Cyclist killed while holding the headrest of a car

[SickBeast]

I dunno, the part of this that bothers me is that if the cyclist had been rich, he would have been in a car and there's no way he would have died like this. Essentially, the upper class guy lives while the lower class guy is dead, simply because he could not a afford a vehicle.

It turns out that the cyclist was also drunk shortly before the accident.

When I drive in Toronto I tend to put the windows up and lock the doors if I see someone approaching my car (the homeless will do that sometimes, but with our welfare state I feel that they get enough as it is so I never give them beer/drug money. Nearly all of them smoke as well which I can't afford to do myself).

IMO driving a convertible downtown is naive and the guy was just trying to attract attention to himself.

 

[Napalm]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
They're now saying that they have surveillance tape which suggests that the cyclist went at the driver and was actually holding onto the driver. The cyclist had just had a big fight with his girlfriend, and had recently been arrested for something. I take back most of what I said about the SAAB driver (not all).

The stuff "they're now saying" is being leaked by the police... and the driver (Bryant) is the former attorney general of the Province of Ontario and has been touted as the Premiere's successor...

Something stinks here...

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: Napalm

Originally posted by: SickBeast
They're now saying that they have surveillance tape which suggests that the cyclist went at the driver and was actually holding onto the driver. The cyclist had just had a big fight with his girlfriend, and had recently been arrested for something. I take back most of what I said about the SAAB driver (not all).

The stuff "they're now saying" is being leaked by the police... and the driver (Bryant) is the former attorney general of the Province of Ontario and has been touted as the Premiere's successor...

Something stinks here...

I saw the guy's girlfriend on television saying he was drunk. I don't know who would have the audacity to say a man was drunk before he died unless it was true.

You have an interesting conspiracy theory. I get the impression that this man is a Conservative. The police love Conservatives because they fuel the fascist police state. There will be video surveillance. Yorkville is one of the richest areas in all of Canada.

 

[dammitgibs]

I get the impression that this man is a Conservative. The police love Conservatives because they fuel the fascist police state. There will be video surveillance. Yorkville is one of the richest areas in all of Canada.

Huh? Please explain.

 

[RocksteadyDotNet]

Err, where did you hear that a Governor General was powerful?

Australia is a constitutional monary like Canada, and our GG's have no power. They're the Head of State, but its a symbolic thing.

 

[KMFJD]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
The cyclists here in Toronto are all protesting now, blocking off Bloor Street which is one of our two biggest main streets (Yonge being the other).

As someone who has lived downtown for sometime while driving to work every day, I will say that the cyclists are overall insane and are not enforced properly by the police. I have been told by a source that our mayor does not like cars and is having the police go after people who live and drive downtown. IMO this has fueled a toxic situation where cyclists who pay no gas tax to improve our roads are even getting their own dedicated lanes, causing massive gridlock and smog for local residents.


TBH here in Toronto we probably have the worst local government of any city in North America right now. What I find disconcerting is that our police force is a puppet to them and they play along.

Lol please, look up some stories of Detroit's local government if you want to see horrible government

 

[StageLeft]

How much anti-cycling circle-jerking is going on in this thread? I've not read any of the posts, but I presume the usual offenders are going to town once again.

 

[StageLeft]

I just read the article. Despite having a close call or two myself on my bike that guy on the bike was obviously a total moron. What the hell did he expect to happen? Cyclists need to realize that if they are almost hit it's due to the driver being an idiot or not paying attention; it's not a personal hatred of you. You have to just let it go.

 

[Napalm]

Originally posted by: RocksteadyDotNet
Err, where did you hear that a Governor General was powerful?

Australia is a constitutional monary like Canada, and our GG's have no power. They're the Head of State, but its a symbolic thing.

Nobody said anything about GG...

 

[yllus]

Originally posted by: SickBeast

Originally posted by: Napalm

Originally posted by: SickBeast
They're now saying that they have surveillance tape which suggests that the cyclist went at the driver and was actually holding onto the driver. The cyclist had just had a big fight with his girlfriend, and had recently been arrested for something. I take back most of what I said about the SAAB driver (not all).

The stuff "they're now saying" is being leaked by the police... and the driver (Bryant) is the former attorney general of the Province of Ontario and has been touted as the Premiere's successor...

