Hit and Run, and Caught

[tuxbailey]

This video just made my day :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7AVC1YCcO0

PD's Blog:

http://bethlehempolice.blogspot.com/2012/04/press-release-city-honors-two-citizens.html

[efleigh]

that video rocks. aside from the guy getting smacked.

[gone]

It seems like in nearly every report I read of a cyclist getting hit the driver takes off. Nice to see some people stepping up and doing the right thing. I hope the scumbag kid gets the book thrown at him.

[FlashUNC]

Glad the cyclist was alright. Awesome video.

[cat6]

Kudos to that bus driver and the city of Bethlehem for publishing the video reminding everyone of the law.

I should have known better than to read any of the ignorant comments on YouTube though.

[Andrewlcox]

That's teamwork right there.

Did you read the YouTube comments? A majority of them accuse the cyclist and and side with motorists vs bicycles.

[Louis]

Did you read the YouTube comments? A majority of them accuse the cyclist and and side with motorists vs bicycles.

Typical. Because most are motorists, but not cyclists. And they can't identify with someone else. Too wrapped up in their own little world.

[onekgguy]

Great job by the bus driver but why is the cyclist riding like such a jackass out there in the left part of the right lane? There are times to take the lane. I don't see this as being one of them.

Just more footage for a Thinning the Herd video.

Kevin g

[cycle_chic]

I can't believe the bus actually blocked the car in. Ha!

[cat6]

Great job by the bus driver but why is the cyclist riding like such a jackass out there in the left part of the right lane? There are times to take the lane. I don't see this as being one of them.

Just more footage for a Thinning the Herd video.

Kevin g

On a 2 lane road with zero shoulder I feel safer taking the lane. If a car wants to pass they have the whole second (left) lane to do so. If you were to ride all the way right against that wall cars may try to pass unsafely at high speed. Take the lane for that crossing, it's a shared road. If he took the lane with a shoulder available I'd think differently.

[FlashUNC]

I always take the lane in those kinds of situations.

Better to take it than get scrubbed into the wall at speed.

[Louis]

Amazing that the cop car is there almost instantly after the incident.

How often does that happen?

[slowgoing]

That's a dangerous place to ride. Many cars driving fast, slowing down quickly as the car in front realizes there is a cyclist in front of it and scrambling to the left lane, and only then the car behind recognizing that there's now a cyclist in front of them, and then that car trying to quickly swerve to the left. It looks like the cyclist was lucky not to be hit by one or more of the earlier cars.

And while the driver was a jerk for running, he didn't appear to be purposefully trying to hit the cyclist. He was in the left lane trying to pass the bus, the bus went into the left lane ahead of the car to avoid the cyclist, and then the car swerved to the right lane to pass there, only at the last second to find the cyclist dead ahead and going much slower. What a recipe for disaster with lots of cars not seeing the much slower cyclist till the last second.

Having the right of way won't keep you alive, only common sense will do that.

[cat6]

That's a dangerous place to ride. Many cars driving fast, slowing down quickly as the car in front realizes there is a cyclist in front of it and scrambling to the left lane, and only then the car behind recognizing that there's now a cyclist in front of them, and then that car trying to quickly swerve to the left. It looks like the cyclist was lucky not to be hit by one or more of the earlier cars.

Having the right of way won't keep you alive, only common sense will do that.

He needed to cross the bridge, man! Obviously most of us would have kicked it in to high gear and sped across as fast as possible, this guy not so much. I still don't disagree with anything he did. The pedestrian walkway is an option I suppose, but how many of us would have gotten off to walk our bikes over the bridge on the walkway?

[Matt-H]

Great job by the bus driver but why is the cyclist riding like such a jackass out there in the left part of the right lane? There are times to take the lane. I don't see this as being one of them.

Just more footage for a Thinning the Herd video.

Kevin g

Jackass may be a bit harsh without a bit more insight. I use that bridge often to access some great Bucks County roads as well as all the local singletrack Bethlehem has to offer. There are shared markings on the lane in which the cyclist was travelling. Additionally, the right lane has been significantly narrowed, despite the illusion of the video, due to the sidewalk on the bridge being closed for repair. As a result, a walled-off pedestrian lane has been created in what was part of the traffic lane. It is sketchy and when I do travel North on that bridge, I always take the lane.

