One more reason to ban bikes on KC Area streets: A 62-year-old grandfather was killed, and his 14-year-old granddaughter was seriously hurt in a bike crash yesterday in Grandview . . . How many more people need to die until KC area bicycle advocates admit that there is blood on their hands from trying to push their agenda rather than look out for the safety of bicycle enthusiasts who unfortunately die believing the rhetoric of their clueless leaders. Seriously, for their own safety "these people" belong on trails and not on dangerous streets.
Ban Bikes from KC Area streets . . . SAVE A LIFE!!!
Ban Bikes from KC Area streets . . . SAVE A LIFE!!!
In my little town one of the major streets leading into the city bans nonmotorized vehicles. It's a very curvy road with limited sightlines and significant traffic. The council took this action for safety reasons...something other cities might consider.
ReplyDeleteBan the cars. They are the problem. More people are killed because of cars than because of bikes. Everyone should walk. Moron.
ReplyDeleteOkay, how about the bicycle enthusiasts begin holding sessions to educate their brethren who want to ride their bikes on streets built for cars and other vehicles that move fast? Candlelight vigils are so endearing, but they aren't worth the wax burned.
ReplyDeleteHow about we begin to require bicyclists who insist on using streets that are built for cars, trucks and other heavier moving vehicles be licensed just like motorcyclists?
Don't agree that Tony is a moron on this post, he makes a good point, kind of like the one on your head, anon 8:27am. I am tired of bicyclists who weave through a line of cars, drive on the wrong side of the street and hold up traffic as they walk and/or meander on their bike too far from the shoulder.
Cyclist should start putting bounties on the heads of drivers that run over cyclist.
ReplyDeleteThe girl just died as well. This is sad news. Tony you are a complete asshole for being such a dick about cyclists and the street. Two people died and the best you can do is be a complete asshole. Go rot in hell you fat fuck.
ReplyDeleteon a lighter note, don't you wish they made big wheels for adults?
ReplyDeleteFeel bad, because these two probably NEEDED to be on a bike, as opposed to the stupid fucks that do it for "fun".
ReplyDeleteCan we seriously have a rally against biking on the street?
Ban Alcohol and save a Family.
ReplyDelete" Grandpa would still be alive if he was guzzling gas safely in an SUV"
ReplyDeleteHoly shit how insensitive can you be? You are a piece of shit, one load your mama shoulda swallowed.
to think that cyclists need to be on trails instead of on the road is absurd. my tax dollars pay for these roads and i have the right to have whatever mode of transportation on that road that i choose.
ReplyDeletethinking that cyclists are responsible and have blood on their hands just shows your lack of education with regard to the drivers handbooks for KS and MO. perhaps they need to be written in Spanish so that you can understand.
I live near where this accident happens, the moron who hit them had two lanes to drive in, he chose to drive over the cyclists instead of around them. I certainly hope you, or a relative are not on the street when I driving my gas guzzling SUV, because I will run over your sorry ass.
This fourteen year old girl was close to her grandfather and training fo the MS 150, a very respectable fundraiser and difficult ride. How many of us have memories like this with our grandfathers? This is a great man who was teaching his granddaughter to be healthy and think of others. How some of you can turn this around when two lives have been lost is just sad. More of us should be raising money to help those less in need, riding bikes to save our environment and to decrease the obesity in this country.
ReplyDeleteTony--I realize your job is to be an asshole, but you've really outdone yourself here.
ReplyDeleteJackass.
ReplyDeleteSeems that the driver that ran them over is more to blame. Than the mode of transportation they were on. They could have been in a car and still been hit by him. It appears he was not paying attention to what he was doing.
ReplyDeletePeople just need to share the road!
Also, bicycling was around before autos.
Absolutely. And while we're banning bicycles due to the number of deaths involved, we need to start in on motorcycles, b/c cars don't see them. Then we'll move to cars b/c other cars and trucks don't see them. Then we'll move to the trucks b/c larger utility vehicles and semi trucks don't see them. Then we'll ban the utility vehicles and semi trucks b/c they pollute the air, endangering the lives of pedestrians. That pollution kills and maims.
