February 09, 2006

• That is, the photos were published in the Toronto Star, not the statement by the photographer.
• I love the comments that say she crossed the line by keying the car, after he threw a hot coffee at her.
• Littering enrages me, I think litters should be subject to some sort of non-lethal really horrible torture...
• litterERS...sorry just woke from strep throat induced nap :P
• So...littering is wrong, yes? But vandalism (throwing trash INTO the car, keying it) is now legal?
• I read about this before and some of the comments make LGF look positively restrained.
• So maybe the hero should have reported her to the cops instead of trying to beat her up. Also the comments by "Leah" in the thread are by the girl in the pics.
• The British don't like litter either.
• They both acted like idiots. She, however, acted like an uncompromising, principled idiot. I don't think he acted like any good kinds of idiot. I hope they catch the f*er.
• If I recall correctly from the thread on the Blue, the police informed the cyclist that her having keyed the car negated or reduced her standing in any claim she had on his assault, in their opinion. So she isn't pressing charges, apparently. tellurian - the doofus deserved it, considering that he was throwing plastic bottles into the surf.
• Good on the courier. Too bad the driver was a nutcase. tellurian, ooga_booga: Seriously, what if it was some kid with the plastic bottle? I'm sure the letter in the bottle would have given some clue to that, but that's just cold. I sarcastically love how most of the world can be so culturally obscene towards Americans for (not even) the tiniest slight or mis-step of an individual when there are much more important issues at hand. Reminds me of the 'people' who booed the American Juniors here in Vancouver on principle - not merit. And furthermore, the reasons weren't remotely near the U.S. Canada Hockey rivalry. This was just anti-American sentiments. It's not like Russia doesn't have a rivalry with Canada. Those kids couldn't even vote for Bush or the policy that has shaped their country over how many generations? Cold, cold, cold and ignorant.
• I boo any junior sports team as a matter of principle. Toughens the little fuckers up. I am not Canadian.
• her having keyed the car negated or reduced her standing in any claim she had on his assault... A dubious principle, surely? So if someone breaks my arm and then I break his leg the police reckon it's about all square and no further action required??
• Both acted like idiots. Every move was an escalation from the last. Neither deserves sympathy or respect.
• So...littering is wrong, yes? But vandalism (throwing trash INTO the car, keying it) is now legal? Maybe she thought he dropped it? That's what you get for trying to help someone!
• When I used to commute to work on a bike through downtown SF, I remember lots of interactions with drivers that were hostile, but not of this magnitude. I remember a very strong feeling that these yahoos were taking huge risks with my life without the slightest consideration. A typical example was a driver deciding to turn right through a bike lane without looking in his mirror or checking his blind spot. I would yell at these guys and sometimes they yelled back with what I interpreted as a sense of indignation. I remember thinking that to these guys, their only transgression was forgotting to check their mirror or blind spot. To me, these guys almost killed me/broke some of my bones/whatever. Maybe I was just projecting. But my point, and I do have one, is that as an urban biker, my mindset anyway, would always be one of defensiveness; thinking that everyone was out to get me. Escalation is an easy consequence of such a mindset.
• Can I have my cat arrested for littering?
• No kittens! Noooooo kittens!
• Pantsie! CLEAN UP THAT CAT PUN!
• InsolentChimp: I was at the proceedings you mentioned. No one there booed at all. As I remember it, and to tell the truth it was not that long ago, the crowd howled in fear at the fat ugly American children. I think I speak for everyone there that we were simply a little scared. So fat, so ugly, such lovely teeth. In my panic to escape, after purchasing a venti cup of tea(skinny, two bags, English breakfast), I seem to recall squishing some juniors under foot. The smell was awful. please forgive the derail.
