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Drive-by shooting of a San Jose bicyclist

eric strt6

Resident Curmudgeon
Sep 8, 2001
23,187
13,447
directly above the center of the earth
holy crap this really sucks



San Jose police are looking for man in a passenger vehicle who shot a bicyclist in east San Jose Saturday evening.
There were few details available soon after the shooting.

Police said they were called at 8:47 p.m. to the area of Remington Way and Quimby Road where they found the victim.

The victim was in surgery late Saturday evening in critical condition. Police said he placed an emergency call saying he had been shot. If he dies, it will be the city's 23rd homicide. Last year there were 36 homicide victims - a 10-year high.
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,005
Seattle
:(


Wonder if it was random, of there was a real motive. It's amazing how much animosity/ random violence gets directed towards cyclists by pissed off drivers.
 

moff_quigley

Why don't you have a seat over there?
Jan 27, 2005
4,402
2
Poseurville
There was one of these in KC a while back. The victim rode to work by bike. The guys shift ended around 2am or so. Anyway the perps were planning on a hit on someone else and couldn't find this person so they decided that someone was going to die that night and they happened to see the guy on the bike so they took him out. Insane.
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
Why does it matter?
It doesn't matter to me. I've actually been on that street.

But it is more of commentary about the distinction between "cyclists" and "guys on bikes", and honestly, between crimes against whites and crimes against minorities.

The news reports these kinds of crimes differently.
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
Why does it matter?
In this case it doesn't matter so much, but in stories where a cyclists is blamed for an accident (running a light for example) then I want to know.....a lot of times its some guy on a bike giving all cyclists a bad name
 

Silver

find me a tampon
Jul 20, 2002
10,840
1
Orange County, CA
It matters because my wife freaks out when she reads stuff like this. If it was a guy riding the wrong way down the street with a 12 pack of Natty Ice strapped to the handlebars, I can point out that he and I have very little in common.
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
What is the difference? Spandex & a $15k bike?
Well, part of it is the image of bike commuting in the US.

Outside the United States, bike commuting is just another means of transportation, not indicative of wealth or social status.

In the US, you are either cycling enthusiast, a child, or a poor person.

I was reading in Bob Mionske's legal column in Velonews about a girl who made a left turn and was killed by drunk driver going the other way. However, the drunk driver was left off because the authorities blamed the girl for making a legal left turn, like a car.

I think within our community, we might discriminate, but outside, people do not take cyclists serious period.
 
...In the US, you are either cycling enthusiast, a child, or a poor person...
Crap. There are a lot of people who quietly ride to work without making a big deal of it. There are also people who quietly ride their bike for the pure joy of it. People who ride bicycles span the range between that and spandex wearing poseurs with pricey bikes who can't ride to save their ass.
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
Crap. There are a lot of people who quietly ride to work without making a big deal of it. There are also people who quietly ride their bike for the pure joy of it. People who ride bicycles span the range between that and spandex wearing poseurs with pricey bikes who can't ride to save their ass.
Dude, I live in SF. People ride around, period.

Go outside of the Bay Area, even as close as SJ, and that might not be the case.