
Why do you record your ride?
Even though I live in a rural Appalachian Mountain town, I choose to load my bike onto my car to start rides from the local high school parking lot. It allows me to bypass the town square and a busy commercial route. The high school lot is also an informal meeting place for solo and group rides. I just have to remember to have tires pumped, cameras, tail lights, and head unit charged up. Even when there is nothing to report, the cameras often provide images of companions and wildlife that are fun to share. I began recording my rides as a way to bolster my credibility when making a complaint to the Animal Control authorities or other law enforcement agencies. I found that, without video evidence, the authorities must give equal weight to the denials of pet owners and motorists. They just don’t have the resources to investigate the veracity of everyone’s verbal claims, so every incident would go unresolved. Even with the cameras, I still see some reluctance from law enforcement to pursue a remedy or charge motorists, unless their faces are captured. I find that it helps to post your video online, along with the case number and the sheriff’s name; the sheriff is an elected official in the US.

Do you have any photos of your bike before and after the incident?
I feel most vulnerable on straight roads, when there is intermittent oncoming traffic. Motorists will invite distractions from their mobile phones and other car features when there are no curves to keep them attentive or calm the speeds. Also, when motorists transition from an area with passive traffic calming features, to open road, I notice an uptick in their impatience an aggressive driving.

When do you feel most vulnerable as a cyclist?
I think that raising awareness (motorists) that bicyclists and pedestrians are legitimate road users is key. Adding a question or two to the drivers license exam would be a start. It is also important to stress the basic human decency of being considerate to those that are vulnerable. It’s a societal problem, as I often observe bicyclists on mixed use trails being careless towards the safety of foot traffic.

Did you report your incident? What was the reporting process?
I reported the incident outside the official channel, via an email to the sheriff; I included a link to the video. My reports have evaporated into nothing in the past, but this one was different. The age of the kids in the car and the proximity to the school gave me a valuable clue. I uploaded the video and shared it to friends and a few school teachers that I knew. When the deputy told me that he was having difficulty searching the license plate, I suspected that there were conversations taking place about the identity of the driver; I was correct. I received an anonymous tip that the driver was the son of a high school administrator and I confirmed this by pedaling my bike through the student parking lot and locating the car that the deputy reported having difficulty finding – – more legwork on my part. I made the officer that is assigned to the school aware of the open case on that vehicle so that he could coordinate next steps with the deputy. I received four letters of apology from the kids. I also received a letter from the driver’s father, incredulous that his son and his friends could have behaved in such a way; the driver had his license suspended for 6 months. All four were suspended from their sports teams and required to apologize to their team mates for casting their program and school in a negative light. I could have insisted upon a legal remedy via the court system, but I believe that using school and family discipline provided some effective alternatives in this case. It’s a small town and the social embarrassment that the families are facing is huge; my ride video is staying up.

What do you think about UpRide?
I’m under the impression that the primary audience for UpRide is bicyclists. In that sense, it provides a useful demonstration of the capabilities of video recording devices. Beyond that, I don’t think that I hear about UpRide, even in bicycling advocacy circles. I think that anyone that creates a video of the type that you see on UpRide should also share them in places/forums where they will receive a more diverse set of eyeballs.

What is your advice for other cyclists?
1. Be predictable. When you ride in a group EVERYBODY signals the maneuvers, not just one or two of you. 2. Ride on the road like you belong there. If you see oncoming traffic, a blind hill or curve, take the lane. Don’t tempt a motorist to “just squeeze by” because you think they will appreciate it and they will return the favor by being more careful.

Want to share your story?
We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share your stories and experience as a cyclist please reach out to the UpRide team.