Bicycle Austin forum

WesternTrails

Member

Registered: 2013-08-28

Posts: 5

Harrassment on Bannister Lane

Yesterday evening I was commuting home, southbound, in the bike lane on Bannister Lane.  I was halfway up the hill when I heard a car slow down, move to the right, and drive right behind me in the bike lane - I could hear its tires crunching in the broken glass that always seems to be along the bike lane on that street.  As I moved even further towards the curb, the car gunned it around me, and as it passed, the right rear passenger threw a tennis racket at me.  I was able to duck and dodge it, but in the ruckus I was unable to get a license number.   The car turned to the right on Southridge.   The car is a small light brown sedan.  Four young men were in it.  I reported it to the police this morning, and though I don't expect much to come of it, I wanted it on file in case someone in the neighborhood has it out for cyclists, or least finds harassing us fun.  Be careful out there.

RedFalcon

Member

Registered: 2013-10-10

Posts: 233

Re: Harrassment on Bannister Lane

I read this the other day, but it didn't sink in until I was riding home today (and dealing with the usual moronic car driver misbehaviour) .  I have been assaulted a few times while cycling too, so I am entirely sympathetic. 

Western Trails reported this to the police.  Good.  But has happened since?  A tennis racket was used as a weapon against a fellow citizen.  What if it had lodged in the spokes of the front wheel?  Our Op might have suffered badly.  Did the cops bother to show up, or did they just take the report and file it away?  There was a weapon involved.  Let me say that again.  There was a weapon involved.   Did they check it for fingerprints?  If not, why not? 

If I dropped objects onto cars from an overpass, I would fully expect that the cops would check those objects for fingerprints and hunt me down*. We all gave our fingerprints to get a driving license right?  So this shouldn't even be that hard to solve.

Why do we put up with this shit?   What are we paying our taxes for, if not to have the authorities investigate instances such as this?

I hate this car culture.

me

* I would wear gloves, but I'll bet the scumbags who assaulted Western Trails never thought it through.

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,455

Website

Re: Harrassment on Bannister Lane

I hate this car culture.

Ditto.  Every time I hear about an assault on a cyclist like the one Western Trails experienced, I hear the pathetic bleating in my head, "Cyclists need to follow the law if they want respect."

How come that applies only to cyclists?  Drivers can throw tennis rackets at people but nobody indicts car drivers as a class because of it.

bizikletari

Member

Registered: 2009-03-18

Posts: 223

Re: Harrassment on Bannister Lane

Western Trails reported this to the police.  Good.  But has happened since?  A tennis racket was used as a weapon against a fellow citizen.  What if it had lodged in the spokes of the front wheel?  Our Op might have suffered badly.  Did the cops bother to show up, or did they just take the report and file it away?  There was a weapon involved.  Let me say that again.  There was a weapon involved.   Did they check it for fingerprints?  If not, why not? 

If I dropped objects onto cars from an overpass, I would fully expect that the cops would check those objects for fingerprints and hunt me down*. We all gave our fingerprints to get a driving license right?  So this shouldn't even be that hard to solve.

It seems rather evident that APD and Señor Acevedo are plainly against bicycling in Austin, perhaps with the quaint exception of a PR piece, the lack of interest in cyclists safety is appalling.
In the facebook world have circulated some comments regarding APD's failure to produce a report on a case were a cyclist was severely injured, despite repeated public requests to see one.
I am not clear if a petition to remove the current chief is in order or whether this will be better addressed through assurances from the City Council candidates that they will move to rid us from his services. But it certainly seems that we should try either venue.

Last edited by bizikletari (2014-09-13 09:42:19)