BIKE: Angry cyclists; deceased driver

[Mike Dahmus]

>And Bart pointed out to me that we really don't know what happened:
>"Imagine you're the cyclist.  A guy in a big pickup truck rides close
>to you and leans on his horn, maybe yells something threatening at you.
>  Then he *parks his truck* and moves towards you.  Is it unreasonable
>that you might feel threatened and feel the need to strike first?"

Yes, it's unreasonable. If he's out of the truck, there is no defensible 
reason to strike first, unless he's carrying a lethal weapon of some kind 
and obviously intending to use it (and NO, THE TRUCK DOESN'T COUNT, SINCE 
HE'S OUT OF IT AT THIS POINT). Civilized society is built upon bedrock that 
includes the concept of "don't attack somebody on a gut feeling".


Mike Dahmus
mdahmus