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Blotter | Police respond after cyclist slapped in Broadway bikeway argument

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  • Broadway bike lane fight: Tensions over a cyclist vs. food delivery driver incident in the Broadway bikeway boiled over into an argument and alleged assault Sunday afternoon. According to the SPD report on the incident, the event played out on the east side of Broadway in front of Panera starting around 2:20 PM as Sunday’s farmers market filled the area with trucks and vendor vehicles. According to the report, the driver told police she drove in the protected bike lane thinking she would be able exit the area after dropping off a meal delivery nearby. When she got back into her car and tried to start driving north through the bikeway, the driver said the bike rider road up in front of her car, and parked his bike. The cyclist reportedly was yelling at the driver and called her derogatory names. Police say a passerby joined the argument and then allegedly slapped the cyclist “on the left side of his face with his open hand.” An SPD spokesperson says the alleged assailant was not arrested but that the officer recommended charges of assault be filed by the City Attorney.
    Police say the rider told them he was tired of cars parking in the bicycle lane. The report says the rider was found with a “red mark on his face consistent with a punch or a slap.” He declined medical attention for the injury.
  • Pike stabbing: Police and Seattle Fire responded to lower Pike’s Villa Apartments early Sunday after a man was stabbed in the leg inside the building. SPD and medical units were called to the 1100-block Pike building around 7:30 AM. Police searched the area including a nearby homeless encampment for the reported known assailant but it wasn’t clear if an arrest was made. SFD says the victim, a male in his 50s, was transported to Harborview in stable condition.
  • Pedestrian struck on 15th Ave E: A woman suffered non life-threatening injuries after being struck by a driver Sunday night on 15th Ave E. Police and Seattle Fire were called to the corner of 15th and Harrison just after 9 PM Sunday. The woman in her 20s who was struck was taken to the hospital in stable condition according to Seattle Fire.
  • E Yesler gun incident: Police were called to the 2100 block of E Yesler Sunday night around 9:20 PM to a report of a man found inside a car at the location holding a gun and apparently having suffered a gunshot wound. Arriving officers determined that the situation was a self-inflicted shooting. The victim, a male in his 70s, was pronounced dead at the scene. For resources to help those in need: National suicide-prevention hotline: 800-SUICIDE. Local Crisis Clinic: (206) 461-3222.
 

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Whichever
Whichever
5 years ago

A Seattle cyclist throwing a temper tantrum? I am shocked. Shocked and amazed. Quite frankly, it sounds like the slap was well deserved.

That having been said – idiots shouldn’t drive in the bike lane and this one should have been ticketed.

CD Cyclist
CD Cyclist
5 years ago
Reply to  Whichever

Awesome – the cyclist just wants the drivers to follow the *GDF* rules, they get hit for it and and creeps like you say they deserve it – and that is why people end up throwing freaking temper tantrums….

They aren’t ‘over reacting’ to a single situation – they are completely and totally fed up with a whole TON of repeated little incidents. People in this city think they are so damn special and precious that it’s fine if they run their dog loose on the school play field – whaaaa, whaaaa – it’s too far. to the dog park and it’s not hurting anyone… fine if they park in the bicycle lane – “there’s enough room to get around” – seriously…. fine if they jaywalk right in front of you so that you have to slam on your brakes – and then act like you are the crazy person for being irritated that *they* are acting like self centered little brats and just can’t be decent and courteous people.

You don’t like the rules, get them changed, but don’t just break them and then be indignant when someone tells you off for it…

Jim98122x
Jim98122x
5 years ago
Reply to  CD Cyclist

“The cyclist reportedly was yelling at the driver and called her derogatory names. Police say a passerby joined the argument and then allegedly slapped the cyclist….”

Sounds like the slap might have had more to do with the cyclist’s threatening conduct, than it did with him defending her right to park there. But we don’t know because we weren’t there.

Another thing– Yeah, she definitely shouldn’t have parked there. Should’ve been ticketed, absolutely. But who is this guy to play The Enforcer? Not sure about you– but when I see somebody run a red light, I don’t take it upon myself to give chase screaming at them to tell them off. Do you?

RWK
RWK
5 years ago
Reply to  Whichever

The cyclist could have chosen to behave in a less aggressive manner and still gotten his point across……instead he got all indignant and threatening, which is not infrequent from the cycling community. Can’t we all get along?

A related problem with this incident is that delivery drivers have a difficult time finding a loading zone to do their job. Otfen, vehicles park in such zones far longer than they should, decreasing access for everyone else.

Fairly Obvious
Fairly Obvious
5 years ago
Reply to  RWK

The cyclist could have chosen to behave in a less aggressive manner and still gotten his point across……instead he got all indignant and threatening, which is not infrequent from the cycling community. Can’t we all get along?

Victim blaming. Classic Bob!

