their attention. if you give a gentle 'tap tap' to the exterior of a car, it is quite audible inside it. That's why we do it. I had a bell on my bike but quickly realized that amid the cacophony of Manhattan and drivers with their windows rolled up, tapping a car's trunk or hood as they merge into you without looking is the best way to get them to stop. immediately. We do it to avoid having our paltry space infringed upon.
I mean, come on. She stopped to teach the driver of that car a lesson. Does she actually believe she is doing the driver a favor and will be thanked? Guess what? The driver was pissed and clocked her. Not nice, probably not fair either, but that's the risk you take when you stop a stranger in NYC and expect to teach them something. It takes 2 to tango. When I have spoke up to strangers in the city, and I have, I did so fully expecting that they might not agree with me. It happens. Why is this even on Gothamist anyway?
pageviews, ad revenue
people love a good bike lane and/or dead hipster artist story here
True. Very true.
Why are people hitting (sorry, "tapping") cars anyway? Bells are required on bikes in the city. That's the proper way to get the attention of a stopped car. I wouldn't attack someone over it, but I wouldn't want someone hitting my car, either.
Bells never get anyone's attention, ding-a-ling-a-ling. Voice works much better. I like shouting, "Don't Look!" Works every time.
i love how the comments were made that no one hears a bell so yelling works better (or "tapping" someones vehicle). I find it funny only because The sound of me honking my horn is pretty loud..and yet ppl just keep on riding and dont seem to care. and then i just love seeing the middle finger thrown up at me when I get mad because i need to slow down, stop short, or swerve to let some as*hole get back into the bike lane when there are no duble parked cars or any reason for them to be riding against traffic in the middle of the street. I find myself using my horn more because of the bikes riding up and down freaking manhattan ave, bedford ave, or anywhere in williamsburg or the rest of ny these days who don't take a second look and swerve right in front of me than because of any cars or pedestrians!! Luckily i'm not the type to get out and punch someone in the face...but growing up around here i've seen people get punched for a lot less. Do i think violence is acceptable? .. NO!! but are you taking a chance everytime you get in someone's face or yell something stupid?? of course!!! If the newbies moving into the area wanna be accepted and the cyclists want respect then they shouldn't walk or ride around acting like who the hell they are!!! No One owns the streets. not bikes, not cars, not ppl walking along listening to their IPods in a daze...and there is always gonna be some idiot doing something stupid no matter how they choose to get around. But i have to say .. after being told to get the F**K out of the way by some hipster riding a bike on the sidewalk down metro while i'm walking, or almost hitting some moron who shot through a red light at a busy intersection on his 10 speed.. i'm not a fan of the cyclists in the area!!!!
BklynGirl: I am hardly a newbie; I've lived 18 of my 33 years around here. I agree that there is no good reason to ride on the sidewalk: maybe in Ames, Iowa; but not with 8 million people around, mostly pedestrians. And, while I'm seeing both sides of the argument: bike lanes are not 2-way.
But there are excellent reasons to remain outside of (some) bike lanes. Most are too narrow to avoid being doored, and many that are wide enough are blocked by parked cars.
If there is a car in my bike lane anywhere on the block I am traveling, I immediately claim my space to its side. The alternative is to swerve into the car lane as soon as I get there, creating much more risk of loss of life or limb.
Also, 99% of the time I'm honked at, I'm traveling safely in the bike lane, and someone wants to warn me as a courtesy(?) that they are riding in the car lane. Translation: "I'm surprised to see a bike, so you must be surprised to see cars."
you toucha my car, I breaka you face.
as long as I can remember that's how some car owners feel.
well, it's just a car. I didn't offend your mother.
do you shoot pigeons because they pooped on your car? because pigeon poop does much more damage to the finish of your car than some hand oils.
or park your car under some elevated tracks.
That's it, I'm putting a fog horn on my bike. Or maybe a trolley horn. And by trolley horn I mean this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M797deklm3s (link to RIVERLine train). & by the same logic used by numerous commenters, on this post alone, I think I could get away with this, because cars honk incessantly and that's deafeningly loud, so i can too, but then someone will say that "motorists pay for their roads, bikes don't", so my entire plan has been scraped before it could even be tested in a trial.
I agree. Angry cyclists, pedestrians hit cars all the time. I honked at a pedestrian because he was crossing against the light and I was afraid I would hit him. No good deed goes unpunished because he comes and hits my car. Should have just hit him. Another time, I was trying to park and the stupid city built the parking lane and bike lane side by side so I had to go into bike lane in order to park, I signaled, and there was not a biker near me at time, but as I am parking, a biker who was a block away at time that I started parking, comes and hits my car because I was blocking him. How would bikers and pedestrians like it if instead of honking at them, or signaling our intentions, we just hit them? Why is it alright for them to hit our car and not face criminal charges?
holy crap, a few newly registered posters came on board.
can we make it to 150 posts?