As far as law enforcement, the Bethlehem P.D. has been very supportive of cyclists and for that I'm very thankful. Our bike patrol officers are some pretty good cyclists, and the Chief of Police in particular can seriously rip up the local trails...

[slowgoing]

He needed to cross the bridge, man! Obviously most of us would have kicked it in to high gear and sped across as fast as possible, this guy not so much. I still don't disagree with anything he did. The pedestrian walkway is an option I suppose, but how many of us would have gotten off to walk our bikes over the bridge on the walkway?

I'm not saying he was wrong or doing anything illegal. But after watching the video, do you think it's safe to ride there or like that? I don't.

[benitosan1972]

If you're riding a bike on that bridge and you're not doing 40mph, you'll get hit. After watching that video, I would never ride that bridge, well not unless I was feeling suicidal.

[cat6]

I'm not saying he was wrong or doing anything illegal. But after watching the video, do you think it's safe to ride there or like that? I don't.

I don't either, I would still have crossed it as quickly as I could have rather than dismount and walk. Matt-H just provided some insight that the lane is marked for bicycles, perhaps they guy on the bike felt safe knowing that. For all we know he's crossed the same bridge twice a day for ten years.

When someone makes an obvious poor decision on a bike, we know it. When its grey and up for interpretation I would like to think on a cycling forum we'd all be more sympathetic with the guy on two-wheels.

All good either way, glad he's OK. I think the main point we're getting away from is that the driver tried to take off, and whether any of us agree on the cyclist I think we can all agree the driver was wrong for trying to leave.

[onekgguy]

Jackass may be a bit harsh without a bit more insight. I use that bridge often to access some great Bucks County roads as well as all the local singletrack Bethlehem has to offer. There are shared markings on the lane in which the cyclist was travelling. Additionally, the right lane has been significantly narrowed, despite the illusion of the video, due to the sidewalk on the bridge being closed for repair. As a result, a walled-off pedestrian lane has been created in what was part of the traffic lane. It is sketchy and when I do travel North on that bridge, I always take the lane.

As far as law enforcement, the Bethlehem P.D. has been very supportive of cyclists and for that I'm very thankful. Our bike patrol officers are some pretty good cyclists, and the Chief of Police in particular can seriously rip up the local trails...

Watch the video again. Do you really think this is a safe place to be riding regardless of whether or not you're taking the lane...whether or not you're in the right? Look at the abrupt maneuvers being made to avoid this clown. I'm all for sharing the road but this guy is just asking to be taken out. Factor in the increased amount of distractions people are taking on behind the wheel; I'm speaking of cellphones and texting primarily.

Like I was saying...just more footage for a Thinning the Herd video.

Kevin g

[cat6]

Watch the video again. Do you really think this is a safe place to be riding regardless of whether or not you're taking the lane...whether or not you're in the right? Look at the abrupt maneuvers being made to avoid this clown. I'm all for sharing the road but this guy is just asking to be taken out. Factor in the increased amount of distractions people are taking on behind the wheel; I'm speaking of cellphones and texting primarily.

Like I was saying...just more footage for a Thinning the Herd video.

Kevin g

No place is a safe place to be riding so long as there are cars on the road. Any bad thing can happen anyplace. Fact is the po-lice have no problem with the cyclist. Fact is the person in the car tried to take off. If you feel the cyclist should have been killed for his actions for an addition to a "thinning the herd video", then that means you've just gauged the value of a human life by a quarter mile's worth of cycling footage. If it's that cut and dry in your world so be it.

[toosahn]

Some of the comments in this thread have approached youtube quality (not referring to you cat6)

[Louis]

I understand "take the lane" and all that, but sometimes discretion is the better part of valor.

[vqdriver]

Sheesh. I don't think I'd feel comfortable riding across that bridge. If I had to cross I'd probably soft pedal across the walkway. Peds may look at me funny but I'd be all extra nice and stuff. there's no way I'm hanging my butt out there in what looks to be merging highway traffic.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . I was wondering why there were TWO pedestrian walkways. You can't really tell from the video what's up with that.

