The Motorcyclist and the Librarian

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Zorba

Lifer
Oct 22, 1999
15,244
10,817
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The bolded part bothers me...

First, why is a dick, he was a victim of this woman on the highway. Because he rides a motorcycle? Exactly what?

Second, if he didn't have a gun, he might be dead, again the victim of this woman who thinks hit-and-run is OK, and pointing a gun at someone is OK.
The article says it started when she started to swerve into his lane and returned to her lane. He then stayed next to her and started yelling at her. He should have just moved on. Also if he didn't have a gun he would've likely waited a little further away from her house until the police showed up.

It started out as a common traffic conflict between commuters. A motorcyclist traveling at a “high rate of speed” was passing a car last November when the car moved into the biker’s lane causing him to swerve, according to a report.

The motorcyclist, Andrew Derr, then “became aggressive,” yelling and waving as he continued to ride next to the car driven by Sara-Nicole Morales

As all of my posts indicate, I think she was by far more in the wrong, but I don't think the motorcyclists would've acted the same without the metal dick in his pocket.
 
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ivwshane

Lifer
May 15, 2000
32,548
15,424
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You guys highlight exactly why these pro gun laws are stupid. The last one standing gets to claim self defense regardless if they were actually defending themselves.

People claimed the librarian was in the wrong but she didn’t commit any crime initially. She made a bad move on the road but no one’s was hurt, then the biker exhibited road rage. At that point, it’s reasonable that the librarian feared for her life. What would you do in that situation if you feared for your life?

I’m not sure how someone exhibiting road rage and being aggressive can claim self defense just because the victim brandished a gun after being threatened. But we’ve seen this countless times where the aggressor kills someone after their victim tries to defend themselves.

But whatever, it’s Florida, Americas toilet where the worst pieces of shit go to take advantage of other Americans.
 
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eelw

Diamond Member
Dec 4, 1999
9,797
4,983
136
You guys highlight exactly why these pro gun laws are stupid. The last one standing gets to claim self defense regardless if they were actually defending themselves.

People claimed the librarian was in the wrong but she didn’t commit any crime initially. She made a bad move on the road but no one’s was hurt, then the biker exhibited road rage. At that point, it’s reasonable that the librarian feared for her life. What would you do in that situation if you feared for your life?

I’m not sure how someone exhibiting road rage and being aggressive can claim self defense just because the victim brandished a gun after being threatened. But we’ve seen this countless times where the aggressor mills someone after their victim tries to defend themselves.

But whatever, it’s Florida, Americas toilet where the worst pieces of shit go to take advantage of other Americans.
Indeed. Many willing to overlook how he escalated it. And once confronted instead of backing off, he claims self defense. He has to be charged for 2 counts of manslaughter
 

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,382
5,347
146
She almost hit him initially and there is no indication at any point that this was intentional. Witnesses say he approached at a high rate of speed. In traffic. We have all missed a biker in those situations, or have had the crap scared out of us as someone we did not see weave in and out and past at a high closure rate. So she messed up there but so did he.
His next response was to get angry and yell at her, ultimately kicking her car. That was a complete dick move by an aggressive asshole.
That was a totally inappropriate response and he made the first contact. Any normal person just stays safe and is thankful they did not get in a wreck, and moves on with their life.
Her response after he kicked her car was assault with a deadly weapon.
it definitely took two to tango with this clusterfuck, but he has some culpability for his actions on the freeway, IMO.
 
Mar 11, 2004
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More facts that make it even more bizarre. She wasn't pregnant (figured out after the autopsy which raises questions, was she claiming to be pregnant, and wasn't it claimed 5 months, would think it would be hard to claim either way at that point), and it was just the one guy (the others were just people that claimed to have seen some of what was going on and went with the guy following her) and wasn't a motorcycle gang/club. Which actually makes things kinda more bizarre. No charges as they went along with it being self defense (although I'm not entirely sure why she wasn't afforded similar since they followed her home and had ample opportunity to back off - but its been known that women do not get protected by Stand Your Ground laws so its not too surprising).

There needs to be laws passed about private citizens that ignore police telling them to stop following people. How that doesn't constitute harassment is frankly absurd.
 

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,316
10,814
136
Smart move dude on a fat clumsy Harley messing with anyone in a car... he's lucky he wasn't turned into a human speed-bump.

I recall when I was a courier (and fvcking nuts!) many years ago and some a-hole biker on I-95 in the Bronx decided he was going to "scare" me by flying up on me in traffic waving a club because he didn't like being passed.

The second time he pulled that $hit I cut in front of him and stood on the brakes.... and this was pre-ABS so we're talking 4-wheel lockup.

Hope that guy was wearing his brown pants. ;)
 

Heartbreaker

Diamond Member
Apr 3, 2006
4,334
5,452
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I've watched tons of motorcycle after incident videos on YT (DanDanFireman and similar).

Most of these kind of lane change near miss incidents are Motorcycle closing fast in blind spot and not driving defensively to avoid this extremely common situation that is highly predictable. Raging at the car driver is needless escalation, that caused everything after it.

I think he absolutely should be charged. His road rage escalated to the point where he shot someone 5 times and killed them, all of this needlessly.

If she lived, I would agree she is partially to blame, and should also be charged, but she's dead... Forever ...

America's gun worship is seriously fucked up.

Since the criminal justice system is also fucked up, perhaps the family can bring a civil wrongful death lawsuit. This is the minimum I would do if this piece of garbage, shot my sister or daughter.
 

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,316
10,814
136
Yep.... the KEY to staying as safe as possible in traffic on a bike is absolutely not "blending into the flow" as if you're driving a car.

What you want to do on a bike is move slightly faster than the MUCH heavier vehicles around you and keep any time spent in places like blind spots to a minimum so you have the initiative. You want to find relatively "safe" spots away from the "lemmings" to hang out in. (same is true in any vehicle to a lesser degree)

THAT is why the riders you see weaving through traffic-gaps to get to the open spots in between are usually the ones that don't get splattered in the "freeway blender".


EDIT: AGAIN.... at least HALF of the folks in 4-wheelers don't see you AND don't give a rats a$$.... ride accordingly.
 
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