hit & run

On 19 Sep 2004 16:45:18 GMT, [email hidden]

(dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers) said:

Basically Vernon was cycling up the hill. He had right of way. He was almost to
the top when [censored] in a Mondeo comes down the hill and rather than wait for
Vernon to finish the short distance, [censored] in a Mondeo crosses to the side of
the road Vernon is on, without slowing, and side-swipes Vernon with his wing
mirror. Vernon fell off. The frightening this is, to me, Vernon said he'd made
eye-contact with the driver - who was smiling as he came on to hit Vernon.
Sadly Vernon didn't get the registration number - neither did I as I was
oblivious to this happening as I was at the bottom of the hill at the time.

What about recovering pieces of the mirror, housing or bits of paint. Then
check local repair shops and see if he can ID the car?

Sorry to hear about it! ;-(

-B

"dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers" wrote

Quoted message said:

Vernon (my husband) was a victim of a hit & run this morning. Thankfully

his

Quoted message said:

injuries are minor, but nevertheless, it was a far from enjoyable

experience

Quoted message said:

for him & for
me. I am very pleased that I am not in the position of collecting the

insurance

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monies.

Vernon & I went for a cycle over the Castle Acre this morning. On the

final

Quoted message said:

hill up into the village (Newton Road), there is always a line of parked

cars

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on the right-hand side, so cycling up the hill we had right of way (UK).

Vernon

Quoted message said:

was at the top of the hill & I was at the bottom, so didn't see the actual
impact. The driver can thank his lucky stars for that, because if I had,

by now

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I'd be in jail for wrecking his car and for assaulting the driver.

Basically Vernon was cycling up the hill. He had right of way. He was

almost to

Quoted message said:

the top when [censored] in a Mondeo comes down the hill and rather than wait for
Vernon to finish the short distance, [censored] in a Mondeo crosses to the side

of

Quoted message said:

the road Vernon is on, without slowing, and side-swipes Vernon with his

wing

Quoted message said:

mirror. Vernon fell off. The frightening this is, to me, Vernon said he'd

made

Quoted message said:

eye-contact with the driver - who was smiling as he came on to hit Vernon.
Sadly Vernon didn't get the registration number - neither did I as I was
oblivious to this happening as I was at the bottom of the hill at the

time.

Quoted message said:

Vernon's helmet is dented - his glasses grazed (Thanks Simon Mason - the

safety

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glasses scratched but didn't shatter, so Vernon's eyes are okay) - he has

a cut

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on his cheekbone which is bruising. He has a bruised & cut left knee; his

right

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hand his cut and he is sort of aching and bruised. Walking wounded - it

could

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have been a lot worse.

The driver did not stop. [censored]. [censored]. [censored]. I hope he rots in hell.

Anyhow. Guy whose house it happened outside of came out to see if Vernon

was

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okay - alas he didn't get the reg of the car either. Which was when I got

to

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the scene. The sight of one's husband picking himself up from the kerb and
*knowing* all is not well is not one I wish to see again.

Called the police. As Vernon was injured, plod attended. It took plod

nearly an

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hour to attend though. I'm not impressed by that. One thing plod said that

I

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find quite horrific, and it was a throwaway line of plod's, "Oh I get

several

Quoted message said:

of these a week now." *What???* Several hit & runs a week?!?!?!?!!! I find

that

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appalling. If I hear one more pathetic rant from uk.tosspot about

hard-done by

Quoted message said:

drivers, I shall not be responsible for my actions.

Cheers, helen s

This sounds to me as if the motorist deliberately clipped your husband with
his mirror, or at the very least intended to force him off the road. Did you
point this out when you described the episode to the police?

A few of the responses to your post on urc suggested that you should have
called for an ambulance. Getting hit by a motor vehicle sounds like a valid
reason to call an ambulance to me, and if it will make the police take the
episode more seriously, so much the better.

I'm glad your husband wasn't seriously injured, I hope his bicycle is all
right, and hopefully Mondeo Man will get what he deserves.
--
mark

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers said:

Vernon (my husband) was a victim of a hit & run this morning. Thankfully his
injuries are minor, but nevertheless, it was a far from enjoyable experience
for him & for
me. I am very pleased that I am not in the position of collecting the insurance
monies.

I expressed my sympathies to Helen on this elsewhere. I wanted to
comment --

Guess who else was the victim of a hit & run this afternoon?

*My* DH.

He's gonna have some nasty bruises, but otherwise he's all right. The
motorist squeezed him against a parked vehicle and kept going when DH
went splat all over the road. I was in front and had already cleared
the parked vehicle; I heard a couple thunks but didn't see it happen,
and I was far too panicked making sure HE was all right to remember to
get the license on the vehicle.

You'd think it was Friday the 13th or something, yeesh.

