This is nuts!

[kermit]

This is one case where everybody loves the cop and hates the firefighter. It's usually the other way around!

[OakLeaf]

This is one case where everybody loves the cop and hates the firefighter. It's usually the other way around!

Eh, it seems there have been a lot of very ugly and violent stories lately involving firefighters. Maybe it's just that they get more coverage because firefighters are supposed to be paragons... but I don't think so. This is the first one I can recall that's outside of my local area and my local papers, and it isn't getting national coverage - we're only hearing about it because of the links on this board.

News stations are reporting that it was a real handgun; that the bullet passed through the helmet rather than "lodging" in it; and that the shooter has been charged with attempted first-degree murder. Good.

[bmccasland]

Used to be a firefighter...

In every walk of life there are the bad apples. Or the severely demented apples. Or rotten apples.

But most of them are rather nice. Otherwise we wouldn't have apple pie, or apple cider (hard or sweet), or apple jack!

The shooter was a jerk, who happened to be employed as a firefighter.

[tctrek]

More on this: http://scrutinyhooligans.us/2009/07/...st-for-safety/

I sometimes go up to Asheville to ride. This freaked me out. Of course, there are crazies everywhere and people are killed on bike trails, too.

[arielmoon]

So it's not ok to ride with a child but it's ok to shoot someone in the head.

[OakLeaf]

I think this is one of those that isn't so much about the bike.

Sadly, road rage shootings aren't that uncommon. It's just that in every other instance I've heard about, both participants were in cars.

This isn't meant to excuse the shooter one tiny bit. But I'm recalling the thread about road rage a few months back. This incident is just another reminder why we shouldn't escalate - get a license plate and a physical description, ignore their verbal threats, practice the cycling skills to deal as much as possible with their physical assaults, stay on your bike, do not stop unless the traffic situation requires it, and do not escalate. Besides being armed with a 3,500# blunt instrument, they might be armed with something else too.

[Tri Girl]

WTF is wrong with people? Maybe he should have taken his frustration out on himself and shot himself in the head, and not try to hurt someone else... what a nut job. Glad the family was OK. Glad he's off the streets- he's obviously off his rocker to react like that.

[wannaduacentury]

Used to be a firefighter...

In every walk of life there are the bad apples. Or the severely demented apples. Or rotten apples.

But most of them are rather nice. Otherwise we wouldn't have apple pie, or apple cider (hard or sweet), or apple jack!

The shooter was a jerk, who happened to be employed as a firefighter.

+1 here. it was a mean thing to do regardless. jenn

[OakLeaf]

No, I didn't mean anything against firefighters generally, I was just responding to the poster who said she didn't expect firefighters to do stuff like that.

Need I say it? It's a tough, dangerous, necessary job and I respect the office. But there are no character tests and few background checks, is all.

[kenyonchris]

Need I say it? It's a tough, dangerous, necessary job and I respect the office. But there are no character tests and few background checks, is all.

I think some departments do...
Depending on your state, you should consider that every vehicle potentially has a gun and a driver having a bad day. Road rage is VERY, VERY common, take my word for it, we have at least one incident per shift, on nights many, many more. Sometimes it is aggressive driving, sometimes it is waving a gun around, on occasion shots are fired (the shooter generally says he shot AT the person, as if that makes it better).
I am not about to start the pro or anti gun argument with anyone, but cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists need to be aware that (at least in a lot of states now) anyone, regardless of whether they have a CHL license, can carry a gun in their car. Thanks to this legislation, my job is made way more difficult and dangerous...CHL holders now are subject to way more regulations than the average Joe Guncarrier....I'm not so much worried about CHL holders. Not all, by far, but a lot are trained, spend time at the range, and are aware of what will happen to them if they go waving the thing around...and I know that the person is a CHL carrier from the get-go because a) they are required to tell me, and b) dispatch tells me before I go waltzing up to the window.
The point of all that is that cycling in traffic is dangerous on MANY levels. Don't hide in your house and not do it, just be very, very aware. I AM.

[bmccasland]

Had an X-BF that spent some time in the pokey because of road rage. Pointed his pistol at a driver that cut him off - didn't matter that he was doing 55 in a 25 (if he wasn't speeding the incident wouldn't have happened). I happened to be out of town for a training class several states away at the time. There's nothing quite like being pulled out of a training class for a call from my local sheriff's department wanting to know where I was, and am I OK? Um, "yes, why?". Seemed BF had a histroy of domestic violence. Lovely the things that crop up when the police run priors along with wants and warrents.

Crazy thing was BF would try to justify why he did what he did. It was very twisted and demented. Basically he would not take responsibility for his actions. Thus very quickly becoming my X, with the help of the Sheriff's deparment.

People are not in their right mind when they get to the state of road rage, and they are rationalizing their behavior, so it makes perfect sense to them. Or they know exactly what they're doing and they don't care. Both of which are scary.


I hope the gentleman and his child that started this thread are still able to enjoy cycling.