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Drunken driver gets up to 45 years for killing cyclist

All too often, we hear about the injustice the legal system gives bicyclists who are killed or seriously injured when they are struck by a motor vehicle.

In some ways, the sentencing of Kevin Babcock, 44, to 20 to 45 years in prison for killing a 19-year-old bicyclist in Grand Haven, Mich., is a step in the right direction.

And yet, the case reveals many of the problems of the system. The conviction is the fifth drunken driving conviction for Babcock. According to the Grand Rapids Press, Babcock has not had a valid Michigan driver's license since 1993, but yet he had managed to get behind the wheel of a vehicle.

This time, his actions killed cyclist Curtis Jacobs and seriously injured a friend, Christian Van Wyngarden.

According to the newspaper, Babcock was driving on U.S. 31 about 8:30 a.m. June 27 when he went through a stoplight at Quincy Street and hit Jacobs and Van Wyngarden. Babcock admitted to having as many as 20 drinks and court records showed a 0.18 blood-alcohol level, more than twice the legal limit.

Babcock pleaded no contest to charges, including second-degree murder, driving while intoxicated causing death and other felonies. Judge Calvin Bosman issued the sentence and asked Babcock how he would keep drunken-driving offenders off the road. His response?

"I don't have an answer for you sir. I wish I did," the Grand Rapids man was quoted as saying. "I thought I had control over my drinking."

I've been to Grand Haven several times over the years, three times because of the West Shoreline Tour and a few other times while traveling to other parts of the Lake Michigan shoreline, a favorite vacation destination..

Unfortunately, one of those visits included a trip to a Grand Haven emergency room, While I never had an encounter with a drunken driver, a bad driver driving a Cadillac with Florida license plates -- unfortunately, no one was ever able to get license plates -- buzzed by me and a friend extremely closely. That startled her, causing her to fall and causing me to run over her with my bike.

But I know my next trip to Grand Haven will be a bit safer, knowing Babcock won't be on the road for a while.

Labels: fatal accidents, Michigan

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:23 AM

Friday, August 14, 2009

League of Michigan Bicyclists boycotts radio stations

On Thursday, the League of Michigan Bicyclists posted an open letter boycotting Greater Media for comments made on radio station WCSX in Detroit by morning show hosts Jeff Deminski and Bill Doyle. LMB has extended its boycott to other Greater Media stations, including WRIF and WMGC in the Detroit area.

Here's some excerpts from the letter:

Greater Media’s radio station, WCSX, aired deplorable remarks the morning of August 6, 2009 that encouraged violence against bicyclists.

These reprehensible comments not only belittled cyclists for enjoying a healthy legitimate form of transportation, they made reference to Grand Theft Auto, an intensely violent video game where players run over and maim people.

Greater Media has failed to take appropriate corrective measures to date. I request that Greater Media immediately publicly retract these statements, as well as publicly censure the employees involved in these appalling comments. ...

The on air diatribe went on for over eight minutes and at one point even ridicules the use of bike helmets. A sampling of the intolerable comments made by radio hosts Jeff Deminiski and Bill Doyle are:

“How many of us drivers are disgusted with how bicyclists take to the road. … I’m sorry, they’re jerks. I doubt very much that any cyclist would have the gumption to call us, but how many of them have seen a bicyclist and would just LOVE to lob something at their heads? … God forbid we try to get by them! The guy on the bike is doing 19 mph., they won’t get over, … and it is just flat-out arrogance. … OH GOD, you just want to go Grand Theft Auto on them. … Just move over. That’s all I’m saying. … I don’t see why they are so arrogant. They are riding something which against your 4,000 pound vehicle could launch them like an acorn.“

You can listen to the diatribe here: http://tinyurl.com/lffvvs and http://dd.wcsx.com/?p=4324

LMB is urging cyclists to sign an online petition showing their support for the boycott and its urging businesses to drop their ads on General Media stations until the company retracts the statements and censure the employees involved in the diatribe. LMB urges people to boycott businesses that continue to advertise with General Media stations before corrective action is taken.

Deminski and Doyle did talk this week to Paul Alman of the Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition about their discussion about bicyclists and safety, and you can listen to the interview. They did they did not condone throwing violence toward cyclists and that they were simply drawing attention to the tension between bicyclists and motorists and noting cyclists often don't obey traffic laws.

Labels: advocacy, Michigan, radio

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:10 AM

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

In defense of bicyclists

Last week, I wrote about Zack Colman's anti-bicyclist column in The State News, the student newspaper of Michigan State University. Today, I point out a rebuttal column by State News copy editor Scott Myers that was published Monday.

Myers' column is written in the same style as Colman's original column. For example, here's the opening salvo:

White 2009 Motobecane Fantom Cross Uno.

That’s the bike I ride — and if you’re a motorist on the road and plan on running me over, I hope you have a good lawyer, because I might sue you.

Intentionally.

