Bicure

I found this article recently at the Harvard Divinity Review, and have been discussing it one-on-one as a cyclist hit & injured by careless drivers too many times to count, and I thought it might be of interest here:

https://bulletin.hds.harvard.edu/art...2017/no-rescue

In a nutshell, a woman named Shane Snowdon is talking about her killing of a cyclist on Pacific Coast Highway in 1997. There were no witnesses, and she was found not to be at fault. (Big surprise to all here on that finding, I'm sure.)

She just started talking about it (NPR and so on) last year--20 years on--and plans to write a book about "auto safety."

The whole situation is fascinating in that while no evidence was found of her contributing to the crash, she was the only witness to the fatality, and I have the distinct impression that the glowing appraisal she gives of herself as a public servant in a noble struggle with her grief is not quite the whole story.

While portions of the--very long--article are genuinely touching, other parts read like a Portlandia script: a privileged new age woman clueless about how ridiculous and self-involved her life and behavior may sound to readers, and much more concerned with seeking crackpot absolution and personal notoriety than helping the family of the young man she killed, or doing the real work of improving safety for cyclists.

Am I being too harsh?

Is any acknowledgement by a driver of the mayhem they've caused a blessing?

Is her story, and her glowing account of her character, believable?

Is writing a book about killing someone, and focusing so much on your noble self, an honorable way to deal with a situation like this?

What good may come of it?

Is the book one you'd consider buying based on this article?

Looking forward to the replies!

(I think.)

Oneder

Reminds me of caitlyn jenner case. Baby boomer with hippyesque values on surface, but driving huge SUV, kills someone and it's just no big deal.

Kinda hard to know what really happened but it seems kind of tasteless and self-aggrandizing to spend all your time talking about it afterwards. It is almost like she is spinning her own killing of another person into being personally victimized. It is really hard to imagine how someone can be that removed from humanity and basic decency.

Bicure

The Jenner case! I hadn't thought of that, but yes--same highway even, though further north in Snowdon's situation.

Thank you so much for pointing this out, and good to know that I'm not alone in my less than enthralled impression of this approach, though I'm sure others here may feel supportive of what this woman's doing.

genec

Of course what we can never know is how the dead cyclist feels about what happened.

Bicure

Exactly.

The writer's approach is auto-centric to say the least, but I'm wondering if an outlook that seems foreign and disappointing and even shocking to many of us might not appeal to the 4 wheel crowd, and get them thinking?

It pretty much just got my eyes rolling and head shaking, but maybe I've been biking too long to relate.

Oneder

I don't have anything against people with liberal views, but boomers seem to be a pretty entitled lot to begin with and all these 'activists' in the public eye so much seem more than a little cynical and hypocritical to me. I never felt the need to drive a big SUV, never murdered someone on a bicycle because I was too busy being narcissistic to pay attention to other people around me, never collided with a ped (though once or twice tempted when they were not acting kosher) and on and on.And certainly no real "hippy" types ever would.

I can't know for sure what happened though we can all guess, but regardless the part afterwards does not sit too well with me.

genec

Yeah, what I really want to know is what was the motorist thinking just moments before they hit and killed the cyclist... What fleeting thought was distraction enough to take one's mind off the task of simply looking to avoid hitting anything in front of the vehicle they were responsible for piloting? That is the thing I most wonder about in any collision situation... just what was going through the drivers' minds that took precedence over the basic rule to simply NOT HIT ANYTHING in front of you.

veganbikes

It sounds like they are capitalizing on it. You don't need to talk about yourself and give yourself glowing reviews. Just stick to the facts and if you need to mention your incident make it brief and be sincere. If you kill someone because you decided that paying attention to the road and those who use it while driving on it was not important you are not a good person and should not be talked about glowingly. If you feel you need to write a book go for it but don't profit off of it, either give it away or take anything you make on it and give it to a worthy cause (and not MADD or Corporations Advertising to Children Under the Guise of Being Mothers who Oppose Drunk Driving) and don't drive like an idiot ever again or be in a car with someone driving like an idiot.

jefnvk

People cope differently, I doubt that if she was trying to capitalize off this, she'd wait 20 years. Not every collision is the vehicle's fault, much as some round here would like to think. No, I can't confirm she is telling the truth, but at the same time I really have no reason to suspect she is lying. If you're going to try and cover up what you've done, in a situation like that, it makes little sense to stick around when you can drive off and chalk the damage up to a deer the next day.

