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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>B</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I think you did the right thing and appreciate your
doing so. You may have run into nepotism, but think of it in a different
way.... You may have witnessed 'community policing' where the cop allied
himself with the adults to unify their front to deal with the
kid.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>You put the bicyclists back on the radar
screen....</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>L</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=bsharpe@redcoatpublishing.com
href="mailto:bsharpe@redcoatpublishing.com">Basil Sharpe</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=list@bostoncriticalmass.org
href="mailto:list@bostoncriticalmass.org">Boston Critical Mass</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, May 27, 2008 9:04 AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [*BCM*] UAV accosts biker in
Brookline</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Thanks E O for your
words.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">
I’m still trying to figure out if I did the right thing last night. I
don’t think so. I was riding on a Sanders road in Medford when an
SUV came very quickly around the corner without any regard to if someone might
be there or not, swore at me to get the f out of his way. I
noticed he turned and parked on <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address
w:st="on">Scott St</st1:address></st1:Street> just a block away so I called
Medford Police. A cruiser showed up. I watched the whole
thing as some guy came out shook the officers hand; obviously they were
buddies. Next the kid who was driving the SUV comes out and the officer
has some words with him. The kid has a sorta smirk on his face.
Turns out the kid was 17 years old and the officer said he spoke to the
kid and that these things work against the kid –whatever that
means. The thing is I got the distict feeling that this cop just
saw me as a nuisance and the Kid thought the whole thing was pretty
funny. Here’s a kid who has this attitude driving a brand new 200 plus
horsepower tank and his parents and other adults see it as perfectly
fine. I think I may have just wasted my time by calling the
cops. The cop obviously know the adults in the house but told me
they were not the kids parents. The cop then said to me “well no one was
hurt”. As you say stay calm and the odds ARE stacked against
us. Awful but true. In retrospect, I should have just rode on and
ignored it. I will always do that now.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">B<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
<HR tabIndex=-1 align=center width="100%" SIZE=2>
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">
bostoncriticalmass-bounces@bostoncriticalmass.org
[mailto:bostoncriticalmass-bounces@bostoncriticalmass.org] <B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of </SPAN></B>E O Altman<BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Sunday, May 25, 2008 1:10
PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B>
list@bostoncriticalmass.org<BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> [*BCM*] UAV accosts biker in
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Brookline</st1:place></st1:City></SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'">I do
not condone bad or aggressive driving, by UAVs (urban assault vehicles)
or pedalcyclists.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'">When will we, as a
community of cyclists, get together on
this?<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'">It stands to reason
that every time a cyclist pulls a BS move in traffic or aggresses a vehicular
driver or a pedestrian that that cyclist is creating a wave of negativity that
may well take down another hapless, law-abiding, careful, courteous cyclist
later on.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'">I empathize with the
cyclist in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Brookline</st1:place></st1:City>. There are plenty of drivers
out there who navigate carelessly, even with hostility in their hearts, around
cyclists. Quell the urge to hit back. Stay calm and be
vigilant. The odds ARE stacked against us cyclists in more ways than you
may realize.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'">Some years ago I was
hit by a car. I was hurt pretty badly: coma, back and neck injuries,
wrecked bike and bike clothing (thousands of dollars). Even so, several
lawyers told me that it would not be worth my while to seek compensation for
my losses, that it would cost me thousands (investigative costs) on the front
end, to try to get damages from the offending driver. By the time a
trial could be scheduled, I would walk into the courtroom, tall,
healthy-looking, etc. (even though I still have to take pain-killers and have
adjustments seven years after the accident). The jury, most of whom
would be licensed drivers, would quite likely not see it my way.
All the defense needed was a single juror who had an issue with
cyclists. Every day drivers are put out by cyclists in this city.
