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A cyclist westbound on Hollywood Boulevard hears a loud horn behind him as he rides in the right side of the #2 lane, alongside a row of parked cars and dangerously close to the door zone.
The motorist with the heavy horn hand turns out to be Metro Bus Driver #XXXXX and she passes the cyclist so closely that his left hand touches the side of the bus as it speeds past him. The number #1 lane is empty and nothing serves to prevent the bus driver from changing lanes to pass the cyclist except for a failure on her part to acknowledge the cyclist’s right to ride the streets of Los Angeles without having his life threatened.
The bus proceeds down Hollywood Boulevard to a bus stop at Wilton and stops. The cyclist pulls up on the driver’s side of the bus and addresses the bus driver informing her that honking at a cyclist with no room to spare will only serve to startle the cyclist and cause a dangerous situation and that as a professional driver she should know that if the lane is too narrow to share, she should change lanes in order to pass without endangering the safety of the cyclist.
The driver screams “You were in my way. You need to get off the road!” She slams the window shut.
The cyclist, who would have accepted a “Sorry, my bad!” and called it a day, pulled in front of the bus and informed the driver that he was calling the police to report the driver for Assault with a Deadly Weapon, the bus. She screams, points at her watch, tells the cyclist to move and puts the bus in gear.
Lane numbers work by counting from the middle to the side of a street. In a four-lane street such as the portion of Hollywood Blvd. above, lane #2 is the one against the sidewalk. Lane #1 is always the furthest left lane in the direction you are going.
The cyclist stands his ground, all the while hearing “…all operators are busy, please continue to hold…” on the phone. The cyclist calls his wife and tells her to send the police to Hollywood & Wilton. He continues to call the local police station.
The bus driver pushes the cyclist with her bus. A witness on the south side of Hollywood screams at the bus driver. “I’m watching you! Stop it!”
The cyclist stands his ground, now with a passenger who steps out and screams at the cyclist to get out the way and then lets loose with a stream of expletives. The passenger gets back on the bus.
The bus driver backs up, turns the bus into the boulevard and comes back at the cyclist who is now standing behind his bike. She comes a bit faster and pushes the bus against the cyclist until the bike is now wedged under the right front bumper of the bus. She throws up her hands and wails at the bus drivers who drive past in the #1 lane. They yell at her to sit tight and just call the supervisor. All the while the witness on the street keeps yelling at the bus driver “He’s right! You’re wrong!”
Inside the bus, the angry passenger is stirring up the other three or four passengers for their “Let’s roll!” moment. He jumps off the bus with an elderly man backing him up, pulls the bike from under the bus, flings it up onto the sidewalk and then assumes a Karate Kid pose that causes all time to stop and all motion to be suspended as the absurdity of the moment is absorbed by the cyclist. The old man has already disappeared and the passenger jumps back onto the bus.
With the bus blocking the #2 lane of Hollywood Boulevard, traffic is now backed up for several blocks. The bus driver takes the time to explain to each motorist as they pull alongside her that the traffic congestion is due to the cyclist. “Can you believe this?” she asks.
The bus driver talks to somebody on her bus phone, gets out witness cards and proceeds to have the passengers fill them out. She collects the cards.
The Karate Kid jumps off the bus, spits on the cyclist, yells at the witness across the street and proceeds down Hollywood Boulevard.
Eventually an LAPD patrol car pulls up and two cops jump out. The cyclist naively expects to hear “What’s going on here?” but is instead greeted by “Hands behind your back!” The cyclist’s wife who is just arriving on the scene yells at the cops, “Hey, he’s the one who called you!” which apparently sounded like “Hey, put me in handcuffs too!” because Officer Hayhurst promptly placed her in handcuffs and placed her face against the wall.
Officer Swan held the cyclist, face against the wall, while he struggled with the definition of impeding traffic. The cyclist countered that he wanted to file charges against the driver for assault with a deadly weapon and battery charges against the Karate Kid.
Officer Swan gave the cyclist the first of the many lectures that are apparently free on holidays to those wearing handcuffs, this one entitled “The Metro provides a public service and you are not to interfere with it.” The cyclist responds that riding a bike in the street could hardly be construed as “interfering” with the Metro and that cyclists are guaranteed by law their place on the street and that it is his duty to protect and serve everybody, not just those in poor command of tons of steel.
The waste of time exchange continued as Sgt. Jerrett arrived on the scene and consulted with Swan and Hayhurst, Metro Deputy Sheriff Parrott, Metro Supervisor Mike Dunn and the Metro driver. Sgt. Jerrett lumbers over to the cyclist and proceeds to ask questions such as “Do you think it’s appropriate to stand in the street?” and “Do you think that yelling through the windshield is the best way to communicate with the driver?”
The cyclist responds that he was attempting to detain the driver while he waited for the LAPD to answer the phone so that he could have her arrested for threatening his life with her irresponsible and dangerous driving and, as it turns out, her stated contempt for his right to ride in the street. The cyclist again asks the police to arrest the driver for assault with a deadly weapon, pointing out that if a motorist were to move a vehicle toward a police officer in the same manner, they would not be so conflicted as to action, that they would respond quickly and effectively and there would be little debate as to any definition of assault with a deadly weapon. Jerrett listens, stares and walks away.
After much discussion, Sgt. Jarrett decides that Sheriff’s Deputy Parrott will be taking over the “incident” and that the LAPD will be moving on. Deputy Parrott gets in the cyclist’s face to state clearly that there would be no Private Persons Arrest, there would be no arrest period. There will be an investigation and there will be a citation for an infraction and it might be the cyclist!
He then allowed the Metro driver to leave the scene with the bus.
As the cyclist stood giving his report to Deputy Parrott and Metro Supervisor Dunn, the cyclist pointed out that the witness cards had just left with the Metro drive.
Deputy Parrott and Supervisor Dunn looked at each other with a synchronized “WTF” look on their humbled faces and for a moment the only sound that could be heard was the thundering roar of systemic incompetence resounding down the boulevard.
Two and a half hours after the beginning of this incident, Supervisor Mike Dunn stands on the sidewalk explaining in his most earnest manner, “But you have to understand, that’s how they are trained to drive. They are told to honk at road hazards!”
This is fuel on the fire for the cyclist who argues “Cyclists aren’t road hazards!” The cyclist’s wife calmly records Supervisor Dunn’s explanation and the cyclist wearily takes his claim form for the bent wheel and walks home.
The next day the cyclist calls the Metro and reports the incident. Within hours he receives an email from an official at the Metro contradicting Supervisor Mike Dunn and with Bus Drive Instructions in the subject line. “Bus operators are not told to honk at cyclists. As a matter of fact, the policy states that cyclists have the same rights on the road as motorists and that operators are to follow at a safe distance or pass with 3-4 l/2 feet of right side clearance.”
Unfortunately, the Metro official neglected to copy Supervisor Mike Dunn or Driver #XXXXX on that email which means that she’s still out there, sideswiping and screaming “You need to get off the road!”
As for this cyclist (yes, that's me in those pictures!), “See you on the streets!”
previously on LAist
9/4 - SUV hits Bike in Beverly Hills, Cyclist Cited
9/10 - Beverly Hills PD Serves LAist in Bike Incident
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So many bus drivers are pricks. It's annoying.
Infuriating.
OMG...Outrageous.
Typical response from the LAPD. They aren't even aware of the laws they are supposed to be enforcing. This type of incident with the bus trying to run down cyclists is common and drivers like this need to be taken off the road before they kill off all the cyclists.
Absolutely unacceptable. Metro as well as ALL Law enforcement need to get this straight. It's taught in basic driver's ed, bikes have to share the road with traffic.