Looks like it's a route I would avoid if I rode around that area a lot. If there's normally this much traffic and ped traffic it's just a bad scene.There are several areas around here where I either ride them with extreme caution only when necessary or avoid totally.

After seeing that video, if I had to ride that route now with the shoulder blocked off I'd go in the pedestrian walkway, go extremely slowly, and if questioned by LEO explain that I don't want to get killed.

I'm also trying to keep in mind here we have no idea how experienced this cyclist is.

YT comments are, without fail, populated by morons. Lowest common denominator of good human qualities for sure.

BBD

[EDS]

Jackass may be a bit harsh without a bit more insight. I use that bridge often to access some great Bucks County roads as well as all the local singletrack Bethlehem has to offer. There are shared markings on the lane in which the cyclist was travelling. Additionally, the right lane has been significantly narrowed, despite the illusion of the video, due to the sidewalk on the bridge being closed for repair. As a result, a walled-off pedestrian lane has been created in what was part of the traffic lane. It is sketchy and when I do travel North on that bridge, I always take the lane.

As far as law enforcement, the Bethlehem P.D. has been very supportive of cyclists and for that I'm very thankful. Our bike patrol officers are some pretty good cyclists, and the Chief of Police in particular can seriously rip up the local trails...


That sounds like a great community to live in. Pay no heed to the arm-chair QBs who like to pontificate without the availability of facts.

[goonster]

He was in the left lane trying to pass the bus, the bus went into the left lane ahead of the car to avoid the cyclist, and then the car swerved to the right lane to pass there

Passing on the right is illegal (not to mention ***hole driving), and this incident illustrates why.

Resist the urge to pass on the right, even if you are frustrated.

[MattTuck]

hindsight is 20/20. Looks like a [relatively more] dangerous place to ride, but that doesn't justify or excuse the driver's actions. That's like blaming a scantily clad woman for inviting rape. Yes, we'd all like people to make better decisions about their safety and avoid situations that are wrought with potential danger...

but that doesn't change the fact that the person at fault here is the motorist, and doubly at fault for attempting to flee the scene. I agree that at first, I was thinking "why is he riding so far in the lane?" but I think we would all agree that there are times we have to take the entire lane to feel safer and/or execute a turn that otherwise would be suicidal from the right shoulder...

[Bob Loblaw]

Love it!

Personally, I would have taken the foot path though. The safety factor to me would have been well worth the extra time.

"Taking the lane" is a fine approach when dealing with alert drivers who don't want to get in an accident. For dealing with drivers who are stupid, oblivious, rushed, or enraged beyond reason, not so much.

BL

[Matt-H]

That sounds like a great community to live in. Pay no heed to the arm-chair QBs who like to pontificate without the availability of facts.

Thanks, EDS! We have very active road and mountain bike clubs in our community that are constantly trying to improve the lives of cyclists here. Beautiful, quiet roads just outside of our town, miles of great singletrack within city limits, and a velodrome close by make it a decent place to live.


To be clear, I try to limit my riding on that bridge to times when traffic is minimal and almost always take an alternate route when coming North (the narrow lane). Repairs have unfortunately stalled on that bridge as the extent of damage uncovered increases and available funds decrease...

BBD- The cyclist that was hit is a key staffer and wrench for our local bicycle cooperative and car-free organization. Big time advocate and apparently a super nice guy.

[EDS]

Thanks, EDS! We have very active road and mountain bike clubs in our community that are constantly trying to improve the lives of cyclists here. Beautiful, quiet roads just outside of our town, miles of great singletrack within city limits, and a velodrome close by make it a decent place to live.


To be clear, I try to limit my riding on that bridge to times when traffic is minimal and almost always take an alternate route when coming North (the narrow lane). Repairs have unfortunately stalled on that bridge as the extent of damage uncovered increases and available funds decrease...

BBD- The cyclist that was hit is a key staffer and wrench for our local bicycle cooperative and car-free organization. Big time advocate and apparently a super nice guy.

I was wondering if the bus driver is a cyclist! Good on the other driver for blocking the guy in too.

[TMB]

Passing on the right is illegal (not to mention ***hole driving), and this incident illustrates why.