Lack of loading zones is no excuse for the delivery driver to willfully commit a dangerous infraction.

Say what you will about the cyclist, I’m more and more (as a cyclist and pedestrian) frustrated with the complete lack of regard for human life that and increasing amount of drivers are showing these days.

SPD refuses to enforce ANY traffic laws. After having my life willfully threatened by negligent car drivers on many occasions, I’m surprised I haven’t snapped and completely laid into a negligent driver yet.

If the cyclist was using threatening language, the police should have been called, assault is never OK.

mixtefeelings
mixtefeelings
5 years ago

The tantrum I threw this morning was because a driver passed me on Pine just 1.5 blocks from 12th going downhill. I caught up to him at the light at 12th, which is almost inevitable when riding from 16th down the hill – I can keep up with the speed of traffic. He had a little kid in the back seat, and although it was still somewhat dark, he did not have his car lights on. Fantastic freaking role model. So, yeah, I throw “tantrums” when people dangerously pass me for no reason whatsoever, because there is a thing called adrenaline and drivers in cars can easily do much more damage to people on bikes than that other way around. But, sure, I would have deserved a slap for pulling up to this psycho and yelling. Sure.

mixtefeelings
mixtefeelings
5 years ago
Reply to  mixtefeelings

And to be clear, I was taking the lane to avoid the door zone, which is legal, and again, I was riding downhill, had just started from the stop sign at 14th, when this jackwad pulled all the way into the oncoming lane to pass me between 14th and 13th. What a crap human. I hope his engine block falls out.

RWK
RWK
5 years ago
Reply to  mixtefeelings

I don’t see why you are so incensed. IF the driver passed you with room to spare, and IF there was no oncoming traffic, then the driver did nothing wrong. Was either of these things not true?

Sloopy
Sloopy
5 years ago
Reply to  mixtefeelings

People aren’t allowed to pass bicyclists? If the yellow lane marker is dashed, it is legal to pass. Those are the rules of the road that both of you have the right to use.

The sanctimoniousness of bike riders though is unbelievable. Most bike riders ignore road rules (stop signs, red lights), but then get incensed when cars don’t. Then they say “but they are two tons cars”. That is true. It is also true that bicycle that slams into a pedestrian can cause a lot of damage. I know because I have friends who have been hit by bikes and have permanent injuries.

Maybe we just need new road rules to ensure everyone safety. Cars and bicycles and pedestrians could live in harmony, if people followed rules.

mixtefeelings
mixtefeelings
5 years ago
Reply to  mixtefeelings

What part of passing unnecessarily in over a short distance at a fast speed only to be held up 1/2 block later by other cars and a red light? That’s not safe or necessary. Please. If you think cyclists break traffic laws wait until you actually watch what drivers do much more frequently. I’m so sick of entitled carbon addicts who get a big sad because I expect them to yield when I’m crossing a street legally, or or baby pout when they kinda slow and I don’t step in front of them until they cone to a complete stop. 99.99999 percent of our public spaces favor your climate change inducing steel 5000 horsepower baby cribs and most of you haven’t figured out that it takes no more energy to use your brakes than your horn or gas pedal. When our city inevitably burns or sinks due to climate change if there is any justice you will suffer first and most. I’m done with you. You don’t want to treat bikers and walkers as human, IDNGAF about you anymore.

jeff
jeff
5 years ago
Reply to  mixtefeelings

Pretty sure this dude just exploded.

BadWeather
BadWeather
5 years ago
Reply to  jeff

He’s cranky because he had to bike in the rain this morning.

Sean R-M
Sean R-M
5 years ago

so the driver didn’t get a ticket after admitting that they knowingly drove into the bikeway?

Neighbor
Neighbor
5 years ago
Reply to  Sean R-M

This! I see far too many cars parking and even driving in bike lanes, it never ceases to amaze me how stupid people can be.

KD
KD
5 years ago

The great bike lane experiment on Broadway is so BAD. How long until they scrape off this mess? There’s way too much going on between all the driveways, the streetcar bottleneck, and the on street parking. Look at the stark difference between trying to navigate this stretch of road on a bike and zipping down 2nd ave.

Maria
Maria
5 years ago
Reply to  KD

Right? Just eliminate cars on broadway and the problem would be solved!

KD
KD
5 years ago
Reply to  Maria

I’m impressed that people not only still insist on driving on Broadway, but also manage to street park along the way !?!?!!

Rick
Rick
5 years ago
Reply to  KD

TURN 👏 BROADWAY 👏 INTO 👏 A 👏 PEDESTRIAN 👏 MALL 👏

Jim98122x
Jim98122x
5 years ago
Reply to  Rick

AND 👏🏻KILL👏🏻OFF👏🏻ALL👏🏻THE👏🏻BUSINESSES👏🏻

Rick
Rick
5 years ago
Reply to  Jim98122x

Fine by me if we lose some shitty brunch spots that solely attract yuppie interlopers from Bellevue.