-km

--
Only cowards fight kids -- unidentified Moscow protester
the black rose
proud to be owned by a yorkie
http://community.webshots.com/user/blackrosequilts

the black rose said:

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers said:

Vernon (my husband) was a victim of a hit & run this morning. Thankfully his
injuries are minor, but nevertheless, it was a far from enjoyable experience
for him & for
me. I am very pleased that I am not in the position of collecting the insurance
monies.

I expressed my sympathies to Helen on this elsewhere. I wanted to
comment --

Guess who else was the victim of a hit & run this afternoon?

*My* DH.

He's gonna have some nasty bruises, but otherwise he's all right. The
motorist squeezed him against a parked vehicle and kept going when DH
went splat all over the road. I was in front and had already cleared
the parked vehicle; I heard a couple thunks but didn't see it happen,
and I was far too panicked making sure HE was all right to remember to
get the license on the vehicle.

You'd think it was Friday the 13th or something, yeesh.

-km

Youch! You guys wearing mirrors and keeping a look out? Write down all you
can remember including make and model of the car - you may see this turkey
again!

OK, hub's ok, guess I can ask how is the bike?

I say, even though you can't remember much, make a police report. The same
guy my splat someone else.

-B

the black rose said:

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers said:

Vernon (my husband) was a victim of a hit & run this morning. Thankfully his
injuries are minor, but nevertheless, it was a far from enjoyable experience
for him & for
me. I am very pleased that I am not in the position of collecting the insurance
monies.

I expressed my sympathies to Helen on this elsewhere. I wanted to
comment --

Guess who else was the victim of a hit & run this afternoon?

*My* DH.

He's gonna have some nasty bruises, but otherwise he's all right. The
motorist squeezed him against a parked vehicle and kept going when DH
went splat all over the road. I was in front and had already cleared
the parked vehicle; I heard a couple thunks but didn't see it happen,
and I was far too panicked making sure HE was all right to remember to
get the license on the vehicle.

You'd think it was Friday the 13th or something, yeesh.

-km

I hope that his injuries heal up and that this doesn't scare him off
of riding more with you.

Learn to take the lane when things get tight?

Seems like only about a week since you told us he was buying a bike. What a
bummer! Keep us posted on how his bruises develop and fade--and what harm
befell the bike.

Causing the accident is bad enough, but leaving the scene is despicable. I
hope they have horrible scratches all down the side. I'll bet the driver
was drunk, and would have been in trouble if he/she had stopped.

"the black rose" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers said:

Vernon (my husband) was a victim of a hit & run this morning. Thankfully

his

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

injuries are minor, but nevertheless, it was a far from enjoyable

experience

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

for him & for
me. I am very pleased that I am not in the position of collecting the

insurance

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

monies.

I expressed my sympathies to Helen on this elsewhere. I wanted to
comment --

Guess who else was the victim of a hit & run this afternoon?

*My* DH.

He's gonna have some nasty bruises, but otherwise he's all right. The
motorist squeezed him against a parked vehicle and kept going when DH
went splat all over the road. I was in front and had already cleared
the parked vehicle; I heard a couple thunks but didn't see it happen,
and I was far too panicked making sure HE was all right to remember to
get the license on the vehicle.

You'd think it was Friday the 13th or something, yeesh.

-km

--
Only cowards fight kids -- unidentified Moscow protester
the black rose
proud to be owned by a yorkie
http://community.webshots.com/user/blackrosequilts

I've been hit by cars twice now. Both hurt. One was quite serious. With
the insurance proceeds from the second one, I was able to buy a farm way out
in the country. I'm not retired, but I'm self-employed and work from home.
I can do a 50 mile ride here in the sticks and I'll be passed by fewer than
10 cars sharing my lane. I've had several near misses. I've learned that,
if you see one deer cross the road ahead of you, there will be others. They
won't hear you and they'll plow right into you if you're not careful. And
if you encounter chickens in the road, they won't clear a path for you.
They'll fly right up into your face. And if goats are grazing on the
opposite side of the road from home, and you spook them, they'll bolt for
home -- even if what spooked them (you on a bike) is in the way.

Yesterday I almost bought the farm again. As a friend and I rode past a
pasture with a hedge along the road some doves flew up. BLAM ... BLAM. You
could hear the shot ricocheting through the treetops on the opposite side of
the road (actually, we heard that a hair's breath before the BLAM ... BLAM).
It was nothing hostile towards us. The hunter didn't see us because of the
hedge and I'm sure we weren't making much of a sound as we sailed along. We
were fine. I can't speak for the doves. Didn't see how they fared.

On Tuesdays and Thursday I go to a nearby town to do group rides. The
drivers are more insane every day and my tolerance for their antics is less
all the time. I've never had any qualms about being alone with my own
thoughts for long solo rides. It's a good thing 'cuz I'm finding myself
riding more and more out here with the deer and the doves ... and the
hunters.

