Drunk Drivers in the Wine Country

[Deanna]

Sad news from Sonoma County again, and to add insult to injury, local cyclists will now have to deal with months of motorists writing to the papers about why we don't belong on "their" roads.

http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050329/NEWS/503290330/1033/NEWS01

[Veronica]

That's awful. Given a choice, I think I'll stay off that road, it's got bad karma.

V.

[aka_kim]

Sad. And frightening and maddening that there are people driving around with blood alcohol levels 3 times (!) the legal limit!

[SadieKate]

Stories you just don't want to hear. That's awful.

Do your locals really get up in arms about the cyclists? They need to take a look at the money brought to the area by cyclists - the day trippers, self-supported tourers, and the tour groups.

[Deanna]

For the most part, cyclists and motorists share the roads well here. Unfortunately, incidents such as this tend to spur those who don't like to share to speak up. Even though the motorist was clearly at fault in all the incidents mentioned in the article, we still saw letters to the editor about cyclists who run stop signs, don't signal, hold up traffic, etc. On the plus side we do have a great advocacy group in the area that is doing a lot to change this.

[veekcee]

This is so sad. Hubby and I did a nice 27 mile ride in Sonoma County a couple of weeks ago. It was a little scary, being a pretty new roadie, riding on these narrow roads. We did find motorists to be accomodating and never felt like I might be hit! You just never know do ya.

Sonoma County is one of our favorite getaways!

Vickie

[nuthatch]

This could have happened anywhere. I'll bet each one of us has heard of someone being hit and killed while riding in our state. It's just so tragic.

[Trek420]

SadieKate sez "They need to take a look at the money brought to the area by cyclists - the day trippers, self-supported tourers, and the tour groups."

I'd never seen my LBS owner mad till he was talking about one of the cyclists in Sonoma county who was hit.

they do look at the money we bring in but that's dwarfed, pocket change compared to wine touring in Sonoma Napa. Cyclists there are hurt or killed by drivers who acheived 3x the legal limit like that moron by driving from winery to winery and taking tiny sips of the best wine on earth. Apologies to the French and Italian readers ;-)

The wineries need to cut these drunks off, take keys, notify local authorities when they drive off sloshed, cops could just sit in the parking lot eating brie and sourdough and wait for these bozos to stumble out.

But they don't want to mess with the golden goose. And they don't understand what we do. Check this quote

"Officers didn't know why the victim was riding to Clearlake or where she was coming from.

"Why she decided to ride her bike all the way to Clearlake is still unknown," Jacobs said. "I heard her husband say they are in the process of selling their house there.""

Why would anyone ride a bike in the most beautiful country in the world?

Can you tell I grew up in Sonoma County? :mad:

[Deanna]

Thank you Trek420 for wording that so well. Those are my thoughts exactly (I too grew up in Sonoma County). I've long believed that law enforcement turns a blind eye to the winery drunks. My husband is a musician who has played at wineries for large events (notably Dry Creeks Passport weekend) when there are TONS of drunks on the road-and expected to be there-and not once have I seen a patrol car anywhere near the area.

[Trek420]

Deanna wrote "My husband is a musician who has played at wineries for large events (notably Dry Creeks Passport weekend)"

Deanna and I figured out that my brother (also a musician, he's gooooood but it's not his day job) knows her hubby :cool: