What To Do When Involved In An Incident On Your Bike

Things Cyclists Should Have Readily Accessible When Biking (other than water)A Pen or MarkerPepper SprayPaper for recording InfoSlim Digital CameraAfter dealing with various people over the past few days, as well as reading about what has happened to others and how their cases have gone when reporting attacks on cyclists, I have learned a few things.Mostly though, is that the general public, and the cops in general dont seem to care too much if a biker gets injured on the roads.Here are some things that you can do to help push your case when something does happen. At the end of this there will be a cheat sheet that can be printed out and carried on you so info can be taken down.I will go most important first, with best case scenario below them.Always call the police immediately. Immedeately means once it is best to do so. If you can get pictures or take information about the person that attacked/is attacking you, then do it! Have your camera phone or digital camera readily accessible while riding. Call the police after you can get as much info as possible.Be aware that 911 from a cell phone can be slow, you are best using a landline, OR knowing the direct line to the local police dispatcher in your area. For the place that my incident occured, West Los Angeles, the number is 877 275-5273. Calling this number is calling 9111. Get The Vehicles License PlatesI am one of those weird people that carries a pen in my pocket at all times. In a rush, you can get your pen and write down the license plate of the car on your wrist. Just be sure not to wipe it off from sweat.Later, write this down seperately on another piece of paper, because the police will ask for this. You can also write it down on the short form that is at the end of this1. A. Get a Description of the CarWhat kind of car was it? What was the model of the car? Was it an 90's car, or fresh off the lot? What color is it?1. B. Get A Description of the DriverIf you do not have this, then the driver of the vehicle can claim not to have been present in the vehicle at the time of your attack. They could be lying, but it becomes a "their word against yours" kind of fight. If you can get any distinguishing marks, such as tattos, scars, freckles, glasses, hat, etc, that would be better than nothing at all.1. C. Get Photos of the Driver, Car, and License PlatesUse your cell phones camera feature. Even better is if it has a video option. This reason alone would be a good reason to carry a cheap, compact Credit Card style digital camera when you go biking.Sure, you can take great shots of places you have been, as well as taking pictures of you and your friends on your next ride, but if the need ever arises, you can whip it out and start taking pictures of that car that just tried to turn you or your buddy into road pizza. 2. Get Witness Statements and InformationIf there were other people around, then get their information. Try to find people other than the bikers that were with you, because of the implied bias thay could have. "Neutral" parties are the best as witnesses.Drivers of other vehicles, pedestrians, people inside of shops, anybody that saw what happened, or could have seen what happened. If there are enough people aroound take down the plates of cars nearby that have people in them, so that Detectives can contact them later and ask them about what they might have seen.Information to get from witnesses includes Names, Addresses, Phone Number, Drivers License numbers, and Car Licenes plate numbers.3. Take Pictures of Injuries and DamageThis will be included as evidence later, as well as damage can be traced back to the vehicle from these photos, given that the vehicle can be located.4. Report the Incident to the PoliceCall The police, and let them know what happened. You may need to go to a local station in person to get a report or incident number.If there are multiple people on the ride, then have somebody call the police immediately, while others get information about the attacker, as well as take pictures if possible. If you are alone, get as much info as possible before calling the police, unless you are in immediate danger. You will not get a second chance to get this info, and it is best to get as much now. Once you have descriptions, photos, witnesses, etc, then call the police.5. Follow up!Make sure that a detective has been assigned to your case. Make sure that your case has enough informtaion to have leads for a detective to pursue. If your case has leads, and there is no action coming from the police, then you need to get heard.6. Contact City HallA few phone calls was all it took for my case to get the backing of a local citycouncilman. However, a few calls did not all come from me, which brings me to the next point-7. Get HeardPublicise your situation. Post on cycling forums, messageboards, etc. I dont know how mine got the exposure that it did, all I did was post a simple bulletin on Myspace letting my friends know what happened to me, as welll as write here in livejournal. A friend reccomended me posting it to Digg.com, and from there, it took off by itself, getting posted in various other forums, and that is when people started calling city hall and council reps on my behalf. I believe that it is becaue of the action of the cycling community that my case has a detective assigned to it now.This can be printed out and put in your wallet for future use. Hilight and Print Selection if your browser supports it, or just copy and paste it into a program that you can Print from. This form conviently fits in your wallet. I just might have to format another one that is the same size as a dollar bill, which can hold more info...What To Do When An Incident Occurs:STAY CALM. COLLECT INFORMATION-TAKE PICTURES of Driver, assailant(s), and injuries or damage immediately. Cell Phone Cameras will work in a rush! LAPD on a Cell -1 877 275-5273Plate Number______________ Color___________Make___________ Model_______________Location of Incident _________________________Description of Driver___________________________________________________________________Description of Passenger(s)_______________________________________________________________WITNESS INFO: Other Drivers, pedestrians, etcName__________________ Ph #________________Address ____________________________________CA DL #_______________ Vehicle Plates ________If anybody has any reccomendations or additions to this let me know.-Sparky