• For those of you that don't want to wade through all the comments, here are some winners: "sarah: 27th Jan 2006 - 00:34 GMT What the fuck!!! It is also a misogynist taking it out on a woman, fuck that shit, I'd cut that man-bitch in a heartbeat..." "Marvin Holivard: 28th Jan 2006 - 18:02 GMT Come on... a female bicyclist picking a fight? This lesbian has too much testosterone flooding her veins. She should be pitied, and placed on an estrogen drip, stat." "pureevilmatt: 29th Jan 2006 - 12:55 GMT don't they pay people to pick up litter? if everyone stopped littering, all those people would be out of jobs..." "Kevin G: 31st Jan 2006 - 19:43 GMT guy looks like a russian/eastern euroepan assclown, they like to beat women & kill ppl. at random , e.g. see yugoslavia, serbs.." "Fat ass: 1st Feb 2006 - 01:44 GMT ... I'm not a motorist, but that cunt of a cyclist was out-of-line... She's one of those 'bikecunts' the ones with the stupid ass outfits that think they're cars and run over pedestrians like they're in a game." "CipherGeek: 2nd Feb 2006 - 00:20 GMT This fuckwad needed a good ass-kicking, or maybe a bullet in his head. Dumb fucks that have no respect for anything or anyone don't deserve to live. I've driven several fucks off the road who threw their lit cigarette butts out their car window. Go ahead and do it, but suffer the consequences and quite your bitchin." "billy : 2nd Feb 2006 - 03:14 GMT You women love to talk the talk. But you cant walk the walk. Need to change the laws from protecting all of you." "Yo mama: 2nd Feb 2006 - 19:56 GMT a Bull Dyke equipped with an assault helmet messin wit my ride is gonna get a smack down. Liberal vegan, easily mistaken for a man, hence hates men needed her ugly faced kicked in. Poor guy pays mucho bucks in gas taxes for his vehicle, which covers street sweeping. get over it you fucking moonbat tinfoil bitch. any low-rent psuedo taliban delivering important docs for "the man" shouldnt be allowed to have a key to anything. shouldnt even vote or drive or open her mustached ugly mug. put on a birkha and walk behind the man and dont let me hear a peep out of ya" "Dear Stephanie: 3rd Feb 2006 - 00:12 GMT I know all of you easterners have your heads up your liberal tree-hugging asses.. but I didnt know you had complete disregard for self-preservation... Thats the problem with you ass-hats.. you think you wont get slapped the fuck out if you try and play the hero. Sure he shouldnt have littered, but I think that stupid hooker learned more of a lesson not to be a hero than he did to not litter."
• My personal favorite: "whatever: 1st Feb 2006 - 15:37 GMT I didn't read all the comments, but i am damn sure that if someone threw my garbage back into my car I'd be pissed off enough to throw coffee at them and assault their bike. we live in a free country, but it is not the place of a courier to enforce the law by flinging garbage back at people. Maybe the burger was dripping all over the place, maybe it was half raw and the man was disgusted by who prepared it. In weak moments we all litter. And what of the folks with babies who use huge quantities of disposable diapers--are they better just because the diapers end up in a landfill? All these "green folks" who go around riding bikes and drinking herbal tea are some of the most annoying and self-righteous people I have met. Just because you ride a bike and don't litter you are supposed to be better? They smoke pot, but your an asshole because you eat red meat? Do you also have a composting toilet at home--because if not, why are you littering with your shit? The toilet only goes as far as the nearest poor restaurant--didn't you know that. This guy was minding his own business, and I applaud him for taking out his anger on the bike instead of the woman--what most people don't see in the pics is that he is probably restraining himself by going after the bike--you would be too if someone flung garbage at you. That said, the guy needs to lay off on the caffiene (sp?) and quicksand arms flailing practice routine in the middle of a busy street--I mean guys like these cause traffic jams and cause all the man lovers to come out onto the streets."
• *sniffle* I miss Mefi. bwahahahahahaha!
• I seriously wonder what makes some people such troglodytes.
• anonymity, is my guess.
• mct, there's a simple formula for that expressed here. MsVader - those are some prime, grade-A troglodytes you found there. Please be a dear and return them to the Triassic where they belong once you're done with 'em, thanks! InsolentChimp - the guy in question was throwing plastic bottles into the surf. I might possibly have a smidgen of sympathy had it been a glass bottle which is far more susceptible to the elements than good old petrochemicals. Whether he was American or not is immaterial to me, but the British fellow who sent him the letter is displaying what is an increasingly global opinion of Americans. Thank Bush, Dick, Rummy and Condi for that.
• So...littering is wrong, yes? But vandalism (throwing trash INTO the car, keying it) is now legal? No,no,no, she was returning his property. Not vandalising.
• I hate bike couriers... whatever bad happens to them, I thoroughly enjoy. In fact, I hate bikes in particular. buy a Vespa please.
• How is scratching someone's car an "escalation" from assault? Please remove your head from your ass if you think that.
• Motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians are constantly at war in my town. I see stupid, reckless behavior on all three sides (and I'm sure I'm guilty of it myself sometimes). According to each group, the other ones are completely to blame and don't want to "share the road." The common denominator is a self-centered sense of entitlement. People, eh?
• Just remember, being an ass in your car will generally kill more people than being an ass on a bike.
• randomaction, ya got me, I wasn't there, but all the reports from those friends of mine that were and all the papers I read about it told me the same story. So what I was led to believe is wrong, obviously. Fat-toothed American kids. ooga_booga, I know you weren't showing any antipathy for the USA. I just expressed my distaste for what is a growing stereotype which only perpetuates this us and them hegemony - (why I picked another paragraph to vent my stinking airs).
• How is scratching someone's car an "escalation" from assault? If I had the choice between having coffee splashed on me (what you call 'assault') and having my vehicle keyed (what you call 'scratching'), I'd take the coffee. And if a cyclist purposely keyed my vehicle, for any reason, I'd see to it that his/her bicycle was similarly (dollar for dollar) damaged.
• Rocket88 I'm not the one who deems throwing potentially scalding-hot water on someone as assault, that's been decided already. And it's the attitude that a person's car is somehow an extension of their personal space that breeds neanderthal fucktard attitudes like this monster in the linked article.