To Serve And Protect…Two Open Letters
Written by Boston Biker on Jul 28
Dear Lady in a car.
Thank you so much for swerving across three lanes to make your right hand turn today. I would also like to thank you for keeping me on my toes, the fact that you didn’t use any turn signals was a sneaky move! A couple tips, next time you might find it easier to turn right from the right hand side of the street. Turn signals are also a playful way of letting people know you want to turn. Also you seem to have given your passenger quite a fright, as I heard her screaming “HOLY SHIT CLAIR WATCH OUT THERE IS A GUY ON A BIKE!!!” and “WATCH OUT WATCH OUT WATCH OUT!”. It seems almost cruel the way you put her through that trauma.
I would also like to mention that my hand gesture (you know the one where the middle finger is all the way up and pointing at your direction) was a playful reminder to improve your driving skills. I am sure if you try hard next time you will actually kill/maim/or permanently disable a cyclist. Your dreams of being an inconsiderate, dangerous, and idiotic asshole will be realized. Don’t give up the dream.
With Love
BostonBiker
Dear Officer
Thank you so much for coming to watch my one act play entitled “Cyclist is obeying every single traffic law, and nearly gets killed by a crazy lady and cop does nothing.” With out you there to do nothing, this play could have never happened. I especially like the part where you ignored me when I tried to get your attention at the next red light(which I was stopped at). That and the part where after you did finally talk to me you berated me for giving that woman the one finger salute, instead of arresting her for making an illegal turn that nearly killed me. I feel comforted that with officers like yourself on the job I am safe. It is so rare that a cop is DIRECTLY BEHIND the scene of a near accident, so rare that they get to witness THE ENTIRE THING. Rarer still that you manged to be such a belligerent asshole, perhaps you don’t like being addressed by terms like “Officer” and “Sir.” My mistake.
You would have been uniquely suited to testify on my behalf, you could have truly lived up to the goal of your entire profession, (in case you forgot, it is to serve and protect). I applaud your sacrifice. As it must be hard to so completely and totally abandon the sole function of your job in the pursuit of being a lazy dick. Next time your child/wife/husband/loved one is out cycling I hope they also receive the same protection from your fellow law officers.
Kisses and Hugs
BostonBiker
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to “To Serve And Protect…Two Open Letters”
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- Jul 28, 2009: Streetsblog Capitol Hill » New Jersey Needs to Face Its Pedestrian Fatality Problem
- Jul 28, 2009: Streetsblog New York City » New Jersey Needs to Face Its Pedestrian Fatality Problem
- Jul 28, 2009: Streetsblog San Francisco » New Jersey Needs to Face Its Pedestrian Fatality Problem
- Jul 28, 2009: Streetsblog Los Angeles » New Jersey Needs to Face Its Pedestrian Fatality Problem
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By wolftone on Jul 28, 2009 | Reply
The new massachusetts bicycle law explicitly makes this action illegal. From http://www.bwglaw.com:
> Motorists cannot pass bicycles and then take quick right turns; many drivers do not realize that cutting in front of bicycles traveling in the same direction presents extreme hazards because they are cutting the cyclists off
Now that we finally have the law on our side, what do we do in the face of police indifference/ignorance?
By Boston Biker on Jul 28, 2009 | Reply
Wolftone: As far as I know it has always been illegal to make a right hand turn across three lanes of traffic while smashing into a cyclist…the new law is meant to make it clear that you also can not turn in front a cyclist while turning right from the far right lane.
But yea…even though I was doing everything correct and following the law, if the cop is going to be a jerk…well what can you do?
By m2mayer on Jul 28, 2009 | Reply
That sucks, man. Especially the response from the cop. Growing up I thought all cops were good, smart men that commanded respect as they protected us from harm. Here in Boston, however, I’ve found them to be no different than any other lazy moron in the city.
By microzen on Jul 28, 2009 | Reply
You’ve got to remember that when biking in Boston, no matter what the law is you are dealing with Boston drivers.
I have always felt safer biking in Boston than driving because I can always jump out of the road on a bike. In a car, you are a sitting target. I have yet to meet someone who learned to drive in Boston who doesn’t carry on long conversations facing the people in the back seat of their vehicle.
When biking in that city, I usual take the no-turn to mean the car is turning at the intersection. I’ve often felt like yelling at a car going straight through an intersection as misleading me as I thought their intention was to turn by the fact the signal was not in use.
By Boston Biker on Jul 28, 2009 | Reply
Microzen: The thing that really tricked me with this lady was that we were not at an intersection, I was going up Cambridge street towards the state house and she was in the far left lane, and then just WHAM she was going up one of those little side streets (the ones with the big hills), no signal, no motion, just crazy go nuts driving. She nearly hit me, the cab behind me, and in general caused a mess.
Thanks for the tips though.
By Charmaine on Jul 28, 2009 | Reply
I had this similar situation happen to me…and I didn’t fare as well. I couldn’t stop in time (I was going downhill at about 25 mph), and I slammed sideways into the side of the lady’s pick-up truck. 🙁 I got knocked out, and when I came to, I had to be transported to the hospital, with busted muscles on my shoulder. Had to have surgery (a pin was inserted) and had to have physical therapy. Was off my bike for a year. 🙁 I got a good settlement from it (court action), but I wouldn’t recommend making money like this. 🙂
By mostbutnotall on Jul 29, 2009 | Reply
I often quip about the viability of a commuting-cycler’s jersey with a giant middle finger on the back and the front. There are so many occasions when I need to use it and can’t (because i am trying to obey the traffic laws) that the shirt would help. It would be more efficient since the times when I feel neutral or happy about a driver’s behavior are so rare, I could more easily rescind the gesture for those drivers. Seriously, though, there is something culturally ingrained with driver’s attitudes toward cyclists on the road. We just don’t seem like real people with any similarities to automobile drivers. I want to say we get treated almost as if we are out recreating – maybe its due to the connection between bikes and “play”. Its definitely time to take cycling seriously as a means of transportation. The research community certainly has…
By Callie Durbrow on Jul 30, 2009 | Reply
Wow sounds like a scary situation! Too bad the cop didn’t help you out more, it’s not often they actually see something like that with such a plain view. I agree with you all though; driving, biking, walking in Boston..it’s all dangerous!!
By Karen on Aug 1, 2009 | Reply
hilarious, and sadly accurate