Riding through downtown and East LA I had a couple close calls with bus drivers who honk and sped past closely. It was unexpected behavior and I'm more wary of buses now.
Wait a second, you wrote this whole thing in third person, when really it was deceptively a first person story the entire time?
This "detain now, apologize later" approach to law enforcement is waaaay too common. And no elected officials seem to be stepping up and saying it's past time for it to stop.
Have you contacted the Mayor's office (he's the first Vice Chair of Metro) or your county supervisor (they're on the board of Metro)? I'd be interested in how they spin bus drivers running down cyclists.
As I would expect from Metro/LAPD, horrible! Maybe riders could attach digital cameras to their bikes and record all the infractions from motorist. This seems to be a problem that a little documentation might help.
You are a crazy dude! I think "the cyclist" just won the "my balls are bigger that y'alls" award for the year, nay the century.
It says a lot for our government that you weren't beaten up and arrested after shutting the cops down with words. Brilliant.
Thank you for taking a stand. This is awesome. Maybe there is a way to systematically aggitate for changes in enforcement this way? This feels like a civil rights issue - and a systematic pinging of the legal system might be a great way to get the laws we have on the books enforced.
the bus driver was wrong for hitting the guy's bike, but seriously, fuck him for selfishly blocking a bus. he should've just taken the plate numbers or something.
Lets see them serve a search warrant this time.
I'm with #11 -- totally fucked up bus manuever, but seriously--- blocking the bus and all the traffic behind? Just take the plate and call the cops + the city to report the incident. It's a BUS -- it's not like they'll never be able to find the driver. Come on.
best said....
"Infuriating."
"OMG...Outrageous."
something has to be done about the lack of respect that bikers are given in this town. this is like the beverly hills incident. night ridazz should organize something to protest this bull shit.
this is awful (though i do agree with #11 re: getting the plate number...detaining however many passengers who are using public transportation doesn't really help the cause) and i'm glad the cops finally apologized. however, i'd like to note that not all bus drivers act this way--just this weekend i had a very nice experience on sunset in silver lake. i was biking behind a bus that was pulled over to let people off. i started to pass him just as he flicked on his blinker to get back in the lane. i stopped, but the driver saw me and waved me to pass, and yelled "sorry!" out the window as i did so. so, they aren't all bad.
Can you sue or something? It's just insane that cyclists seem to have NO recourse.
Much thanks and all love for the cyclist for standing up for cyclists rights!!!
Do we need a cyclist defense fund? What about any cyclist lawyers?
What always kills me is that they are in a huge metal vehicle and they just don't seem to understand that "nudging" someone with a BUS might kill them.
I am also a cyclist, and while the story is all too familiar and pisses me off, your behavior does nothing to help our situation. All you did was make those unaware to the circumstances cyclists face more pissed off. Why not get the number on the bus and record what time this occurred and grab the info of a few witnesses, holding up the bus and its passengers did nothing to help your situation and was unnecessary. I hope that both you and the bus driver are ticketed and dealt with accordingly.
AHHH THIS MAKES ME SO MAD!
That cyclist has done so many WONDERFUL things for this community and, every time I've ridden with him, he is INCREDIBLY mindful of traffic laws!
How upsetting.
I'm shocked at the driver's conduct. I commend you for standing your ground against such rude behavior.
I'm only sorry that the driver is not being held responsible for her behavior. Would it be possible for you to determine who she was by the time and route?
Best of luck to you, and I'm sorry about the damage to your bike!
Some people really don't deserve to have a driver's license.
That ignorant woman is going to kill somebody someday and she is going to blame the victim.
Well this make me mad as a cyclist myself. I love how buses are a cyclists mortal enemy. They cut you off with no regard, cut around you tightly like in this story, and just flat out have no regard for the rules of the road. I personally am an asshole and take up the entire lane if I ever feel like I'm going to be boxed in to parked vehicles. L.A. needs to get out of the drivers seat and on to the bike seat just to know what it is to be someone who chooses not to drive.
wheres the taser when we need it.
as someone who cycles to work every day in a very bike-hostile city, this connects with me. I can't count how many times I've been cut off, yelled at, been given rude gestures, and damn near ran over by moronic drivers.
As a driver and a cyclist, I know how stupid drivers can be... Well done for taking a stand against this ignoramus.
www.tritastic.com
The bus is run by government, the police are government. We are living in a police state where individual freedoms and the rule of law are ignored.
This is just an example of everything wrong with this country and why we need leadership at the very top who follows the rule of law and supports the rights and freedoms of individuals. That is why I support Ron Paul for President of the United States.
If you feel like giving the Metro some feedback:
Lynne Goldsmith
Metro Bike Program Manager
213.922.3068
goldsmithl@metro.net
and
Metro Customer Relations
(213) 922-6235 and (800) 464-2111
customerrelations@metro.net
Please, if possible, cc or bcc to us the letters. We are keeping a record of these!
Thank you all!!!!! Be safe out there!!
Cyclists do annoy the hell out of me when I'm driving to work, but they do indeed have a legal right to be there on the road just as much as me or anyone else.
Disgusting behavior from the officers on duty and the driver in question.
Good work sticking to your guns and hope it all works out for you in the end.
This and the other cyclist incident recently in LA (Hollywood too IIRC) makes me wonder if it isn't time for cyclists to have a "ride in demonstration" into the center of Hollywood like has been done in other cities (Seattle has seen some of these and it did work).
The idea being to get City Hall to change not just the official policies, but the mindset of public servants like bus drivers and cops (and the public at large) who apparently believe bicyclists are a road hazard and have no rights to the road.
I no longer ride mostly because of health problems (part of the reason I stopped riding was because it was getting too hazardous), but I still give bicyclists their fair share of the road as a common courtesy.
I have to say sorry first of all.. I go through this shit every day.. and all it comes down to is ignorant drivers not realizing that they are responsible for passing a cyclist.. with room to spare.. or they have to wait... be it a bus, car, or truck. we are not hazards... and anyone dumb enough to drive like this doesn't deserve to drive.
No offense to the biker, but the reality is, for me and most people that having to deal with the usual traffic is hard enough, and worrying about the rare bicyclist and pedestrian is impossible. If something small and fast appears out of nowhere when I'm trying to avoid the eight cars surrounding me while changing lanes or the stop light I'm not going to be able to avoid hitting it.
Let me guess; was the female bus driver black with a big fat ass?
Stephen, Amazing.. Simply Amazing that not even the cops realize that you've got a right to your slice of the road.
Wrote up brief article linking back to your story at
http://www.AllThatsEvil.net/index.php?atx=view&article=43
As a fellow cyclist, I'm appalled at how this went down.
Similar incident occurred on a Bridge in Portland, OR a while back. With a similar result. You might want to look it up for reference and to see how it's proceeding
Sorry for hastily sending the post about the contacts and forgetting to post mine.
Please CC or BCC me metro@illuminatela.com
Metro contact:
Lynne Goldsmith
Metro Bike Program Manager
213.922.3068
goldsmithl@metro.net
and
Metro Customer Relations
(213) 922-6235 and (800) 464-2111
customerrelations@metro.net
The driver of the bus was definitely wrong here, she must share the road in a safe manner. The cyclist, however, went about this the wrong way. He should have taken down the bus number, location, and time of day and reported it to police and the Metro in writing, or even taken it up in court.
A similar incident in Portland resulted in a Bicycle Section to the Bus Operators Training Manual
wow, this is incredible. you sure this didn't happen in nyc?
Well you're featured on Digg -- so the entire world now knows that you were right, the bus driver was a bitch, and the LAPD are a bunch of retards. Oh wait. I already knew the second two.