Because you see, with all these dangerously inattentive motorists on the road nowadays, doing things like changing songs on their iPods, sending text messages while driving or falling asleep because they can’t get enough sleep to function on the same schedule as 90 percent of the rest of the world, I’m tired of getting run over.

And, considering I’m exactly where I should be, I’ll win the case.

Not surprisingly, Myers' column got a lot of praise from the cycling community, at least judging by the comments. It also got a lot of comments from the anti-cyclist crowd, complete with the stereotype that all cyclists disobey traffic laws because a few do. While some cyclists do disobey traffic laws, so do some motorists.

As for the original Colman column, word about the column has spread far and wide. The League of American Bicyclists even has included Colman's column in its Trash Talk feature. "In what we can only hope is a sorry attempt at satire, the author says that bicyclists should get off the road. If they’re not in bike lanes or on sidewalks, Colman promotes distracted drivers running over bicyclists with “big, people-killing cars” to show who rules the road," LAB pointed out.

Labels: advocacy, Michigan, newspapers, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:38 AM

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Bicyclists need to stay on sidewalk

I'll give Zack Colman credit for one thing. At least he has the courage to put his name and photo to asinine comments about bicycling.

Unlike most of the clowns who post comments anonymously or under fake names on newspaper articles about bicycling, Colman didn't hide his identity in a recent column that appears in the State News, the student newspaper for Michigan State University. Here's what he said about bicyclists:

Black 2001 Saturn SC2. That’s the car I drive — and if you’re a bicyclist on the road but not in a bike path and you see my car, I hope you’re wearing a helmet, because I might run you over.

Maybe not intentionally.

But you see, with all these things I can do in my car nowadays, such as choose a different song on my iPod, send a text message while driving or fall asleep at the wheel because I had to wake up for a worthless 8 a.m. biology lab, I might not notice you.

And, considering you are where you should not be, I might hit you.

Not surprisingly, the column has drawn a lot of comments. Mary Dougherty of the League of Michigan Bicyclists is urging people to e-mail Colman and set him straight.

In the column, Colman is under the mistaken idea that bicyclists should ride on sidewalks rather than streets, where they have a legal right to be in Michigan. In many Michigan communities, it's illegal to ride a bike on sidewalks. It's even illegal to ride bikes on sidewalks on Michigan State's East Lansing campus!

Here's another choice nugget from Colman's attempt at writing a column:

Bicyclists on the road are a driving hazard to people in automobiles, since many bicyclists make turns without using hand signals and ride too close to other vehicles when there is no designated bike path.

For example, I was driving to work Tuesday when a bicyclist pulled up in front of my car in the right lane on Farm Lane going northbound where it intersects with Shaw Lane. There is no bike path at this portion of the road, and I needed to be in the right lane to avoid the left turn only lane, but the bicyclist was in the way.

Some will say I could be more patient on the road.

But roads are for cars, not bicyclists. The bicyclist should not have been in the car lane.

Some people have come to Colman's defense, saying that it was intended to be satire. If it was, it was a pretty poor attempt. I speak from experience. I once attempted satire while I was still a college student writing for the Southwestern Journal, a weekly in Brighton, Ill. I failed miserably. Satire is a difficult form of writing to master, and satire clearly isn't one of Colman's strong suits.

I hope Colman learns from his mistake and grows up to be a responsible columnist.

Labels: advocacy, Michigan, newspapers, safety

Roger 3 comments links to this post 2:18 AM

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Little Traverse Wheelway closer to completion

If you've read the accounts of my multiday rides in the United States and Canada, you know that Michigan is one of my favoring cycling destinations.

There's a variety of reasons for that, ranging from the amazing scenery along Lake Michigan to my desire to beat the heat that's usually present in the St. Louis area this time of year.

That's why I read with interest an account from the Harbor Light Newspaper about that fact a key link of the Little Traverse Wheelway between Magnus Park and East Bay Park in Petoskey is nearing completion. (The photo also is from the Harbor Light Newspaper.) If this excerpt from the story doesn't entice you to want to ride the trail, I don't know what will:

About three-quarters of a mile to the west of Petoskey’s Magnus Park, looking over Little Traverse Bay from a distance of roughly 50 feet, the view is nothing short of spectacular.

The water is crystal clear, and most of the shoreline running from Goodhart to Bay Harbor is visible. In the distance, the Petoskey light house looks like a tiny speck, jutting out into the lake.

Typically a Northern Michigan view like this can only be read about in a real estate listing for a million dollar cottage on the lake. However, come September, this view will be available for anyone. ...

When the 26-mile trail is completed, it will connect the lakeshore communities of Charlevoix and Harbor Springs. The trail is completed between Charlevoix and East Bay Park as well as from Magnus Park to the intersection of Beach Road and M-119 north of Petoskey. The West Shoreline Tour uses nearly all of the trail during its annual jaunt up the Lake Michigan shoreline.

