11 Injured When Suspected Drunk Driver Slams In Midnight Ridazz Cyclists

Probably like you, I don't like sharing the road with inconsiderate people (inconsiderate to manners and/or inconsiderate to life) whether they are on four wheels or two wheels.  No one deserves to be hurt by a drunk driver.

As a daily bike commuter,  I always ride as if I'm a 'bike ambassador' to off-set the fact L.A. drivers usually only remember the inconsiderate bike riders who don't signal, who can't keep a straight line, who have a chip on their shoulder, etc.

It's just too bad the 'bad apples' some unlawful Midnight Ridazz rides have to spoil the other more civil & law-abiding Midnight Ridazz rides.

BTW.......... The next LA Critical Mass Ride is Friday June 24th!
https://www.facebook.com/event...

I like liking things, but I don't like statements that are exaggerated beyond the point of truth...

turn it around - most of the cyclists on these rides have lights, a few do not. most bikes have reflectors on either the seatpost or pedals, a few do not.

in a group of 100, you can expect about 50 to have 1 or more flashies. I myself have 2-3 backlights on any ride. 50+ flashies = you should have seen us.

I like liking things, but I don't like statements that are exaggerated beyond the point of truth...

turn it around - most of the cyclists on these rides have lights, a few do not. most bikes have reflectors on either the seatpost or pedals, a few do not.

in a group of 100, you can expect about 50 to have 1 or more flashies. I myself have 2-3 backlights on any ride. 50+ flashies = you should have seen us.

Cars are dangerous, bikes are not.

Blaming the victim in this situation is - as it is usually - a reaction from those who wish to protect themselves from a future situation in which they themselves might do the same thing.

I'm sorry, but that is a pretty naive statement to make.  Bikes ARE dangerous.  Arguably MORE dangerous than cars. Anything with two wheels and no barrier between the driver and the rest of the world (i.e. idiot drivers of cars) has inherent dangers. ESPECIALLY when laws and common sense are not being abided by. 

**Please do not think that I am applying what I just said directly to this tragedy... I was not there so I do not know exactly what the bikers were doing.  I'm just saying that as long as you ride around thinking bikes aren't dangerous, don't be surprised when you end up with two broken legs or in a medically induced coma... no matter who was at fault.

"Bikes ARE dangerous. Arguably MORE dangerous than cars."

Dangerous to whom?

Why don't we test this? Stop in the middle of the road. You can even be in your car.  First, I'll ram you on my bike. Then I'll ram you in my car. Then we can talk about what's more "dangerous."

It is a sad situation, no matter who is "at fault."  The reality is, I'm sure both parties share the fault.  I've been on a ride before, and although there is a genuine attempt to follow as many road rules as possible, it doesn't always happen.  Being a large number of bicyclists does not elevate you all above the law, and I know that is a mutual understanding.  I should not have gone thru as many red lights as I did on the ride I attended because I knew I was breaking the law.  Had a drunk driver been texting and plowed thru me while I was running a red light, I would have damn well wished I wasn't breaking the law too.  

Dahab absolutely must be held responsible for what she did, but the Ridazz as a whole should not walk away from this thinking they did nothing wrong because this type of accident will happen again if they also don't reevaluate how they do things.

redacted

Its hard enough to see a drunken/stoned bicyclist riding recklessly darting in and out of traffic during the day....its even harder to see an a drunken/stoned bicyclist darting in and out of traffic on an unlit and unreflectored bike at 2AM. Maybe they should become the MIDDAY RIDAZZ?

Or maybe the motorist shouldn't be texting while driving, which is a crime.As others have pointed out, if a car plowed into a pedestrian  on the road, they would consider that all the driver's fault. What makes this case any difference?

The Midnight Ridazz midnight rides are notorious drunken rides through the city at night....a rolling party if you will. As was reported by police, very few of the bikers had any type of lights or reflectors on their bikes. Not only are they drunk riding, they dont follow traffic rules, they dont ride safely, and they are extremely agressive and threaten auto drivers. I was driving home from work one night after midnight, and saw these same bicyclists terrorize a family in a van that was trying to get through an intersection, which they, in their drunken revelry, had blocked with hundreds of bicyclists.

garagehero's post was cut and pasted a comment on another thread by a guy who doesn't know what he's talking about. Feel free to ignore.

Someone is incredibly defensive. Guilty conscience?

When someone tells the police that they were 'looking at their phone' when they drove their car into a crowd of people my first thought is also to blame the victim rather than the criminal. At least we have that one thing in common.

This is awful, but the fact-challenged reporting on it makes me extra sad. Please talk to the cops again and perhaps to someone on the scene before pressing submit next time.

I'm sorry but doesn't a DUI automatically make you liable for the accident??? It's an automatic felony the last time I checked.

but telling police offiicers that you were texting ("Also evidence that she was bombed cause sober person would tell a cop that") is evident that she was at fault. she hit stationary objects. 

If this was a police officer that was pulling someone over and she plowed over him. Nobody would be saying why the hell was he in the road. If you are driving you need to be watching the road. Otherwise take the damn bus. 

I meant the driver of the car...not the cyclist.

She was obviously at fault. 

The Riddaz  represent youth, non-conformity, self-sufficiency, liberty and celebration of life in the moment.
They ride as a group, but the level of inclusion is individual choice at every moment - that is respect for privacy.
The Riddaz are not a shining example of mainstream consumer culture. They contribute no funds via gasoline taxes, vehicle reg fees or parking ticket revenue.
They disdain arbitrary restrictions of liberty; therefore, they may be held responsible for many failures and damages - at least in part.
The failure of recent rocket launches and resulting destruction of  costly research satellites, failure to adequately address the damaged nuclear facility leading to enormous environmental toxification.
Severe cost overruns in the LAUSD construction program and last years DWP water main break flurry.
They are at least partly responsible for economic and miltary failures costing thousands of lives and billions of dollars.
They bear at least partial fault for the failure to close out the search for the Dodger Stadium beating suspects.
Without a doubt, the Lakers failure to make it to the the NBA Championship Finals can not be accounted for without considering the Riddaz factor.

^^ BOT

If BOT =

Burbon
Order
Three,

Then yes.

i think you missed the 'n' in 'snark,' cutty.

the riders are at fault of not obeying traffic laws, not having lights and not wearing protective gear (unless they've added these features since the last time i saw them), but that doesn't mean they should be hospitalized. 

the question is if dahab was stoned and drunk on bike, would this accident still have happened?

She would have been at fault had she caused a 3000 pound car swerve into a crowsd of people!!

Where did you get your facts? They had lights and "protective gear" isn't required when riding a bike on the street. This particular group wasn't wasn't doing anything wrong, just stopped waiting for friends on the right side of the road where cars are usually parked. When they saw the car barreling they tried to get out of the way but not all of them made it.

So, by your logic I deserved to be hit in my car by a drunk driver because some asshat was speeding last week? Funny how bike riders are the only people who have answer for actions of everyone who's ever done anything bad on a bike!

I believe a critical reading class is in order. I suggest a logic back.

Don't forget to tip your server.

Very few Midnite ridazz have bikes, rear and back, on their bikes.

I suppose you mean "brakes."  But how will brakes help you get out of the way of a speeding drunk driver who is coming up behind you?

Nor do they have backs on the side of their fronts.

Clearly, the condoms were part of the Midnight Ridazz and evidence of their potential liability in an accident.