[SDCBC] 10news.com Teenager Killed In Carmel Valley Bike Crash

[Gene Carman]

Well here is a question to be asked...  where do service vehicles 
park?  Beyond landscapers I see other service vehicles parked in BL 
quite often...  SDGE, phone company, cable company, even police while 
the latter are doing some sort of computer work or have a speed trap 
set up.  The fact is various  motorists use bike lanes for parking 
all the time.

Should these vehicles be required to park in the wider "automotive" 
lane?  That would certainly give motorists a taste of the situation 
that cyclists often face.

At 03:02 AM 11/4/2007, JonIsaacs at aol.com wrote:
>In a message dated 11/3/07 8:20:38 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
>hollenbeck2001 at yahoo.com writes:
>
>>So if a tree fell in the bike lane and a rider crashed into it, who 
>>would be liable?
>>And would anyone hear it? ;-)
>
>
>-------
>
>Hello to all:
>
>My personal attitude is that this is not a laughing matter.   We are 
>discussing a tragic situation that resulted in someone dying, a 
>young life is gone and a family is most certainly grieving.
>
>People have pointed out that the cyclist could have avoided this 
>fate had he been more aware and understood that the bike lane is not 
>often not the safest place to ride.  I agree with that.
>
>However, the fact remains that apparently there was truck parked 
>illegally in the bicycle lane and that truck was an unnecessary 
>hazard.  I see this on a regular basis and I make an effort to 
>address the issue, either with the driver or if that fails, with 
>someone at the local police station.   As we have seen in other 
>threads, if given some effort, cars and trucks parked in the bike 
>lane will be ticketed by the city.  And too, a camera can do 
>wonders, the right photos to the right person can achieve immediate action.
>
>If I had ridden in the area on a regular basis and had seen trucks 
>regularly parked in the bike lane, I would be asking myself if maybe 
>further vigilance on my part might have avoided this tragedy.  I 
>believe education gives riders their single most important safety 
>tool but that does not prevent me or you from asking that laws be 
>obeyed and Bike Lanes be respected.
>
>When those laws are ignored and as a direct result someone is 
>injured, I think it is reasonable to hold the violator 
>accountable.  For better or for worse, that is the theory behind our 
>justice system.
>
>Jon Isaacs
>
>
>
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