Radio Caller Says He Wants to Hit Cyclists with His Car's Side Mirror – IBDs Respond

I wanted to pass along two letters my bike stores wrote recently in regard to bicycles' rights and bikes lanes here in Tampa. David Luppino, owner of Carrollwood Bicycle Emporium and Oliver's Cycle Sports, and I will be appearing on WFLA-AM 970 radio in Tampa to talk with a radio guy who said on his show last Sunday that he wanted to hit cyclists with his car's side mirror. Here are the letters.

Best,
Alan.

November 27, 2006
Peter Hsu, Safety
Florida Department of Transportation
11201 N. McKinley DriveTampa, FL 33612-6403

Dear Peter:

As the marketing director for Carrollwood Bicycle Emporium and Oliver's Cycle Sports, two Tampa stores that represent hundreds of bicyclists in theTampa Bay area, I was distressed to read about the local engineers' comments in Sunday's St. Pete Times story that designated bike lanes do not improve safety for bicyclists.

It's upsetting that the local DOT office appears to be in the dark ages regarding safe road conditions for bicyclists in light of the fact that Florida has the highest bicyclist fatality rate of any state in the country. Such an example was the lack of a bike lane at Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and Interstate 75 as part of the Bruce B. Downs Boulevard road-widening project.

We are asking that the DOT enforce the law that says bike lanes are necessary for new or improvement road projects and that your agency get enlightened about the safety needs of bicyclists in the Tampa Bay region.

On the same day that the Times story quoted DOT engineers' views on bike lanes, a WFLA-970 radio person half-joked that it would not be his fault if he hit a bicyclist with his car's side mirror.

We want to know why the DOT is not sensitive to the needs of bicyclists and are requesting to meet with local engineers to see what they can do to improve safety conditions for cyclists. In fact, the bicyclist quoted in the Times story, who is one of our store's workers, was struck by a vehicle while cycling to work in the past year. We feel that if the DOT encourages bicycling and not build roads that make it unsafe to ride a bicycle that you can help relieve traffic and the need to build more roads. Under law, the bicycle is a legal vehicle and we're asking the DOT to properly build roads that safely accommodate bicycles.

Sincerely,
David Luppino, owner
Alan Snel, marketing director
Carrollwood Bicycle Emporium
Oliver's Cycle Sports
Tampa, FL (813) 963-5765

November 27, 2006

Re: Letter of complaint

WFLA-970 radio station, Gabe Hobbs, Operations Manager; R.C. Bauer, News
Director; Jeff Fisher, The Fisher Files
4002 Gandy Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33611

Dear WFLA, Mr. Hobbs., Mr. Bauer, and Mr. Fisher:

We were disappointed to hear Mr. Jeff Fisher discuss bicycle issues on his Sunday radio show because Mr. Fisher is uninformed about bicycle safety laws and guidelines.

His comments included a statement that said that it's not his fault if, while driving, he strikes a bicyclist with his car's side mirror. Mr. Fisher claimed he was joking, but his claim of a joke was said half-heartedly and he continued to misquote Florida state law regarding bicyclists.

Under law, bicycles are a vehicle and have a right to be on the road. In fact, bicyclists should not be on sidewalks because they are more prone to be hit by a turning car while on a sidewalk at intersections.

In addition, a state law went into affect recently that requires a three-foot buffer between driver and bicyclist.

We're afraid your listeners will act on Mr. Fisher's suggestions regarding striking bicyclists. As advocates for bicyclists, we are demanding that Mr.Fisher apologize and that he and your radio station report the correct laws and guidelines about a bicyclist's right to the road.

You're probably aware that Florida is the deadliest state in the country to be a bicyclist, so we need more education about sharing the road and safer road conditions forbicyclists.

Sincerely,
David Luppino, owner
Alan Snel, marketing director
Carrollwood Bicycle Emporium
Oliver's Cycle Sports
Tampa, FL
(813) 963-5765