Ultimately, we lose; and, when we do, we lose big
time!<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'">According to
</SPAN></FONT><st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on"><FONT
face="Bookman Old Style" color=#292526><SPAN
style="COLOR: #292526; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'">National
Highway</SPAN></FONT></st1:address></st1:Street><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"
color=#292526><SPAN style="COLOR: #292526; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'">
Traffic Safety Administration,</SPAN></FONT><FONT
face="Bookman Old Style"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=#292526 size=1><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: #292526; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P><STRONG><B><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#292526 size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #292526">In 2002, 662 pedalcyclists were killed
and an additional 48,000 were</SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG><FONT
color=#292526><SPAN style="COLOR: #292526"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><STRONG><B><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#292526 size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #292526">injured in traffic
crashes. </SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG><STRONG><B><FONT
face="Times New Roman" color=#292526 size=5><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: #292526"> [Forty-eight
thousand!]</SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG><FONT color=#292526><SPAN
style="COLOR: #292526"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#292526 size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #292526"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><STRONG><B><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#292526 size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #292526">The number of pedalcyclist fatalities
in 2002 was 8 percent lower than the</SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG><FONT
color=#292526><SPAN style="COLOR: #292526"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><STRONG><B><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#292526 size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #292526">723 fatalities reported in 1992. The
highest number of pedalcyclist fatalities</SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG><FONT
color=#292526><SPAN style="COLOR: #292526"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><STRONG><B><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#292526 size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #292526">ever recorded in the Fatality Analysis
Reporting System (<st1:place w:st="on">FARS</st1:place>) was
1,003</SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG><FONT color=#292526><SPAN
style="COLOR: #292526"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><STRONG><B><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#292526 size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #292526">in
1975.</SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG><FONT color=#292526><SPAN
style="COLOR: #292526"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#292526 size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #292526"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" color=#292526 size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #292526; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'">These
numbers are staggering. Even so, statistics seem to be improving for
pedalcyclists. There are many reasons for this, e.g.: there are more
pedalcyclists (when they get behind the wheel of a car they tend to empathize
with those who are biking and exercise greater care); cities are working to
improve bicycle safety with improved street designs and signs, safety
awareness programs and laws; there are more biking clubs, with ever increasing
memberships, dedicated to getting people out on bicycles and riding
safely.</SPAN></FONT><FONT color=#292526><SPAN
style="COLOR: #292526"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'">Critical Mass Boston
riders really need to re-evaluate why they come together to ride through
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Boston</st1:place></st1:City>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'">The aggressors who
ride in Critical Mass think they are cool. They are not doing any of us
any favors. When the safe cyclist ignors the hooligan on a
bicycle, he is contributing to growing hostilities directed at
cyclists. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'">Thi year' May Day, I
rode (for 2 blocks, before I pulled up - I did not want to be part of the
negative energy being created) with the <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Boston
Critical Mass</st1:PersonName> Ride. My vocal requests for fairness, to
share the road, were met with sophomoric sneers. On their way to protest
the "unfair treatment of immigrants", to sing about peace and gentle
diplomacy, to celebrate the working man (and woman) who is the foundation of
America, the May Day Critical Mass cyclists went out to attack
Boston. Even though it was a small crowd of bikers, they still
managed to harass drivers, enter and block intersections when they did not
have the right of way, whoop and holler and disrupt the
peace.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'">
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'">Do not get drawn
into the mob fray. Be a role model of safe, courteous, law-abiding
cycling. If you are going to ride in traffic, ride
accordingly: refrain from dawdling and disrupting the flow of
traffic, signal your intentions and move accordingly, obey traffic rules,
yield to pedestrians (do not weave through those walking when they have the
right of way and do not block crosswalks), smile, have fun and pay
attention.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'">I know we can make
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Boston</st1:place></st1:City> a more
bike-friendly town. Every time a cyclist pulls a BS move in traffic or
aggresses a vehicular driver or a pedestrian we make our town less
friendly and our streets more dangerous for
all. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'">e o
altman<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bookman Old Style'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P>
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