OMFG LMAO WTF THOSE JACK-OFFS !!!
oops, thats just my poor training cant be h3elped
NOOBS NOOBS NOOBS
not sure which is more infuriating: the driver assaulting you with the bike or LAPD officers who have no concept of the law.
glad you're alright and not in jail for some moronic reason. next time i ride, i'm bringing a copy of the CVC with me.
I would see if there is a bus route available and logs available at the depot. You could probably look to see what buses would be in the area of the time and day of the incident. That could narrow down your search to maybe a few buses. Or just out of luck stand at the closest bus stop at the site of the incident, about the same day of the week and time, maybe you will see that bitch again.
writing this in 3rd person was a good choice.
SO you think you're totally in the right here? How about this: Rather than be a prick about it and delay things for hundreds of others, you simply report the incident (complete with bus info, names of witnesses, etc.) to the police and to Metro?
But no, you needed to make a scene, to instigate things, to make a statement. Well, it backfired on you, didn't it?
Sure, the driver was way out of line and should be properly reprimanded. If the facts bear it out, perhaps she should be charged.
But once the incident had happened you brought the rest of it on yourself. You give bikers a bad name.
Wow, I hope you get a bit of press coverage for this and request an apology from all parties involved. The police should be more aware of city laws seeing as these sort of incidents seem to keep cropping up on Digg, and despite the small percentage it is (in comparison to the number of officers who serve us) - it is making them look bad.
Seriously people.
Stopping a bus in the middle of the road to make a point???
You should be in hand cuffs. Think about the mind set: I know, let's stop traffic, inconvenience not only the riders on the bus, other riders waiting for the bus, and let's not forget the two hundred (probably more like a thousand) cars that will be further delayed by the traffic congestion you created.
Were you wronged? Maybe. You write down a license plate # and file a claim. Its not logical that because you were lightly tapped on the hand that you inconvenience hundreds of people to make your point.
This is precisely why I left LA.
it seems that the cab drivers and bus drivers all over the world are performing at the same level
where is the education when these people get licensed?
there need to be mandatory license updates
there need to be classes that teach common sense and common courtesy
if the drivers expressed more common sense and common courtesy we would not even need to get into a discussion of the law
in my life as a cyclists I have had more encouters with bus drivers than cabbies
and well
I have had a whole heck of a lot of words shared with cab drivers
the response of the police was predictable
sady the judge would have a similar four wheeled perspective
as far as a jury of your peers
there is no such thing
unless you are at a bicycle race or a messenger convention... well... it would be hard to find 12 people who do not see things from the perspective behind the dashboard
I am going through flashbacks of so many ugly incidents with cab drivers and bus drivers
things always got ugly
nothing was ever solved
no one ever grew from these sorts of confrontations
these confrontations need to be avoided
I try to less of an animal of reaction
as my reaction tends to be over reaction
and well
the action/reaction situation just causes escalation
this guy was lucky he did not get run over
I a happy that I have not been intentionally run over or shot by the ignorant brown stars behind the wheel of the cabs and buses in dc
we all need to take a speed check from time to time
bring things back into control
we can learn from this incident
everyone can learn from this incident
the process needs to be started in educating the "professional drivers" on how to drive
there needs to be an injection of common sense and common courtesy into the people of this world
aggressive driving from professionals should be reported
these so called professional drivers burn out
I have said enough
I have a bicycle blog for such stuff
www.gwadzilla.blogspot.com
I will post my idea there in the future
this needs to be published in Urban Velo
too bad there is no audio in magazines
hold on
Urban Velo is an online magazine
http://www.urbanvelo.org/
I will snag that photo and share this link to LAist on my blog
www.gwadzilla.blogspot.com
lol, the bus driver was right, you DO need to get off the road.
I'm in Toronto and I cycle everywhere and if this happened here I would take the same stance that you did. Cyclists have the same right to the road, unfortunately, there are drivers that I have come upon that believe that they are supposed to be on the road and that I am to get out of their way, especially when they honk-I take great pleasure in ignoring them (at my peril) and informing them otherwise.
Some years ago a fellow in a red sports car proceeded to hunt me down with his car when I did this but I was able to lose him and at the time I wasn't smart enough to get his license number and report him to the authorities.
You are in the right and that bus driver should be off the road or she will kill someone else. She was obviously in a bad mood to want to confront you in the first place.
In my state it is technically illegal to ride your bicycle on the sidewalk. I don't believe I've ever seen it enforced though. But to be lawful, cyclists MUST occupy the roads.
I've been a cyclist for over 25 years, and what never ceases to amaze me is police officers ignorance concerning traffic laws as they pertain to cyclists.
Outrageous behavior by the cops -- should have asked the full story first. Also by the driver, for almost hitting the cyclist. (They're dangerous to cars, too -- pull into traffic without worrying about cars' safety; go near buses at your own risk.)
However, though this bus allegedly had only 4 passengers, what if it were full, and cyclist kept it from moving for 2 hours? How sensitive is that to the riders? Buses are too crowded usually, too stressful for all concerned. Lead post is about the Boyle Heights DASH that runs every 12-15 mins. and is still too full. Drivers must be under pressure to stick to a schedule -- still, should be much more cautious. What if driver had his the bicyclist? That sure would have messed up everyone's schedule.
bus drivers are dicks to automobile drivers too, not just cyclists. bikers love to talk about getting people in la out of their cars, so you're not proving anything by holding up the metro system and inconveniencing people who actually use public transportation. you're just a selfish prick's all.
ugh, bikes are a hazard. Get off the road and quit causing problems.
This would have been a good case to respond with an equal level of force, namely leaping off the bike and opening fire on the driver. Bad for the passengers, but she is responsible for their safety and did commit felonious assault with a deadly weapon. Don't believe me? Had that been a police officer on the bike that's exactly what would have happened.
yo man, I give you much respect and admiration for sticking up to these jerks. you're a brave man and you did the right thing! good job.. in my opinion, buses are consistently some of the most dangerous ones out there...
philly cycle courier
To the author of the article:
Could you clarify this statement:
"...she passes the cyclist so closely that his left hand touches the side of the bus as it speeds past him."
Did the bus clip your hand on the handlebars, or did you reach out and touch the side of the bus? I'm just trying to picture what happened, and how close the bus passed by you, in feet/inches. Thanks.
While you are right that the bus should not have endangered your life, you were wrong to attempt to stop the bus. The proper course of action would have been to get the bus number and report the incident to the Metro and police. Impeding traffic and inconveniencing those both on the bus and waiting down the line for the bus is both illegal and inconsiderate. I also have to wonder, do you stop at red lights and stop signs as cars are supposed to do? I prefer to bike whenever possible, but get extremely annoyed at bikers who want to claim a right to be on the road but don't think traffic laws apply to them.
Writing it up and reporting it will do no good. Metro and the police department will find some way to sweep it under the rug since no one was seriously injured. Just wait and see what this article will do, I'll bet it gets more action than just a report after the fact.
I had one of these "I'm on my bike and I have the right away winners" riding down a busy street in my town. He almost got "nudged" out of the way by 5 drivers not including myself for backing up traffic. The road is for cars and that's the bottom line... You want to ride on the big boy road, buy a car or find a bike path.
Go Tank Man! I love you!!!! Thanks for standing up!!! Thanks for fighting for cyclists rights on the road!!!
GOOD for you!! And F**k those stupid cops!!!
He is most certainly NOT a "selfish prick", and indeed I think he will do a great service to all cyclists (and I'm in Massachusetts) by publicizing the details of this episode to a wider audience. I'll bet you know someone who knows someone who works in CNN... why not let them take the story?
fwiw, I think the protagonist here was amazingly cool-headed and rational amidst while dealing with people who were violent, illogical, and highly emotional. It's a rare person who can do that.
