Remember that road-rage incident last week involving a bicyclist who police say spit at a van that got a little too close for comfort over on NE 20th and Irving, and then got into a scuffle with the van's occupants?
Apparently the mother of the bicyclist, Glen Glans, 34, wrote a letter into the O last week to protest her son's treatment by the media and all you voracious, evil media commenters. It's cute, a mother's love. Here it is on display.
I am amazed at the rude, threatening & disrespectful comments posted about this article that gave minimal and erroneous information about the incident that left readers with just enough information to trigger their imaginations according to their predetermined mindset about bicyclists.The "bicyclist" involved is my son who was simply on his way to work when he was cut off the road by yet another motorist who either wasn't paying attention or doesn't believe that bicyclists deserve a share of the road. He chooses to ride his bike to work rather than contribute to the pollution and/or save some money on gas/insurance payments.
He admits that spitting at the car was a mistake but, after numerous incidents, such as this one, over the years in which he has been cut off the road, knocked off his bike and actually pulled by his shirt off of his bike by a motorist, thrown to the ground & left unconscious and hospitalized, he gave into his frustration and acted on it! Seriously, can you blame him?
Are people aware that they are driving lethal weapons? Wouldn't it be fair to have both sides of the story before printing it and putting my son through these accusations and acts of hatred by people that have absolutely no idea who he is let alone what really happened? This is not behavior that he engages in on a regular basis and this article was a set up for him to be harassed, threatened, verbally abused and who knows what is yet to come.
A mother disappointed in the media and worried about her son.
Glans, since arraigned on an assault charge, told KGW he was defending himself. But I kept thinking back to Sarah Mirk's recent Q&A with bike-law expert Ray Thomas. His biggest piece of advice: Don't be a prick. But then again with a name like Glans (possibly NSFW), what choice does he have?