Beverly Hills: SUV Threatens Cyclist, Cyclist Gets Ticket
Thread started by
cabhauler at 09.4.07 - 8:19 pm
Check this out, it's friggin' outrageous. We need to nail both the SUV driver and the cop who doesn't know the law. This is especially galling to me because I go through Beverly Hills all the time on my way to Santa Monica from Silver Lake:
http://laist.com/2007/09/04/beverly_hills_c.php
http://digg.com/political_opinion/Beverly_Hills_SUV_Driver_Attacks_Bicyclist_Only_Bicyclist_Gets_A_Ticket
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This looks like a ride for the Super CMers!!! You know anything about the ride quoted?
"On September 6th a group of cyclists will be riding to the Beverly Hills Traffic Commission to speak in favor of multi-modal cooperation and shared space."
User109.5.07 - 12:39 am
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The first article says that there's a group of cyclists riding to the Beverly Hills Traffic Commission on Thursday... anyone know any more about this?
angle09.5.07 - 12:39 am
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User1 beat me to the finish.
angle09.5.07 - 12:40 am
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On the blog bellow those articles somebody posted (at the very end) the following:
"FYI, the Beverly Hills Traffic Commission meeting is Thursday, Sept. 6th, 2007 at 10am in Conference Room A of the Beverly Hills City Hall (455 N. Rexford Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210).
Hopefully the wronged cyclist will have a supportive but non-disruptive cyclo-posse."
fonsoy potatoe09.5.07 - 1:20 am
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Enci & I will be at the Vermont and Santa Monica Red Line Station at 7 am, leaving at 7:30 am and gathering in Beverly Hills at 8:30 am so that we enter the Commission meeting as a group. The cyclist who was cited and his girlfriend will be there.
SoapBoxLA09.5.07 - 1:32 am
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We posted the Streets of Beverly Hills Ride for Thursday morning. Hope to see you all there!
illuminateLA09.5.07 - 2:48 am
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Stephen,
I actually will be in SM court in the morning. I'll call you as soon as I'm outa there. Hopefully I won't miss much.
User109.5.07 - 10:12 am
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enci, i'm going to try to attend this with you guys, but i may meet up with you at a different intersection along your route.
just let me know which east to west route you will be travelling on and i'll try my best to drag myself out of bed.
(i'll try not to wear my pajamas.)
meandmybluebike09.5.07 - 10:53 am
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I wonder if they will play the ' sorry, only residents of BH will be heard' card?
I'll do my best to attend.
Stevo
stevo409.5.07 - 11:26 am
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Info for making some calls
someone posted this on the LAist site:
"Beverly Hills City - Operations Bureau, Police Department: (310) 285-2101
Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce: (310) 248-1000
Beverly Hills City - Library, Mayor and City Council: (310) 285-1013
Remember to report Citing officer: D. Prenesti #421, serial no. 74700
"
Roadblock09.5.07 - 12:15 pm
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I'm gonna roll from KTown, anyone wanna join me? Or meet along the way?
Eric Hair09.5.07 - 2:50 pm
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Since it's so early in the morning, we decided on the straightest and easiest route. We'll be riding Santa Monica Blvd. in all it's glory from the east side to the west :-)
If you can catch us, great! If not, we'll see you there!
Here is our phone numbers:
Stephen: 323.962.6540
Enci: 323.697.7601
See you on the streets!
illuminateLA09.5.07 - 3:10 pm
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Hey meandmybluebike,
They wanted a "non-disruptive cyclo-posse"... I think you should stay in bed.
City Hobgoblin09.5.07 - 3:47 pm
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That woman is behind the times. Doesn't she know that bikes are it today?
spokes-models
dave09.5.07 - 4:11 pm
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Ouch! 7AM?
I'll try my best.
angle09.5.07 - 5:01 pm
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Perhaps it would be good to have a "In case of an accident" tab between "Bicycle Safety" and "Ride Calendar" where we could find some advice as to what to do first from a legal point of view in case of an accident.
fonsoy potatoe09.5.07 - 8:12 pm
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PC, are you joining us in the am for the ride to Beverly Hills?
SoapBoxLA09.6.07 - 12:13 am
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Dude, I'd have to get up at the time I usually go to bed! You know I'm down for the cause and all that shit, but I just spent a three-day weekend not sleeping. I AM BUT A MORTAL MAN, STEPHEN BOX.
