Cyclist Hits Pedestrian, Cab Driver Punches Cyclist, Then Hits Cyclist With His Car

A cyclist hit a pedestrian, then asked a cab driver for help, the cab driver then gets into a fist fight with the cyclist and then tries to run the cyclist over…Oh Boston.

From UHUB:

A Brookline cab driver had bail set at $1,000 today on charges he wielded both his fists and his cab as weapons against a bicyclist who had just run into a pedestrian at Tremont and Avery streets Friday night, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office reports.
According to the DA’s office, the incident with driver Sam Chandler, 45, began when a bicyclist ran a red light and plowed into a pedestrian as she was crossing the street.

He went to her aid, he said, and asked a nearby cab driver – later identified as Chandler – for help. Instead of assisting, however, Chandler allegedly became belligerent, exited his cab, and struck the cyclist with his fists. When witnesses separated the two men and the cyclist blocked his cab to call police, Chandler allegedly drove into him and fled southbound on Tremont Street.
Witnesses corroborated the cyclist’s account. He and the pedestrian he struck were transported to Massachusetts General Hospital. Both are expected to survive their injuries.

Seriously this entire situation is fucked, from the part where the cyclist ran a red light and hit a pedestrian (and not being charged with anything…come on!), to the part where the cab driver gets into a fist fight with the cyclist when the cyclist asks for help.

Boston, you have a problem. The problem is all of you act like insane people! Collectively we are a bunch of jerks who just don’t give a shit. We will never live in a city that is a joy to travel in, unless we all stop being such shits.

I think this comment from UHub says it best:

I’m not surprised. People who get around by [mode of transportation] are the worst. The other day, in fact, on [street], I saw a [mode of transportation] completely break the law about [something a law is about] and I was [synonym for ‘disgusted’] by how bad these [mode of transportation]ers are in this city. The [state govt agency] should do something about this before [number] people are killed in a [mode of transportation] accident.

The reason why this little mad lib works so well is because no one user group is blameless, everyone is constantly all the time being horrible. This is not the case in every city, in some cities there is a clear “bad guy” the problem is that in Boston, we are all the bad guys. The cyclists, the drivers, the bus operators, the pedestrians, hell even the train drivers get in on the act.

The only way its going to stop is through systematic education, enforcement of the rules, better infrastructure, and most of all, each of us needs to stop being an asshole when we use our roadways.

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House Tries To De-Fund Cycling, Don’t Let Them!

From MassBike

———————-

Last Fall, you helped us defeat Senate attacks on biking and walking. But now the House of Representatives is launching its own attack. Next Thursday, February 2nd, we can expect the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to vote on its version of the surface transportation bill, called “The American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act.” Alarms went off when we learned that the two primary sources of federal bike funding, Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School, will be eliminated.

The legislation will be open for amendments for only a short time in the T&I Committee. If you live in Representative Michael Capuano’s district, a high-ranking member of the committee, we need your help. During Thursday’s vote, he could be the key to making sure that a pro-biking amendment passes. Will you ask him today to vote to preserve funding for biking and walking in the transportation bill?

Let him know that in his district alone:

• Nearly $2 million in Safe Routes to School funding has gone to making the streets safer for children trying to walk or bike to school;
• Transportation Enhancements has supported over $34 million in bike and pedestrian infrastructure, improving the experience for all users of the road;
• Biking and walking make up 12 percent of all trips, but only 1.5 percent of federal funding.

Representative Capuano’s office phone number is (202) 225-5111, or you can email him by clicking here. Please take action today:

1. Call and/or email Representative Capuano TODAY, tell him why bicycling is important to you, and ask him to do two things:

• OPPOSE any move to eliminate the Transportation Enhancements or Safe Routes to School Program
• SUPPORT an amendment to maintain the funding to bike and pedestrian programs

2. Email [email protected] and let us know you contacted him!

If you don’t have time to call or email, then you can fill out an automated form here, though personalized messages are always preferable. Don’t know who your representative is?  Find out here.

Even if you don’t live in District 8, feel free to contact your representative. While he won’t be able to act on this legislation until it hits the floor in February, it can’t hurt to let him know that biking is important to you. Thanks for your support, and for helping us work toward a better state (and country) for biking.

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To Serve And Protect…Two Open Letters

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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