If you get a happy resolution of all this, I would very much like to hear about it.
Jim F., Charles River Wheelmen, Massachusetts
(sorry for the poor grammar, I guess I should have re-read my edits before posting my comment!)
The bicycle was in the wrong. The law should be for the protection of motorized vehicles only. Self-propelled vehicles do not belong on the public streets.
I always find it amazing how ignorant some drivers can be.
For example, the multiple people saying that "streets are for cars." The reality is that is just your opinion. If you look in the CVC, you will see that bikes are given the same amount of rights on the road as an automobile is. Period.
To those who say we are just out to cause trouble, I fail to see your logic. If I wanted to cause trouble, I would take to a life of crime. Cycling is not a crime. It is my main mode of transportation that I choose to employ to get me from Point A to Point B. From a strictly ethical standpoint, it would be simple to reduce the existence of automobiles to an inherently BAD idea, which yields little or no good. But I don't, because I realize that life is all about choosing what works for YOU. And if you choose to drive, that's fine by me, just please respect me when you see me on the road.
And as others have said, this is quickly becoming a civil rights issue, as cyclists in Los Angeles are (in my opinion) treated extremely poorly at best, and as moving targets to drivers at worst.
I've been involved in hit and runs, been bullied by morbidly obese bus drivers, and have had objects thrown at me on multiple occasions while riding the streets of LA. Just this weekend I was biking through downtown when I was struck in the face by a hard object which contained an unknown liquid, causing me to loose control and nearly crash in the middle of an intersection. Given the fact that this was at night during a rainstorm, what would have happened if I had been knocked unconscious and hit by a car? This is a very real threat.
So to put it into perspective for those of you who cannot understand our plight--well, it IS real. And we're tired of it.
Way back in 1973, I was nearly killed by an off duty Bloomington, Indiana police officer that didn't like me using his road, so he sideswiped me on a rain-slickened railroad crossing. When I yelled out of startle reflex, he arrested me for reckless driving and disturbing the peace.
In court he lied about every pertainent fact, claimed I had offended his wife by my utterence, and had intentionally delayed him by crossing the railroad crossing in the center of the road. Of course he was alone at the time, had passed me in a no passing zone (it was after all arailroad crossing), and had in fact assualted me with a decidedly deadly weapon out of his anger and impatience, facts that very much match this most recent incident in LA.
At least in my case, the judge recognized what was going on, and realizing that the officer's passing me pretty much nullified the reckless driving charge, dismissed the charge. Also recognizing that he had a duty to make the system work no matter how flawed, he withheld judgement on the disturbing the peace charge. He couldn't just say the cop was lying because the same cop would be in his court the next day testifying about other more significant (I would hope) cases. So I have joined so many of my 1960's era bretheren as having a judgement witheld on a disturbing the peace charge. Not nearly the badge of honor it ought to be compared to draft card burning (I merely boiled mine)or disruptively sitting in the dean's office to protest my alma mater's support of war research, but at least I'm on the roll.
Reading this cyclist's plight just reminds me of how little things change. If one has to make a guess if any other singular human being is a jerk or not a jerk, you'd be durn silly to guess "not a jerk". It's a tradgedy of our own making, which makes incidents like this all the more tragic.
Yours in Christ's love,
Jack Shoaf IU Bloomington '72, (MBA)'95
This is totally fuct! Fuc dat. Fuc dat fucen bus driver.
If I was an Office of the LAPD and you spoke in third person I would've thrown the old metal bracelets on you, too. While your arguments are strong and I support your side it's not the best literary styling.
I drove past this incident and my reaction was "What the hell is wrong with that cyclist!" All I saw was some guy keeping a bus load of people hostage. Good to know the circumstances behind that. Having been a long time Metro rider and having known some great drivers that have been hospitalized by nutjobs on the bus, I'm not surprised that cops jumped to conclusion that you were in the wrong (good reason to act, possibly wrong response).
With a bad driver, you're supposed to get the drivers number (the patch on the arm) to report them to Metro. Good thing you got witness cards too. Otherwise, it would've been your word against hers and a busload of cranky passengers. Definitely need to follow this up with Metro. It was only a few weeks ago that a bike rider was actually hit & killed by a bus at the corner of 1st & Hill St. in Downtown L.A. This not a rare occurrance and that driver needs to disciplined too!
i see a lot of guest comments
no complaints from tony so long as they help promote laist
Look, you pushed your luck. Bicycle laws need to be changed so it's safer for both parties. Bicycle lanes should be in place where needed and you should be in the right lane whenever it's safe. Don't you think it was easier for you, in your slower moving bike, to pull over to the right lane to let the BUS pass than it was for the bus to do the same? Wouldn't you label that common courtesy in the opposite position? Your decision to have a pissing contest with a city bus was viewed as it should have been by the police- an act of road-rage aggression. They have bigger fish to fry. At what point, in a car, would you REFUSE to pull over for a city bus that wants to go past you? Common courtesy should clue you in, but it didn't. I completely understand that the driver's attitude was just as obnoxious, if not worse. Squishing your bike was not right ... but you really pushed your luck and you got what you asked for. The two of you just had a case of road rage on a bike. Grow up, pull over, and SHARE the road.
>wow, this is incredible. you sure this didn't happen in nyc?
In NYC there is much higher parity between bikes and cars. In Manhattan, with high traffic density, one-way streets and lots of lights, most streets don't have a flow past 25-35mph. As a biker I was able to keep up with the flow (and pass a few startled taxis). In the last few years they've added many dozens of miles of bike lanes and bike paths. [But that said, I've had similar runins with Taxis, including a follow-up with the transit board over a complaint filed about a taxi on the stand-alone west side bike path)
In LA, I know there are supposedly bike friendly areas or lanes or what not. But I haven't a clue where they might be! Scares the daylights out of me to ride surrounded by high speed SUVs, piloted by non-attentive angelinos talking on cell phones wildly gesticulating.
I am horribly offended that this happened to you. Thank you for standing your ground and getting the word out -- we're all in this together.
whose streets?
Guest #76, the cyclist was in the right lane and there was nowhere to pull over because he was riding alongside parked cars:
"he rides in the right side of the #2 lane, alongside a row of parked cars and dangerously close to the door zone"
"The bicyclist" detained an entire bus load of people rather than just taking down the time and route #, which is what he should have done in the first place.
God, there are so many comments that suggest that a simple license plate and bus number will do the job.
I just did this last week when a bus on Sunset forced me onto a curb and then, after I went around it, lunged at me. I was laughed at on the phone before they actually took me seriously. It's not a serious issue to the police or to Metro. (Atleast not yet.)
And I'm so sick of hearing people complain about being "inconvenienced." Or being "late." Aw, did you miss your dead-end, boring job by 45 seconds? BOO HOO. What an incredibly lame and apathetic stance on citizen activism.
"Inside the bus, the angry passenger is stirring up the other three or four passengers for their “Let’s roll!” moment."
A bus load of people??? Huh???
"bus drivers are dicks to automobile drivers too, not just cyclists. bikers love to talk about getting people in la out of their cars, so you're not proving anything by holding up the metro system and inconveniencing people who actually use public transportation. you're just a selfish prick's all.
[57] Posted by: mharwitt | September 24, 2007 5:32 PM"
Wow, way to miss the point. The point wasn't "Hey look I got them to get out of their car hur hur!" It was that the cyclist was following the LAW, and the bus driver was NOT. The bus driver proceeds to break MORE laws. The cyclist attempted to do the lawful thing and report a crime (several crimes) and was promptly arrested for it. Great. Police fail to enforce the law and release those who break it. And people like you, who are so consumed with your ideas read a whole page (or maybe you didn't at all and just posted because you thought you knew what it was about) and read only what you WANT to read. Selective reading.
