I'm an IT consultant by trade... I travel to my clients, all over Miami-Dade county. Most people don't seem to 'get' that I do so by bicycle and by choice. Generally cycling is my zen, my chance to be one with the world. Unfortunately plenty of drivers are intent on making me one with the road - literally.

Watch these close brushes with death and dismemberment. See what I see, or sometimes (through the rear cam) what I don't see... thats even scarier. I've had more than my fair share of close calls, usually someone being too busy texting, calling or putting on makeup to notice that there is a vulnerable vehicle right near them

Often it's an uneducated driver that have mistaken the local public roads for the Homestead Miami Speedway. How dare a cyclist be on the road?! Why aren't you in the bike lane? Umm, there isn't one or don't you see that car parked in it? Once in a while its a truly homicidal maniac who has no regard for human life. Cyclists will understand - this happens all the time. Drivers don't respect the destructive power of the weapon they wield

Yes, weapon… have you ever had someone step on the gas, with the sole intention of running you over?! I have. All I can hope is that non-cyclists see these videos, and maybe as a result are a little more careful next time they see a bike out of the corner of their eye. All I really want is to live to bike another day

Is that really too much to ask?

Monday, June 20, 2011

How to kill someone in Florida and get away with it

So simple, and sadly so true:
1) Get a car with fancy onboard computer capable of helping you park, etc
2) Illegally tint windows so no one can see inside
3) Find your victim on foot or bicycle
4) Step on the gas
5) Just to be sure hit reverse and make sure your victim is really dead
6) Relax

As far as I am aware, FL law basically says that you must positively ID the driver, and that the owner of the vehicle is NOT accountable for crimes committed with it by others.  So since (a) you were hit from behind & (b) you are likely dead... how can you ID them?

Even if pulled over 15 minutes later, its unlikely that any witness had continuous eye contact with your vehicle since the crime.  Claim your vehicle was stolen and that you just recovered it 5 minutes ago on the side of the road.  Good luck to those who attempt to prove that you were in your vehicle the entire time, remember all you need is *any* reasonable doubt and you will be found not guilty

What happens if there just happened to be a police officer that witnessed it?  If caught at the scene, blame onboard computer for taking control of the car. Since your windows were tinted and no one could possibly prove that YOU were in control of the car at the time, you *might* be fined for illegal window tints, but since you can probably get the jury to have 'reasonable doubt' on account of the documented hacking of on-board computers, just say the car was driving itself and the dashboard display said "YOU'VE BEEN PWNED"

And you don't even need high priced attorneys for this to work!  Yet another reason why FL is continually listed as one of the LEAST safe places for pedestrians and cyclists.  I am begging someone in law enforcement, attorneys, judges or anyone to demonstrate how this scenario could possibly NOT result in "not guilty"

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