As far as distracted? By all accounts it was dark enough she couldn't find a body without help and a flashlight. She broadsided a guy who was crossing a road in the middle of a corner with 60MPH traffic with no reflectors or lights. I'm not exactly going to hold this up as a prime example of distractions killing someone.

02Giant 

I believe a fair number of drivers drive down the road, looking directly in front of their vehicle. Oblivious to what lies ahead, until they get there.

Bicure

That's the crux for me; as the only living witness to a killing, AND as the killer, I think more decorum was in order than I see shown here.

Bicure

This brings up one of my biggest problems with Snowdon's account.

Basically, she remembers everything 20 years later--which I find very hard to believe--and according to the only living witness (her), and the man's killer (her as well), she did absolutely nothing wrong. Likewise, hard to believe.

It just seems a little too incredible, and her saintly, mindful driving a bit too unlikely and self-serving.

While the authorities cleared her as well, I have a hard time imagining an enormous amount of time or money was expended in arriving at a more complete or accurate conclusion than Snowdon's account offers.

Basically, a privileged woman mowed down an impoverished farm worker, and said she was completely blameless afterward. I really don't think anything remotely resembling CHP CSI exists, tirelessly examining all available evidence for the whole truth.

In fact, Snowdon herself claims that a first responder told her she was blameless, and if this is true, the strong pro-driver/anti-cyclist bias so many here are familiar with manifested itself almost immediately.

Bicure

Many excellent points, and a pro-Snowdon viewpoint is appreciated!

I don't imagine she's a cold-blooded or premeditating killer, and reflectorless cycling is an incredibly unwise practice.

I just have trouble with her characterization of what happened, her endless self-hagiography, and what I personally feel is a delayed attempt to capitalize on the tragedy, this delay explained by a fear of legal action (as she discusses) as well--no doubt--as a desire not to appear self-serving by publicizing the incident too quickly.

It just doesn't pass my cyclist sniff test, but I respect dissenting opinion, and don't feel that a prison sentence or like consequence is due.

Bicure

Yes!

The biggest adjustment I had to make when I abandoned the inelegant automobile for the elegant bicycle was developing what I call the cyclist's omnivision: you must see everything, plan for it, glide through it in a way that is entirely foreign to most drivers.

It's beyond defensive, and more like a kind of 3D chess game where you're the most vulnerable piece.

It's essential to safe and mindful cycling, and had I not developed this awareness, I'm pretty sure I myself would have been killed by now.

jefnvk

I guess I am just not cynical enough to understand where she is really capitalizing off of this. Hitting and killing someone, waiting 20 years, working in public policy and then publishing what is sure to be an academia piece of literature that may sell well into the low thousands of copies? Hardly a get rich quick scheme.

She is a public health expert writing a book on auto crashes, which are commonly researched in a public health context. She is using a personal life experience to further that research. It is sad that the guy on the bicycle died, but by all accounts she did everything right that we ask of drivers: she stopped, rendered aid (even if a moot point), fully cooperated with authorities, wanted to connect with and apologise to the family, and to this day still seems genuinely remorseful and affected by this, even if the accident scene seems to indicate there wasn't a lot she could have done differently.

Driving three ton hunks of metal is an everyday reality of society, it is ridiculous to think there are never going to be situations where that goes horribly wrong, and sometimes those have nothing to do with fault of the driver. We had a situation two weeks ago where a grandfather with his grandchildren was rear ended on the interstate by a young woman in a Jeep, he died and two of the kids are in critical condition. For the first days, there was a public crucifixion of the woman, how could she be so distracted, she needs to put down the phone, she needs to rot in prison the rest of her life for not being a better driver. Then, it came out he used one of those turn arounds that you aren't supposed to use, and pulled out in a manner she had no way to avoid, and everyone shut up and refused to even point out the glaring mistake that it turns out he made. Sometimes, it is nothing but a tragic accident in respect to the driver, that does go on to affect their life profoundly. It is actually enlightening to have the drivers perspective and what they went through for once. In this case, at least from the evidence presented, I am willing to give her the benefit of doubt that she really did nothing wrong, and that it was unavoidable on her part.

CB HI

Since she did not give up driving motor vehicles for the last 20 years, I call BS on her self absorbed tears.

A truck driver that killed a cyclist on a bridge in Florida, stopped truck driving and began teaching driver safety courses to help protect cyclist. Now he was an honorable man.