PC09.6.07 - 12:52 am
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PC - not a mere mortal - he's a Cyclist!
SoapBoxLA09.6.07 - 6:15 am
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PC is the intermediary stage between humans and pure energy.
SPOOK09.6.07 - 8:43 am
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just saw this... hope it's going well... please let us know.
redridinghood09.6.07 - 10:05 am
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Let all of us at work know how this goes!
I already hate cops, as having a shaved head and a few tattoos on the streets of LA automatically means I'm selling drugs or babies on the black market. I've been ticketed for all kinds of shit on my bike, mostly in El Segundo/Manhattan Beach. It was still light out and I got a ticket for not having a light out - twice!
Another for blocking traffic and one for being on the wrong side of the street. The last one was my fault, but there wasn't a sidewalk and I was trying to get to the other side. LIL HELP!
It's always fun getting pulled over by the cops. You can tell how bored they are because I've had up to six cars pull up and many a flashlight shone in my eye to see what amphetamines I was on (as I am pretty quick).
This is my racial profiling rant..
I ride my bike everyday because I have no car. If you ride your bike anywhere around LA, you know how asshole-ish these drivers are. It sucks when the cops don't alleviate the situation.
El Rich
NEWB31009.6.07 - 10:49 am
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I just got in from work after going to the Beverly Hills Traffic and Parking Commission meeting with Stephen Box and company.
The police have been getting lots of calls and e-mails about this and have been reading the blogs and comments. The captain we talked to seemed accommodating but stressed that the citing officer was merely reacting to what he saw, not what happened before. He said the citation was investigated afterward, but could not really explain why the cyclist was not contacted as part of this investigation. He assured Stephen that he could assign another officer to look into the case again and that the cyclist's point of view would be taken into consideration this time.
The commissioners themselves seemed open to some kind of bicycle advisory board and perhaps adding bike education programs in schools, but as far as immediate action they stressed that Beverly Hills is an old city with narrow streets and citizens who have a very NIMBY attitude toward change.
Unfortunately the citation stands, and the cited cyclist will have to have his day in court. The captain who talked to us said a complaint could be filed. However, since the case boils down to the officer's word against the cyclist , such complaint would just go into the officer's file without disciplinary action.
Ironically enough the officer who gave the citation was a bicycle cop!
Hopefully we changed some attitudes today. It was also important to show the police and the commission a human face and to let them know that, yes, some current and former residents of Beverly Hills bike to get around.
cabhauler09.6.07 - 11:36 am
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It was really nice to meet all of the people that went to this important event.
A special and big THANK YOU to Stephen and Enci for all the education, advice, and coolness.
Thank you for the invite to PARK[ING] DAY LA. Cool kit!
Sorry I had to leave early.
Hopefully I will get a couple of pics developed by next week.
Fonso
fonsoy potatoe09.6.07 - 12:11 pm
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I appreciate all who showed up today, and spoke up, on behalf of all the people who would have like to been there but couldn't due to other commitments. Thank you.
sexy09.6.07 - 12:20 pm
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once again Mr. Box leads the political front. Thankyou mr. Box!
"Perhaps it would be good to have a "In case of an accident" tab between "Bicycle Safety" and "Ride Calendar" where we could find some advice as to what to do first from a legal point of view in case of an accident."
GREAT IDEA!
Anyone want to help me put that page together? Or even better is there already an established website or page that has it all worked out that I can link to?
Roadblock09.6.07 - 12:21 pm
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I would suggest calling the police and having a legal record of the incident, reported to the city or county authority, would be in party best interest. (This is unrelated) I would also strongly suggest, people do this when their bicycle is stoled from them. A police report with the serial number and description, will make it easier to recover if you spot it, and want to retrieve it from whoever has it in their possession.
sexy09.6.07 - 12:32 pm
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I found this website:
http://www.bicyclelaw.com/html/accident.html
Im sure there must be more info somewhere. Would be nice if MR had its section of its own though.
fonsoy potatoe09.6.07 - 12:44 pm
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hey roadblock, i like the idea of putting something on the site, but what about having something people can download and keep in their wallet or bag. Maybe a checklist of what to do right after the incident. I'm not sure off the top of my head how to get it all in a wallet size card, but i know when you're in an accident, you're not always thinking clearly and it's easy to forget to get certain info or call the right people right away. What would be awesome is a small fold out sheet with cvc codes, phone numbers, and fill in the blanks section for pertinent info from an incident, as well as extra space to write other notes. I know that will cost a decent amount of dough, but i'm sure there is a way to get that covered. Anyone got any ideas?
brassknuckle09.6.07 - 12:45 pm
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Great idea Brass. Just save the doc as a PDF and everyone can save or print it out.
