"Not guilty" plea for running over a motorcyclist ....

[MotoSook]

How can this idiot even think of pleading not guilty.

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/05/trial-under-way-in-fatal-nail-polish-crash.html

This lady literally makes my stomach turn.

While applying nail polish at the wheel...

In her own statement Hunt said that she kept pressing the pedal and she wondered why her car wasn't slowing down. She later realized that she had her foot on the wrong pedal and had to move her foot to the left pedal

Runs over another woman (a mother) who was stopped at a light.

[Rot 911]

But she has an excuse for why she didn't see him: A Lake County sheriff's report said Hunt told investigators she didn't see Zaffke's motorcycle and was applying polish to her fingernails.

[Brando]

Sounds almost like what happened to me. Lady gunned the throttle to try to beat oncoming traffic (turning into a parking lot), T-bones me. I catch 25ft and some air time. She "didn't see" me.

Do these people ever f-cking try LOOKING?!?!

VOLUME LEVEL ANGRY!

[MotoSook]

The murderer...the nail polish was for?????

[Jagshund]

Driving isn't viewed as a priority nor a responsibility these days- it's perceived to be a right. Gets me riled every time I see someone talking on their phone or reading a book while driving.

[Joeaksa]

Friend of mine had a old Ford Bronco, version 1. He got tired of the idiots running into him so he painted it day-glo lemon green. Stood out like Three Mile Island from 100 miles.

Some idiot who had been drinking ran into him from the back. His frigging insurance company took it to court saying that his client could not see the bronco.

My friend took one photo of the vehicle and its color with him. He handed it to the judge who promptly said "guilty" and closed the case.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by Joeaksa

Friend of mine had a old Ford Bronco, version 1. He got tired of the idiots running into him so he painted it day-glo lemon green. Stood out like Three Mile Island from 100 miles.

Some idiot who had been drinking ran into him from the back. His frigging insurance company took it to court saying that his client could not see the bronco.

My friend took one photo of the vehicle and its color with him. He handed it to the judge who promptly said "guilty" and closed the case.

That's why I wear a dayglo jacket when I ride. I figure, if I survive a hit and make it to court, what's left of my jacket will convince everyone there's no way they couldn't see me. When I did get hit on the 101 last year, I was wearing it and had my HID high and low beams on midday. Dumb teenage said I was in her blind spot.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by 1968Cayman

Driving isn't viewed as a priority nor a responsibility these days- it's perceived to be a right. Gets me riled every time I see someone talking on their phone or reading a book while driving.

It has also become a monumental inconvenience and the perception is that it's a waste of time to have to pay attention to.

This is a problem that's not going away soon. We have a "perfect storm" of driver distraction right now:

1. People constantly overworked/stressed/tired/needing to "multitask"
2. Lots of new gadgets/gizmos/distractions/electronic toys
3. Horrendous traffic management plans creating stupidly slow transit times, which only contributes to people viewing it as a waste of time
4. Too many people trying to use roads/resources at the same time

I am an avid motorcyclist (was more so when I lived out west) but I can understand easily how this could happen. On a bike (bicycle or motorcycle) you absolutely MUST assume that everyone IS actively trying to kill you at all times. That's not a cliche or an exaggeration - I mean it.

As despicable as this is, this woman deserves her day in court, as does anyone accused of a crime.

[island_dude]

If there was ever a poster child for distracted driving, this lady would be it. My number one fear on a bike these days is a person like this. I don't disagree that she deserves her day in court and she is certainly free to defend herself, it would have been a lot more classy to just cut a deal. She murdered someone in cold blood and she wants us to know that she is not a criminal. Driving is the point of driving. Not doing her nails, reading a book, texting and a million other distractions. She took someone's life because she decided touching up her nails was more important than paying attention. The bike was stopped at a light. There is no excuse for her failure.

I have encountered people sympathetic to this woman's argument. They feel that motorcycles do not belong on the road. That they are inherently dangerous and that they do not provide enough protection. Their argument is that because of this its their fault when they are in an accident. I am guessing that this is what the woman's lawyer will claim.

