Police Officer Suspended After YouTube Tirade Against Cyclists

All travelers have a responsibility to treat each other safely. Pedestrians and bicyclists are incredibly vulnerable on the road, so every driver has a “duty of reasonable care” to exercise more caution around them.

Some motorists believe that as the largest vehicle, they are entitled to act recklessly. They feel no responsibility to protect vulnerable travelers, driving under the assumption that, “It’s your job to get out of my way.”

A volunteer police officer in California has been placed on administrative leave after posting a video to YouTube expressing her hate for bicyclists.

The woman has several “comical” rants on her YouTube channel, but her latest tirade garnered attention from the Santa Paula Police Department and several angry viewers. In it, the reserve police officer berates and wishes harm on bicyclists who have done nothing wrong.

The two-minute clip shows the woman proclaiming that she “hate[s] bicyclists, every single one of them.” She mocks a cyclist for using a hand signal and encourages riders to play “Frogger”, in reference to a video game where frogs try to cross a busy roadway without getting crushed.

In one part of the clip, she asks her husband, who is driving the car, how much she would have to pay for him to run over a cyclist. He laughs and says, “Just give me a dollar.”

At the end of the horrific video, the woman flashes an image from a horrific bicycle accident in 2008. A drunk driver in Mexico plowed into a group of cyclists, killing one and injuring at least 10 others.

The picture she chose was the moment of impact, with bodies flying and cyclists in very clear distress. The budding comedian captioned the photo, “Like you’ve never thought about it.”

This woman was not on duty when she posted the video, but she was still placed on administrative leave due to the video’s malicious and scornful tone.

Are Drivers More Important Than Cyclists?

This officer may have been on her own time, but her supervisors were still uncomfortable with how she represented the department. Police officers are responsible for protecting all travelers on the road equally, and this woman’s bias towards bicyclists could prevent her from doing her job objectively.

Unfortunately, too many drivers share this this woman’s disregard for the rights and wellbeing of cyclists. These drivers ignore their responsibility to others every time they engage in selfish, reckless behavior.

Attorney Joshua Bonnici is an avid San Diego cyclist, so he knows that entitled drivers who dominate the road are dangerous to everyone. At Bonnici Law Group, we work to protect all cyclists and their right to travel safely.

If a driver caused you serious injury during a bicycle accident, our experienced attorneys can help you get justice. Schedule your free consultation today.

[Did You Know: In 2012, 33,561 cyclists were killed in car accidents nationwide.]

Bonnici Law Group, APC—San Diego bicycle accident lawyer

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2699018/Cop-suspended-posting-duty-video-YouTube-channel-hates-bicyclists-wants-run-over.html