ReplyDeleteIf we were meant to travel that fast, we'd have stronger and longer legs.
But that's really not good enough if you think about it. Air travel needs to be seriously looked at due to the number of deaths caused by both human error and mechanical failure. Airplanes, commercial, corporate and private all need to be brought down out of the sky, with force if necessary. It's plain irresponsible to be up there.
If we were meant to fly, we'd have wings.
Don't forget trains, either. How many passenger trains run off the track every year, causing untold and tragic loss of life? How many deaths and dismemberments are caused each year at train yards during loading, unloading and switching?
If we were meant to be around train tracks, we'd have steel wheels instead of feet.
What about boats? How much loss of life will we tolerate before we ban boats? Fast boats lose control so easily, and slow boats get in the way of fast boats.
If we were meant to travel the water, we'd have fins and gills, possibly properly placed blow holes.
That's just the major forms of travel... what about everything else that causes injury and loss of life? What about the loss of life and limb in wood shops, metal shops and factories the world over? If we were meant to work those materials, we'd have knives and hammers and tools for hands.
It's not about banning. It's about paying attention. That goes for everyone on our roads, highways, air lanes, and waterways... large and small, fast and slow, powered and manpowered vehicles all.
Well Tony, you are out of your freakin' mind. Bicycles weren't the problem here, the man driving the truck who failed to stop for something in front of him on the road in the problem. Countless times a day I see drivers blow through yellow and red lights, I see them not stop at stop signs, since when did right turn on red change from stop and proceed when safe, to just keep rolling. The Driver here was inattentive, could that be on a cel phone, numerous times a day people more concerned about their phone conversations than driving ram into the side, back and front of people. People are killed in car wrecks, should we ban cars?
ReplyDeleteHow much time does it take from your prescious schedule to slow for a biker in the street ahead. Not much.
The fact here is that this was a 4 lane street, 2 lanes in each direction, why was this truck in the curb lane with people in front of him, and more importantly how did he manage to hit them when there was plenty of room to swerve around them?
If you look at the picture on the KSHB website, the car skidded to a halt almost immediately upon impact, and he was clearly not trying to go around them, he just didnt see them, two people on bicycles in front of him. What if that had been two people in a car, or 2 pedestrians, he would have hit what ever was there, because whatever in his car had his attention more than the road ahead. Failure to control your vehicle is what the police call that when you rear end another car, same here.
You are absolutely off base to call for banning bikes from the streets because some inattentive driver runs someone down. There are far more motor vehicle fatalities in the metro area, one or more a day, based on the news storys, why not ban cars? Actually give real driving tests, screen out bad drivers, call for more police to patrol the streets, and provide tickets for violators, enough of that and people will begin to drive like they should as law abiding citizens, instead of like charecters in MAD MAX!
Summary of Missouri State Statutes Related to Bicycling
ReplyDelete· Motorists may not do anything, even something that otherwise appears to be legal, that endangers a bicyclist, pedestrian, or other motorist. Safety, not speed, is the highest consideration in traffic law.
· In Missouri, bicycles and motorized bicycles may ride on any street except travel lanes of interstate highways or where prevented by local law.
· Bicyclists have the same rules, rights and responsibilities as other drivers. For example, bicyclists must stop at stop signs, signal turns, and drive on the right-hand side of the road.
· This means that motorists must treat bicycles as any other vehicle. For instance, do not pull out in front of a moving bicyclist, cut a bicyclist off, or pass a bicyclist unsafely.
· When traveling slower than traffic, bicyclists generally move to the right of the travel lanes, just as other slow moving vehicles do. But do not expect bicyclists to hug the curb, dodge in and out between parked cars, or ride on a debris-covered shoulder. Bicycling that way is not safe, and the law requires bicyclists to ride safely.