[legion]

I always make sure that every car waiting to pull out of a side-road/driveway makes eye contact with me when I'm on my bike. When I don't think a car sees me, I rev the engine. When that doesn't work, I beep my horn. Some people get pissed because they think I'm commenting on their driving, but I'd rather have pissed off people that know I'm there.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by 1968cayman

driving isn't viewed as a priority nor a responsibility these days- it's perceived to be a right. Gets me riled every time i see someone talking on their phone or reading a book while driving.

+1!!

[MotoSook]

Teenage girl was texting a the wheel through on of our construction areas. It was a non-union crew working, but in order to satisfy the locals a union electrician was hired to simply hold a sign along the road.

Girl ran over the poor guy and didn't even know it.

Stuff like this just makes me nuts. A vehicle is the deadliest weapon available to the average citizen, and vehiclular manslaughter is treated with less severity than if a homeowner was to shoot an intruder!

Just recently a drunk Chicago cop was released after a judge dismissed criminal charges for killing to guys when he plowed through an intersection doing 2-3 times the speed limit in the city. The cops purposely fouled the events immediately after the wreak, but the fact that this guy killed two innocent people was clear as could be.


I have no patience for bad drivers when I'm on my bike.

[masraum]

Honestly, when I read something like this my initial reaction is that a bullet would be a great solution to this particular problem. That's probably a bit harsh. At the very least, I hope this lady has a hard time sleeping for the rest of her life.

[911FASCINATION]

Porsche-O-Phile hit the nail square on the head-You have to assume that noone sees you out there. I've been amazed how many times people seem to look right through you before they do something stupid. I'm a big guy on a big, loud bike-and it still suprises me when some idiot pulls out in front of me or merges into my lane without looking. Be careful out there guys!!

[vash]

CRAP! what a beotch.

but this is why i always split lanes at stops. even if i am 1st in line, i am off to one side..and i watch that rear mirror religiously. this exact thing happened on me Sept 22, 2000..the day i met my wife. car didnt see the red light, and kept coming. lucky i was off towards the middle...i gassed into the safety zone between the cars, and the idiot rearended the car that was in front of me!! i would have been a "cliff sandwich".

[MotoSook]

I agree...I ride believing everyone is out to run me over. When stopped at an intersection without a stopped vehicle behind me or when I'm stopped waiting to make a left, I always have the bike in gear with the clutch ready to get the hell out of there if my mirror checks show someone coming up my 6 at an unreasonable speed.

This has saved me from behing a hood ornament once before while I was waiting to make a left.

They don't teach it anymore ( at least at the las. MSF class I was at), but I always cover my clutch. Never know if you need to power out of a situation or disconnect the drive (eg an engine seizing up when at speed).


It's spring and bikes are everywhere. You'd think cagers would take notice.

Be careful fellas.

[legion]

My favorite was when I had a lady almost hit me while I was riding down the street and she pulled out of a parking lot. She had a "Start Seeing Motorcycles" bumper sticker. The irony.

[crustychief]

I told my daughter and son the drivers seat is not a phone booth, a restaurant, or a beauty shop. They both have seat time with me on my bike, my son went through the state motorcycle safety course, they both understand it only takes a second of inattention by a driver to kill the father, mother, sister, brother, uncle, aunt, daughter, son on a motorcycle. It is a crying shame there are so many "distracted drivers" out there.

[vash]

Originally Posted by Soukus

I agree...I ride believing everyone is out to run me over. When stopped at an intersection without a stopped vehicle behind me or when I'm stopped waiting to make a left, I always have the bike in gear with the clutch ready to get the hell out of there if my mirror checks show someone coming up my 6 at an unreasonable speed.

This has saved me from behing a hood ornament once before while I was waiting to make a left.

They don't teach it anymore ( at least at the las. MSF class I was at), but I always cover my clutch. Never know if you need to power out of a situation or disconnect the drive (eg an engine seizing up when at speed).


It's spring and bikes are everywhere. You'd think cagers would take notice.

Be careful fellas.

i have rearended a car with my bike. i was whistling to some hot chick, not paying attention. smack! felt like a complete fool. lesson learned. eyes on the road.

[sailchef]

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