I attended the meeting this morning and it actually felt productive. While others got their turn to speak, Stephen, Enci and the ticketed cyclist were most eloquent about the situation and our general plight.
The council, the Police Captain and our group were all very cordial and it didn't feel like an 'us and them' situation nor did i ever feel like the council were just being 'nice' and tolerating our piddly requests.
And the Police captain offered to assist the cyclist who got ticketed to follow him to the Dept. to get the appropriate paperwork for a further investigation, etc. into the incident.
Nice meeting everyone this morning.
Stevo
stevo409.6.07 - 1:16 pm
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When is the cyclist's day in court?
PC09.6.07 - 3:09 pm
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something doesnt quite mesh about that article.... can someone clear this up for me? it says that the rider found herself BEHIND an SUV yet the SUV honked at the rider to get out of the way?? how did that happen break it down yo
Roadblock09.6.07 - 3:21 pm
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If I'm reading it right, the SUV driver cut off the cyclist in the left turn lane, forcing him (?) out of the lane; the cyclist made his left turn; and then the SUV came up behind him and started honking.
PC09.6.07 - 3:32 pm
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It must have been a type-o because the cyclist looks and sounds like a guy. Oh, and shakes hands like a guy.
stevo
stevo409.6.07 - 5:22 pm
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Roadblock,
Here's another site with tips on what to do after an accident.
http://www.whathappensnow.com/sec_item.cfm?sec_uid=9a56d68d-e6ad-436d-806f-59d8ba2cd887&cat=PER&event_id=2&sec=HC
Troisvelos09.6.07 - 5:48 pm
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Hello!
Please find a way to get this to the cyclist who was involved with the SUV and the officer who seems to not know vehicle code. This should give him everything he will need to win his case and count claim against the officer and SUV driver. He can actually subpoena her as well.
http://www.cvcbike.org/club/bikelaw.htm
This makes for a very interesting read and is good for all riders to know.
Speedplay109.6.07 - 9:30 pm
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Sorry I couldn't make this today, as I was in court for the morning. Great to see that the city was responsive to the ridazz that showed up. Would be really nice if the rida in question graced us with his presence so we can ask him questions on how this went down and stuff.
User109.7.07 - 12:05 am
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Yeah! CM to the BH!
Thanks for all who came and spoke! It was great to ride past all the traffic in the morning, too. I haven't been out in the morning rush hour in ages. I can't believe that people keep commuting every day, sitting by themselves in a box and not going anywhere. Bizarre!
Annie! You and Stephen standing your ground against the truck was a scary sight! But you guys rock! Thanks for the morning adventure!
illuminateLA09.7.07 - 1:02 am
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Don't forget that the last LA CM we just had a week ago rode through BH. We should be careful not to push too hard and turn the amiable discussions that have begun into an adversarial situation.
just my .02
stevo409.7.07 - 7:15 am
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That's good advice. No need to push the issue and it's best to show what they are missing. BH is mostly flat, at least where I've been. Maybe BH could become a recovering city and start pushing bikes. It does need to be ridden more though.
User109.7.07 - 12:15 pm
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after setting my alarm four times, i was able to get up and ready in time to meet the riders; and i'm glad i did, as my excuse to have to work is no longer afforded to me.
the council meeting was informative (thanks to steve, enci, and others), but simultaneously disheartening and frustrating because it seems as though the bh council members and bhpd still do not understand that cyclists have full use of the road, otherwise would have questioned the motorists apparent aggressive nature toward the cyclist.
some suggestions/ideas suggested by council members or officers:
-creating a bicycle committee
-bicycle eduation for children (no mention about education for current drivers or police)
-bicycle sting operation
-enforcing cvc21202 more strictly (ex. stop signs, red lights)
never (that i can recall) did they directly mention methods of handling and/or preventing aggressive behavior from motorists.
ps. the guy on the left in the photo (brian, i believe is his name) is the cyclist who is involved in the incident with the suv.
meandmybluebike09.7.07 - 12:39 pm
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a road raging big rig guy got put in handcuffs??? damn good!!
