Open Letter to Our State Legislators: We Need a Strong Bike Harassment Law
4:11 PM PDT on October 23, 2017
A rear-bikecam shot of the SUV of a motorist who punishment passed, honked, and shouted at Streetsblog’s editor back in 2017. Photo: Streetsblog/Rudick
While I was riding my bike to an Oakland Department of Transportation press event a couple of weeks ago, a driver in a black SUV came up behind and tailgated me. There were two lanes, and ample room to change lanes to pass--there was also a red light ahead of me and I was keeping up with the flow of traffic--I caught up with her at the next light and the next after that.
Despite all this, the driver blew the horn, passed dangerously close, and told me to ride on the sidewalk.
The only thing that makes this noteworthy is that it is barely noteworthy. It has happened to me before, several times, although it's the first time I've recorded such an overt act on video, on my Fly6 bike camera. The lead image is a still from that video.
Anybody who rides regularly has had a similar experience. It's also something that we see reported on social media with alarming frequency.
Remember Mary Ann Blackwell, who was punched in the face for demanding a motorist not park in the bike lane? She posted on Facebook about a different, recent incident on Adeline Street in Oakland where a driver first followed dangerously close, then passed within three feet (even though there was an open lane next to her) and shouted "I could run your ass over!" Blackwell, who spoke with Streetsblog about the incident, doesn't have a video camera on her bike, but she caught up with the motorist down the street and took a picture of his van with her cell phone.
Note to "Justin" and other angry motorists--it's probably not a good idea to threaten cyclists in a vehicle that has the name and phone number of your business on it. Photo: Mary Ann BlackwellMaryAnn Blackwell, a cyclist from Oakland, said the driver of this van ... Photo: MaryAnn Blackwell
This man was captured on video threatening a cyclist. We need legislation so evidence like this can be used to suspend his license. Photo: SF BikealotThis man was captured on video threatening a cyclist. We need legislation so evidence like this can be used to suspend his license. Photo: SF Bikealot
These laws may help, but they don't get at the crux of the problem: someone who goes around blasting cyclists off the road shouldn't be driving in the first place.
Last week, a criminal suspect used an SUV to severely injure San Francisco Police Officer Elia Lewin-Tankel. In honor of Lewin-Tankel, and the cyclists injured in Marin, I call on Phil Ting, Marc Levine, Scott Wiener and David Chiu, or other state lawmakers who have shown comity with vulnerable road users, to work on legislation: if someone is caught on video harassing or threatening a cyclist with a motor vehicle, they should lose the privilege of a driver's license. It should be clear that police don't have to witness the act directly--video footage is good enough.
A frame from the passing motorcyclist's video of the truck that ran into four cyclists in Marin. Does anyone think this motorist previously passed carefully, didn't harass anyone, and always gave at least three feet? Image from CHP.A frame from the passing motorcyclist's video of the truck that ran into four cyclists in Marin. Does anyone thing this motorist previously passed carefully, didn't harass, and always gave at least three feet? Image from CHP.
Note: GJEL Accident Attorneys regularly sponsors coverage on Streetsblog San Francisco and Streetsblog California. Unless noted in the story, GJEL Accident Attorneys is not consulted for the content or editorial direction of the sponsored content.
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