Something stinks here...

I saw the guy's girlfriend on television saying he was drunk. I don't know who would have the audacity to say a man was drunk before he died unless it was true.

You have an interesting conspiracy theory. I get the impression that this man is a Conservative. The police love Conservatives because they fuel the fascist police state. There will be video surveillance. Yorkville is one of the richest areas in all of Canada.

The man was Attorney-General of this province for years under the current government - the Liberal Party of Ontario. He's been a Liberal MPP since 1999. You really are a complete moron, but that's hardly a surprise.

 

[1prophet]

How about we wait until the facts come out and put our prejudices and hatreds away along with the pitchforks and torches.

Both of them could have panicked, the cyclist holding on in fear of his life and the driver trying to shake him free due to fear of ending up like Reginald Denny.

 

[TankGuys]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
...

TBH here in Toronto we probably have the worst local government of any city in North America right now...

Heh, you should come visit Detroit, then see if you still stand behind that

 

[Deeko]

Cyclist is a moron for grabbing on to a moving vehicle or things inside it, whether he expected the driver to speed off or not.

 

[TheSkinsFan]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
I dunno, the part of this that bothers me is that if the cyclist had been rich, he would have been in a car and there's no way he would have died like this. Essentially, the upper class guy lives while the lower class guy is dead, simply because he could not a afford a vehicle.

How the hell you managed to turn this incident into a class issue is beyond me. Seriously, wtf?!

Envy and anger will be the death of you.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: TheSkinsFan

Originally posted by: SickBeast
I dunno, the part of this that bothers me is that if the cyclist had been rich, he would have been in a car and there's no way he would have died like this. Essentially, the upper class guy lives while the lower class guy is dead, simply because he could not a afford a vehicle.

How the hell you managed to turn this incident into a class issue is beyond me. Seriously, wtf?!

Envy and anger will be the death of you.

I kind of assumed he was joking, but really that was projecting hope on my point, perhaps. For all we know this guy just loved cycling. Or he had no driver's license because he was a drunk with a history, who knows. It's completely irrelevant to this anyway.

 

[yllus]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I kind of assumed he was joking, but really that was projecting hope on my point, perhaps. For all we know this guy just loved cycling. Or he had no driver's license because he was a drunk with a history, who knows. It's completely irrelevant to this anyway.

Courier had history with police

The night he was killed in a collision that is alleged to have involved former Ontario attorney-general Michael Bryant, 33-year-old bike messenger [Darcy Allan Sheppard] was in a confrontation with police, and 61 warrants for his arrest were outstanding in Alberta.

On Monday evening, shortly before he was killed, Mr. Sheppard had been drinking, and police were called to his girlfriend's apartment, according to neighbours and police.

Landlord Peter Veljkvoic said Mr. Sheppard moved into the apartment with his girlfriend, Misty Bailey, in May. He said the couple were exemplary tenants until a few months ago, about the same time that Mr. Sheppard moved out. Some co-workers said the couple had broken up.

Toronto police said that Mr. Sheppard did not have a criminal record in Ontario, but Edmonton police said Alberta had 61 outstanding warrants for his arrest.

The warrants related to allegations that Mr. Sheppard forged checks and cashed them at Money Marts in Alberta, Edmonton police said.

"He was the subject of a substantive fraud, uttering forged documents, stolen property file," said Staff Sergeant Bill Allan of the Edmonton Police Service. "What this guy was doing was he was going to Money Mart and he was cashing cheques for like $98 to himself."

In 2003, he was released on bail and soon afterward failed to make a scheduled court appearance, Staff Sgt. Allan said.

It is irrelevant, however, because it's unfair to assume a state of mind solely based on someone's past.

 

[jackace]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Cyclists need to realize that if they are almost hit it's due to the driver being an idiot or not paying attention;

This is a big assumption on your part that the cyclist is in the right. From my experience cyclists don't obey the rules of the road much more often then drivers. I go to school and work at a university so that might skew my perspective, but I see more cyclists crossing streets without the right of way, cutting people off, and darting across busy streets.

I'm by no means against cyclists. I even ride my own bike from time to time, but from personal experience many cyclists put themselves in harms way.

