Almost SMUSHED by DWP TRUCK
Thread started by
profoscurity at 09.16.09 - 3:54 am
Yep. After parting ways with JP(Sylmar) from TORE pad(Encino), I was headed back here to Canoga. I was riding casually west along Vanowen, just passing a green lit intersection just beyond the police station, when I saw a white pickup truck with unlit sirens, cross the intersection traveling from north to south. I squeezed my front brake as hard as I could since my back brake is completely incapacitated(as my buddies from the Bikery confirmed with me earlier today), and thankfully didn't fly over the bars as I stopped and stared into the eyes of the driver speeding past about 3-4 feet in front of me.
I kept going and initially thought nothing of it, until I realized what had just happened. So busted-a-bitch east and then followed the truck south on Desoto to a police tape blockage where the driver had since-then turned on the siren lights. I angrily scolded and shamed the driver and his only response was that he saw me. I left back north again on Desoto wishing I had a pen and paper to write down some information about the incident.
Then I remembered I had my cellphone and here is all the numbers starting with what the truck had on it's
license plate: Ca Exempt 1201102
upper left corner of tow gate: w50926
driver side door: Water & Power with presumably a seal of California
and beneath that, the characters: CA792
I caught the driver's attention after getting all this down and saving it as a text message, and told him,
"I graduated from college."
"I'm sorry that I scared you." he responded.
After keeping my eyes locked in a glare with his for a moment, I turned and rode away, making the wanker symbol with my fist in defiance.
As I passed through the intersection again to go back home, I noted the cross-streets which I have used in this detailed description of the incident, and also the time being 3:05AM.
That's all..
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P.S. if anyone wonders, I'm obviously home safe now, but hopefully JP made it back to Sylmar with the compass and front light I loaned him for the long ride.
profoscurity09.16.09 - 3:55 am
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How about letting the DWP know how you feel about this?
1-800-DIAL-DWP (1-800-342-5397),
or mailto:ccenter@ladwp.com
JB09.16.09 - 8:12 am
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Understandible that your upset,
but nothing really happened.
a near miss dosn't count
nobody will care at the DWP
In fact you commited a crime by chasing him down and getting hostile
Felony road rage
It's a losing battle to get upset with every motorist that cuts you off,
pulls in front of you, or passes to close.
Best to assume every car has someone in it who will do something stupid,
and ride on the defence.
Dedicated81809.16.09 - 8:45 am
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you should fix your back brake too
adrian09.16.09 - 9:46 am
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"I caught the driver's attention after getting all this down and saving it as a text message, and told him,
"I graduated from college."
"I'm sorry that I scared you." he responded. "
huh?
did i miss something or is the college part just a complete non sequitur?
slowrighthand09.16.09 - 10:16 am
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Felony road rage?
For felony road rage it seems he needs to actually assault the other person:
http://law.onecle.com/california/vehicle/13210.html
http://law.onecle.com/california/penal/245.html
IANAL
gregb responding to a
comment by Dedicated818
09.16.09 - 10:27 am
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An assault can be verbal if your making a threat
and against a city employee your asking for it
battery is when it becomes physical
Dedicated818 responding to a
comment by gregb
09.16.09 - 11:35 am
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So where's the threat?
gregb responding to a
comment by Dedicated818
09.16.09 - 11:37 am
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Dude if he ran a red light and almost caused an accident, report it. I would even see about sending the details to other city agencies. It may have been an emergency, but how were you to know it if he didn't have his lights flashing? If you were squashed, it would have been written up as an emergency vehicle with lights flashing, and you would have been just a fading memory to us.
Get pissed and make some noise!
User109.16.09 - 12:07 pm
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yeah so if you're going to start a confrontation with a city worker, make sure you finish it.
@AT
im kidding. please don't put me in your file.
tortuga_veloce responding to a
comment by Dedicated818
09.16.09 - 11:39 pm
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that's exactly what I was thinking when I wrote all those details out.. I'll send it to someone, I'm just glad someone here sees the wrong in what happened. makes me feel a little less insane.
profoscurity responding to a
comment by User1
09.17.09 - 12:41 am
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also, I scolded and verbally cast shame on him, never threatened. just loudly vocalized to him the wrong he had done and how if I had been riding any faster or if my last remaining brake had failed, it probably wouldn't even matter to him cuz i'm just another little brown dude on a bicycle in canoga park. then in a voice loud enough for the other city workers to hear I shouted "shame on you" over and over while wagging my finger and riding away..
profoscurity09.17.09 - 12:47 am
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yeah, and on top of that, even if he is running a red with his lights on on his way to an emergency, there is nothing that legally permits him to endanger your life.
i almost got smushed by a 4-runner tonight so i feel your pain. go get em! write an angry letter and send it to every agency you think is even remotely relevant.
tortuga_veloce responding to a
comment by profoscurity
09.17.09 - 1:49 am
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