responses to LA Times article on case of 'Dr. Road Rage' in LA (http://bit.ly/drRoadRage)
Otis9454 (01/07/2010, 9.35 PM): No love for the doctor, but no love for cyclists who unlawfully clog streets. Mandeville Canyon is no place to club-ride, and it's certainly no place to give a motorist "the finger." Bottom line, though - punishment (broken bodies) did not fit the crime.
Jeffrey526 (01/07/2010, 9.56 PM): I have ridden Mandeville - similar results. Had a person put their fender into me and push me into the curb. Police wouldn't take a report and no resolution was had - just two idiots screaming at a cyclist to "get out of their canyon". This Doctor needs to arry that banner no matter what the outcome - but he needs to be punished. Everyone else need to be more respectfull to each other and maybe even learn something.
NG90291 (01/07/2010, 10.02 PM): It is not about who breaks the law more, a driver on the phone or a cyclist going through a stop sign. This case is about a deliberate act to harm someone with direct intent. The doctor acted deliberately to injure the cyclists. A deliberate act to harm deserves a deliberate act to punish.
bwnoel (01/08/2010, 5.57 AM): I'm continually amazed by people who want to excuse perpetrators of violent crimes. This man deliberately took an action to physically harm the cyclists involved in this accident. Who cares what he did for a living, this guy is a criminal, worse, as an emergency room physician with years of experience, knew full well what the results of his actions could well be. Put this s.o.b. behind bars where he belongs. This man's other related punishments, loss of license, etc., come with the territory of being a convicted felon. As a road cyclist of 30 years experience, I've come close many times to being hit by some jerk who feels that only cars and trucks are allowed on the roads. There are consequences to wrong actions, period.
KL626 (01/08/2010, 6.29 AM): Agreed, this doctor let his ego get in the way and crossed the line. HOWEVER, some cyclists defy the rules of the road and do as they please. For us to minimize these sort of actions cyclists too need to follow the standard laws. If cyclists want the respect of drivers for the sake of safety, cyclists need to respect the laws as well.
bikecrave (01/08/2010, 7.47 AM): The judge must apply the law and respect the findings of the jury. This isn't about renegade cyclists. This is about a man in a car who decided that his own rage was more important than anything else. Thankfully no one died.
KateNonymous (01/08/2010, 9.52 AM): I hate to break it to Michael Oana, but someone who "acted without thinking" can indeed be a criminal, if their actions constitute a crime. Christopher Thompson did just that, as determined by a jury, and he deserves punishment for those actions.
burnedAlaskan (01/08/2010, 9.57 AM): What shocks, angers and disgusts me the most is that guy was an ER physician of all things and left these obviously injured people to rot in the street and not attend to or even give a cursory examination as to their injuries. They could have had head trauma. At the very least he should have known -- correct that -- he DID KNOW -- to stabilize their heads and necks; particularly the fellow with the facial injuries. When 911 asked if the cyclists were hurt he said "yes, but they can tell you about it." He showed clear reckless disregard for human life. I'm glad he's broke, I'm glad he's been run out of town, and anyone who says he's a compassionate and caring doctor must also believe in the Easter Bunny and Area 51. No compassionate and caring doctor deliberately injures people and then lets them lay injured in the road and stands by and does nothing -- particularly when their specialty is emergency medicine. He deserves jail time -- particularly as he has a history of tangling with bicyclists before. He seemed to think the canyon was his own personal property and now he's going to find out the hard way it wasn't.
SFBXB (01/08/2010, 10.08 AM): It appears that Thompson's supporters condone breaking the law if one has contributed to the community. That makes little sense. I'm an avid cyclist and I've seen a number of cyclists break many traffic laws. I too have done it - in the past. We, as cyclists, cannot control the actions or reactions of drivers, we can only remain vigilant and on guard. Until we get bumpers on our butts, we're no match for an auto. Thompson should be sentenced to 8 years regardless of his health and contribution. Those being as they are cannot be considered permission for him to injure others. Is he some sort of "angel of mercy" attempting to erradicate his neighborhood of law-breaking cyclists? Sounds like he's a vigilante of sorts. One time, while riding a taking my space in a left turn lane and waiting for the light to change, a driver pulled up behind me and though he too couldn't turn, he started "condemning" (I use the term loosely) me for taking a space in the lane. I told him that we get yelled at for following the law and yelled at for not following the law. "Where do you want me to go?" He wanted me off the road. Period. We'll never overcome the hatred of some drivers, we can only ride defensively within the law and realize that a car is much larger than we are.
evadtheslayer (01/08/2010, 10.09 AM): Hope he gets a nice LONG sentence in a real prision and not some country side prision farm. Obviously his license to practice as an MD should be permanently revoked. I don't much care how nice he is when not around cyclists, the fact is he cannot control his temper and used a 2 ton vehicle to smash up the cyclists. I sincerely hope the judge in this case is wise enough to have this "doctor" do signifant time. Maybe that will teach LA drivers a little more courtesy around those on 20 pound bicycles.
rjfj (01/08/2010, 10.28 AM): After reading through the article I don't believe the doctor should do time for his act. Cyclists all over the San Gabriel Valley ride on the road blocking cars and making it difficult to continue on the ROAD to THEIR destination. The Cyclists should get the heck out of the way and if they don't and disrespectfully block traffic THEY ARE PUTTING THEIR OWN LIVES AT RISK! Cyclists need to obey the rules of the road just like everyone else! Welcome to the Universe! There are OTHERS to CONSIDER!
tomato23 (01/08/2010, 10.47 AM): @rjfj wake up buddy - cyclists have the right to use the full lane - Section 21202(c) of the Vehicle Code expressly allows cyclists to take the lane when it is "too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane." and when going down mandeville on a bike, we are going the speed limit. there is no reason for cars to try and pass if it is a narrow stretch we choose to take over, which it is.
dougyfish (01/08/2010, 11.32 AM): I just wanted to comment on one aspect of this story. The issue of the bikers blocking traffic. As I understand it the speed limit on that road is 30mph. The bikes were travelling 30mph. They were'nt blocking traffic. They were traffic.
atjatjat (01/08/2010, 12.16 PM): All I can say by looking at these comments is WOW, I had no idea that drivers had such universal lack of understanding of the rules of the road. I suspect that most of the "Friends of dr death" would have a very hard time passing today's drivers tests and should have their licenses revoked. It is a very strong argument for retesting of drivers. We study for a few weesk at age 15, and get a driver's license for life. That test should be repeated every 5 to 10 years, including the theoretical part.
speedracer357 (01/08/2010, 1.08 PM): Rjfj - I have no idea what "universe" you live in, but I will never ride a bike there! So you want to break the law by speeding and be able to cause bodily harm to whomever happens to impede you? Cyclists have the right to use the road in this universe, I'm not sure the state should afford you that same privilege.
mapact (01/08/2010, 1.29 PM): @ riffi - you still don't get it. "Thought process" had nothing to do with the injuries in this case. They were due to cyclists following the vehicle code and being passed (illegally) and then intentionally injured by braking. Why is it so hard to grasp that that behavior warrants punishment? "Taking over" is the same thing a vehicle does when it travels the speed limit and prevents those who (illegally) want to go faster from doing so. Those here who think that riders outfits (goodkitty), the fact that they break the law too (iberian), etc. are relevant facts and justify violence are missing the point that there is a massive power imbalance between those on bikes and those in cars. Might makes right? Is that as deeply as your thinking goes?