So I was out Biking today...

COPY AND REPOST THIS TO YOUR BLOGS & MESSAGE GROUPS! DIGG, etc this! Get the word out!UPDATES 4-03-07 Scroll Down Contacted by Catherine of Councilman Jack Weiss' Office, they are pushing my caseUPDATE 4-04-07 Scroll Downer! Contacted by Detectives, the investigation begins. Case number is 070809450.Short Version- Out biking, heading west on Pico Blvd, when I am near Beverwill and a black pickup truck (Toyota?) is near by, and the passenger throws someting, and yells "Get the Fuck off the road!"Naturally upset that sombody actually hurled something at me from a moving vehicle, I turned down the road that they turned down, and wrote down their license plate, 7H76469 (or 6409, But I think it is the other one).They are now making a U-Turn, and coming back in my direction, as well as heading back towards Pico Blvd. That just so happens to be where I am going, because now that I have thier license plate, I am ready to go on my way, and report the passenger later.As I stop at the stop sign, getting ready to turn, the passenger leans out his window and scream s again at me, "Get the Fuck off the road!"I turn to him, and inform him (calmly, I might add) that bikes are allowed full use of the lane.He again instructs me to get the FUCK off the road."Califorina Vehicle Code 21202 Allows me to be on the road""Get the FUCK OFF THE ROAD!"At this time, he starts punching me repeatedly in the face. I back up, not wanting to give this guy any reason to say that I incited him, and yell back at him, "So that is how its going to be, huh, THAT is how its going to be!" At this time, I pulled out my cell phone, call 911, and make the action again of writing down their plates.So, I finally get in touch with a dispatcher, inform them of my location, and as well as what has happened. They tell me that I can wait for an officer, request an ambulance, or go to a local police station. I op for the local station, because my situation isn't that urgent of an emergengy, and I dont think I need an ambulace for a few punches to the face.I get to the station, and filed a police report. So, I returned to my girlfriends place, and got these pictures taken to document the injury.I was punched about 3-4 times on the right side of my face, so my cheek became puffy, and my mouth was bleeding quite a bit.More to follow, I am going to press charges, and do everything I can to make sure that this guy understands that hitting random people, especially bikers is completely unacceptable.I hope my situation doesnt have to escalate like this one did, where I need to stage a call in to city officials to see action...but I am ready to provide info in case it does.-Chris "Sparky"UPDATE 4-3-07, 4pmThanks for the show of support from all the various forums that this is being discussed on.I called Jack Weiss' office, and asked for Catherine, and the receptionist said that she was on the phone with the LAPD from all the calls she had recieved from me. That was my first time calling! Thank you all who placed those calls.I should probably get the infor for LAPD HQ and my local congressman, Henry Waxman as well...As of this update, I still have recieved no word from the LAPD about this incident. For those that wanted to follow up, the incident number is 7089003802, and I did file in the West LA Police Station. The official report lists battery as the charge.~~~~~I am going to purchase pepper spray now, someting that I never thought I would have to do as a cyclist. From searching on the web, I have found that FOX Labs pepper spray is the best, this is the stuff that law enforcement and the military uses. It even has decontamination wipes available.This is the best price I found for a Bike mounted pepper spray holster, or search for bike pepper spray if the link died. It holds up to a 4oz cannister.Decontamination wipesI suggest cone fog type of spray vs stream, because with a stream you have to be more accurate, and with a cone fog you can get away with "pray and spray". I dont know enough about the foam type to make a good opinion.I'll update as info arises.UPDATE 5:20pmGot in touch with Catherine, she was very friendly, and informed me of the Det that is on my case, and I should be expecting a call tomorrow in the morning hours.I hope to hear from them.UPDATE 4-4-07 4:30pmI was contacted by Det Nunez today, and we discussed what happened, as what info she needed, such as pictures of my injuries. (See above for the brief rundown)My case number is 070809450, for those that are keeping tabs on this-Sparks