This is another case of "This horrible display of human neglect is fine by me until my mother, aunt, sister, brother, etc etc is hit and killed by an MTA bus operator who is clearly negligent!"
In other words, it's fine until it happens to you or someone you love. And that's downright pathetic and disgusting. Everyone should have a right to the road without fear of being KILLED--I'll say it again KILLED by someone who is a rush or in a bad mood while operating a giant multi-ton piece of machinery.
That's what the issue is here, people. Human life, and the due respect for it.
As for the passengers on the bus, it really does not matter how many people were on there. Four or forty. The fact that they essentially entrust their lives to a driver who has no qualms about running a cyclist off the road (hey, it could have been a pedestrian in a crosswalk) is pretty disturbing. But, as always, they'll be the first on our anti-MTA bandwagon once little Tommy down the street gets run over by the MTA driver who was speeding or ran a red light. And let's not act like we haven't seen them do either of these things.
@Guest 76--
Huh? Do you have any knowledge of the CVC, or are you just interjecting with your own completely ignorant opinion on "how it ought to be(tm)?" You are completely wrong in your assumption that a bicycle has to yield for a faster moving vehicle. Not only that, but I think you ought to re-read the authors account of what happened, because you obviously misread quite a few of the pertinent details, including the fact that the cyclist was in LANE #2 the entire time.
This is what the state says regarding the rights of cyclists use of road:
http://bikesonoma.org/PDF/trafficandlaw.pdf
Please post again once you have read and fully understand the PDF above.
-kyber
Damn...makes me wonder how much of an issue they try to hide when they *DO* kill people. Having seen the results of two people being plowed over by a metro bus over in Century City a few years ago, I still have yet to hear if anything came out of this incident...maybe they get bonus points for doing this sort of thing?
@82...I'M the one missing the point? The cyclist clearly was not following the law when he self-righteously decided to block that bus, but that doesn't matter to you. Seems more like selective judgment on your part.
and @ "panasonicyouth," To some people who actually have to worry about it (e.g. many of us who take the buses and subways), being late often means the difference between having a job and not having one. apparently this is a foreign concept to you. i envy your privilege.
Stuff like this is unbelievable and I don't condone this kind of behavior towards people. The bus driver obviously was out of line.
That being said, I have often been in my car and have had to deal with cyclists on the road. I personally feel there either needs to be some special kind of road system set up for them, or it should be outlawed on public streets. I do not want to have to deal with someone on a bike going much slower than I am and in a spot on the road where I can't easily get past them.
Okay people. What started this was a traffic collision. What are you supposed to do when two cars brush up against one another? That's right, pull over. If either party feels it is necessary, the police are then called and you are required by law to wait for them to show up. If the other party tries to take off anyway (i.e., commit a hit-and-run), nobody would fault you for trying to prevent that from happening.
If the collision was intentional, that is vehicular assault, and I imagine that would be further grounds for detaining the driver until the police arrive.
The fact that one party was on a bike and the other was driving a bus should be absolutely irrelevant.
I wonder what would have happened if he had allowed the bus to leave. That would have clearly been a hit-and-run. Yet something tells me neither the LAPD nor LA Metro would have cared.
Good to see an American with some balls. Someone who is Mad as Hell and wont take it anymore. Google tiananmen square to see some more balls. Hitler is back and America is his next Poland.
oh my god. this is incredible and outrageous. thank you for sharing your story.
And people think they have rights? It's money that counts and a big company has more money than an individual bicyclist, thus the bus company is more equal than the cyclist.
Police: "To serve and to protect" is as true as L'Oreal: "Now 60% longer eyelashes." Both are just advertisements.
mrharwitt, I've been taking public transportation for over 7 years now. I fully and completely understand how the actions of one douche or asshole can upset and entire group of people. I've experienced it quite a lot, when people decide not to pay, try to sneak on the bus, pull all the emergency exit levers on the subway, blah blah blah. Of course it sucks and no, I don't exist in some vacuum of privilege where I don't experience these kinds of things.
But again, you seem content to live in a world where taking a risk and possibly upsetting another person is absolutely unacceptable. You also missed the point, AGAIN, that simply taking down the license plate number and bus number is viewed as a laughable offense by Metro.
Bus drivers ignoring CVC 21202 happens EVERY DAY. I know this because I am a cyclist who uses his bike to get every where in town. I ride down two of the busiest stretches of road for public transportation in all of LA: Wilshire Blvd and Sunset Blvd. Busses routinely cut me off, pull out without looking, and force bikes (even those in the bike lane!) to the curb. When these events happen on such a routine basis and when many of us follow the suggested report route, it becomes obvious that someone is not educating the drivers of their bus fleet on what is the legal standard for dealing with cyclists: In California, we are allowed full use of a lane, just like another car. That means you should treat us like a car, too.
I applaud what Stephen did because he stood up for himself and how he was wrong. Sometimes it is necessary to call light to a dire situation by doing something that may not seem 100% right. (In this case, blocking the bus from moving.) And then, upon seeing how the LAPD reacted to his actions, it's becoming crystal clear that cyclists in the city are still inhabiting the lower rung of transportation.
Maybe this will help change that.
I'm not at all shocked. I've had this same run in over the past couple of months with Purolator drivers, FedEx drivers, TTC drivers (Toronto Transit Commision), cabbies and several police officers - some of whom were the actual offenders.
Good for you Stephen for standing your ground. Especially when it concerns someone else who is helping alleviate congestion in a clogged city, they need to understand we're part of the solution so they should be helping us.
That bus driver was a jerk, but it was very poor judgemet on your part to confront her the way you did. That is not the way to deal with a problem. You could have been harmed or even caused an accident.
What you need to understand is yes, cyclists have every right to the road as cars and buses. Speaking as a Bus Operator for MTA we simply sound the horn due to our experience with cyclist not tracking a straight line. We do the same thing to motorists who are distracted and tend to drift. The bus is exactly as wide as the lane we drive in and we take every effort to avoid sideswiping fixed and/or moving objects.
Although your account is one-sided, the points you raise are totally valid. As a group, we don't handle the situation the way you experience turned out - there are always bad apples in the bunch. But I can't help but pick up your tone of hostility which makes it sound like you were looking for a fight.
Well, this sucks for the cyclist. But the "assault with a deadly weapon" argument is getting a little embarrassing. Too many people are watching Law & Order and think that gives them a law degree. And what's with holding up traffic? You get the bus' number, and you let it go. Unless you have injuries, blocking the bus won't do anything.
So I'm sorry, but both the bus driver and the cyclist here behaved like assholes. The driver for almost running over a cyclist, and the cyclist for being a total prick. And then he wonders why he got arrested?
Sorry buddy, but before you call 911 and make things worse, you better know what you were doing, and don't invoke the law when obviously you don't know anything about it ("assault with a deadly weapon"? Go to law school, dimwit). Next time just address this in a different manner.
This is digusting. Someone needs to send this to the mayor and cheif of police and demand a response and investigation. these are the type of things that make us feel disconnected with our own city and especially the LAPD.
Cyclists are total losers. This guy needs to get an F'ing life and get off his bike. Loser.
