Thursday, August 20, 2009

Down in Boca Raton, Confrontation Between Motorist and Bicyclists

Bicyclists in Boca Raton take exception when driver gets too close and a confrontation occurs. Apparently the driver violated the three-foot buffer law that is required of drivers to pass bicyclists with a buffer of at least three feet.r

Headline: Motorists, bicyclists mix it up

By law, motorists are supposed to give a wide berth when they pass bicyclists. But a group of cyclists in Boca Raton thought 69-year-old Miles Barish crowded them when he passed, according to SunSentinel.com.

Some witnesses even told police that Barish hit one of the bicycles as he passed. He denies that, saying he tapped his horn to let them know he was there, then passed in the opposing lane.

When he stopped at a stoplight, the pack caught up, and a confrontation ensued. According to police, one cyclist grabbed Barish and threatened to beat him up while others punched and kicked his 2008 Lexus convertible.

Now, he’s got a car with dents all over it, and one of the cyclists, 50-year-old Thomas McDonald, is charged with assault and battery on a person 65 and older.

Barish said he thinks the cyclists were lucky, because he has a permit to carry a concealed weapon. “In another minute or so I was going to take out my gun and take a couple of them out,” he said. “I don’t think the whole road belongs to them.”

Posted by John Chamless at 07:30:00 AM on August 20, 2009

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