I'm glad both of you who've had hit & run incidents are OK or expect to be
so. Be careful out there. Take the road less-traveled. There are too many
lunatics and teenagers behind the wheel of cars.

Bob C.

Quoted message said:

Guess who else was the victim of a hit & run this afternoon?

*My* DH.

Ack! Must be something in the air :-(

Quoted message said:

He's gonna have some nasty bruises, but otherwise he's all right.

Glad to hear he's going to be okay.

Quoted message said:

The
motorist squeezed him against a parked vehicle and kept going when DH
went splat all over the road. I was in front and had already cleared
the parked vehicle; I heard a couple thunks but didn't see it happen,
and I was far too panicked making sure HE was all right to remember to
get the license on the vehicle.

Similar to Vernon in that there was no way there was room for cyclist +
motorist. As for the number plate thing - you're right, the first thing you do
is an automatic reaction to checking the person is okay - everything else goes
out of the window.

Quoted message said:

You'd think it was Friday the 13th or something, yeesh.

I know *exactly* what you mean.

Best wishes to your DH for a swift & full recovery.

Cheers, helen s

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Quoted message said:

What about recovering pieces of the mirror, housing or bits of paint. Then
check local repair shops and see if he can ID the car?

Sorry to hear about it! ;-(

-B

Thanks. I may just be doing a car patrol over the next few days to see if I can
spot the vehicle...

Cheers, helen s

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Quoted message said:

This sounds to me as if the motorist deliberately clipped your husband with
his mirror, or at the very least intended to force him off the road. Did you
point this out when you described the episode to the police?

Yes.

Quoted message said:

A few of the responses to your post on urc suggested that you should have
called for an ambulance. Getting hit by a motor vehicle sounds like a valid
reason to call an ambulance to me, and if it will make the police take the
episode more seriously, so much the better.

Well, if it was obviously a serious injury, an ambulance would have been
called. BUT, being in a rural area where ambulances are not exactly thick on
the ground and quick to arrive, we really didn't want to call one unless
*medically* needed.

Quoted message said:

I'm glad your husband wasn't seriously injured, I hope his bicycle is all
right, and hopefully Mondeo Man will get what he deserves.

Thanks - his bike is basically okay, a few minor post-impact adjustments were
needed, that's all.

Cheers, helen s

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to get correct one remove fame & fortune
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Leo Lichtman said:

Seems like only about a week since you told us he was buying a bike. What a
bummer! Keep us posted on how his bruises develop and fade--and what harm
befell the bike.

Yup, it was his brand new bike. There weren't any major dings that I
could see, just a bunch of nice scratches in the formerly pristine paint
job. I'm going to take it in today to be checked over; the brakes were
wonky after the hit. He was able to adjust them into usefulness long
enough to get home -- we were only about 3 miles from home at that
point. But they need professional looking after.

He's got nasty bruises on the back of his calves and a real humdinger on
his backside. They don't look or feel deep, but I intend to keep after
him about making sure the pain subsides (if it doesn't, I'll drag him
off to the doctor).

Quoted message said:

Causing the accident is bad enough, but leaving the scene is despicable. I
hope they have horrible scratches all down the side. I'll bet the driver
was drunk, and would have been in trouble if he/she had stopped.

If there'd been another car behind the one that knocked into him, it
could have been much worse. He fell right into the traffic lane.

He managed to avoid hitting the parked vehicle with his bike, banging it
with his elbow and shoulder instead. So at least the guy innocently
parked in front of his house didn't get messed over.

-km

--
Only cowards fight kids -- unidentified Moscow protester
the black rose
proud to be owned by a yorkie
http://community.webshots.com/user/blackrosequilts

19 Sep 2004 16:45:18 GMT,
<[email hidden]>,

(dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers) said:

One thing plod said that I
find quite horrific, and it was a throwaway line of plod's, "Oh I get several
of these a week now." *What???* Several hit & runs a week?!?!?!?!!! I find that
appalling.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/07/27/MN292165.DTL
“The number of fatal hit-and- run traffic deaths statewide jumped by
19 percent from 1999 to 2001, federal statistics show. Nearly 300
people are killed annually in hit-and-run accidents in the state.”
“In fatal hit-and-run accidents in which the driver’s license status
was known, 49 percent had suspended, expired or revoked licenses or
were not licensed at all.” (California)

Hit-and-run incidents in the US have increased by 15 percent over the
last 5 years. Motor vehicles are involved in about 3.5 million
hit-and- run incidents each year according to the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration.

Hit-and-run incidents account for 1 out of 5 pedestrian deaths.

CARS SUCK!
--
zk

Quoted message said:

Zoot Katz [email hidden]

wrote in part:

Quoted message said:

Hit-and-run incidents account for 1 out of 5 pedestrian deaths.

CARS SUCK!