This sounds like the making of a good lawsuit, you should really consider talk
This sounds like a good lawsuit, you should really talk to a lawyer about taking on Metro
oh god, please don't listen to deanna adams (#99) on this one. suing metro is probably the worst idea there is. speaking for all of the transit riders out there--i also bike it half the time--the last thing we need for our public transit system in a city so anti transit is some bs law suit. i agree wut that idiotic driver did was wrong and should be corrected, but suing is absurd. just cuz you can sue anything and anybody in california without any recourse doesn't mean you should.
if i was on that bus i would've been SO PISSED. cyclists are very good at playing the victim and never ever do they do anything wrong EVER. and i know there's global warming and all and cycling is a great alternative but this is fucking los angeles. old habits die hard, my friend. we're not going to collectively get wet over cyclists sharing the road with us all of a sudden. forgive us if we're not the UC Berkely campus or Portland or whatever.
If I were on the bus I would have been pissed at the driver, not the bicyclist. The bus driver took actions that caused an accident (and as described that was an accident), and therefore caused the delay for the riders on the bus, not the bicyclist.
Also, the comments about blocking the lane are misplaced, according to the article, the bus driver took actions that ended up blocking the #1 lane. Before that, the #1 lane was still clear and traffic would've been able to move past.
Anyone who says to get a car and off the bike, do you assume those of us who bicycle don't have cars and therefore we bicycle because we have to? That certainly isn't the case for me, I have a 2004 Mini Cooper S with less than 20,000 miles, and I choose to bicycle to work everyday. Gas cost is not an issue for me, nor is the car maintenance, but I prefer bicycling for the exercise and that it is good for the environment.
we're not going to collectively get wet over cyclists sharing the road with us all of a sudden. forgive us if we're not the UC Berkely campus or Portland or whatever.
You may not get excited about sharing the road, but common decency and avoiding endangering someone's life should be reasonably expected in any circumstance.
this is all bad, but i still got much more pissed when i read about the Bhills/cyclist incident from a couple weeks ago. private autos are the core of these problems.
commenter #101 here:
i don't mind sharing the road, but i've had encounters with cyclists who are downright stealthy, weaving in and out of lanes and sneaking up on drivers much to their alarm. i'm all for cyclists and i sharing the road forever and ever, what i'm saying is don't expect the streets of l.a. to be, like, biker-friendly overnight. this isn't a good thing, but cyclists should be aware that they're not high on the radar of the majority of drivers out there. they're too few and far between. it's great that there's a population out there on bikes but this car culture l.a. has been joined at the hip with for the past 60, 70 years wont change overnight and cyclists need to acknowledge that.
@panasonicyouth: there's a difference between missing the point and simply not agreeing with you.
"The cyclist, who would have accepted a “Sorry, my bad!” and called it a day, pulled in front of the bus and informed the driver that he was calling the police to report the driver for Assault with a Deadly Weapon, the bus."
seems pretty self-righteous. this wasn't a case of "assault with a deadly weapon" at the point when the biker illegally blocked that bus. it's surprising to me that so many people on here are screaming for law enforcement, but are refusing to acknowledge that the rider broke the law himself.
i'm afraid i have to agree with the commenter who pointed out that bikers often seem to want the legal priveleges that come from sharing the road, while at the same time acting as if they are above those laws.
Traffic would flow much better if we got rid of the cyclists and the buses.
I'm kidding! Mostly. I mean, traffic would move better, because there's nothing more annoying than being stuck behind a bus or a cyclist when you're late for work....but god bless the cyclists and users of public transportation for doing their part for the environment (or not being able to afford a car, whichever it is).
I'm not a cyclist, but it is a shame there aren't more bike lanes here. I think it'd promote more biking (because who wants to ride a bike when things like this are a normal occurrence?) and would keep the cyclists safer.
seems pretty self-righteous. this wasn't a case of "assault with a deadly weapon" at the point when the biker illegally blocked that bus. it's surprising to me that so many people on here are screaming for law enforcement, but are refusing to acknowledge that the rider broke the law himself.
When exactly did the rider break the law? If an accident happens (even with no actual damage), it's the prerogative of either driver to file a report and bring the police in, at which point both have to wait for the police to arrive. If someone taps your bumper in a car, you have the option to bring the police in, or you can let it go (which the bicyclist would have done from what was said).
While waiting behind that bus and/or cyclist, imagine if you were waiting behind that many more cars instead (along with the ripple effect of more cars on the road)...
Not shocked. Pissed... but not shocked.
Buses are the worst. While not all bus drivers act like this, it sure does seem like a majority do.
I'd like to point out th mhartwitt (post 106) that we cyclists aren't looking for legal privileges, but that we HAVE FULL LEGAL PRIVILEGES to the road. We pay the same taxes you do bub.
@109, i bike also, so chill out with the siege mentality. what i was saying was that it seems like a majority of bikers don't follow the rules of the road, but are always the first to loudly invoke any sort of legal privilege when they feel that they are wronged. you know it's true.
@109: i bike also, so cool it with the siege mentality. what i was saying was that bikers often do not follow the rules of the road themselves, but are the first to loudly invoke any sort of legal privilege when they feel they've been wronged. you know it's true.
I'm a cyclist and was hit by an NYC bus in my car recently. I was in the right lane at a red light waiting to make a right. The bus pulled up alongside my right in a no standing zone (not a bus lane) really aggressively. I didn't know how he was going to proceed because there were parked cars across the intersection in his lane. It was apparent to me that he couldn't travel in that lane and that it was my right of way. I leaned over into the passengers seat and gestured to the driver that I intended to make the turn that I was signaling for. He saw me and looked away. It was raining so I couldn't see him that well, but I thought he caught my meaning. The light turned and he hesitated so I initiated my right turn at which point he plowed into my right side. Even though he was clearly in the wrong, he ran out of the bus screaming psychotically at me that it was "my fault". I initially protested but then refused to deal with him because I thought he was really crazy. Cops came and heard our stories. I was stunned when I went to get a copy of the police report the next day and it said the bus was in the right lane (not the no standing zone) and I was in the left lane, implying that it was not my right of way and I was at fault. I tried to get the cop who wrote the report to amend it but the precinct always gave me the runaround as to his whereabouts.
Moral of long story: many cops are corrupt or stupid (or both) and will put the fix in for a city-employee over your poor citizen ass without blinking an eye. Demand to see the report before the officer leaves the scene. When the bus driver screams that it was your fault, calmly state that it was not your fault and explain the facts calmly and slowly. Get as much documentation as you can possibly get (this is sometimes hard because you may be shaken up after an accident or a close call).
I, for one, applaud your efforts against the LA Metro. These people simply have no respect for others and are willing to endanger people for no reason at all.
@110-111
Drivers in cars, buses, and motorcycles often do not follow the rules of the road either, what is your point?
The bus driver above broke a LAW, and you're not jumping on her for it?
I hate the generalization that cyclists don't follow laws, especially when I've been involved in and have seen just as many motorists who were in the wrong. I'm not saying we're perfect, but let's be realistic---drivers in Los Angeles are frequently breaking laws.
Having lived in many different cities, I can honestly say that LA has some of the worst drivers in this country. Does anyone actually have a usable signal in their car, or are they just too fat/lazy to use it? Are you supposed to stop AFTER a stop sign or roll through it? Surely a full stop is not required.
So don't give me that....
The ultimate problem is that while cyclists have a legal right to the road, we do not have a cultural right to the road. Drivers and police don't think we belong there, regardless of what the law says. This is a systematic mis-application of the law. The police are not paid to enforce cultural norms, they're paid to enforce laws. If you can't trust the police to enforce the law, instead of their personal view as to how the world should be run, they should be fired.
Let me start off by offering you a sincere apology on behalf of my shit head coworkers who would rather stuff their fat faces with donuts than ride a bike. I am an Bus Operator, those people you deal with are Bus Drivers.