Bicure

I guess I'm not naive enough to buy into this woman's all-about-me sob story in which she makes it clear that she is the real victim, but thank you for such a vigorous defense of her.

As Judge Judy might say in reply to her yarn, I don't need to be married to the Brothers Grimm to know a fairy tale when I hear it.

Snowdon may or may not capitalize financially on her killing, but there are many non-financial ways she may already be capitalizing on what she did, including using this young man's death at her hands as fodder for publish or perish, using it to fan the flames of her personal fantasies of unsurpassed goodness, for attention/publicity, to continue avoiding doing anything of real grassroots value (she's the one who tells us what a roll-up-her-sleeves type of person she's been since childhood), or really do anything other than looking out for numero uno--a very special numero uno if we're to believe her--and so on.

And yes, by all accounts (hers and hers alone), she did the right thing by the man she killed. I'm just not buying it; it's not passing my sniff test as I've said.

As far as being enlightened by Snowdon's hagiographic account of her actions, they just look to me like a variation on the standard tune of non-responsibility by drivers who kill. Lots of bells and whistles to be sure, but in the end, she's just another driver who takes no real responsibility, but is heading further into the moral weeds by using the incident of killing someone to promote herself.

Driver kills/driver gets a pass/society consoles driver--that's the standard deal, but Snowdon's upping the ante, perhaps not happy that she only got a pass for the killing, and not the laurels a woman of her upstanding character so clearly deserves.

As to benefit of doubt, somewhere between your lack of cynicism and my lack of naivety, the truth lies.

Luckily, this lady appears to be quite the self-serving self-promoter, and has no doubt left quite a trail of people behind her that she didn't actually kill, but who may be able to offer a perspective which rounds out the saintly details she's provided with some relevant alternate facts (yup, those are real things) about her character.

Ultimately, time may tell.

In the meantime, thank you for your vigorous--and in several instances, valid--take on this; I had hoped for strong views in both directions, and you've helped provide that.

Bicure

Wow.

Now that is someone I'd like to know more about; thank you for sharing this.

It's certainly a more honorable course than leaving an altar in an artichoke field, and then telling everyone how special that makes everything.

Maelochs

Some serious BS here …. From the posters …


First off … has ANYONE really investigated this?

A lot of posters “just don’t buy” her account … that is called PREJUDICE.

If I called you racist you’d all scream and hate me (and probably will anyway … ) but this is no difference than racial prejudice.

No one here has a clue what happened. And guess what? Sometimes dumb people walk right in front of speeding cars. It happened in Tempe, Arizona on Mmarch 18 or thereabouts … and it is on video. A lady pushed her bike right in front of a car, and looked Shocked when she realized it was there—an instant before it hit her.

It happens.

Drivers screw up. Pedestrians screw up. Cyclists screw up.

HUMANS screw up … and all of you screwed up when you decided that this lady must be guilty because she was in a car and the other person was Crossing the Road Illegally Without Lights or Reflectors.

On a bike. After all, everyone who rides a bike is automatically a saint, right?

But wait … what about the people who ride like Richards on MUPs? We hear a lot of complaints about them …. And the faux racers who pass at speed without warnings … and the salmon, and the ninjas …

How can it be? After all, one is immediately granted holy status when one straddles a bike (or sits on a bent seat.)

And All Drivers Are Evil … even when it is us?

Of course, We all drive with consummate respect … but every other driver is a raving lunatic idiot, right?

Seems likely to me, this woman was doing everything right and hit a cyclist who was doing everything wrong. And it seems reasonable that she would be haunted by it … “I did everything right, and still this poor man is dead … Did I do Everything I could?”

I am bothered by mistakes I have made …. Or even by stuff which happened in which I was blameless but it turned out badly … but of course, no one else would be … not if they Drive in Cars … because people who drive cars are heartless illegitimates, right? We all know that.

Also … Cashing in? Seems more to me like she is trying to put to rest the horrible image which is seared into her brain, of that numbnuts cyclist looking up at her an instant before she hit him.

(As far as the truck driver who quit his job …. Yeah I guess … but how is that “Honorable”? I guess if he had no family to support, and found other income … but I don’t know that stopping driving was even a smart decision.

After all … he would most likely be a Lot more vigilant thereafter … while now he is preaching to rooms full of drowsy, bored truckers just waiting to finish the course to get credit off their insurance.)

