"Cyclists Should Stay On The Trails, Where They're Safe"
Last week, two members of Tulsa's cycling community were killed while riding their bicycles. Another was injured.
They were riding along highway 51 near Sand Springs, when a drunk driver plowed into them at a high rate of speed. She never even saw them. They never had a chance. In case you missed it, here is the story. And here is a link to the list of follow up stories regarding the incident.
As you might expect, this incident has re-ignited the debate over cyclists and roads. My experience has been that most drivers are cordial and patient when they encounter a cyclist as part of traffic. Cordial, but often ignorant. I hear people say that cyclists should not be on the road with cars (even though the law allows for it). I hear them say we should be riding on the shoulder (even though there is no requirement for us to do so). And I hear them say that we should ride single file (the law says we should ride no more than two abreast).
Of course, I often run into people who are both ignorant and rude. A few weeks ago I encountered a driver who told me, in a very angry manner, that he had called police, and they were on their way, because we should not be riding in the road. Police never showed up.
The epicenter of the debate for the past week has been the online version of the Tulsa World. One advantage to the online version of the paper is that readers can immediately comment on a story. Of course, that also means any idiot with a computer and online access can say just about whatever pops into their pea-sized brain.
Among the logic that has come from these online forums regarding the recent deaths of Christa Voss and Matt Redmonds:
Tausha Borland, aka, worthless piece of crap
One of the more asinine comments I read came from a reader who said that because Tulsa has miles and miles of trails designed just for bikes and pedestrians, cyclists should be limited to riding them, "because they're safe."
But then a news report came on that I almost missed. It was on Channel 6. Curiously, none of the other news outlets carried the story of a driver, allegedly drunk, who flipped his car up and embankment, through a fence, and onto the Creek Trail. Here is a link to the story (thanks, KOTV). Below are some pictures from the scene. If you want to get an idea of how fortunate it is that no one was killed, check out this video, from the KOTV helicopter. Notice the joggers running past. How is it, if not for the grace of God, that no one was killed?
This photo is from KOTV's website
This is where the car came through the fence. It took a lot of velocity to move that
car off the road, up a steep embankment, through the fence, and onto the opposite lane
of the trail. How fast must this idiot have been going??
This tree was the only apparent victim, thankfully.
There are still oil stains in the grass.
And debris from the crash, like this headlight
This accident hits home for me. I ride this section of the trail just about every day. It is a part of my regular commute to and from work. The incident occurred a few minutes after 5pm, the exact time I ride this section of trail, on my way home from the bank. Any cyclist, jogger, walker, kid, or whomever, would have surely been killed if they had been on the trail. A co-worker told me that her friend had jogged past that very spot, only twenty seconds before. If she had stopped even to tie her shoe, she would be dead right now. The husband of one of Lisa's friends was killed a few years ago, as he jogged along the Riverparks Trail. A driver lost control of his vehicle, left the road, and plowed into him as he was running.
So please, somebody tell me how limiting cyclists to the Tulsa trails system is safer.
So the issue here is not about cycling, traffic laws, or whether cars should have to share the road with bicycles. The issue is common sense. Drink whatever you want, but don't get into a car. If you're sober and driving, be patient with slower moving and more vulnerable traffic, such as bicycles. If animosity between drivers and cyclists continues, the next step will not be to ban cyclists from the roads. The next step will be to lower speed limits for cars on surface streets (which I am in favor of). It is all about common sense, using your brain, and putting into practice what we learned in Kindergarten. Share. Be nice to each other. Wait your turn.
It really is that simple.
They were riding along highway 51 near Sand Springs, when a drunk driver plowed into them at a high rate of speed. She never even saw them. They never had a chance. In case you missed it, here is the story. And here is a link to the list of follow up stories regarding the incident.
As you might expect, this incident has re-ignited the debate over cyclists and roads. My experience has been that most drivers are cordial and patient when they encounter a cyclist as part of traffic. Cordial, but often ignorant. I hear people say that cyclists should not be on the road with cars (even though the law allows for it). I hear them say we should be riding on the shoulder (even though there is no requirement for us to do so). And I hear them say that we should ride single file (the law says we should ride no more than two abreast).
