Long story short, if somebody can't look out for their own safety, it's hard to ask EVERYONE on the road to do it for them . . . Yet, nearly everyone on the street probably did give a lot of leeway to the poor dude who was recently killed riding an adult tricycle - But an accident was inevitable.
A Livejournal post providing a eulogy offers a telling perspective while attempting to frame a larger social issue:
The news stories are really brushing this incident off, emphasizing that Lewis was difficult to see, that the driver is not at fault.Predictably, out of town blogger Heidi takes up the mantle for this cause as well.
The man was HOMELESS, people. The homeless are generally treated as invisible. Sarah & Christi had given him lights before, but he tended to plunder the batteries out of them to power his Walkman, or would use the lights as barter tender with other homeless or try to sell them to people for extra cash.
Going forward, perhaps we could focus on doing everything possible to ensure it's easier to see cyclists at night, in addition to increasing efforts to get drivers to be more careful.Thing is, PEOPLE ALREADY DID THIS . . . Props to the Acme Bicycle Company for doing their best to try and protect the guy by giving him FREE lights and taking a loss on the deal . . . They'll most likely go bankrupt if they make that kind of charity a habit.
However, the point is . . . If people can't look out for their own safety then it's not UNFAIR to put the burden on EVERYONE ELSE to do so . . . And if local bikers really want to avoid getting his THEY NEED TO STAY OFF THE STREET. In fact, with so many bikers falling victim to fatal car crashes the solution is clear . . . Kansas City NEEDS TO PASS AN ORDINANCE TO GET BICYCLES OFF THE STREET.
For more than a year now, politically active bicyclists have been pushing this town to cater to their whims and waste precious resources to accommodate them. But this is a commuter town and their battle against the automobile is a losing one, even if gas goes to 5 bucks a gallon. So, if they want to play politics with the city (They do and all happen to be Funkhouser supporters). It might be time for this SMALL BUT VOCAL CONTINGENT to face a cruel political reality that so many special interest groups have realized: THEY'RE OUTNUMBERED.
Still, I'm all about protecting people and it seems that the easiest solution here, the way to ensure that KC's streets don't meet with anymore fatalities for bicyclists is to PASS AN ORDINANCE TO GET THEM OFF THE ROAD.
It's for their own good.
No matter how loudly they yell, the truth is that bicycling is not a right and this liberal, car hating contingent clearly needs a reality check.
You've kinda got this all wrong, Tony. No one is being held accountable for this accident other than the cyclist. You say bicycle riding is not a right. Neither is driving a car.
ReplyDeletedriving a car is not a right either tony. car drivers forget that cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists have the right of way. the city needs to pass an ordinance that allows bicyclist to ride on the sidewalk then, or give them a fucking bike lane.
ReplyDeletedon't lie and say you're all about protecting people when you could care less abou them. protecting them shouldn't include blaming bicyclists themselves when they are hit by some bitch in an SUV.
blaming bicyclists themselves when they are hit by some bitch in an SUV
ReplyDeleteNormally I agree with that statement. But this guy was given free lights and wouldn't use them. I kind of think he wrote his own obituary.
Tony,
ReplyDeleteIf you were in touch with KC at all you would realize what is happening in its urban core. It is revitalizing. More and more people want to live in an area where they can walk or ride their bike to work. This is not a bad thing. Rather than kicking cyclists off the streets, we should embrace a form of transportation that keeps people healthier. I am part of the contingent minority cyclists that you speak of, I am an advocate, and we are the avant garde. In the past year I have seen more of my friends buy bikes and start riding for fun, for errands, to work, etc. I think you are a little, if not severly out of touch with KC's pulse.
Oh yeah, just so you know, the only reason you have paved roads is because of bicycles. Bicycling advocates got roads built in the US before the automobile had even been invented. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Roads_Movement
Whether the cyclist had lights is not the issue. The fact that he was on a bicycle has NOTHING to do with this either. This woman killed somebody because she was not driving safely (safety = paying attention to your surroundings). It could have just as easily been somebody standing in the middle of the street... A person driving a car has to be aware and perceptive enough to stop or swerve no matter what is in the road or where that road is.
ReplyDeletewhat will tony say next to get more hits? i can't wait to see.
ReplyDeleteIt's so sad that you don't have any compassion for people getting killed on the streets in Kansas City.