You'll never allow logic to interfere with your emotional responses will you
Zoot?
It's not society, culture, or cars, it's the criminal act by the *driver*. Many
cars are equipped with transmissions that shift automatically, automatic
speed/cruise control, and some even have GPS but I've never heard of any
automobile that has an automatic integrated "hit and run" mode. Who makes such
a car? I'm curious.

Regards,
Bob Hunt

(Hunrobe) said:

Quoted message said:

Zoot Katz [email hidden]

wrote in part:

Quoted message said:

Hit-and-run incidents account for 1 out of 5 pedestrian deaths.

CARS SUCK!

You'll never allow logic to interfere with your emotional responses will you
Zoot?
It's not society, culture, or cars, it's the criminal act by the *driver*. Many
cars are equipped with transmissions that shift automatically, automatic
speed/cruise control, and some even have GPS but I've never heard of any
automobile that has an automatic integrated "hit and run" mode. Who makes such
a car? I'm curious.

They're all permanently in hit and run mode.

No car I've ever heard of shuts itself down after hitting something that does
not cause it non-superficial damage.

Not that that detracts from the main point of your argument.

Zoot Katz > Hit-and-run incidents in the US have increased by 15
percent over the

Quoted message said:

last 5 years. Motor vehicles are involved in about 3.5 million
hit-and- run incidents each year according to the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration.

Hit-and-run incidents account for 1 out of 5 pedestrian deaths.

CARS SUCK!

Do the drivers have anything to do with this or do the cars just hit
and run on their own?

Seriously this is not the same argument as for banning assault
weapons. Motor vehicles absolutely have useful purposes.

I love my bike but I love my car too. Out here in the western US
distance are huge and non motorized travel is fun but not practical if
you need to get somewhere in a reasonable amount of time.

21 Sep 2004 12:46:20 GMT,
<[email hidden]>,

(Hunrobe) said:

It's not society, culture, or cars, it's the criminal act by the *driver*.

It's a car-centric society that breeds and tolerates these criminals.
It's cars that enable these spineless skinsacs to kill with impunity.
The culture and nature of cars has isolated us and alienated us from
our own humanity by elevating the importance of cars.

I don't want to believe that 20% of these drivers are heartless
killers but that's what the numbers say.The rise in these crimes
demonstrates that the popular conception is that it's acceptable
behaviour. And I submit that is partially your fault as a paid
enforcer of our laws for not prosecuting them more diligently.
--
zk

Hunrobe said:

Quoted message said:

Zoot Katz [email hidden]

wrote in part:

Quoted message said:

Hit-and-run incidents account for 1 out of 5 pedestrian deaths.

CARS SUCK!

You'll never allow logic to interfere with your emotional responses will you
Zoot?
It's not society, culture, or cars, it's the criminal act by the *driver*.

I understand your point, Bob, but:

I think it's undeniable that operating a car has a negative effect on
many, or most, people's behavior, judgement, civility, etc.

Examples are legion. But I think about the pleasant young woman who
lives a few doors down. She smiles and waves at passers-by when she
walks her little poodle. Very friendly...

.... except the day she was driving down the street behind a little old
lady. The lady was doing 20 in a 25 zone, by my estimate. And the
young woman, with her driver's window down, was tailgating, yelling and
cussing up a storm! Why? For five miles per hour??

People, anonymous in their cars, will be incredibly rude to people
they'd treat nicely on foot. People in cars will risk others' lives to
save small amounts of time. People in cars will flagrantly disobey
laws, and will even leave someone they've injured to possibly die - so
they won't lose their ability to be "people in cars!"

It is, indeed, the people, not the cars, doing all these things. But it
seems certain to me that the cars are bringing out and abetting the
worst - the literal worst - in people.

In response to that, it's not unreasonable to say "cars suck."

--
--------------------+
Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com,
replace with cc.ysu dot edu]

Tue, 21 Sep 2004 23:59:14 -0400, <[email hidden]>,
Frank Krygowski <[email hidden]> wrote, in part:

Quoted message said:

People in cars will risk others' lives to
save small amounts of time.

They risk their own families' lives by their aggressive antics.

Children learn that behaviour and carry it into life outside the cage
then eventually back into the driver's seat. By so doing, I feel that
cars are destroying our hopes for creating a more civil society any
time soon.
--
zk

"Frank Krygowski" wrote: (clip) In response to that, it's not unreasonable
to say "cars suck."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Frank, while I usually agree with your posts, in this case I think you have
succumbed to the tendency to remember the worst cases, and ignore the
others. I can remember many, many examples of courteous driving, and, of
course, a few bad ones. If cars really transformed ALL people into
monsters, driving would be unbelievably miserable. Think about it--traffic
mostly flows smoothly and without incident, and this is due to the fact that
most drivers do the right thing.

BTW, I live in the Bay Area, so I am talking about the same sample you are.