I am also a cyclist. Now that I have that out of the way.
According to "The Operator's Rulebook and Standard Operating Procedures"
SOP 11.106
Hazards, Obstructions.
When reporting hazards or obstructions, accidents unauthorized (non-metro) vehicles, Pedestrians, bicyclists, skateboarders, joggers, runners Operators are to call BOC with the following information. Location, Description of hazard, persons (physical & clothing)
I think that is where Supervisor Dipshit got the idea that cyclist are hazards, there is no mention of using the horn or pushing the cyclist into the curb.
Now this is how I operate.
Rule 3.63 Cyclist
Operators encountered with a cyclist on the road or on an adjacent bike path should follow at a safe distance or maintain 3 - 4 1/2 feet of right side clearance from them when passing. Use caution and observe the right side mirror carefully for the cyclist.
Cyclist casing a hazardous situation or interfering with the safe operation of the bus should be reported to BOC. Operators are not to confront the cyclist and must refrain from any type of verbal or physical confrontation.
(see SOP 3.128 & 3.158)
SOP 3.128 just goes on reiterating the 3 to 4 1/2 foot clearance and safe following distance thing so I'll skip that.
SOP 3.158
Cyclists
People using bicycles and motor driven cycles have the same rights and responsibilities as those driving motor vehicles. Operators encountered with a cyclist on the road or on an adjacent bike path should follow at a safe distance and assume the cyclist is not aware of the bus' presence. If it is necessary to pass a cyclist, slow down and pass with 3 -4 1/2 feet of right side clearance from them. Use caution and consider the wind draft the bus creates. Avoid Passing a cyclist if you are turning right or making a bus stop within 200 yards of where you encounter them.
When faced with a cyclist that is not operating their bicycle appropriately and is causing a hazardous situation, interfering with the safe operation of he bus, report the incident to BOC. Use caution in this situation and be prepared to stop or slow your vehicle refrain from any type of verbal or physical confrontation.
(see rule 3.63 & SOP 3.128)
If there are any questions/comments find me on LA Fixed.
I can't decide which is less surprising, that a bus driver acted like an idiot and didn't know how to drive, or that a cop acted like a jerk and didn't understand the law or how it applied to a particular situation.
You're lucky your skin is the color it is, or you might have written that article with some billy-club shaped bruises. Good to see cops and bus drivers living down to expectations.
#107 hc said: "Traffic would flow much better if we got rid of the cyclists and the buses. I'm kidding! Mostly.traffic would move better, because there's nothing more annoying than being stuck behind a bus or a cyclist when you're late for work"
good point hc, instead we should make sure everyone that rides the bus and bikes goes and buys a car. that should def speed up your commute to class, genius.
It is HILARIOUS to read all the asinine comments talking about how the cops don't know the law when you all clearly do not. The cops did EXACTLY the right thing. You see, just becuase the cyclist had a problem with a bus driver, he does NOT have the right to hold up city traffic for blocks. And when they arrived, they assessed the situation and determined the main threat whcih was the cyclist.
The idiot had witnesses, and could have easily taken the bus number, and the withnesses phone numbers and filed a police report. Instead, he took the law into his own hands and held dozens of people against their will. That is a big thing. If they wanted, the cops actually could charge him with dozens of counts of kidnapping. It may suck, but legally they can. He refused to let innocent people go where they wanted to, and that is legally kidnapping.
By trying to take the law into his own hands, he not only broke it and caused himself a lot more trouble, but he also probably helped the bus driver get away with her actions. It is now his word against hers, and he has already proven himself to not be a trustowrthy "witness".
As an avid cyclist, I am ashamed at this guy's actions. He gives cyclists a bad name and should not be on the raod. He deserves whatever punishment he gets.
3 words. Undercover cycle parole. Then they can see first hand, and book the *sigh*ers on the spot. Oops!
I have been on a bus in LA when the driver hit another car. The car was parked in a spot that the driver apparently thought was his. Instead of admitting his mistake, he said the car hit him. He got all the passengers on the bus to sign witness cards. My biggest surprise was that the majority did. And a few people readily stood up for the bus driver even though they had not seen what had happened or if they had they would have known the driver was 100% at fault.
I've also been on the bus on many occasion that instead of stopping at a red light, the bus just honked a couple of times and plowed through.
Bus drivers are above traffic laws in LA. If they aren't afraid of (and do not get in trouble for) hitting cars or pedestrians, do you really think they will start respecting the rights of cyclists?
This Thursday September 27, 2007 at the Regular Board Meeting on the agenda is item 26 A., which proposes to establish a Bus Accident Investigative Unit. As cyclists this is our chance to include our thoughts by speaking up on this issue about how we can influence the way bus drivers treat us. The meeting starts at 9:30 AM in the Board Room of Metro Headquarters located on the 3rd floor. The address is at One Gateway Plaza (eastside of Union Station) in Downtown Los Angeles. If you wish to speak it is advised that you submit your comment/speaker cards prior to the start of the meeting.
More info here:
http://www.cicle.org/cicle_content/pivot/entry.php?id=1535#body
I don't really think that bus drivers are generally all that much more aggressive or rude than car drivers. It's just that the vehicles they drive are so huge that when they are inconsiderate, the effect is more dramatic.
Sometimes, they can't even really help it. I have a favorite spot where I like to cross 34'th Street in New York a little way down from a light that stops traffic. The problem is that there's this bus stop area right there, and often, just after the light has changed, here comes this big, lumbering, 40-foot-long hulk that stops right in front of me, forcing me to walk all the way around it and breathe its exhaust fumes and feel the 200-degree heat from its radiator blowing on me in the summer. It's annoying.
Another thing to keep in mind is that most buses have the engine in back, and so the front of the bus has an unnerving tendency of silently creeping up behind you without your noticing. So if a bus driver gives you a little tap on the horn, it might just be a warning, although obviously that was not the case in this instance.
In general, I find that the totality of most Americans' awareness of traffic regulations could be summed up as follows: "drive on the right; red means stop; green means go; if in doubt, the bigger or more expensive vehicle has the right of way". If a random sampling of Americans were put to a drivers test equivalent to the one that Germans must pass to get a driver's license, 90% of them would fail miserably. The irony is that Germans and other Europeans are not allowed to drive in the U.S. on their licenses, while we Americans are allowed to go endanger them over there on their roads with out incompetence and ignorance.
Not only cyclists. Can't say how many times I've had near misses with buses while driving. Also seen bus drivers behave carelessly with pedestrians as well. No doubt there are many such incidents which are completely not covered by the press.
Traffic issues in this city should be addressed directly to City Hall. They're the ones who control the $$$, which has been rapidly disappearing from the DOT budget since Riordan. It is not the DOT's fault. They are overworked, underpaid, understaffed and any changes that they try to put in place in order to alleviate traffic congestion are shot down by City Hall. Traffic engineers do not have any contracts with City Hall. As a result, they have not gotten any salary increases in years.
In the meantime, City Hall gives themselves pay raises. The DWP, the most corrupt government agency, has also been giving themselves huge pay raises for years.
Next time you're sitting in that traffic, along with all the other cars, buses and cyclists, think about that.
We just have to face it... we're all "just a bike", as I've been told by rude motorists over the my past 35 years of cycling L.A.'s roads. The rude, discourteous, angry person thrives in a lot of us and that includes motorists as well as bicyclists. It comes down to people respecting people and that just isn't happening anymore.
I might add that coming within inches of death from a motorist by either close call or actual impact, is not one of my life's favorite experiences. I'm just a bike and my life appears to be cheap. My nasty side prays for $10/gallon gasoline.
All my sympathy from France.