· If the lane is too narrow to safely share between a bicycle and a motor vehicle, the bicycle may move towards the center of the lane so as to discourage motor vehicles from dangerously squeezing past in the lane. If you see a bicyclist riding in the middle of the lane in this way, the bicyclist is following the law. Slow and wait behind the bicyclist until it is safe to move into the next lane to pass.
· Bicyclists may sometimes ride the shoulder of the road when available. But they are not required by law to do so. Obstacles in the shoulder such as glass, debris, or rough pavement may not be obvious to the motorist but may be very dangerous to the bicyclist.
· Bicycle lanes may not be blocked or used for parking. Motorists must signal and yield to any bicyclists in the lane before crossing a bicycle lane. As with shoulders, bicyclists may leave the bike lane for any number of reasons, including debris, obstacles, or to prepare for a turn.
Bicycle-related Quotes from the Missouri Driver Guide
· “On public streets and highways, [bicyclists] have the same rights and responsibilities as a motor vehicle operator.”
· “If you are following a bicyclist and need to make a right turn, you must yield to the cyclist. It is often safer to slow down and remain behind the cyclist until you are able to turn.”
· “Motorcyclists and bicyclists change speed and lane position when encountering bad road conditions, such as manhole covers, diagonal railroad tracks, road debris or in strong winds. Be ready to react.”
· “When you are passing, give motorcycles a full lane width. If possible, give a full lane to bicycles and mopeds, too. Do not squeeze past these road users. The bicycle is generally a slower moving vehicle and this may require you to slow down. Wait for a clear stretch of road before passing a cyclist in a lane too narrow to share.”
· "The operator of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle proceeding in the same direction . . . shall leave a safe distance when passing the bicycle, and shall maintain clearance until safely past the overtaken bicycle." Passing unsafely is a traffic offense punishable by driver license points, fines, and even jail, if a collision results.
· “The law says who must yield the right-of-way; it does not give anyone the right-of-way. You must do everything you can to prevent striking a pedestrian or another vehicle, regardless of the circumstances.”
· “Sharing the road with others, in a considerate manner, makes the road safer for everybody!”
Summary of Missouri State Statutes sources: Missouri State Statutes 300.330, 300.410. 304.012, 307.190, 307.191, and 307.678
Bicycle-related quotes sources: Missouri Driver Guide, January 2003 Edition, Chapters 4 and 7, and 304.678 RSMO
Missouri State Law for Motorists Interacting with Bicyclists
307.188. Rights and duties of bicycle and motorized bicycle riders. Every person riding a bicycle or motorized bicycle upon a street or highway shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle as provided by chapter 304, RSMo, except as to special regulations in sections 307.180 to 307.193 and except as to those provisions of chapter 304, RSMo, which by their nature can have no application.
Explanation: Motorists must treat bicycles with the same regard as they would any other vehicle; bicyclists have the same rights under traffic law as do other vehicles. And, on the other hand, bicycles must obey the same traffic laws in the same way as motor vehicles, with very, very limited exceptions.
304.012. Highest Degree of Care. 1. Every person operating a motor vehicle on the roads and highways of this state shall drive the vehicle in a careful and prudent manner and at a rate of speed so as not to endanger the property of another or the life or limb of any person and shall exercise the highest degree of care.
Explanation: Motorists may not do anything, even something that otherwise appears to be legal, that endangers a bicyclist, pedestrian, or other motorist. Safety, not speed, is the highest consideration in traffic law.
304.678. 1. The operator of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle proceeding in the same direction on the roadway, as defined in section 300.010, RSMo, shall leave a safe distance, when passing the bicycle, and shall maintain clearance until safely past the overtaken bicycle.
2. Any person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of an infraction unless an accident is involved in which case it shall be a class C misdemeanor.
Explanation: When passing a bicycle, you must leave a safe distance when passing and not return to the right part of the road until safely past the bicyclist. Passing unsafely is a traffic offense punishable by driver license points, fines, and, if a collision results, even jail.