A stretch of trail along M-119 to the Harbor Springs Airport is slated to completed in 2009. My hunch, though, is that the West Shoreline Tour will continue to use Beach Road, a beautiful road lined with trees and some of those gorgeous $1 million-plus summer homes near Harbor Springs.

The completion of the trail will be a wonderful thing for northern Michigan cyclists because it gives them a safe alternative to riding on busy U.S. 31 and M-119, which are thick with traffic during tourist season.

My one hope for the trail, based upon my travels on it in, is that signage on the trail is improved in Petoskey. I found it difficult to navigate the trail in the community, especially in the Waterfront Park section.

Labels: Michigan, trails

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:05 PM

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Flint, Mich., bike rack competition

Last, the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation conducted a contest to design bike racks that will be installed in the St. Louis area. Now the folks in Flint, Mich., are conducting their own competition.

The Flint Journal says this city's sidewalks could become home to some of the strangest - and most beautiful - bike racks ever made because of a design contest sponsored by the Safe and Active Flint Coalition and the University of Michigan-Flint Green Arts Project. Here's a quote from the story

"If we just put a bike rack up that's just a bike rack, then that's all it ever is," said Flint sculptor Todd Nickola, who fashions art from "found" objects in his workspace at Red Ink Studios. "The idea here is to create something where even if no bikes are connected to it, it would still be a piece of art beautifying the city. Who knows? Maybe then someone would even pick up the trash around it."

The design must consider the look of the existing streetscape in downtown Flint and be black in color, and it also must follow several other criteria -- including being able to support the bike in two places and to accommodate a U-lock. More rules and an entry form can be downloaded as a PDF file.

As Michael Moore documented in his film "Roger and Me," Flint has taken a beating because of the decline of the automobile industry in that city, but local leaders are trying to revitalize the downtown region. The contest is one small step toward that effort.

Labels: bike racks, Michigan

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:55 PM

Monday, August 27, 2007

Shoreline West page updated

This sunset taken in Elk Rapids, Mich., was one of the highlights of the 2007 Shoreline West Tour, which I had the pleasure of riding earlier this month.

I invite you to read my account of the ride and new photos from this year's ride. I also rode Shoreline West in 1997 and 2004, and my accounts of those rides also are on that page. The 2007 account is near the bottom. You can skip past the earlier rides to get to the 2007 ride, but reading the accounts of the previous rides -- if you have time to read them -- helps put the 2007 ride into context.

Labels: cycling, Michigan, tours

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:19 AM

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Tales from the road

ELK RAPIDS, Mich. -- I feel so much like a drama king when I do the League of Michigan Bicyclists' West Shoreline Tour.

When I first went on the ride 10 years ago, I didn't even make it 10 miles before a major mishap put me on the sidelines for a few days with stitches and bruises and knocked out my friend Vicky (Mohler) Dye from the ride with two broken ribs.

Three years ago, the drama wasn't so dramatic. I only had a flat tire to fix within the first 10 miles. No big deal.

This year's drama falls somewhere between that. About 10 miles into the start of Sunday's ride, my right crank and chainrings fell off my bike! Fortunately, I was in a flat portion of the course and could stop the bike without falling down. It turned out that I broke the right section of my bottom bracket in half. Fortunately, the ride's mechanic was only a few miles away, so a SAG driver took me over to him, and I was back on the road within 45 minutes.

Overcast skies much of the week obscured many of the great sights along the Lake Michigan shoreline, but those clouds help keep down the temperatures considerably. I truly feel for you in the St. Louis area this week, but that heat is a prime reason I try to do a ride in Michigan, Wisconsin or Canada whenever I can.

Despite the relatively cool temperatures here, I struggled with dehydrations issues yesterday and today. I managed to do all 63 miles from Frankfort to Traverse City on Wednesday, albeit at an excruciatingly slow pace. I opted to do only 20 miles today, and I'm still not feeling all the great. I wonder if I have a bug that's contributing to the problem.

Despite the setbacks, I'm still enjoying the time in one of my favorite places to visit and with some of the regular Bubba's Pampered Pedalers crowd.

Labels: cycling, Michigan, tours

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:48 AM

Saturday, August 04, 2007

Time to hit the road

There's plenty of reasons why I on my way to my third-ever West Shoreline Tour and my seventh ride of two or more days in Michigan in the past 15 years. But there's one that really stands out:

According to Weather.com, the average high temperature for the next 10 days in Belleville, Ill., is forecast to be 96 degrees. The average high temperature for the same period in Traverse City, Mich., is forecast to be 84.2 degrees.

For those you who will be in the St. Louis area, keep cool the best you can and drink lots of water.

I'll try to keep you updated on the ride when I get access to a computer and Internet access, but blogging will be among the lowest of my priorities in the coming week.

Labels: cycling, Michigan, tours

Roger 0 comments links to this post 8:53 AM