Resist the urge to pass on the right, even if you are frustrated.

Thank you.

I was wondering why no one was picking up on this. Drivers drive too fast, follow too closely and this dip to the right is an outgrowth of that type of driving.

[Fixed]

i salute bus drivers everywhere
i used to take great fun in racing with them on my daily routes
cheers :)

[Rueda Tropical]

There are plenty of places were it is less safe then one would like to cycle, drive or walk but they happen to be on route to wherever you are going. The right lane on that bridge has been designated for slow traffic to take the lane when they have to cross. Not taking the lane would have made it even less safe.

Can't blame the cyclist for the bad behavior of someone else. Sometimes I feel cyclists in the US are suffering from Stockholm syndrome. Always ready to blame themselves for the illegal and anti-social behavior of others.

[deanster]

That's a dangerous place to ride. Many cars driving fast, slowing down quickly as the car in front realizes there is a cyclist in front of it and scrambling to the left lane, and only then the car behind recognizing that there's now a cyclist in front of them, and then that car trying to quickly swerve to the left. It looks like the cyclist was lucky not to be hit by one or more of the earlier cars.

And while the driver was a jerk for running, he didn't appear to be purposefully trying to hit the cyclist. He was in the left lane trying to pass the bus, the bus went into the left lane ahead of the car to avoid the cyclist, and then the car swerved to the right lane to pass there, only at the last second to find the cyclist dead ahead and going much slower. What a recipe for disaster with lots of cars not seeing the much slower cyclist till the last second.

Having the right of way won't keep you alive, only common sense will do that.

Amen! In the world of cellphones and texting you take your life in your hands when you ride like that rider...I know the law in on his side BUT, it small comfort to your family...Right but, Dead. Ride like your are invisible because YOU ARE!

[slowgoing]

Right but, Dead.

Perfectly said.

[bikinchris]

Seems tht many posters on here are directly in line with the bike hating posts on Youtube or any local paper article about cycling.

You guys need to look deep inside and ask yourself why you ride at all. Riding on this bridge is no more or less dangerous than any particular stretch of road anywhere that has the same amount of traffic and speed. I bet many of you ride in such a stretch daily. Just because there is a guard rail makes no difference in the law or safety.

[maxn]

Seems tht many posters on here are directly in line with the bike hating posts on Youtube or any local paper article about cycling.
+1
I understand the sentiment of needing to be practical to stay alive, but are we really going to blame the cyclist (who was obeying the law) here for getting run over? If we (appropriately) condemn cyclists who break traffic laws and cause accidents, can't we offer the same criticism to motorists that unsafely and illegally pass on the right, rear end a cyclist and then flee?

[benitosan1972]

I wouldn't blame the cyclist, but just like not wearing a helmet if there is no law to do so, if something unfortunate happens to you and you end up a vegetable, well then, it's your choice... safety & common sense > laws & freedom IMO

[fiataccompli]

Wow...I'm surprised how many folks here don't seem to understand the practical dynamics & psychology of sharing the road when there's traffic. In a place like that, I agree that I would kick it up and cross the area FAST (if I had to cross it at all), but that said it's simple common sense that you have to take the lane when there's no shoulder. Hugging the fog line is asking to be side-swiped. There are plenty of considerations to be made on both sides (timing to allow cars to flow around you when you're on a bike, pausing perhaps in an accel lane to let some cars pass,etc.), but continuing the belief that you can't share the road is archaic, my cycling friends.

[jpw]

Now I understand what happened. When I first saw the video I thought the bus had hit the cyclist because it came up the ramp at high speed in the lane the cyclist was using. So the bus driver snared the culprit car (?)- nicely done.

Not all bus drivers are quite so helpful. Check this one out. Bristol, England. The bus driver received a seven month prison sentence. The action comes from the upper left quarter of the screen;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj-HWNVsThc

[William]

He was in the left lane trying to pass the bus, the bus went into the left lane ahead of the car to avoid the cyclist, and then the car swerved to the right lane to pass there, only at the last second to find the cyclist dead ahead and going much slower.

Which means he was impatient, driving too fast, and tried to pass on the right which is illegal in most areas. Then, after hitting the cyclist, who wasn't breaking the law, he tried to run. Even if the cyclist was on the right, with the bus on the left and little to no shoulder, he wouldn't have been able to get by him anyway.