304.016.4 When passing is allowed. No vehicle shall at any time be driven to the left side of the roadway under the following conditions: (1) When approaching the crest of a grade or upon a curve of the highway where the driver's view is obstructed within such distance as to create a hazard in the event another vehicle might approach from the opposite direction;
Explanation: Motorists often attempt to pass bicyclists as they are traveling around curves or approaching the crest of a hill. But squeezing dangerously past the bicyclist and pulling blindly into the oncoming lane are both illegal. So if the lane is wide enough to pass the bicyclist, leaving a safe distance between your vehicle and the bicyclist, while remaining on the right half of the road, then you may pass if safe. However, if safely overtaking the bicyclist requires you to pull onto the left side of the roadway, then the law requires you to wait behind the bicyclist until your view ahead is clear.
You can't reason with Tony. Like his mother, he lacks any logic skills. He has done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to improve the community. He has not made one single person's life better. But he sure as hell can bitch about other people not caring about his brown world.
ReplyDeleteYour blog entry reads like ultra-conservative talk radio sensationalism - that is, do you actually believe the ridiculous words you spent the time to write? I find it difficult to fathom that any sensible and rational person would truly advocate for banning bikes from streets while simultaneously proposing that "gas-guzzling SUVs" present a solution to the problem.
ReplyDeleteI seriously hope you're joking. Unfortunately, this being the Midwest, I'm sure you're not. I pay taxes just like you. Some of those taxes go towards roads designed to be used by ALL citizens, not just car drivers. Not every bicyclist out on the road is riding for recreation; many people commute via bike for a number of reasons, one of which may be that they do not have a car. While I'm sure that a great many bicyclists would love to ride on nothing but trails, the reality is that there are very few trails in and around Kansas City. The ones that do exist do not connect with one another making commuting by bicycle an impossibility.
In nearly every accident involving cars and bicycles, the driver of the vehicle is the responsible party. Why is this? Because drivers routinely fail to pay attention to what they're doing. They're often doing other tasks in addition to driving (changing the radio station, looking for something in the vehicle, scolding a child, dealing with a cell phone, etc.). Meanwhile, bicyclists have to remain ultra-vigilant to try to compensate for drivers who frequently find themselves distracted. Why are we not talking about driver responsibility and accountability as the problem?
Why? Because people who drive cars feel that the world was made for them - and them alone. Bicycles, stop signs, traffic lights, pedestrians, other vehicles - all are annoyances to the self-involved and self-important driver. I've been bicycling for 18 years now, and I've never found a road that wasn't big enough for me and the cars traveling on it, provided the drivers of those cars had the slightest bit of respect for me.
Fortunately there are very few drivers out there as misguided, angry and low-down as you. Perhaps someday you'll lose someone close to you in an accident that could have - and should have - been prevented, and you'll realize just how despicable your attitude is.
Why don';t you fat lazy f*cks get out of your cars and actually try getting some exercise, be it a bike or running. Hell, even walking might lower your cholesterol. Roads are built for bikes and autos. Look it up.
ReplyDeletetony,
ReplyDeleteI'll refrain from name calling and insults because I suspect you sincerely believe what you are saying and as an avid road cyclist my experiences with a few people in motorized vehicles tells me you aren't alone. I would encourage you to put a little more thought into your opinion. First, to suggest that organizations that lobby for and encourage cycling in the U.S. are not concerned about the safety of cyclists is ill-informed at best. Most organizations I am aware of provide training or information about safe cycling. Cycling clubs almost always provide information either formally through literature and seminars or informally through group rides.
I also would suggest that you may have other motives. Maybe you had to spend an extra 30 seconds one day on the road waiting to pass a cyclist. You probably cursed him or her under your breath, and maybe you even yelled, "get off the road."
The problem is not the cyclists it is the impatient and careless drivers.
