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Thread: "It's getting ugly out there" by Jack Cafferty

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[quote=JCNILE123,284946]CNN ANCHOR Jack Cafferty "Brushes" a Cyclist, What can we learn from this?

August 5th 2003, Jack Cafferty, that charming curmudgeon on CNN's Morning News Broadcast made his own news by pleading guilty to using his Cadillac with Jersey Press Plates to ruin bicyclist Billy Maldonado's day on May 14th. It appears that the "sudden turn" made by Cafferty "knocked Billy" off his bike, which the Caddy then dragged for several blocks as five people attempted to get Cafferty's attention and stop him, to no avail!

According to NBCSandiego.com, "A traffic officer and about five pedestrians ran after Cafferty's car to stop him after the accident, but Cafferty drove through at least two red lights and around other vehicles without stopping, according to a police complaint" and it gets better "Cafferty later told police that he had seen a man on a bike who may have been a messenger weaving in and out of traffic as Cafferty drove south along Ninth Avenue around 10:25 a.m. When Cafferty looked in his mirror, he saw the man getting up off the ground but was unaware he had hit the bicyclist, the anchor told police." Maldonato who was knocked to the ground suffered bruises and according to his lawyer he needs an operation on his right elbow.

Not that this is a function of his celebrity status or anything like that, but it seems that Cafferty was allowed to plea down to... are you ready... are you really really ready? Operating a motor vehicle knowing, or having cause to know, that property damage had been caused. He was fined $250 and given SIX MONTHS to complete 70 hours of community service! Gee, I wonder if we could get him too run a bike club?

For his part, Cafferty surprisingly had no comment, but the criminal complaint said that he told police that he had seen the Bicyclist get off the ground, but that he didn't realize that he had hit him. "I am unaware I was in an accident," he said. Famous last words!

It is this writer's opinion that had Cafferty been reporting this story, his typical offhanded disdain would show through drippingly as he inferred his repugnance at the actions of the driver. Isn't it strange how the worm turns when the shoe is on the other foot? So bear in mind once again that the only one you can truely rely upon for your personal safety while riding amongst traffic is you! For more help with riding strategies check the article on Road Riding Safety to the left of this page! And perhaps, allow your disdain to show through by clicking off when certain celerities are on the air?

"This was never anything more than a traffic incident. It was resolved as a traffic infraction. Jack acted responsibly in this, as he always has," said Cafferty's attorney, Seth Rosenberg.
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