Saturday, January 09, 2010
BROUGHT LOW
There has been a sort of landmark case going on out here in the continuing war between the bicycles and the automobiles.
An emergency room doc did one of those pass, swerve and slam on the brakes things in front of two cyclists.
He said "to teach them a lesson".
They hit the car with major injuries.
He is heard on his 911 call telling the guys to get their bikes off the road. And telling the 911 people that they can send an EMT but the cyclists will claim more injuries than are actually the case.
The guy seemed and seems to be a real dick.
The trial was long and contentious but left little doubt that the doc lied and also had malicious intent.
During the trial he seemed to have no remorse and to feel aggrieved that his valuable time was being taken up with this case. He didn't seem to get that he was in trouble, could be found wrong.
I guess that the verdict was a shocker for him. He went directly to jail and did not pass go. Yesterday the sentencing. Worse.
Los Angeles doctor gets 5 years for injuring cyclists
As he read his plea for mercy he seemed, still, to be unclear that he had really done anything wrong.
I don't like to see anyone get time but, in this case, it has the happy effect of breaking this guy's balls and sending a message to other drivers that "close call" games with bikes are not a good idea.
I have had my own experiences with this kind of, out of the blue, hostile behavior. Come up behind very close then pass even closer then swerve almosts 90 degrees in front of the bike and hit the brakes.
I never ran into anyone but only because I had a fast reaction and learned to be ready for this kind of thing all the time.
For some drivers, a bike is a target. An outlet for caged rage. Or something.
So a lot of cyclists are going to be happy this morning.
I did not realize that this guy had been reported but not arrested for doing this before.
So much for Hippocrates' "doing no harm".