 

[Ackmed]

More cyclist acting like they deserve the road. Keep his hands off the car, and he wouldnt have died. Seems like its his fault to me.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Originally posted by: jackace

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Cyclists need to realize that if they are almost hit it's due to the driver being an idiot or not paying attention;

This is a big assumption on your part that the cyclist is in the right. From my experience cyclists don't obey the rules of the road much more often then drivers. I go to school and work at a university so that might skew my perspective, but I see more cyclists crossing streets without the right of way, cutting people off, and darting across busy streets.

I'm by no means against cyclists. I even ride my own bike from time to time, but from personal experience many cyclists put themselves in harms way.

At the very least most cyclists I see ride around like the laws of the road trump the laws of physics. Being in the legal right doesn't make you any less smushed by the grill of that SUV. It's on bikers to obey the laws AND drive defensively if they want to stay safe. Motorcycle riders have dealt with this for years but for some reason it's lost on most bicyclists.

 

[StageLeft]

It is irrelevant, however, because it's unfair to assume a state of mind solely based on someone's past.

But all things equal it's certain illuminating. 61 warrants and drunk and police called earlier that night, I think we at least know why he was holding onto the car. Because he was crazy. As we thought!

This is a big assumption on your part that the cyclist is in the right.

I mean in cases where cyclist IS in the right. I've had three fairly close calls before (not super duper omg close, but then we're arguing semantics when it comes to a cycle hitting a car). Two I was clearly in the right and another I was clearly not (but I was a kid). The two as an adult the car was either unaware of me or simply disrespectful. A lot of cars I really believe have no qualms about taking a right in front of a bike. They assume the cyclist just automatically stops all the time or something for roads coming up to the right; I see cars taking right in front of cyclists far too often and it's fvcking dangerous.

Motorcycle riders have dealt with this for years but for some reason it's lost on most bicyclists.

I'm sure any good cyclists is well aware of their vulnerability. This is, for starters, why most wear helmets. There are plenty of poseurs who don't, though, and people who hate life who ride INTO traffic, they are obviously begging to die.

 

[RedChief]

The guy was an asshole, simple as that. We have a lot of those here in the SF Bay Area. There the type of bicyclist that will run red lights and stop signs because they fell they dont have to follow the rules.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Originally posted by: SkoorbA lot of cars I really believe have no qualms about taking a right in front of a bike. They assume the cyclist just automatically stops all the time or something for roads coming up to the right; I see cars taking right in front of cyclists far too often and it's fvcking dangerous.

Do cyclists not know it's a good idea to stop when a car in front of them hits their right turn signal?

 

[DivideBYZero]

Plenty of non-cyclists in here ready to start rabble rousing. Usual AT bullshit.

 

[halik]

Eh if you attack me while im sitting down in my car (regardless of what happened before hand) I'm gonna floor it too. You'll be the retard that brought a bicycle to a car fight.

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: Gonad the Barbarian

Originally posted by: jackace

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Cyclists need to realize that if they are almost hit it's due to the driver being an idiot or not paying attention;

This is a big assumption on your part that the cyclist is in the right. From my experience cyclists don't obey the rules of the road much more often then drivers. I go to school and work at a university so that might skew my perspective, but I see more cyclists crossing streets without the right of way, cutting people off, and darting across busy streets.

I'm by no means against cyclists. I even ride my own bike from time to time, but from personal experience many cyclists put themselves in harms way.

At the very least most cyclists I see ride around like the laws of the road trump the laws of physics. Being in the legal right doesn't make you any less smushed by the grill of that SUV. It's on bikers to obey the laws AND drive defensively if they want to stay safe. Motorcycle riders have dealt with this for years but for some reason it's lost on most bicyclists.

I really really don't understand why there are sooo many idiot bicyclists (the caliber of the youtube retard that insists that bicycles have always the right of way) with that mentality. You do not have the right away and if you think people will see and yield to you, you're doing it wrong.

Every time I cross an intersection on my R6 I lock eyes with the guy making left through my life. Every time I pull up to a stop sign, I let the cager go. I don't ever ride anywhere near people's blind spot and ALWAYS assume they won't see you. If your attitude is "I do what I want, because I'm special on my 6 speed", you'll will get creamed.