Roadblock09.7.07 - 1:50 pm
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good article, stephen!
that trucker was/is a maniac and i'm glad we all walked away physically unharmed... unless enci's knees are still shaking.
meandmybluebike09.7.07 - 2:36 pm
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Great story and Great timing! Just reconfims our case and that we're not some fanatic group thinking only of ourselves.
Glad everyone is okay.
Stevo
stevo409.7.07 - 3:16 pm
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Looks like I missed a lot when I took off for work. I'm glad that Road Rage Guy got faced!
cabhauler09.7.07 - 4:39 pm
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I just got a few pics developed but they were on film so then I had to turn them into digital and so on and so on... I just post these three...
fonsoy potatoe09.10.07 - 8:26 pm
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Yesterday when doing the James' Gang Ridazz for Autism, Gary gave me a small pocket size pamphlet containing basic rules and regulations for riding a bicycle in the city of Los Angeles. It was printed by the LADOT BIKE PROGRAM and it seems quite concise. I will try to contact their office and see if we can get some to hand out on our rides. But just in case that doesnt happen, check out their website that is pretty cool.
http://www.bicyclela.org/index.htm
perhaps worth adding this site to the LINKS section
fonsoy potatoe09.10.07 - 8:48 pm
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Nice website Fonsoy. I bet i could shrink the CVC summary page and make it a spoke card or something that could be SHOVED in a motorist's face when they tell us to get off the road...
stevo
stevo409.10.07 - 9:25 pm
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alfonso,
that was an awesome and informative mini pamphlet. it would be very helpful if we could all carry that around in case we get harassed by the cop-olas.
meandmybluebike09.11.07 - 11:19 am
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That LAist article ruled! I'm glad you guys are safe and that nasty trucker got what was coming to him.
markedge09.12.07 - 10:45 am
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Pamphlet idea is cool, I was actually planning on doing something spoke card sizeish, with vehicle code laws on one side and on the other, a diagram of the proper way to pass a bicyclist as illustrated in the drivers handbook nobody reads. I've been doing a lot of commuting by my self, and there are always some people I run into who could use some education on bicycle use of the road.
I got in my first real confrontation recently, where a motorist got out of his car and started shouting at me, exerting his height advantage and puffing his chest at me, when it was completely his fault that I hit his bumper, causing zero damage to his car or my bike, and not even a dirt smudge. I was making an unprotected left, the light changed, all the cars had come to a stop so I accelerated to get my ass out of the intersection, when he suddenly pulls a right turn at high speed in front of me in the lane I was entering. Then a truck pulls out and he slams his brakes right in front of me, so I slam my brakes hard and fast, but run into his bumper, thankfully at very slow speed.
That's when he gets out and starts the accusing me of attacking his vehicle and how dare I hit his car, with no concern in the slightest that if I had not reacted fast enough I could have gotten hurt, or acknowledging that he should have yielded in the first place. Making the situation more awkward, when we finally depart the scene, we pull into the same parking lot, he works in the studio right next to where I work. He gave me a really vicious stare as I was getting off my bike. I was considering reporting his license plate, but I didn't want to make an enemy next door to me, and the studio he works at is a place I have worked at previously. I have friends there and business relationships. I decided to let it go, but I was pretty pissed about the situation, mainly because of his I'm the king of the world in my expensive sports car attitude.
Having reference material on hand, though it may not do much in all situations, probably not the one I was in, but it would at least offer some validity to our arguments for use of the road and hopefully diffuse some situations.
GarySe7en09.12.07 - 12:16 pm
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tofu gary! i'm glad youandyourfastbike are alright. i'd smudge some tofu down the dude's pants, if you have another hostile encounter with the douche.
meandmybluebike09.12.07 - 12:37 pm
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I spoke with the people at LADOT and they said they will give me some of those pamplets Gary gave me, next week. I do not know how many will they give out though. I let you guys know laters.
Fonso
fonsoy potatoe09.12.07 - 12:41 pm
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Interesting Update: Errr is
THIS related?
...no comment, by the way...
dot com
Joe Borfo09.12.07 - 12:42 pm
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Yeah, sorry to hear about your encounter Gary. I know you obey all the traffic laws so that really sucks when you are doing the right thing and then some ignorant powerfreakish idiot comes and gives you trouble. That motorist probably suffers road rage syndrome.
fonsoy potatoe09.12.07 - 12:45 pm
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Ridazz Roulette!
N dis one 
Dats it.