LiquidX 0 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Don't want this to happen. A cyclist was killed and 10 others were injured yesterday when a car ploughed into a bike race in Mexico. The terrified sportsmen were hurled high into the air as a 28-year-old driver, apparently drunk and asleep at the wheel, crashed into the race near the US-Mexico border. A photograph taken by a city official shows cyclists and equipment being thrown skywards like rag dolls by the collision. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I saw that on TV last night. That is just shocking!! I feel sick looking at the picture of those bodies flying everywhere. I am sure that pic will haunt the idiot behind the wheel - and so it SHOULD! How do we teach our kids well enough when they are young and stupid and learning to drive - so this never happens to them? Mamabear (with one son learning to drive right now) Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 wow, that's nuts. Poor cyclists. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Saw the pic in the Sydney Morning Herald ("Quality" broadsheet newspaper in Oz) and was almost sick! Whilst I totally concur with the notion that the driver should have been (and possibly was) chucked into a cell for a while, not only drunk and asleep but well over onto the wrong side of the tarmac. (well, I believe that the left is the right side, but that's another story!) A huge clot of bicyclists taking up the whole of the lane width. One day recently, on our way to town, we came up to the back of a group of cyclists in training for a race. My reaction would normally have been to swing out and pass, but just as my partner (who was driving) was about to do exactly that, one of the group swung about halfway into the wrong side of the road, hacked up a huge gob and hawked it into the gravel on the RIGHT side of the road. If I'd been driving, she'd have worn a bullbar fair up her tushie. As it was, we missed, sat behind them through an unbroken centre line section of about 300metres, and then swung past. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 That is appalling I hope he gets life in prison Some of my closest friends (triathletes) have been killed by motorist NOT looking. My dad was almost killed. The driver should burn in hell. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 There was some fellow here in Aus that stopped in the emergency lane in front of a group of olympic cyclists training for Beijing - there was a bit of hullaballoo over that as well... Lot of motorists venting about inconsiderate cyclists - and I hear what they say when there is a big group taking up the entire lane and you are stuck behind them on 40k's for a long stretch, but really roads are for everyone, and those of us behind the wheel of a car need to stop being so impatient (it is the NOW generation huh?)and just slow it down! I was hit on my bike when I was a young thing heading to Uni. It was a work ute with planks of wood hanging over the sides of the tray...the young blokes were hanging out the window whistling and being crude - I was pretending I did not hear them with the walkman buds in my ears (I heard it all)...so they revved the car and wizzed past through the lights. The overhanging wood hit me in the back of my head and threw me off my bike. I was knocked senseless - and depsite it being peak hour NO ONE STOPPED!! In shock, I continued on to Uni to hand my Lab Report in, rang Mum from Uni (she came and picked me up) and I ended up at the doc's with concussion! I very rarely ride my bike anymore - it is just too dangerous. Basic physics will tell you: car hits bike - motorist OK, cyclist dead. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Originally Posted By: Mamabear Lot of motorists venting about inconsiderate cyclists - and I hear what they say when there is a big group taking up the entire lane and you are stuck behind them on 40k's for a long stretch, but really roads are for everyone, and those of us behind the wheel of a car need to stop being so impatient (it is the NOW generation huh?)and just slow it down! Mama, not to decry the message (ie slow down and be considerate) but the consideration goes both ways. As in my case, the stupid baitch did not even consider the fact that there might be a car following, just pulled across the road. We get lots of these training riders along our road, we are used to the fact that they are there and they MOSTLY are aware of the possibility of cars coming up behind them. We frequently hear a shout of "CAR!" as they ride past the house. I just think that cyclists must be aware of the cars, and give a bit of consideration to the people who drive them. I believe, but could not be sure, that it is not legal for cyclists to ride in a group of more than 2 abreast. Found the RTA rules ... Quote: Cyclists also have some special rights, which include: * Riding two abreast, no more than 1.5 m apart * Travelling to the front of a line of traffic on the left hand side of the stopped vehicles * Travelling in Bus Lanes and Transit Lanes. However, cyclists cannot travel in Bus Only Lanes Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Yeah I know all that JA. And I also have got the 'sh1t's' on woth inconsiderate riders from time to time, but the fact does remain.... car vs bike - car wins. the biker has more to lose, so should naturally be taking more care (clearly not the girl that cut in front of you.)the motorist is sitting pretty and could become quite indifferent or even aggressive. Clearly that wouldn't be the case with such level headed and considerate Aussies like you and I! I am talking about the uneducated masses here. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Just don't dislocate your shoulder with all the back patting you're doing! back at ya! Simply pointing out that many cases of "road rage" against bikes could easily be the result of the rider's actions. Not always, almost certainly NOT in the case of the pic we saw at the top of the thread, but ... you get my drift. Link to post Share on other sites
Ezorisu 0 Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 (referring to the original post) Holey Krap - that's messed up! I'll have to go look for more info on that incident... Link to post Share on other sites
big-will 7 Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Wow that's one heck of an image! "drunk and asleep"! Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Madness. I can't quite work out how it got to that though. Is there video as well? Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 I'm surprised there was only one death. Link to post Share on other sites
Error404 0 Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 Thats a shocking image that is. I don't want to see a video. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 Was it a race? Or was it training? If it was a race, then the obvious question is "Where were the police?" If it was training.....well I don't have much to say. But MB, sure drivers should take care but cyclists should also. I can't drive, but of course I ride a bike and although I believe myself to be a sensible rider, there are sometimes where I'm pedalling along and suddenly pull out and then think afterwards "shit, I could've caused and accident". I think people on the roads, regardless of what vehicle you are incharge of, should take care with other users Link to post Share on other sites
journey_man 0 Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 That's a shocker. Not all races are big/important enough to get the Tour de France treatment. I've driven past bikes racing before. I've also seen races where one direction is closed while the other has normal traffic. I'm guessing that's what happened here - that car has hit that bunch head on, probably drifted across from his lane as he was snoozing. That waking image will be one that will stay with him forever. I hope. Link to post Share on other sites
journey_man 0 Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 Ok, this is wierd. I found this photo that shows there *was* a police car there. Why is the police car on the wrong side of the road??? Do you think it dodged out of the way of the nutter car? Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 kinda looks that way eh? Link to post Share on other sites
Ezorisu 0 Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Definitely looks like that. He dodged left and is coming back into toward the right. Link to post Share on other sites
I'm Sexy 0 Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 hidoi! It was on Japanese news also. What happened to guy driving now? Link to post Share on other sites
Nisoko 6 Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Thats one crazy messed up image. Link to post Share on other sites
Ezorisu 0 Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 Originally Posted By: I'm Sexy hidoi! It was on Japanese news also. What happened to guy driving now? The driver, Juan Campos, was arrested and charged with one count of murder, but there has been no follow-up to the original news story in the USA, so there is no new information. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 was it Texas? if so, death penalty? Link to post Share on other sites
snowbender 3 Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 You'd think it be much more high profile.. Link to post Share on other sites
Ezorisu 0 Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 It was actually in Mexico. It only made headlines because of the photograph. After that, nobody in the US mascomi really cares what happens to a Hispanic perpetrator inside of Mexican territory. The incident was indeed terrible, but beyond that, after the initial shock of the original photo, it doesn't sell newspapers or get TV news viewership, so it disappears into news limbo. I'm sure there are lots of stories like that in the Japanese news that you sit and wonder about a week later, "gee, I wonder what happened to..." Link to post Share on other sites
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