Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on July 24, 2015 at 3:57am

That's pretty disgusting. I hope the driver is ok. And I hope they caught the cyclist. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on July 25, 2015 at 4:42pm

Still searching for further information about this incident. DNAinfo needs to do a follow up on this story. There is still no report associated with this incident. The only witness is someone who heard a commotion, a bus driver who says a cyclist hit her hand, and a CTA spokesperson who affirmed that fact. The facts may be true, but what really did happen, or did it at all if there is no report, other witnesses, or a CTA video? And what incriminating guilt is on that video if the CTA isn't releasing it? And to make it clear, no assault/battery by any individual is acceptable to resolve any issue in a civilized society.

DNAInfo dropped the journalistic ball on this one. Journalism requires verification before dissemination. Check your facts and sources and then check them again before releasing a story. If there are no corroborating facts or verifiable evidence, there is no legitimate story, yet. That's usually what's called journalism.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on July 26, 2015 at 2:38pm

Bad stuff happens every day in Chicago, and often no charges are pressed. Apparently, neither the bus driver nor the CTA pressed charges which means no police report. I do not see what else is left of the story to tell with the cyclist gone, and two spokespeople and a witness explained their sides.

The who, what, where when and why have been covered. If I were the editor at DNAinfo, I would do no follow up. The news of the story is over on a pretty minor mishap.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Filka Bean on July 25, 2015 at 2:33am

DNAinfo comments... geez!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on July 25, 2015 at 5:18am

A lot of commentators on the Internet, not just on DNAinfo, are extremists, just plain crazy, or both.  What's for sure is that any misstep by a cyclist draws out a lot of venom.  Sometimes we are our own worst enemies.  Screaming obscenities, giving people the finger, taking the lane in spite, brandishing u-locks, and of course committing battery are not the answer.  My strategy is that in the long run, civility will prevail over hostility.  So on the fairly rare occasions I encounter hostility, I generally let it pass.  (Which is not to say I'm not muttering under my breath or kind of wishing I had an RPG.)  Otherwise, I try to be a good ambassador for cyclists in general and engender all the positivity I can.  A "go-ahead" wave and a smile can do some good, I think.  Or at least hope.      

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on July 25, 2015 at 5:37am

Bravo, Reho.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jim Freeman on July 27, 2015 at 4:03am

The witness didn't see the events leading up to this.  The witness only say the bicyclist behaving badly.  This is a perfect example of why I always tell people to keep their cool after an "incident."  It isn't my experience that cyclists go around assaulting bus drivers without there being some precipitating incident.  For all we know this driver almost killed the cyclist.  To be clear, I'm not defending the cyclist (in fact I'm pointing out what the cyclist did wrong), I'm just pointing out the possibility that this didn't go down exactly as the media would lead us to believe.   

First rule of cycling collisions is to always keep your cool.  If you spit, swear or assault a person, any eye-witnesses will hardly remember what led to the original altercation, but they'll for sure remember your aggression, profanity and spittle.   

• ▶ Reply