Hollywood bus driver attacks cyclist, LAPD handcuffs cyclist

LA bus drivers (and cops) do tend to be surly, but this is over the top:

http://laist.com/2007/09/24/hollywood_bus_d.php

Matt O.

On Sep 25, 4:33 pm, Matt O'Toole wrote:
LA bus drivers (and cops) do tend to be surly, but this is over the top:

http://laist.com/2007/09/24/hollywood_bus_d.php

Matt O.

I had a run in with a bus driver yesterday. He saw me coming across
the top of a T intersection and decided I was of no consequence so he
just pulled out in front of me. He had a yeild sign. I was forced to
brake resonably hard and swerve so as not to broadside the bus. I gave
him the finger, and turned around to give chase. It took some serious
motoring on my part to catch him (rural area!) but when I did, he was
ready for a "discussion". I decided to start out nice and give him an
out by asking if he didn't see me due to the sun glare. He responded
with that he was tired of cyclists who think they own the road. So I
asked if that meant that because some other people are jerks it was ok
to run me over. Then he said I didn't have reflectors (I have
reflective tape) which is I think the standard bus driver response
around here as I have heard others say they heard the same thing from
jerk bus drivers. I stuck to my story asking him if he had a yeild
sign, and if so he was supposed to yeild to me. He then claimed I was
going too fast. The speed limit is 50km/h and I was lucky if I was
doing 30 up the rise where the intersection is. He said I was doing
60. I said no way, if I could do 60 there I'd be down winning the
world championships not sitting there arguing with him. He laughed. I
then said I knew he wasn't going to admit it because it had to do with
his job, etc, but that I knew that he knew I was at least partially
right, and he shouldn't take it upon himself to give some cyclist a
lesson because some other cyclists have been a problem for him. He
sort of half nodded, and we went our seperate ways. I saw him again
today and I waved.

Joseph

I drive a school bus. I give bicyclists so much room .. you can't believe.

If I can't give the cyclist room, I wait till there is room.

I have honked on occasion. I do this way back, so the cyclist isnt scared.
This is just to tell the cyclist I'm coming along.

While I hate to admit it, there are some cyclists who break the rules. I've
come across a few who ride in the middle of the road when there is plenty of
shoulder.

In a city, dealing with city buses, I would not bother to yell at or
confront the driver.
It would be better to immediatly call the bus company, tell the dispatch or
ask for a supervisor, and give them the bus number, etc.

When you get home, write a letter, send it to the authority or transit
company. Also send a copy to the police department, mayor, etc. Make sure
a few agencies get the letter. This way they must respond to each other and
eventually the bus company.

The "cc" in a letter is a very powerful tool.

===========================




"Matt O'Toole" wrote in message
news
LA bus drivers (and cops) do tend to be surly, but this is over the top:

http://laist.com/2007/09/24/hollywood_bus_d.php

Matt O.

On Sep 25, 9:33 am, Matt O'Toole wrote:
LA bus drivers (and cops) do tend to be surly, but this is over the top:

http://laist.com/2007/09/24/hollywood_bus_d.php

Matt O.

It's a bit unwise to form an opinion on an incident based solely on
the word of one of the participants. Somewhere there may be a post (in
some LA Metro bus drivers NG undoubtedly) from this female bus driver
generating all kinds of sympathy for *her* version of events...
"This huge bearded guy on a bike just went berserk slapping the side
of my bus as I passed him, shouting profanity at me, intentionally
blocking the street, and threatening me and my passengers. Why, some
of my passengers were so frightened they got off the bus and ran away!
The police showed up but of course they let him go. Cyclists *always*
get away with it." g

Regards,
Bob Hunt

In general it's poor practice for a bicyclist to escalate the
confrontation as much as the rider did in the article. Right or
wrong, motor vehicles are much bigger than we are. Better to take
down as much information as possible about the vehicle and report it
later.

On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 21:34:47 -0700, Bob wrote:

On Sep 25, 9:33 am, Matt O'Toole wrote:

LA bus drivers (and cops) do tend to be surly, but this is over the
top:

http://laist.com/2007/09/24/hollywood_bus_d.php

It's a bit unwise to form an opinion on an incident based solely on the
word of one of the participants. Somewhere there may be a post (in some
LA Metro bus drivers NG undoubtedly) from this female bus driver
generating all kinds of sympathy for *her* version of events... "This
huge bearded guy on a bike just went berserk slapping the side of my bus
as I passed him, shouting profanity at me, intentionally blocking the
street, and threatening me and my passengers. Why, some of my passengers
were so frightened they got off the bus and ran away! The police showed
up but of course they let him go. Cyclists *always* get away with it."
g

"...so I got really ****ed off and rammed him..."

Your point is well taken, but there were plenty of other witnesses to
this, including a friend whom I consider credible -- a former LA
prosecutor, then private attorney defending the MTA against lawsuits. If
not for this, I might not believe an event written up in LA-ist or
Craigslist or Whatevertheblog even happened.

But it's easy to understand why things like this do happen:

* Bus drivers have to deal with all kinds of crazies -- people who
assault/intimidate drivers and passengers, or intentionally cause
accidents so they can sue the city

* Because of this, MTA bus drivers have a "hot button" to the LAPD, who
arrive assuming some troublemaker is disrupting bus service. Not knowing
what's going on and fearing the worst, they respond aggressively, but then
can't back down once their adrenaline is flowing.

* Bus drivers know the deck is stacked in their favor, and take advantage
of it when they're having a bad day. Give the driver a little lip and
she'll call the cops and say you threatened her. Some drivers have a bad
day every day, but their union ensures they remain employed.

* LAPD may take it upon themselves to "discourage" people from messing
with the LAPD or the MTA.

So it's easy to see why this stuff happens, but it's still unacceptable.

"No harm, no foul" should apply to all of us, including bus drivers and
police officers -- and hotheaded ******s on bicycles.

Matt O.