Three bikes are heading down the highway, ones is traveling ahead of a car, the other two are riding hard to catch the first bike.
The driver of the car is paying attention to the two bikes that are coming up behind her, looks up and sees she is too close to the bike in front of her and steps on the brakes.
The two bikers behind her go ballistic -they were visibly frustrated and started to yell, tailgate and flash their high beams. They ride up on either side of her car and make her feel scared. At the lights they surround her vehicle, banging on it - telling her they are going to follow her home and teach her a lesson. After more aggressive behaviour she decides to pull over and talk to the riders.
After pinning her up against her car - one rider pulls the other away - another car is flagged down, the RCMP are called and after a discussion with the officer all are let go.
BUT - this story is far from over. The car driver claims she panicked and made a mistake, the riders claim she was being aggressive and dangerous.
The car driver was 24 year old Paralympic skiing competitor Andrea Dziewior and she is NOT letting this incident go - she is frustrated with the police for letting the riders go and plans to press charges of harassment and assault - the riders intend to take the matter up with the police because they feel the police did not handle the situation right - the riders had been told by the attending officer that they were out of line for chasing and following Dziewior...The riders insist her behaviour was dangerous and aggressive.
(Here is the link to the article on www.beltdrivebetty.com: http://www.beltdrivebetty.com/index.php/bc-news/293-motorcycle-television/7176-paralympic-skier-has-road-rage-confrontation-with-bikers-in-bc- )
Now - how old do you think the riders were in this sad but apparently true tale?
Take a guess...20. Nope....30? Guess again ...40? Nope try between 50 and 65.
Now folks - I have been in situations where people have made huge errors in judgment and either cut me off or tried to run me into a curb or median because they didn't shoulder check or look at all. I have been put in harms way by those who are not paying attention in their vehicles...and although I have hollered and screamed and honked the pathetic thing I call a horn on my bike (I AM GETTING AND AIR HORN THIS WINTER!) I have usually pulled off to the side of the road and de-stressed because when I vibrate like that I am not a good rider.
I also do one other thing - if I truly feel the driver who messed up is unsafe and dangerous - I memorized the license plate and while I am on the side of the road I call 911 and ask to lay a citizens complaint. It generally involves a trip to the local detachment of whatever police department serves the community I am in and later it means court - but if I am truly that upset that I feel my life was endangered and I think the driver will endanger others - it is worth the headache and inconvenience. At the end of the day vigilante justice might feel good for a moment but it in NO way resolves anything.
The bad driver is not ticketed hence not loosing demerits that might see them have to take a course or loose their license for a while - they get NO real lasting message the way they do when their insurance premium has doubled....or they are walking, taking transit or riding a bicycle while the vehicle they own sits in a garage or driveway untouched.
What real purpose is served by scaring the crap out of someone that way?
I know what I think the repercussions of this incident will probably be...this little gal who has and audience and the ear of the press because she is a "celebrity" and is handicapped will tell her tale - press charges - win a conviction in court and tell her tale OVER and OVER and OVER.
Our community will be yet again tarred as a bunch of hot heads and vigilantes...
Do I think the riders had a valid point - probably. Do I think that they should have reacted the way they did - NOPE, yelling, hollering YAH - banging on her car, screaming profanities - NOT SO MUCH, surrounding her, pinning her up against her vehicle...really dumb in my humble opinion.
There is an old saying that two wrongs don't make a right - that saying was conceived because of situations just like this one.
We all make mistakes when we drive.
There is NOT ONE human being alive who can say they have NEVER made a mistake or a misjudgment. Some lapses have far more serious consequences than others. In this case the young driver got lucky that she didn't injure someone. In this case the riders who were - in all probability riding too fast to catch their buddy were also, by the time she put her brakes on - riding too close or tailgating as it is called - and in my humble opinion were probably just as much at fault as the driver of the car was.
Road rage - vigilantism - very seldom do these behaviors do anything but make the person who exhibits them feel better for a moment or two and scare the crap out of the person on the receiving end - and forever the person on the receiving end ends up hating bikers - and in many, many cases the stories you hear about people who hate our community and will run bikers off the road when they see us - they stem from incidences just like this one...
Think about it the next time you are about to loose it on someone who screws up while driving...are you perfect when you drive? Have you ever screwed up? Do you know the potential consequences of your anger? Is it worth getting charged for harassment or assault? Is it not far, far better to press charges of your own and go to court and have the person have to look at you as a human being - I mean seriously if you were that scared for your life - is it not worth the inconvenience of going to court and perhaps seeing a dangerous person being taken off the road?
I know from personal experience that there are those who will drive anyway - license or not, but at least if they get caught they WILL eventually go to jail...
This is another topic I would LOVE your input on - I know there has to be some great stories and some even better ideas on dealing with the rage and fear you feel when involved in a near miss...share people - talk to me and the rest of the people who read this blog.
In the news today - there are more tragic tailgating accidents to report but since this is Sunday and I am not supposed to be blogging - I will let you read the days news over at www.beltdrivebetty.com without giving you the links to the stories....
You have a great Sunday and if you are attending any of the toy runs or end of the season runs - PLEASE be safe you lucky dogs and take a bug or two for me - my ride won't be home until next week - (I hope it comes home then...)
Belt Drive Betty
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Dumb, Dumber and Dumbest! 3 very selfish and stupid riders. They should be charged to the fullest extent possible for harassment and threatening. The cops were wrong for not taking them in right on the spot.
ReplyDeleteWas the driver blameless, probably not completely but if she was paying attention to the 2 coming up behind her I would say it was most likely because they were doing so in a manner that made her nervous and extra cautious.
You know B.D.you are right! We have riders who do not know how to react or how to handle perceived "dangerous" behavior they feel has been directed towards them. I would maybe expect this type of reactions by a bunch of youthful riders ( though most I know do not feel they have to react in an aggressive physical manner outside of a one finger salute). But 50 year olds? Pent up testosterone induced rage? Watching one to many bad "B" grade 60's biker movies? Who knows, but it just the perpetuates the myths about riders some segments of the general have about riders in general.
ReplyDeleteGerry