ReplyDeleteThe man you are writing about was in desperate circumstances that I hope you never have to go through in your life.
A little compassion would be nice.
But your just a crass "blogger" and don't really have anything of substance to contribute.
Jeff is correct.
ReplyDeleteThis is an unadulterated attention getting tactic. I doubt if Tony cares one way or the other.
Ooooh boy. You crack me up.
ReplyDeleteBTW, which came first the bicycle or the car? I had better fill you in since you seem like an ignorant fuck. It was bicycles.
click count must be down so tony is stirring up trouble.
ReplyDeleteHe just wants us to talk about how all cyclists are sterile from the ball compression and just a bunch of latents who want a 'cycling buddy' to take showers with.
He wants us to mention that drivers are just selfish fat suburban asses in giant SUVs who are trying to text message, put on makeup, drive and discipline their unruly children at the same time.
Well I'm not going to do that. I'm going to rise above.
Instead I'm going to say that I saw a pudgy mexican dude in a turtle neck sniffing the bicycle seats at that bike store behind town topic.
I would urge all of you not to get down to Tony's level. Doing so would only make bicycle enthusiasts look bad rather than looking at this blog for what it is: A series of misinformed rants that do not reflect the viewpoints of anyone but the author.
ReplyDeleteTruly, Tony has shown himself to be a sad individual that stands for absolutely nothing.
We shouldn't give him any thought considering that great strides that cyclists have made in Kansas City.
I've been hit twice by cars jogging around town. Not serious either time, but still....I guess if it were up to Tony we should pass an ordinance to get joggers and walkers off the streets too so none of them get killed.
ReplyDeleteI've seen Tony write a lot of moronic things, but this might take it...an ordinance to get bikers off the street. How about we join the rest of the metropolitan cities around the world and create a system of bike lanes throughout the city.
The next time Tony laments about senseless killings on the Eastside we can all point to this post for our daily dose of hypocrisy.
"The next time Tony laments about senseless killings on the Eastside we can all point to this post for our daily dose of hypocrisy."
ReplyDeleteMaybe Tony is right about the character of the bicycling crowd. This is one of the stupidest statements I've ever read on this blog.
Every year there are dozens and dozens of Eastside murders. I believe that there have only been 18 bicyclists killed in the past five years.
Really, an ignorant statement like the one above just shows that at least of some of Tony's premise is correct - Bicyclists don't care about any interest but their own.
Did I just read that correctly?
ReplyDeleteDid somebody compare biker deaths to shootings on the East side?
Damn, I'm down with bikes in the city but there's no way the comparison is valid.
Uh, Harry Truman had the roads paved in Missouri, and it was not for bicycles, it was for agriculture and commerce.
ReplyDeleteBut don't get me wrong, I used to ride mine to work when weather permitted. Most major metropolitan areas have bike lanes. But we can't even get pot holes fixed. *shrug*
ReplyDeleteBICYCLES BELONG ON THE STREETS!!
ReplyDeleteThe Kansas City area(and its residents) just need to get with the times and make it more bike friendly around here. i.e. bike lanes that actually go somewhere, signals that detect bikes and change accordingly, LESS CARS--especially yours, Tony; less people in those aforementioned cars on cell phones, (talking, texting, downloading tunes, etc.) putting on makeup, eating, jerking off in general, etc. Try concentrating on DRIVING folks, not multi-tasking. It's a car folks, not an office nor home.
Tony, you're a loser. Get a life. I make over $300,000 a year AND I bicycle nearly daily on our city streets, including to work sometimes. Get lost in your SUV somewhere far away from here.
my god you guys are a bunch of ignorant fucks. my guess is you don't read tony on a regular basis so you're completely unaware of the nature of his blog. do a little investigating on his main page, jackasses.
ReplyDelete"TKC is a joke/humor blog. Do not read this page unless you have a sense of humor and a good looking mother."
more like "crackhead"
ReplyDeletethat's fine tncs. however, the next time someone jokes about how your mom got her head whacked n' rolled by the SUV bitch i'd expect you would laugh. there's a fine line homie...a fine line. keep it funny but respectful.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a tool Tony is. Wish i could run him over on the sidewalk with my mountain bike and tell him.
ReplyDelete"Just trying to stay of the street as you wished (what are your other 2 wishes asshole)
just remember this dude wasn't exactly a cyclist that got hit...
ReplyDelete