So what's the story behind Timothy Swift?

Re: Luke the videographer
Regardless of how YOU feel about this so called "gun crazed" guy that just happened to be in traffic while you (and 100s of others) protest for an unknown reason (you and i both know 98% of people on critical ass rides have no clue) he's gonna get his day in court.

I'm still waiting on any feedback about how YOU (and the masses of subscribers on this board) intend to remedy this situation with ACTION and how rides go in the future.

Look: i'm convinced that the majority of riders (and subscribers to this board) have no clue about cycling and it's YOUR responsibility to adhere to SOME kind of guidelines regarding your protest rides. Personally, i'm appauled about the image and actions of you so-called cyclists present because, frankly, this board and the cycling values upheld throughout in NO way represent MY cycling values and i'm confident in saying that none of you represent what being a cyclist represents to me.

I've ridden in this town longer than ANY of you (sans 1-2 of you) and i'd like nothing more than to see Critical Ass demonished for good. IT DOESN'T WORK. Move on. Join a team. Do a race. ANYTHING except what YOU all are doing to represent cycling in this town and ruining MY brand of cycling and what it means to me.

I've attempted to offer alternative solutions to the "Free swim @Barton Springs" debacle by suggesting perhaps a reduced discount on annual passes and...NO DICE. No action plan taken or even recognition to making attempts at WORKING hand in hand with the city. Instead, we have THIS.

Welcome to Austin, you all. You've ruined what it means to turn the pedals on these city streets because YOU all have absoultely NO respect or admiration to what it means to be a cyclist. You don't represent the majority of bike riders out there and it's no secret i've been a less than popular contributor to this board because i just don't get you guys. I don't lose sleep over it...ask anyone who knows me.

I managed to never get hassled by APD in OVER 15yrs of riding in this town and somehow you all cannot. WHO'S AT FAULT???

You all figure it out.

Advocating violence? Really?

What a surprise with this group. None of you represent the cycling community. Hippies on bikes are just hippies on bikes. I'm so sick of YOU f'ing people.

do us all a favor and go off yourself right now please.

I really dont feel like having to worry about getting shot by some pissed off redneck just because I share a common means of transportation with some douchebag that tore his shit up as a fucking chickenshit means of trying to get some sort of juvenile revenge.

if you have shit to settle with him then how about this. then ball up and go confront him about it.
Afraid hes gonna pull a gun and bust cap in your ass? Pulling shit like what you are saying, you probably deserve it.

The police are aware of this site. They may have already read your post!

They'll subpoena Jason for your IP address and whatever other information he has on you. They'll also hit him with a gag order so he can't even tell anybody about it, including you. Then they'll subpoena your ISP for information about you, and then they'll show up at your door and question you about whatever happens. And you may not have even done it!

And suppose you do do something to his house or car. And he catches you, and shoots you? (He does live in the bad side of town, and it looks like he lives behind a fence. He's likely worried about crime already.) The police won't do a thing to him -- he's just defending his property. And oh look, there was even a threat made against him by you! You'll be a 30 second blurb on the 9pm news, "Armed homeowner saves family from interweb lunatic".

Revenge for what? Nobody was really hurt, and I don't even think any bikes were damaged. Nikol had a scrape, but Nikol wears her wounds like badges of honor -- no significant harm there. Jason said several people were hit -- who else was hit? Was it more than a simple bump when they're blocking his path? I certainly didn't see it.

OK, so he pulled a gun. Dumb -- it's more likely to enrage a mob than stop it -- but he did it, and considering the circumstances no jury would fault him for it. Obviously the police agree, as they let him go, even though the gun seems to have been stored illegally. Did that gun hurt you? Did it scare you? (if so, good! they're supposed to be scary!)

I tend to doubt this issue is over. Had his truck been undamaged, it would be over, but a lot of damage was one to it. Some was even done after the police had arrived. The police are likely to continue investigating. And even if they don't charge any individual massers, they're likely to crack down on all the group rides a little harder. For the most part, they've left us alone -- but all it takes is one stupid incident like this to change all of that.

Groovy2: just be sure to tell the police (if you're lucky enough to have them nab you before you get yourself shot) that you found the alleged perps personal/home info on THIS BOARD.

From my observations it is usually the opposite way around. The cyclists at critical mass don't obey traffic laws and create numerous dangerous situations for both the drivers and the cyclists. It is not surprising that someone got hit. In these situations, the cyclists ALWAYS blame the driver and completely over react. Just remember, driver's have just as much a right to defend themselves and their property. So, personally, I won't be surprised in the future if one of you idiots gets shot.