But seriously, businesses are on the market and yet they’re never expected to adapt – the neighborhood is expected to adapt to them. Broadway – especially the area I am talking about, roughly Pine to Republican – is eminently accessible by bus or link, and it looks like that will continue improve. People already have to park on side streets as it is – not like there is a whole lot of decent parking on this stretch of Broadway. But mostly, the neighborhood doesn’t belong solely or even primarily to the business owners, it belongs as much – although imo MOSTLY – to the residents. The chamber of commerce and other pro-business interest groups have an incredibly outsized impact on how the neighborhood is shaped, because they are inherently better at lobbying and influencing development as a bloc than residents. That doesn’t actually relate to how much influence they deserve to have on the neighborhood.
Almost every decision regarding development or planning that gets made is done with the wallets of business owners in mind, and only after that is the quality of life for residents considered. The financial benefits that business owners receive barely even make it back into the rest of the community – other than enriching property owners even more than they already are.

So yea, kill off all of the businesses.

Brian N.
Brian N.
5 years ago
Reply to  Rick

@Rick, if all the businesses were killed off then what would be the point of walking down Broadway?

Prost Seattle
Prost Seattle
5 years ago

I have some angry neighbors. It would be nice if we could all step back and choose kindness.

CD Cyclist
CD Cyclist
5 years ago
Reply to  Prost Seattle

Yeah gee… we should all just relax, take a chill pill and let everything go to crap because people want to do whatever the hell they want because it’s convenient for them- let’s not be worried when they drive in the bike lanes – it’s not problem you can still get by right?, run all the stop signs – cause when you are in your car everyone else should be watching for traffic, run their dogs everywhere and don’t bother to pick up the poop – ah don’t worry even though he’s snarling and charging you he’s actually really friendly, glare at you when they step out in front of you on a ‘don’t walk’ – because when you’re out of your car you’re always right too – right, smoke your shitty smelling pot in public places even though you’re supposed to keep it in your own home/yard – because I shouldn’t mind walking through your foul cloud (you want to do it in public by the gd gummy bears eh)…. etc. etc.

You want to stop me being cranky? How about you (no… not you personally – the big you) just show a little respect for the other people around you, stop being so thoughtless and narcissistic and actually follow all those little rules we have to keep society civil even if they might inconvenience you by making you wait (yeah… nearly all of these are essentially about people not wanting to wait for something – you all fail the oreo test) so that you annoy the hell out of the rest of us until yes – tantrums are thrown.

Oh – and BTW – stay off my lawn…

Prost Seattle
Prost Seattle
5 years ago
Reply to  CD Cyclist

The driver messed up, thought they could get out of the situation. They should admit their error and apologize. It’s everybody yelling and screaming and slapping? Come on people, we’re better than this. We all mess up. Own it, apologize, learn from it and move on. I never thought a response of ‘be kind’ would get such a diatribe.

Wow
Wow
5 years ago
Reply to  CD Cyclist

It sure is January in Seattle, ppl are so pissy and depressed this time of year.

CD Cyclist
CD Cyclist
5 years ago
Reply to  CD Cyclist

Maybe because I see this kind crappy behavior nearly every day and I’ll probably fall down dead from shock the next time that actually happens – that
someone owns their bad behavior and apologizes instead of blaming the person who is annoyed for not tolerating them.

Fairly Obvious
Fairly Obvious
5 years ago
Reply to  CD Cyclist

The driver messed up, thought they could get out of the situation. They should admit their error and apologize. It’s everybody yelling and screaming and slapping? Come on people, we’re better than this. We all mess up. Own it, apologize, learn from it and move on. I never thought a response of ‘be kind’ would get such a diatribe.

In my experience, calling out driver on their shitty, dangerous behavior almost always results in verbal threats to my life or homophobic slurs in the best case scenario. Continued harassment or physical altercations are not uncommon.

Drivers don’t like being told that their antisocial, deadly behavior is wrong. An apology is a very rare occasion indeed, but when a driver apologizes, I am very cordial and accepting of their apology in hopes that deescalation and understanding will cause them to rethink their future behavior.

Neighbor
Neighbor
5 years ago
Reply to  Prost Seattle

Maybe the driver should have chosen kindness by not endangering everyone around her by using a car in a bike lane.

BadWeather
BadWeather
5 years ago

Those bike lanes were a poorly conceived concession to allow for the streetcar. What they should have done was scrap the bike lanes and create dedicated lanes for those epically slow street cars. Let’s just all agree that the entire redevelopment of Broadway was a complete mess that was always going to lead to conflicts between drivers, bikers, and transit riders.