NYPD Doors Cyclist, Is Indignant.

whyfi

Classic.

More details and riders account here - http://road.cc/content/news/39834-nypd-dooring-cyclist-precedes-drug-questioning-video

idlewild

Did the biker have a light in the front? And why is he flying up E.42nd Street? Kind of silly on the cyclist's part.

armchair_warrior

I once had a nypd van almost crash into me and he didn't even notice, i walk up to him at the local wendys cause he made a last second turn to get to it. you almost hit me, he didn't give any shit.

rezist

Yesterday I watched as a detective hit a parked car three times as he backed into a parking space on 21st St between 2nd/3rd ave. That's the 13th Precinct.

Attached files

whyfi

Idlewild said:

Did the biker have a light in the front? And why is he flying up E.42nd Street? Kind of silly on the cyclist's part.

Silly on the cyclists part, but illegal on the officers part.

idlewild

I kind of agree. And if the cyclist had a front light on, then yes the cop deserves 100% of the blame. If not, I'd call it a 50/50 split.

whyfi

a) lights aren't required by law for daytime riding.

b) there is a law against opening your door without looking, which was invoked in the case of the cyclist that got doored in to a bus (and subsequently killed) at Atlantic and Washington.

If we're talking about divvying up the common sense blame, yes, I think that the cyclist is at least a little responsible, but the cop is liable, otherwise.

idlewild

Just because something is law doesn't mean it's justice. Drivers have a hard enough time seeing other cars come near them without the daylight running lights on. I'm not excusing the PO, however, bikes/bikers being a lot smaller than automobiles should have their LEDs on whenever they are on the road.

rezist

If I'm parked mid-block, open my door and a van takes my arm off as well as my door I can't fathom how the driver of the van would be in any way responsible.

Taking it a bit further as I understand it if a motorist hits a pedestrian crossing the street out of a crosswalk, the motorist isn't at fault either.

Not crossing in crosswalks legally, opening your door into any type of lane with oncoming traffic without checking, or turning and advancing a vehicle through a crosswalk and running over pedestrians that have the right of way are all in the same category.

The cyclist isn't at fault, it's not a motorists responsibility (or pedestrians/cyclists ) to become extremely visible while following traffic laws.

The problem is simply that many simply don't give a shit about anyone else and are often oblivious and extremely self absorbed.

As I've said b4 I drive several days a week all day in the city an see this at nearly EVERY intersection! I have never had an accident but constantly have to avoid cars, bikes, and people breaking the laws. In addition while I make evasive maneuvers I have to make sure that no one behind me or nex to me is adversely affected by my maneuvers.

boygabriel

Idlewild said:

I kind of agree. And if the cyclist had a front light on, then yes the cop deserves 100% of the blame. If not, I'd call it a 50/50 split.

That's a ridiculous conclusion.

A bike light is hardly visible during the day, and isn't much protection against getting doored (trust me).

Opening one's door without looking is extremely dangerous. Period.

This is entirely the cops' fault.

bohuma

The cops are a law unto themselves, whether it is parking on sidewalks, parking anywhere they feel like it or dooring bikes. I give them a little latitude when responding to an emergency but most of the time they're just being arrogant pricks in uniform/with guns.

idlewild

Boygabriel said:

That's a ridiculous conclusion.

A bike light is hardly visible during the day, and isn't much protection against getting doored (trust me).

Opening one's door without looking is extremely dangerous. Period.

This is entirely the cops' fault.

Well, trust me when I say it is visible. Those LEDs are pretty bright (I use a CAT). And more than once I've spotted a cyclist in my driver's side mirror with it on during the day. More than once if a dark colored bike is coming from behind, and even worse has the sun behind him, I've only seen said biker because of the LED. And yes, I absolutely agree: opening the door, pulling out of a space, changing lanes and doing anything in car, in general, without looking, is quite dangerous. As is the person who ignores the rules about run-on sentences when he posts.