I can go weeks without getting honked at, despite my powerful manly ass. Have only been yelled at 3 or 4 times, which is probably 10x less than your average female jogger running down Riverside. Never had anything thrown at me, never been spat upon, never been intentionally swiped. In fact, I see acts of generosity way more than the other. Guys in trucks a lot like that one pictured have slowed down to let me get in their lane to pass a stopped Cap Metro bus, People stop at intersections I'm approaching and let me go by like they are supposed to--some even wave back when I wave my thanks.

To say you can't go one day without those negative encounters is bullshit unless you just ride like a complete ass. Austin is no more a war zone than it is a biketopia. Your victim complex and pathetic vigilante notions do sound a little familiar...maybe you have something in common with the kind of person who would drive around town with a loaded Glock in his truck.

I hear this a lot in Austin - people claiming that you "can't go a day in Austin" without being harassed as a cyclist. I think this claim is by and large bullshit and has a lot more to do with the style of cycling practiced than the fact that you're cycling. I ride a traffic-y 8-10 miles a day to commute to and from work, and it's rare I get honked at, even rarer that someone rolls down a window to say anything. In fact, that last time someone talked to me on my morning commute, it was because it was a nice day out and they were psyched to get on a bike after work. I'd say the interaction was positive.

What I notice is that lot of people are on cell phones and are not paying attention, which is dangerous, but not a targeted attack. Ride with traffic, be assertive, not an asshole and BE PREDICTABLE. Use your lane signals, be polite. We're not fighting to remove cars from the road, that's not even a battle worth fighting right now, we're fighting for a position on the road, as traffic. In order to do that we need to be assertive, but making a practice out of being violent to secure that position in traffic just means the car is even less likely to yield to you when you need it most.

Mass is great, but my bicycling needs are always practical in the end. I've got to get to work somehow, and if participating in Mass means people are more of an asshole to me as I bike in because of that association or interaction, I've got to avoid it.

Think about the first loop we did up to the Triangle: people (in cars) were by and large supportive - I counted maybe 5 people who were really angry. This is Austin, people like to see weird stuff like hundreds of bikes at once, we have prevailing popular opinion by and large. CM should be a positive event, one that changes or is neutral to naysayers opinions about bicycles, not one that validates their opinion that bicycles shouldn't be on the road.

Are you kidding? Bikes are the easiest things to fuck with in the world. Stick in spokes, a good push, wack on the back of the head with a bottle, BOOM no more biker. I've had it happen to me and it sucks, but seriously as cyclists we're almost completely DEFENSELESS against cars and maybe we should wise up and realize it rather than puffing our chests and talking about vigilante-ism and justification. Whoever said life was fucking just or that the cops were on our side?

Maybe the lesson should be do not fuck with mobs of assholes with a grudge against cars, most of whom carry a club U-Lock and a chip on the shoulder, as the anonymity of the crowd allows them to act out in a way they wouldn't if they only had themselves to rely on.

You feel JUSTIFIED in folding to the suggestions of others and acting like sheep? Jesus, what a fucking tool. Maybe if y'all hadn't taken the matters into your own hands Mr. Swift would have gotten to go on a little ride with the cops, rather than just chill in the back of their car until we were gone. Instead you got the tables turned because of your childish tantrum, Mr. Swift got away scott-free and the incident was written up as if y'all were the aggressors.

What kind of precedent does that what y'all accomplished through your actions set for when we encounter people like him in the future? Will they recall that wacky monthly "Critical Mass" ride and how their last interaction with it went? Will they remember the state of the car and rather than detaining the driver just let them go for fear of it happening again? Will they just be proactive and start cuffing cyclists to keep it from going down that way? Guess time will tell, as I can easily see this shit happening again if the angry mob doesn't pull their collective heads out of their asses.

I'm a biker and I love all my friends, but fuck what you did last Friday was stupid.

Traveling is (or used to be, anyway) defined as:

You can't be going to or from work.

The trip origin and destination have to be in different counties.

I'm sure someone will correct me now.

The holster is illegal, yes.

Not sure of the intent to post his personal info (made public) but given his behavior I'd strongly advise stearing clear of his home and making sure not to trespass on his property.

Way to be an asshole.

Sorry J, the gun does not make the man, and in this case it just exhibits his lack of character and worth. Maybe the clearly armed citizen shouldn't have struck several cyclists and then fled in his pickup truck if he wanted to be left alone with his gun.