Why does the bike vs. car vs. pedestrian issue always wind up with the same uninteresting conversation?
"I drive a car and bikes suck!"
"I ride a bike and cars suck!"
"I was almost once hit by a car while crossing the street."
"I was almost once hit by a bicyclist while crossing the street."
"A pedestrian walked right in front of me against the light."
A lot of heat, not much light and the same damn conversation every time. It's fun to be a tough dude on the internet! How do we change the totally stupid and repetitive conversation to one that focuses on making the streets safer for everyone? Is anyone even interested in having that conversation?
This woman's blog says she's too visually impaired to have a drivers license.
So why the hell is she bicycling!!!???!!!
If she's a danger to herself and others in a car because of her poor vision, she's a danger in any kind of vehicle!
Ms Mumford lives in New York City, the city with the best transit system in America - she can take a bus or the subway like everybody else!
Instead, she selfishly chooses to be a danger to herself and others by driving an unlicensed vehicle on the road - and she's picking fistfights with motorists!
Typical selfish overprivileged douchebag bicyclist!
I don't feel bad for the victim. She wanted to get in her little word to the driver to teach her a lesson. Every single time you yell at someone from your car or tell someone to go fuck themselves or give someone the finger you risk getting that one crazy bastard who will chase you or get out of his car or punch you. In this case it was a crazy woman that freaked out. Just keep riding your bike away or bite your lip. This happened because this idiot on the bike smacked the lady's car.
Plus, the idiot on the bike, according to her own blog, is too visually impaired to have a drivers license.
She's also too much of an egomaniac to ride the bus or the train, so she puts everybody at risk by riding a bike - even though she does not belong on the road in any kind of vehicle, because of her disability.
And, this visually impaired fool decides to start fistfights with other people - even though she has vision problems!
Apparently, Ms Mumford has seen too many martial arts pictures - she thinks she's the blind swordswoman and can bike and fight just like folks with 20/20 vision!
She found out the hard way that this is not the case!
LOL
Ms. Magoo Goes Cycling!
Ban the bikes.
what haps to bike lanes when it snows?
ty bloomie
So when is someone going to post the plate number?
I bike this lane a lot. there's always some fat black woman in a car in the bike lane. she was probably on her sidekick too. i would have smashed her big nose with my u-lock if she got out. gotta assume shes carrying a gun.
You are a racist asshole.
Send them to Thunderdome; two a-holes enter one a-hole leaves.
Who owns Barter Town?
Master Bloomberg!
I had a similar incident on Jay Street a while back, but it ended more to my favor. A driver pulled into the bike lane and nearly hit the girl in front of me, but I wasn't so lucky. I plowed into the right side mirror knocking the cover off. To make a long story short me and the motorist tangled because he wanted me to pay a body shop to fix his car and I said go fuck yourself, you're in the bike lane asshole! Before this person got out of the car, I dismounted the bike and grabbed my u-lock. I never made a threat to him, but he wasn't as wise. I was loud enough to make sure everyone around heard our conversation. He was foolish enough to make threats of assault. By the time the cops came, he made a thorough ass of himself. The cops asked me if I wanted to press charges and I said, I just want to get to work this morning. That was that.
I do pay taxes for the roads, I occasionally drive and I pay a nice chunk of other taxes that go toward roads. I have every right to use the road on my bike and it's a fact cyclists have less rights on the road than others. I have on occasion tangled with motorists. If you ever tap or smack a car, be ready to defend yourself.
SO true.
The only time I've hit a car was basically when one ran into me, or I didn't have time to avoid a driver moving into me. I've broken a couple of side mirrors with my handlebars from drivers moving over at the last second. I've also ended up on the hood of a car when a livery cab jerked to the right, and I've had a car turn right into me without signaling, flattening my front tire.
Every time, the driver's gotten pissed, but they're usually more angry at themselves for not avoiding me (or maybe not killing me), but angry words were spewed nonetheless, but if you don't instigate it to begin with, you have nothing to worry about.
Of course, if the person does get violent, you're on a bike, so just ride away before it escalates. Make sure to ride away from traffic, though, so they can't chase you down.
i believe the driver was completely correct and justified in her actions. thank you Gothamist for bringing me this most inspiring and entertaining piece. i just love a good hipster ass whipping story! street justice at its finest!
Unless bike lanes are physically separated from auto lanes, (either by a concrete divider or a lane of parked cars) then they're worthless. The city can paint all the white & green stripes on the ground that it likes, but it won't make any difference to the multitude of lawless, insane goons who drive on our streets daily.
I was in the bike lane next to a UPS truck in greenpoint and the fucker pulled into the bike lane squeezing me out. I had to brake and pull back. I yelled at him to watch for bikes in the bike lane. And he just glared at me. this city is filled with assholes.
Sounds made up, bro
sounds made up, bro
@ GREGORYABUTLER
"they pay taxes and fees for it "
You've got it backwards.