I'm one who agrees that many times it's safer taking/blocking the lane then gambling on whether some is good at judging spatial relationships to moving objects and "if" they can determine if their car will squeeze by you and said objects.

Riding in general is a gamble. We know this to be true.






William

[onekgguy]

No place is a safe place to be riding so long as there are cars on the road. Any bad thing can happen anyplace. Fact is the po-lice have no problem with the cyclist. Fact is the person in the car tried to take off. If you feel the cyclist should have been killed for his actions for an addition to a "thinning the herd video", then that means you've just gauged the value of a human life by a quarter mile's worth of cycling footage. If it's that cut and dry in your world so be it.

Wow...is that how you interpreted what I said? Go read it again. I'm not hoping the guy gets killed. I'm saying that it's this sort of behavior that leads to people being taken out as actually happened in this video. This guy was fortunate he was able to walk away. I don't think anybody here is implying in the least that the driver of the car isn't at fault. That goes without saying.

I'm all for taking the lane but only when it's safe to do so. This isn't one of those cases; not with people speeding around the bend and merging with traffic as appears to be happening here. The abrupt maneuvers occurring behind the cyclist are evidence of that.

Kevin g

[Vinci]

The guy was riding in the middle of the lane. I would have done the exact same thing. In a situation where it is not possible for a car to legally or safely pass a cyclist in the same lane, then riding to the right of that lane just invites them to try. The best thing I have found to do when commuting in situations like this is to take the lane.

For those that argue that this guy shouldn't have been on the bridge, he may not have had an option. If you have to get somewhere, and there is a river between there and where you are, you're going to be pretty limited in the number of paths you can take. This bridge may have been the safest option available.

[slowgoing]

+1
I understand the sentiment of needing to be practical to stay alive, but are we really going to blame the cyclist (who was obeying the law) here for getting run over? If we (appropriately) condemn cyclists who break traffic laws and cause accidents, can't we offer the same criticism to motorists that unsafely and illegally pass on the right, rear end a cyclist and then flee?

I'm not saying that the motorists aren't to blame for not sharing the lane. Of course they are, especially this one who was apparently breaking several laws (plus no one here is saying he was right in fleeing the scene). The point is that even if the cyclist isn't doing anything illegal by riding on that bridge or taking up the whole lane, he's going to get plastered sooner or later until things change enough that motorists are actually watching out for unseen cyclists. Until that time comes, I support your right to share the lane on that bridge, even during rush hour, but I sure won't do it myself.

[Earl Gray]

Watch the video again. Do you really think this is a safe place to be riding regardless of whether or not you're taking the lane...whether or not you're in the right? Look at the abrupt maneuvers being made to avoid this clown. I'm all for sharing the road but this guy is just asking to be taken out. Factor in the increased amount of distractions people are taking on behind the wheel; I'm speaking of cellphones and texting primarily.

Like I was saying...just more footage for a Thinning the Herd video.

Kevin g


While I'm encouraged that there are a few folks here that seem to understand your position, you are pretty much pissin in the wind. Most folks here feel that cyclist having the "right" is all that matters. I agree with you, there are some places that we have the "right" to ride but that does not make it right.

This cyclist could have avoided this in many different ways. Does not justify the actions of the driver.

[moose8]

I commute in Boston, a city full of impatient drivers like that 17 year old. I think the biker was doing what was the safest, next to walking over the bridge, in the situation. If you don't take the lane people will buzz way too close to you - the bridge isn't really that different than sections of road that are narrow in most cities, at least on the east coast where they weren't laid out with cars in mind initially. I know i don't get off and walk the bike when the roads are less than perfect. I don't really get the criticism of the biker - he made a choice that we all make anytime we ride through less than ideal roads and unfortunately he
made it at a time when an idiot teenager was passing by. The driver was doing something I presume is illegal - passing on the right on a bridge - and at a certain point wherever we ride we are relying on assumptions about basic behavior that other people will engage in. I also agree with the statement that you should ride like you're invisible, but I think in some circumstances, this being one of them, making yourself as visible as possible is the safest option.