Couldnt have said it better myself

A page I visit quite often is idleworm.com.This article prety much sums up the situation down there in New Orleans, and the way taht politics is spinning this into a win for Bush. I think that if people actually get moving, this could end the rule of the policies put in place by this administration, and it may be a long time before we get religious conservatives in office again.Guess who gets to rebuild? Guess who gets another no-bid contract? Your friends at Halliburton.More later, if I feel like adding to this.-Chris

Rove is FUCKED!

HAHHAHAA, ya get whats coming, you SCUMBAG.For those that aint american, Rove is the Bush family senior political strategist. He is also know for lots of dirty tricks, and brags about alot of them.Well, a while ago (2002) A carer diplomat (wilson) went to niger to investigate claims of yellowcake being sold from there to Iraq. He discovered that there was no yellowcake, and that there are no sales of it. He came back and reported his findings. For revenge, a "senior whitehouse official" reveled to Robert Novak and many others that Wilsons wife, valerie plame, is a CIA agent. Well, that just happens to be a violation of federal law, revealing the identity of a CIA agent.Novak worte the story, Valerie was outed, and Wilson smells the stench of revenge. He wrote editorials discussing his outrage, and the whitehouse brushed it off as as a disgruntled former employee. Meanwhile, Bombs started falling on Iraq.Well, it has been revealed that Rove is the source of the leak. Here is an interesting story from Scott McClellan, the press secretary of the whitehouse.So, when do the impeachment hearings begin? I REALLY WANT TO KNOW!People are dying as a result of This leak, all of the people that were contacts for Valerie have surely been traced and killed for giving information or helping the US. And Iraq, that who situation is also still going on.Why hasn't Novak's feet been toasted for his involvement? he reported the story, and he has not been touched!Google keyword searchJust some thoughts for now.More later, I dont have the net in my new room yet, and I LOVE my new room!-Chris

My Girlfriends Back...

Hey ya...hey yeah, My Girlfriends back!:-)Old song...But good....Read the lyrics....no, they do not pertain to real life in my situation at all.As the Brit would say....I'm knackered!-Chris

Calling things by their proper Names...

Yes, we do have religious fanatics in america that kill people because of their religious beliefs. However, they are not muslim. And when they kill people, we do not call them terrorists. we call them "bombing suspects".People that bomb abortion clinics. People that bomb Synagogues. People that bomb gay clubs. People that Kill the workers at abortion clinics, gay clubs, or any other person that works for a place that just so happens to not fit in to their narrow minded religious views. (Damn, makes me think of the soon to be opened Stem Cell Research Facility) These "upstanding" citizens that do this are called saviors in their towns and communities. They are protected by the community. I am DAMN sure that if a muslim person were to do this in america, the people that help them out will get charged for no less than Treason, conspiracy, aiding and abetting, if not charged for the crimes themselves, in addition to the person that actually made, planted, and detonated the bomb.So, now we have the guy that bombed the olympics in Atlanta. Not only did he do that, but he also bombed an abortion clinic, and a gay club. He hid out in the woods, and was fed and cared for by the people of his community that saw him as a great savior.I say we should treat the american Christian terrorists just like we do the Muslim ones. Hell, ship him off to Gitmo! Then we can go hog wild over him getting to the Supreme court over his rights! Just Like all the other Terrorists!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Not sure if this is a Compliment or an Insult....I think it is given in the press release as a compliment...but it is really a thinly veiled insult....Damn Slimballs.....~~~~~~~~~~~~~~My Friends in the Phillipines work at an animation studio called Evershine Animation, and they work on this show called Tao Shu, The Warrior Boy. Check it out!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Yuki is back in a few more Days!Allrighty..Things to do Sat....7:00 Wake Up (FAAAACCK!!!)8:30 AM Pick up Yuki8:30-? Spend time with Yuki7:30 PM Be at co-op to begin social gaming and re-introduce Craig & Kayo...Go Back To Yuki's if necessary (She may be sleeping)Go play games, Check up on Kayo and Craig. Talk to Kayo and/or Craig.Eat Breakfast With Kathryn et alSleep.