Basically almost every poster here has demonstrated that s/he would rather hate than research.

How many of you have gone back looking for police reports, insurance reports, newspaper reports on this lady’s accident?

How many of you have Even a Shred of evidence that she did anything even slightly wrong?

Whatever.

Just remember folks … You could be next … While Driving.

You could be driving and some idiot could dart in front of you. You could be driving and some ninja salmon could decide to cross the road right in front of you. A driver could decide to change lanes and forget to check his/her mirror.

About 20 year ago I was in stop/go traffic on a freeway. It was December rush hour, so it was dark, and packed. Traffic sped up to 50-55 mph and stopped in short cycles. And as happens to All of us, not everyone was totally focused 100 percent of the time.

I was, because I hardly ever drove, so for me, … I understood the danger and was in full alert.

The lady in front of me spaced a little and almost didn’t stop. I was looking through her rear window and windshield at the car ahead, so I saw brake lights before she did … she stopped very short. I stopped clear of her because I was ready.

The lady behind me never even slowed. She also picked that one second to think of something else, and hit me full speed.

I was at a full stop, clear fo the car ahead of me, foot on the brake. I got hit so hard my car actually got pushed into the car ahead …. Didn’t do more than mark the bumper, but my car was hit so hard it was propelled forward however many feet.

Everything from the back of the front door back of my car was curled up like a shrimp’s tail. I was in an old classic Cadillac … a Huge old boat, very big, very heavy … and it crumpled like a soda can.

Even though I was motionless … I have told the story and people have tried to blame me for the accident. Don’t ask me what sort of logic would blame the driver of a car which was essentially parked when it got hit … but I have seen it.

So … sometimes people are in accidents and are actually Blameless. And even so, other people will try to blame them because of their own emotions short-circuiting their logic.

And That is what we have here.

If I made some really grotesquely racist comment … I would get banned permanently and everyone would say I deserved it.

But how is what you guys are doing any better?

Bicure

I really don't see that happening here.

I see a preposterously self-aggrandizing account by a woman trying to cash in on killing this kid in various ways, including painting herself--the killer--as the real victim.

It doesn't pass my sniff test.

But I've started researching it more closely, so time will tell.

Oneder

Yeah the trucker guy is genuinely amazing. I imagine how I would react to accidentally killing a bicyclist would depend on the circumstance. Since I am an almost pathologically careful driver I probably would not get too guilty over it, but I certainly would not want to talk about it too much either unless there was some specific issue involved which added to the danger of the situation such as bad road design, bicyclist on drugs, or something like that. Otherwise it is just a tragedy for an entire family and also all of that person's friends and the one causing the death (at fault or not) really has no place to intrude into that which I can't imagine is wanted by those people.

Maelochs

She is only a "Killer" if she intentionally killed the cyclist. if the cyclist illegally and stupidly tried to cross a high-speed road at night without lights and died ... She IS a victim.

As for 'cashing in ..." if that apocryphal truck driver (let's see some article links for that too please) is getting paid to teach safety seminars ... isn't he "cashing in" just as much as this lady is?

Yo decided because a cyclist died the driver had to be at fault, and therefore any sorrow of pain she feels is only just .... but if you had bothered to think with an open mind, you would realize how horrified You would be if it were you---if some dumb person stepped off a curb right in front of you and you hit that person, you would probably be really upset even if it were 100 percent the other person's fault..

Your "sniff test" is only smelling you ... you are so prejudiced to begin with (calling her a "killer" and not a person who was Not at fault in an accident, for instance) that you cannot begin to rationally consider her feelings.

Whatever ... you admit to having a huge prejudice against ehr, and try to defend it. Nothing anyone can do to help you until you are willing to help yourself.

Bicure

Ah - good old A&S!

You may want to re-read the thread, and perhaps consider your own clearly strong biases.

In the meantime, she's a killer because she killed, and she's not passing the sniff test because she's capitalizing on that in a ludicrous and outrageous fashion.

Bicure

Great points!

I think we're of like mind on this, and I very much appreciate your bringing up the truck driver as an example of what an exceptional and laudable response to a situation like this can look like.

Maelochs

Bicure ... I do nto want to fight over stuff ... all i will say is that if were your wife, who had been waking up next to you sobbing a few times a month for the past 20 years, saying" I can still see the look on his face---he looked right in my eyes, and we both knew he was abot to die," you wouldn't be here sniffing the stuff you invented.

be well.