Somebody’s Husband, Father, Son, and More-The Dehumanization of Cyclists

This Past Saturday, there was a tragic crash in Douglas County at the intersection of Hwy 83 and Jones Rd.  Saturday Evening, just before 5pm, Robert Garrison of Denver 7 posted a story titled:

“Cyclist dead, another injured after single-vehicle crash in Douglas County”

The article that followed, consisting of 6 sentences, explained that “A 55 year old man was killed and another injured in a crash involving a pickup truck Had occurred in Douglas County Saturday morning.” He also stated that they were not part of a “organized bicyclist event’ at the time of the crash.

The story was posted to social media by the news agency and afterwards, the comments that ensued were just disturbing.  While they were based on a story that did not represent what actually happened, they showed many peoples lack of knowledge of the law, and just an almost sociopathic hatred for cyclists in general, and a lack of humanity.

They Included: 

• “Cyclist shouldn’t be allowed on the road”
• “Cyclists should not be on the road, they got what they deserved”
• “Cyclists don’t belong on roads. Especially when they do not follow the rules of the road.”
• “Sadly how many more accidents like this have to happen before they are removed from riding on the roads. They cry about everything. Lil rocks cars trucks it’s pathetic”
• “That’s how cyclists work. They truly believe that world should stop every time they want to play with toys in the road.”
• “Enough is enough ban bicycles now they are clearly to dangerous”
• “adults playing with toys in the roads”
• “So is that worth 10 points?” 

That is just a small sample of the comments that were posted, based on a very shallow news article that was incomplete and factually flawed.  

Now…the rest of the story:

Monday evening, I visited the crash site, where I could see the tire marks, tracks where the truck veered to the southeast corner of the intersection, the paint on the roadway marking the path, and more disturbing, items of the victims, glasses, his seat, bike frame pieces left on the side of the road at the intersection. 

Tuesday morning, I visited the Colorado State Patrol office in Castle Rock, and met with Commander Michael Carr. I was very candid about why I was there.  I also explained  my personal experience with the anger towards cyclists and my concern of the comments made.  He was able to share the truth about what happened on Saturday Morning.  

While I was asked not to share details including the victim’s names, and certain details, the basic facts of the crash are:

1. Both victims were not riding at the time…in fact, they were stopped at the intersection, on the inside of the SW corner waiting to cross Hwy 83
2. A truck was heading South on 83 at the time, (the speed limit there is 65mph)
3. Another car was heading north on Hwy 83. and apparently began to turn left, (west) in front of the truck.
4. The truck veered right to avoid a head on collision, and in so doing, hit both men from the side, killing one and injuring another.
5. The crash is still under investigation, and charges are pending. 

Those are the facts of what happened that I was informed of on Tuesday, October 15th, to the extent that CSP granted me to release. 

In Commander Carr’s words:  “It was so tragic,  they were stopped, and still, at the wrong place at the wrong time.” Had this been a small or medium car, that truck would have most likely killed the driver.  

These facts are NOT breaking news, Those basic facts were available, had the questions been asked. 

I would ask anyone, now that you know what happened, did it justify the abusive rhetoric that was in the comments that I quoted? 

Had that been a small car stopped on the side of the road, would the same people use the same hateful remarks and ask for Hondas to be banned?  or “Serves him right, he was in a Jetta” 

This is a tragic crash on many levels.  While the shoddy reporting and posting of this news article was irresponsible and disrespectful, what is worse, is the hatred and vitriol that came out of peoples mouth/keyboard over the next 48 hours.  

This is not an isolated case.  A recent study showed that there is a growing disturbing trend of Dehumanizing cyclists. Over half of Non-cyclists view cyclist as “less than fully human”  Worryingly, negative attitudes toward cyclists are associated with self-reported aggression and hostility toward them.  When we dehumanize someone, it reduces empathy, and puts them in a category of a sub-standard group, one that we feel justified to act aggressively toward, both verbally, and physically, as you will see further down.  

On-road cyclists are often put into this group: they look and act differently to typical ‘humans’, they move in a mechanical way, and their faces are not often seen by motorists, blocking the normal empathy that might humanize them. If dehumanization of cyclists is occurring, it allows for the aggression to be easier, and justified by the motorist. 

Over the past 6 months I have witnessed or been a part of this type of almost sociopathic anger and hatred.  As soon as a man or woman on a bike involved in a crash, he or she is no longer a human being.  He or she is a “cyclist” and is labeled.   As noted above “that’s how cyclists work.”

On May 19th I was hit from behind by an F-250 on Founders Parkway in Castle Rock, and was thrust forward aprox. 65 ft on the asphalt.  Instead of calling 911, he approached me, screaming at me, and took to social media while I was still laying in the street being treated by paramedics.  After I arrived to Sky Ridge Medical Center via Ambulance, I was made aware of it when friends of mine sent me screen shots of what was being posted which included posts he made in one of the Facebook groups that represents  The Dads of Castle Rock.  His post included a picture of me laying in the street with paramedics working on me, and asking if anyone knew how to make sure this “A___hole” cyclist pays for the damage to his bumper.  The subsequent comments on that feed were not only filled with hatred targeted at cyclists, but disturbing for my family to see as well.  

During that I was not seen as a human, I was an object that was hit, and the driver treated me as the object that hurt his truck, instead of the person, husband, and father that he hit. 

Several weeks later a post by the Douglas County Sheriffs Office regarding a group of cyclists that were traveling in a group 4-5 wide (and that was wrong of them) garnered attention.  In 72 hours, over 1200 comments were made, and over 90% of them were pure hatred. Comments ranging from “a snowplow from behind will take care of that” to “looks like bowling pins to me” or “Bowling for Cyclists.” 

Shortly after, I was invited to meet with The Douglas County Sheriffs Office, including Deborah Takahara, Brian McKnight, and Sheriff Darren Weekly and have since began an initiative to build education, awareness, and respect between motorists and cyclists in Douglas County. 

This weekends crash and subsequent post and comments reinforce that this is a real problem that is not going away soon.  Not only do we see the same hatred and anger, but this time it was based on a story that was not even half fact, just assumptions of the readers. 

Almost the same comments, just different players, but some of the same players chimed in on all three.  It is the same hatred, which turns into dehumanizing the victim.  

The person who was killed, and the other that was injured were human beings. Each of them were or are a father, son, uncle, or brother that a family has lost or almost lost.  Instead of dealing with that, it is easier to refer to cyclists as part of a group, or an “it.” 

“It puts the lotion on the skin…” most of you will remember that line from Silence of the lambs.  It was pointed out because if the killer dehumanizes the victim, there is no empathy. 

When it is convenient, we seem to want to “Never Forget” victims of a terrorist attack, a war, a school shooting, any number of horrible tragedies.  But if it involves a cyclist, the narrative and the emotions change to: “another cyclist that shouldn’t be on the road” , or “they got what they deserve.”  (sorry, just quoting) 

In Closing

Tomorrow,  Thursday morning, I, and Colorado Avid Cyclist are participating in a walk and rally to bring awareness to bicycle safety and honoring the memory of someone who was hit from behind by a car while on his bike.  “Another Cyclist that should not be on the road”, right?  Wrong!  Liam Stewart,  a middle school student who died on October 17, 2023 after being hit by a car driver while riding his bike to school. Liam was someone’s son, he was not just a stat or a label. The Ride for Liam and Kid Safe Streets will hopefully bring more attention to that point.

My question to anyone who posted comments that were hateful towards cyclists,  would you have said those comments if that was your husband, wife, son or daughter? Would you have even thought those words? 

Thank you,

by: Gary Robinson, Editor, Colorado Avid Cyclist