I don't know all the details of this particular accident, but I would guess that if the cyclist made a mistake it was not taking enough of the lane he and his granddaughter were riding in. I have learned that if you ride too close to the curb people will try to squeeze by you and pass when there isn't room to do so safely. Personally, when I know there isn't room for a car to pass I make sure they know there isn't room to pass - I ride in the middle of the lane. Why? For the occupant of the vehicle it might cost them an extra half minute for me the cost might be my life.
Its in-human apathetic fucks like yourself driving big ass SUV's and pushing&supporting turbo fascist right wing agendas in this world that need to get off the roads. These people were innocent pedestrians well within the established law's of our good old right wing anti everything but Jesus, Guns & Big Trucks State of Missouri(misery).. riding legally on a well marked route..
ReplyDeleteLike most "professional" bloggers, Tony has confused being alive with being interesting.
ReplyDeleteTony,
ReplyDeleteIts inhuman apathetic fucks like yourself driving big ass SUV's and pushing, supporting and or allowing turbo fascist right wing agendas in this world that need to get off the roads. These people were innocent pedestrians well within the established law's of our good old right wing anti everything but Jesus, Guns & Big Trucks State of Missouri(misery).. riding legally on a well marked route..
Go back to your allegorical cave and scuttle across the floor of nothingness in your head maybe there you can find a conscience and realize that you are very misguided in your statements..
William Blake Baby
I'd like to be as reasonable as Steve H, and try to point out the errors in your post, but hell, I'm not that nice. Tony, you're a textbook fucktard.
ReplyDeleteLet's leave the profanity and name calling aside. It just demonstraights you total lack for command for the English language. If that is all the vocabulary you have, then it is no wonder that this site has the kind of hard hearted opinions that are posted.
ReplyDeleteThink for a moment...two innocent people who were training for a charity event have lost thier lives due to what appears to be an inattentive driver on public streets.
Think for a moment...what if these two people were your family members?
Think for a moment...does the world revolve just around you?
Think for a moment...where would you go if you were to die tonight? Heaven or Hell?
Think about it!
bwcause of anon's 7:07 hipster tantrum I just ran my Escalade for a half hour in neutral with a brick on the accelerator, windows down, AC on. Did it outside of grinders, too.
ReplyDeleteUnbelieveable. First and last time to ever visit this blog.
ReplyDeleteYou sir. Are a nitwit.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 8/9/07 6:24 am is a perfect example of missing the point. Open Your Eyes, DUDE/Girl..
ReplyDeleteDid you even read the statements Tony made about the Two Bikers Dead. Blake Baby I agree is a bit strong and pretentious with his Beatnik rambles, But he's at least understanding the weight and hate of Tony's stupid words....So I'm wondering if you ever have biked in this area before? Your basically taking your life in your own hands and folks like Tony are usually the people your looking out for..
Its a sad and sorry waist of good Humanity that these two people had to die this way Grandpa and Granddaughter.. Do you have an ounce of compassion for there family, friends and love ones, Anonymous 6:24?
Ban bicycles?!!!! That would be like banning runners from sidewalks because they are for pedestrian walkers!! Read your road manual for obtaining a license - cyclists also have right of way on the streets.
ReplyDelete"Yippee! It's the Internet! I can say any jack-assed thing I want and watch people get all excited over it!"
ReplyDeleteTony, I hope you never have to cross a busy street. Because, in your world, drivers aren't required to have *any* responsibility for the safety of others. What a shame... you could have led a long life of posting garbage.
Explain to me how it is the fault of two cyclists that an inattentive driver struck them from behind?
ReplyDeleteBy your logic we should ban women because they might be raped, children because they might be abused, airplanes because they might crash (or be crashed).
How about getting DRIVERS to give up their oddball obsession that the road belongs to them? Seems I pay just as much, likely more, than the average citizen for use of the roads and thereby have the right to use them.
Please, your rant is silly.
Tony- next time hopefully its you
ReplyDeletewait til a .357 bullet goes through your windshield
ReplyDelete