Everyone is paying for roads. Drivers put more wear on the roads and get disproportionate benefit from that.
Since our road system is paid for principally out of general funds and only a portion if covered by car-specific taxes and such, drivers are actually using *more* public money than everyone else.
No, actually you have it backwards - drivers pay lots and lots of special DMV fees and taxes that go directly to road maintenance. Commercial vehicles pay even higher road taxes for that purpose.
So yes, cars and trucks DO own the road - cause they paid for it!
Simply wrong. The payments drivers make don't come close to covering the cost of the roads, and wear and tear on the roads. They're living off payments made by people who don't drive. So they *less* than own the roads -- they owe people who don't drive.
And BTW I drive - my car (2009 Nissan) is parked outside my apartment right now.
I'm just not as ignorant as you.
If the City decided to enact a bicycle tax (preferably on new bicycles, registering every bloody bicycle in this city of 8 million would probably be outrageous and unfeasible, angering Liberals, Progressives, Libertarians against the expansion of government, a conservative or two, and maybe even Sheldon Silver…)
I would gladly pay a reasonable tax on top of sales tax for a bicycle bought in New York, as long as I get a little in return (a little more traffic patrol of cars & BIKES, more facilities, a bicycle parking center/commuter storage facility or two.
We could also have laws accommodate bicyclists more appropriately such as the Idaho Stop (Allows for bicyclist to ease through certain intersections, therefore legitimizing an already occurring action that in no way can be enforced. However by legitimizing it, more people are aware of this procedure and hopefully reduce incidents. It's the best thing to come out of Idaho since Potatoes.
Although I'm not advocating this form of road usage taxation, as taxing bicycles would be a complicated procedure, especially considering how bikes are purchased today, increasingly by means of craigslist, and specialty bikes shops selling frames and parts, you cannot draw the line in this form of taxation. However, if I could financially support bicycle infrastructure, I would as long as it's a fare and reasonable price.
If I haven't written any grammatical errors in the posts above, I'm going to wonder why I'm failing English Arts, and if I'm not, I can see why.
I find it funny that they mention that the car had to stop because of the red light. Don't Bicycles have to follow those same rules?
They should but most of them do not and it helps fuel the fires .
Imagine if they ever get those anti grav vehicles like they had in The Fifth Element...
Pull up a lawn chair and watch the fireworks
I'm surprised at how many readers take the side of the poor defenseless driver, surrounded by 4000 pounds of vehicle, as she took on the mean, angry cyclist. I'm also surprised at the number who felt that assaulting a person by striking them in the face was justified.
Here's a report from Beijing:
"The unnamed man, a retired teacher, had managed to get traffic lights installed at a crossroads which had
seen a number of accidents. But despite this cars continued to ignore the lights, and so he took it upon
himself to start lobbing bricks at the transgressors. So popular was this move that at times he was joined by
two other elderly gents, while some other people brought them more bricks to throw, and water to keep them
going.
An online poll was quickly rustled up after he was stopped by the police with the damaged car count at 30,
and at the time of writing 80% of 400,000 respondents actually backed his actions.
This may, of course, have something to do with Chinese road safety being absolutely abysmal, with around
200 fatalities a day."
My personal strategy is to ride with civility, always giving way to pedestrians with a wave & a smile. I also try to let idiot drivers go by without a comment or gesture, and their actions speak for themselves. It ends up working fairly well - I rarely have close calls, and my rides end up feeling fairly relaxed & efficient. That's about all you can ask for in NYC.
John, were either of the women middle-aged or senior citizen-types? Just curious since women over fifty seem to annoy you.
Anyway, my nose was broken by a whack job in the bridle path of Central Park once when she felt I didn't clean up after my dog adequately. I really didn't expect a woman to punch me for such a petty reason. She was arrested by police and she wound up doing community service for a week.
A lot of people out there seem to think it's OK to start punching someone in the face. Be on the alert. Since civility seems to be at a minimum, what might stop them is if they thought the other person might have a gun
Never let a cop talk you into not filing charges. They will ALWAYS tell you that you are going to "get hauled in too" , because the other party will file against you. Cops hate the paperwork. File charges anyway.
The bicycle driver had a case here.
When you take the word of a cop relation to your rights (non educated) as the word of an attorney...you probably gonna be in a bad position.
Only in NYC people in cars go medieval on bike riders!
.
Most of the comments from "the car side" show the level of civility the pro-car drivers have. This post will work wonders in a town meeting to show drivers wipe their ass with cyclist rights, not understanding a bit about the relation about motor engine carcasses plus speed, and, the lack of such elements in collision dynamics in a highway.
This lack of understanding being the principal argument against motorists -when they think is an asset...
Another example of why living in a city of millions of people is a horrible idea and something I'll never understand. Concentrated waste, pollution, no easy access to natural resources. Yeah, cities are GREAT! Idiots.