Such situations are quite common here and I hope always increasing nr. of cyclists will put an end to it.
Drive safe!
ML
Lyon, France
The cops did EXACTLY the right thing. You see, just becuase the cyclist had a problem with a bus driver, he does NOT have the right to hold up city traffic for blocks. And when they arrived, they assessed the situation and determined the main threat whcih was the cyclist.
The idiot had witnesses, and could have easily taken the bus number, and the withnesses phone numbers and filed a police report. Instead, he took the law into his own hands and held dozens of people against their will. That is a big thing. If they wanted, the cops actually could charge him with dozens of counts of kidnapping. It may suck, but legally they can. He refused to let innocent people go where they wanted to, and that is legally kidnapping.
The only person he was holding against their will was the bus driver, and in the situation, namely waiting for police to come, that is justified. Also, the bus driver is the one that ended up blocking traffic, not the bicyclist (traffic wasn't blocked until the bus driver made a move to go around). Everyone else could have left one way or another (walk, turn around, etc).
The bus was not blocked because there are two lanes, so the bus could have passed the cyclist in the second lane at any time he wanted... so he was not blocked, he simply decided to run something over, which should get him fired automatically, if only for damaging the bus on purpose, or endangering others.
The job of the bus driver is to pick people up and avoid hitting things - that's about it. The bus drivers' job interaction with the ANYBODY, including cyclists should be limited to asking people if they need a ride, and avoiding running things over, and being polite at all times - otherwise it's time to find a new line of work.
The cyclist lacks any streetsmarts whatsoever. Mistake number one was riding on the edge of the street. If there is no bike lane than he should be in the middle of the rightmost lane, and ignor anyone behind him - same rules as a car, remember? Ignore the bus and eventually he would have gone around you in the other lane, like he's supposed to. And the biker should have lights on his bike to be visible like a car. Don't stop in the middle of the street, only at lights. Never talk to motorists because they just get crazed. There's no point talking to people in their cars - it never ends well unless you're a cop. Talking to bus drivers is even worse - you'll delay too much people so they'll just be irate.
This would be a perfect location to put in Separated Bike Lanes, like in Copenhagen!
Another reason it would really suck to live in car-dependent LA.
I would look at suing the driver in civil court. She could have killed this guy and should lose her job for sure.
I have to wonder if this bus had one of those new posters advertising "Practice good cycology: Share the road"
I found an image of one at midnight ridazz dot com:
http://midnightridazz.com/forums.php?topicId=715
This is a update. The bus has five cameras mounted at various locations. One photographs the right side of the bus. Another faces forward and photographs from the interior to the outside of the bus thru the windshield. The bus partially changed lanes to go around the bike rider giving him ample room in his lane. It never moved forward after the rider stood in front of it. The riders main complaint was the bus driver honked her horn and he misunderstands the Calif. Vehicle Code concerning unneccesary honking of the vehicles horn. He's very lucky he was not cited or arrested for blocking the bus, and its not a traffic infraction, its a crime. Four police officers didn't respond for nothing.
The way I see it, after the bus driver "tapped" (eg: ran into) your bike, had you stepped out of the way and let her drive on, she'd be guilty of a hit and run. That was an accident scene and it was both of your duty by law to remain there until the police arrived.
That's when license plate and bus numbers come in handy. >:)
You're an idiot. Was it your selfish need to prove a point that caused you to hold up all those innocent passengers? Remember, collectively they've contributed far more than you to reducing pollution... and their reward? A jackhole like you preventing them from getting where they need to go. You have a beef with the bus driver? You could have just as easily written up your complaint and your alleged witness could have added their comments. You deserved what you got. Too bad they didn't rough you up a little... sounds like you could use it.
I would like to comment on cyclists .I drive the PCH twice a week from Hueneme to Santa Monica.It is like driving an obstacle course when cyclists are on the road.
I have to say that I can usually spot a cyclist who is using the road for transporation and a cyclist who is using the road for play and sports activities.The cyclist who is using the road for transportation is usually well within the lane which by the way is NOT even designated as a BIKE LANE .The cyclist using the road for transportation usually follows the DMV guidelines for riding, as in ,to the FAR RIGHT of the lane,not on the white line , not in the motor vehicle lane.They usually give hand signals,stop at red lights and in general drive as if they were operating a motor vehicle.On the other hand cyclists who use the road for recreation and play are a whole other game.They continually ride the white line ride in packs of 3 to 60,which does not allow for riding to the extreme right of the lane, they treat red lights like stop signs,going thru ,if they don't see cross traffic.
First it needs to be established that public roads are for transportation,bikes included when there are lanes for them.However using public roads for sports activites and team practice is really not what the public roads are built for.Tax dollars are not to provide playgrounds for week end sports activities.Even at that if these cyclists would not be so irresponsible , follow DMV regulations it would be acceptable.The main gripe motorists have with cyclists is their attitude of entitlement to play on a public road and make their own rules while motorists have to jockey around and try to anticipate what the cyclist will do next.
I don't believe there is any room for teams of 50 -60 riders on the PCH during morning rush hour traffic.Again the roads were not built for this.What is next teams of skateboarders,inline skater,race cars all using the public transportation system as a place to practice and play at the expense of the people just trying to get to where they are going.Public roads paid for by gasoline tax,vehicle registrations and license fees are for transportation ......NOT PLAY.
Steve Box doesn't seem to think its important to update his little tale. Perhaps because the true facts were brought to his attention. Number 1, the MTA informed him Mike Dunn, the MTA supervisor was correct when he stated;"operators are instructed to honk their horns when they percieve danger." Steve Box major problem that day as in the past is not a bus passing him in what he thinks was to close, its that he doesn't like buses or anyone honking when they pass him. Number 2, after the MTA reviewed the video taken by five cameras on the bus it was revealed that the bus di not pass him to close and in fact the bus driver partially changed lanes to go around him. Number 3, the bus driver did not pull forward and hit him as he stood in front of the bus. The only crime that was purposly commited that day was Steve Box standing in front of the bus, a misdemeanor.
I am a transit driver in
Seattle, and this is a perfect example of what not to do while driving. The driver should have tapped her horn (to let the bicyclest know she was there) and gone around the rider. After being confronted with someone blocking the bus and preventing it from moving, she should have then contacted her supervisor for the police or whatever else the policy is in LA. As far as the witness cards go; here in seattle, we keep the cards and turn them in with the rest of our paperwork. We have our own police division up here so all paperwork pertaining to passengers and/or pedestrians, cars, etc... go to the Transit Police. As for the bicyclest, the only thing I can say is that if it's too unsafe on the road, then take the sidewalk. A standard 40 foot bus will weigh around 50,000 pounds, thats a lot of weight to play chicken with. Remember, there is only one of you and you can always call in a complaint. Just get the bus number and time of day then call customer service.
I have to agree that some of our bus drivers are vicious pricks, just like some of our cops.
The audacity of bicyclists in this town amazes me. Being in the right means little when you're dead. Do you think dying for bicyclists rights is a worthy thing to sacrifice yourself for? Then by all means, get on out there. There's too many people in this town anyway.
Until we figure out how to turn this society away from cars to mass transit and bikes, you bikers are gonna be at the bottom of the food chain on the streets and first in line at the ER's.
Check the math: 1 driver, 1 car, 2500+lbs. You on your bike: maybe 200. Who's gonna win that argument? Who's gonna bleed? Get your indignation over onto the sidewalk and survive.
Want to change that? Vote. Start up a proposition, I'll sign it. Bring back the trolleys, cut car lanes down to 1 in each direction, jack up the gas tax till it's $10 a gallon. Then there'll be room for everybody.