Motherfucker, motherfucker, motherfucker, NO!

Hmmm... So, let me get this straight..... Schiavo dies....Religious right cries, senators deride the courts, say we need to reform the judiciaty, if not replace/remove it alltogether!Seems that the republicans, I mean Religious right (they are interchangeable now) really want to push this culture of life Idea, and want to get the public behind them on picking judges that are not "legal activists", and want to curtail abortion and stem cell research.Man, as much as I dislike republican policies, I really can feel sorry for them. I know, I know, this doesnt sound like me, but listen.Their party is being hijacked. It really is, by the invigorated religious right. Even strongholds of the repub party are going "Wait a sec..."Dammit, this country was FOUNDED on the ideas of checks and balances. The Judiciary is puting a CHECK to the legislative balance, and they are WHINING about it! They are saying taht they do not like these activist judges.Whatever that means.What is an activist judge? They are making it sound like it is a person taht is out of touch with reality, that recklessly legislates from the bench, that changes the interpretaion or ways of law. Congress says that they have no right to do that, being unelected officials.Problem is, they have been doing that for a LONG time, and nobody has been complaining. Until now.They are not getting thier way. And like a small child, they are whinnig about it. Whenever a judge decides against their legislation, or what they precieve to be right, they call them activist judges, and ask for their removal. So far, there has only been one judge removed from the bench for his views, but it was the guy down in the south that refused to remove the ten commandments because he believed God's law was higher than American law.Nooo..... when you got your bar..you were tested on...American law.....Leave the legal system how it is. I like it this way. It is keeping us sane, while our legislatures are driving us insane. C'mon people... writing special laws for a family, Flying out from vacationto sign this special law... aren't you worried that you are being a liitle too, how do we put this....obvious?!~~~~~~~Hypocrisy growsHere are some talking points on NPR now, this is from their website.On Sunday, a Los Angeles Times report detailed how House Majority Leader Tom DeLay let his own comatose father die in 1988. As the leader of the save Schiavo movement in Congress, DeLay embodies the GOP‘s rank hypocrisy on this issue. Democrats at Columbia University recently compiled a list of other examples of GOP hypocrisy in the Schiavo case. We‘ve included the most relevant and added a few of our own.** While Governor of Texas, George W. Bush signed a law allowing hospitals to remove a patient‘s life support regardless of the wishes of the family. Just a week ago Texas terminated the life of Sun Hudson, a five-month old baby suffering from a fatal genetic disorder.** The 2000 Republican platform read: "Medical decision-making should be in the hands of physicians and their patients." Four years later, the language remained nearly the same: "We must attack the root causes of high health care costs...by putting patients and doctors in charge of medical decisions."** Much of Terry Shiavo‘s care came courtesy of Medicaid, which the Bush Administration wants to cut by $60 billion. Just recently Republican Governor Bob Riley of Alabama tried to drop coverage for 13-year-old Lauren Rainey, a severely handicapped girl who requires a suction tube to breathe.** In his previous career as a heart surgeon, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist pulled the plug "on a regular basis," his office acknowledged last week. In his 1989 book Transplant, Frist advocated killing anencephalic babies, who are born in the same mental state that Terry Schiavo finds herself in today.** The tort-reform bill recently passed by the Senate would block cases like the malpractice suit that provided for Terri‘s care from reaching the courts in the first place.** So-called family values Republicans who constantly invoke the "sanctity of marriage" have viciously attacked Terry Schiavo‘s husband Michael, calling him a lying, lecherous wife-killer. It got so bad that TV host Joe Scarborough asked fellow conservative Pat Buchanan, "Are you comparing Michael Schiavo to a Nazi?"~~~~~~~~more to come later, I am off to a film job.