Of course, I often run into people who are both ignorant and rude. A few weeks ago I encountered a driver who told me, in a very angry manner, that he had called police, and they were on their way, because we should not be riding in the road. Police never showed up.
The epicenter of the debate for the past week has been the online version of the Tulsa World. One advantage to the online version of the paper is that readers can immediately comment on a story. Of course, that also means any idiot with a computer and online access can say just about whatever pops into their pea-sized brain.
Among the logic that has come from these online forums regarding the recent deaths of Christa Voss and Matt Redmonds:
- Cyclists should not be allowed to ride on the roads, period.
- Cyclists should only be allowed to ride on certain roads.
- Cyclists should be allowed to use the roads, but it is not smart to do so (one man told me that the only law I should be concerned about is the law of physics).
- Widen the sidewalks.
Tausha Borland, aka, worthless piece of crap
One of the more asinine comments I read came from a reader who said that because Tulsa has miles and miles of trails designed just for bikes and pedestrians, cyclists should be limited to riding them, "because they're safe."
But then a news report came on that I almost missed. It was on Channel 6. Curiously, none of the other news outlets carried the story of a driver, allegedly drunk, who flipped his car up and embankment, through a fence, and onto the Creek Trail. Here is a link to the story (thanks, KOTV). Below are some pictures from the scene. If you want to get an idea of how fortunate it is that no one was killed, check out this video, from the KOTV helicopter. Notice the joggers running past. How is it, if not for the grace of God, that no one was killed?
This photo is from KOTV's website
This is where the car came through the fence. It took a lot of velocity to move that
car off the road, up a steep embankment, through the fence, and onto the opposite lane
of the trail. How fast must this idiot have been going??
This tree was the only apparent victim, thankfully.
There are still oil stains in the grass.
And debris from the crash, like this headlight
This accident hits home for me. I ride this section of the trail just about every day. It is a part of my regular commute to and from work. The incident occurred a few minutes after 5pm, the exact time I ride this section of trail, on my way home from the bank. Any cyclist, jogger, walker, kid, or whomever, would have surely been killed if they had been on the trail. A co-worker told me that her friend had jogged past that very spot, only twenty seconds before. If she had stopped even to tie her shoe, she would be dead right now. The husband of one of Lisa's friends was killed a few years ago, as he jogged along the Riverparks Trail. A driver lost control of his vehicle, left the road, and plowed into him as he was running.
So please, somebody tell me how limiting cyclists to the Tulsa trails system is safer.
So the issue here is not about cycling, traffic laws, or whether cars should have to share the road with bicycles. The issue is common sense. Drink whatever you want, but don't get into a car. If you're sober and driving, be patient with slower moving and more vulnerable traffic, such as bicycles. If animosity between drivers and cyclists continues, the next step will not be to ban cyclists from the roads. The next step will be to lower speed limits for cars on surface streets (which I am in favor of). It is all about common sense, using your brain, and putting into practice what we learned in Kindergarten. Share. Be nice to each other. Wait your turn.
It really is that simple.
There used to be a judge in Indianapolis who said .. I heard this personally in open court .. that if you come into his court and are found guilty of DWI, you WILL spend time in jail. He likened it to aiming a pistol into the crowd, pulling the trigger, and hoping nobody gets hit.
His name was John Christ.
No kidding.
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I think we all hope the judge that is assigned to this case will be "Christ-like." But I'm not confident. I have heard the judge assigned to Borland's case has a reputation for showing compassion to people like her, rather than for the victims and their families. I don't know that first hand, and I hope I'm wrong, but that's what I have heard. Many in the cycling community are motivated to be at the court appearances as they come up. If the courts go easy on her, it won't be because we aren't there to represent the ones who were murdered by this woman.
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Jason: I too hope you are wrong. There is too much of that "slap on the wrist" type of stuff that goes on as it is. The only way this woman will learn her actions have consequences is by having the judge throw the book at her. I blogged about some recent experiences in my own cycling at this link: http://billgrandi.ovcf.org/wordpress/?p=2410 Yours is a good post and should be read by all.
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