Found a disturbing article in the Courant this morning. This guy pretty much captures the pure essence of a Douche Bag. Stay safe out there, and watch out for drunks and cell phone yapping idiots.
Courant Article - http://www.courant.com/community/east-hartford/hc-east-hartford-fatal-dui-0903-20110902,0,1351724.story
How could we as a society respond or improve things, so crap like this doesn't happen? If there is alcohol, folks are going to drink. If there are fast cars, a-holes are going to drive them like idiots. How would we as a society show that drunk driving, and driving like a jerk in general isn't OK?
Maybe a PR campaign that spoofs manly / cool beer commercials and their fast car commercial kin. They would star the anti-cool guy, getting loaded at the bars, and then speeding around town in his compensatory fast car. He blows through a four way nearly taking out an old lady, blares his horn at a pair of cyclists, loses control and sideswipes a parked car, and then parks in the yard - and goes to sleep alone. Very clear comments from folks (stereotypical cool folks) that this guy is a total DB. I see this running as a serial, and funded by a slice of the sin tax on alcoholic beverages.
I know I'm dreaming, but its actually not that different from the PR approach that was taken with smoking.
Profound condolences to Mr. Larramie's family. It seems that these horrible episodes are happening ever more frequently. And it's terribly demoralizing to cyclists. We're trying to do the right thing and yet ...
ReplyDeleteTony, whether it is ad campaigns that spoof fast cars and drinking or concerted efforts through existing organizations, you are basically right. Better education, essentially, and lobbying for rights. The only time I feel safe on a bicycle is when I'm not around cars. The paradox, of course, is that running errands around town, shopping, and commuting to work by bicycle put us constantly in harm's way.
I've found that in environments where cyclists have a higher mode share, the perceived adversarily relationship with cars is reduced. I think that once enough folks ride (or walk) for short trips, they quickly realize that certain behaviors of car drivers are dangerous. Nothing educates like experience.
ReplyDeleteEven for those that don't ride (or walk), they are more likely to have friends that do in places with a higher non-motorized mode share. A cyclist friend in the car is known to pipe up when the driver pulls some douche baggery, perhaps unintentionally.
Cars serve a very useful purpose, and when treated with respect (as potential death dealing weapons) can get along just fine with bikes and peds.
Education + Non-Car Experience + appropriate Penalties for Douche Bags = Safe multi-modal experience.
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ReplyDeletewell said fellas. this is awful. what will it take to stop drivers from killing cyclists due to egregiously irresponsible driving.
ReplyDeletewasn't it just last month that a freakin' drunk police officer killed a kid on a bicycle?
Tony, i didn't mean to hijack yer post, but i thought the scumbag's photo should be posted for all to see.
Whenever I read something like, "Paul Bato, 45, of 536 Birch Mountain Road in Manchester" or any other reference to a perp's home address, I think of this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.yehudamoon.com/index.php?date=2010-11-22
Drunk driving and drunk cycling are equally idiotic. The only difference is the latter only endangers the cyclist.
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