[MT Road]

Not me .... but my best friend I ride with here in Nashville, he was hit from behind commuting to work this morning (something he has done 3 times a week for the last 5 years) all in all he is in good spirits and not hurt to bad, he does race, and the doc said no race this weekend, he will miss Dirt Sweat and Gears 12 hour race (a race he won in his class 2 years ago) the Cohutta 100, but is a probable for Kanza..

Really sucks.. and the worst part is the COP SAID IT WAS HIS FAULT for not ridding on a road with a bike lane..... ohhhhhh I will let you know how that goes he plans to call the police tomorrow.. as it sits now the "hitters" insurance will not pay because it is not the fault of their driver according to the police report...

And we all know (according to TN law) that he has every right to ride any road and we are a 3 feet is the law state...

Wish him luck..

Thanks for the vent..

 

[Dave Hickey]

I'm glad he's OK....Yeah, I'd love to hear that conversation with the police tomorrow...

 

[Jwiffle]

Really sucks.. and the worst part is the COP SAID IT WAS HIS FAULT for not ridding on a road with a bike lane

wow. Can you give us the cop's name and station so we can all write to his superior to complain about his ignorance?

Hope your friend recovers quickly!

 

[Zipp0]

Once again my theory that the average cop is a complete moron gains credence.

Tell your friend to get a lawyer.

 

[E 12]

This sucks. I sure hope your friend is ok and that the driver is ultimately responsible for his medical bills and any damage to his bike. I was just talking to my wife earlier about how much I'm going to miss riding in Japan when we leave this summer. You are so ridiculously safe on the road here, that you take it for granted. I suppose I'm in for a rude awakening when we get back to the states.

 

[supercyclerider]

Wow that sucks!! Tell your friend to get a lawyer ASAP!!! Hopefully, the lawyer will get him the compensation he deserves and point out the cop's incompetence in making the report. The cop should have something put on their record reflecting on their inability to accurately fill out accident reports and basic knowledge of the law (the latter part should be a big deal!!).

It is also my belief that about 90% of cops are of below average intelligence. Not to sound like I'm cop bashing, but from my experience, most of them are pretty dim (although there are a few smart ones out there).

 

[jd3]

Here in Memphis, a friend was recently told by a cop to get out of the street. Said friend talked the cop in to going to the station a block away and showed him the law.

 

[aking legs]

Check this out - I always bring up this story when it comes to the intelligence of the average police officer:

A federal court has determined that in New London, Connecticut, the police were justified in denying employment to an applicant who was too smart to be a policeman.

Yep, he was too smart for the New London police force.

The Atlanta Mobile Register writes "Police throughout the country should be enraged, because the policy at issue in this case feeds the unfortunate stereotype of the "dumb cop." For that matter, the citizens of New London, Conn., should be enraged, too, because it is their police department that is ensuring that the officers who serve the public are of only average intelligence. The policy is inane.

"The case began when Robert Jordan, a 49-year-old college graduate, applied for the New London police force. When he took the entrance exam, he scored 33 points - which indicates an IQ of about 125. But the department only considers candidates who score between 20 and 27, with 20 representing an IQ of about 100, which is supposed to be average.

"The department's theory is that those who score too high could get bored with police work and leave soon after receiving costly training.

"Mr. Jordan sued, saying that he was the victim of illegal discrimination. Two federal courts have now refused to uphold his claim, though, saying that because the same standards were applied to all applicants, no illegal discrimination occurred. The courts also ruled that even though the policy might be unwise - we would say flat-out stupid - it was at least arguably a rational way to reduce expensive job turnover."

(Based on the story in the Atlanta Mobile Register 09/11/00)

 

[PMC]

Sorry to hear about your friend.
Getting drilled from behind sucks... having been hit that way and I know what goes through your head afterward.
Really glad to hear he is going to be ok
Keep the rubber side down
pmc

 

[Andy69]

He needs an attorney, pronto.

If he was rear ended, it's the other guy's fault in every state I'm aware of.

Dumb cop.

Glad your friend's gonna be ok.

 

[MaddSkillz]

Sorry to hear about this, but it sounds like he's gonna recover.... And yes, please have him get an attorney ASAP!

Keep us posted!

 

[ArkRider]

Check this out - I always bring up this story when it comes to the intelligence of the average police officer:

A federal court has determined that in New London, Connecticut, the police were justified in denying employment to an applicant who was too smart to be a policeman.

I was going to bring up a similar case, the justification was that someone who scored above average would become too bored with police work and the boredom would cause poor work performance. The suit came about because two applicants with lower scores were given the position over 4 applicants that scored higher. I always wondered how the two successful candidates thought about the whole situation.

 

[eggshell]

3 friggin feet..It's the law

living in the west corner of your state helps me know our 3 feet state law. There are signs in several areas frequented by cyclist here in Memphis. I'd tell him to get the cop to "re-evaluate" his opinion based on that that law. Memphis cops are a p.i.t.a. and don't help cyclist whatsoever over here. It's a shame we have to deal with them as much as any other car on the road.

 

[Opus51569]

Also glad to hear your friend is going to be okay.

Wow, if I had to stick to bike lanes where I live, I'd be riding 3 blocks...walking 10 blocks...riding 5 blocks...walking a mile and a half... The city is making a big deal about adding a new 2 mile stretch of bike lane to a street downtown in an attempt to be more "bike friendly", but the beginning and end of that stretch is just road again.

 

[rward325]

I am glad your friend is going to be okay. I agree with everyone who said to have him lawyer up. This cop although dim is still a cop and as such the report stands until it can be refuted legally. It is stories like this that make me so grateful for the bicycle infrastructure we have here in Southern California.

 

[Mr. Versatile]

I hope your friend recovers quickly. A guy I ride with carries a frequently, carries a copy of the Ohio Revised Code as it applies to bicycles. He's been stopped before, pulled out the codes, showed them to the cop.

 

[RRRoubaix]

Jesus, that is just sad- I already fear cars behind me, but talk about adding insult to, ahem, injury!! That cop is an idiot!
I wish your friend all the luck- sounds like he'll need it.

 

[coastdownhills]

Not Typical of Nashville

Lest everyone think this is typical of Nashville, my encounters with the police here have been generally good. I have been told to ride closer to the right by one county deputy but he was friendly and seemed like he thought he was doing me a favor. I did not try to educate him on the spot as that is generally counter productive. Nashville is making a lot of progress toward becoming a bicycle friendly city and this policeman's behavior will certainly not be viewed favorably by the current city administration.
Please let us know the outcome. You might consider enlisting the help of Walk Bike Nashville or Bike Walk Tennessee. Both have educational programs with getting police better educated.
Bruce Day
VP pro temp
Bike Walk Tennessee
BikeWalkTN.org
[email protected]

 

[Ken_Birchall]

lawyer up

 

[filtersweep]

Normally I find the "lawyering up" bit to be extreme and cliche. In this case it is well-justified.