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Cyclist now scuffling for privacy
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| On-line photos of fight with driver give
courier unwanted publicity Globe and Mail, February 1, 2006 By Oliver Moore The bicycle courier whose fight with a motorist has been publicized around the world and sparked a furious debate in cyberspace is now riding incognito, concerned she will be a target for other angry drivers. Meanwhile, the motorist who clashed with Leah Hollinsworth last week in Toronto's Kensington Market may have to watch his back; the altercation, posted on-line as a string of photos, has prompted at least one threat against him. The fight started, Ms. Hollinsworth said in interviews, when she opened a stranger's car door to return a partially eaten meat patty he'd thrown to the road. According to witnesses, there were harsh words and a scuffle, but the worst of the violence occurred after the motorist had driven away and then returned on foot. The incident escalated rapidly, and photos taken by a passerby show Ms. Hollinsworth being knocked down while still astride her bike. Other pictures depict the motorist stomping on her bicycle and being held back by several people. "He started to kick her bike and take her down physically; she began to call for help," said Jocelyn Christoff, a neighbourhood regular who was photographed trying to separate the two. "There was no time to think . . . it was escalating pretty quickly," she said. "There was a woman yelling for help and no one was moving. There were tons of people standing around and no one was doing anything." However, tens of thousands of people have viewed the photos and added their voice to the angry conversation at http://www.citynoise.org. Both Ms. Hollinsworth and the motorist are excoriated for their roles in the altercation, but the cyclist has garnered more sympathy and support. Ms. Hollinsworth is eager to leave the glare of publicity behind, but she is also hoping the exposure will make her too public a target for others to go after. As a precaution, she has stopped using the distinctive helmet and red cargo bag she sported in the photos. She said yesterday that it may have been "reactionary" to throw the food and acknowledged that her keys scratched the man's vehicle in the initial scuffle. Police were willing to lay assault charges against him, she said, but warned she would be charged in return with mischief. Ms. Hollinsworth said that distribution of the photos has undoubtedly made the motorist suffer. "This is much worse for him than any court could ever dish out," she said. What the photos don't reflect is the recollection of two witnesses to the fight, who said the people restraining the motorist were also assaulting him. The owner of a Kensington Market clothing company said yesterday that he saw most of the incident. The man, who did not want to give his name, said the fight broke out in front of his store, and some of his merchandise was soaked with the coffee Ms. Hollinsworth said was thrown at her. The shop owner and a staff member said the photos don't show the whole story. The owner said Ms. Hollinsworth might have provoked the motorist, and noted that the people who restrained the motorist were also kicking him, including landing a blow that struck very near his groin. At that point the motorist broke away and armed himself with a stick, said the shop owner, who characterized this as an act of self-defence. Adam Krawesky, the man who took the pictures, described a different scene. He said the motorist took umbrage with being followed to his car and photographed, took a baseball bat from his trunk and charged him with it. The fight has caused a heated reaction in the cycling community. Ms. Christoff, a long-time rider who was hit by a taxi last year in an incident she attributes to road rage, said these incidents may be more common than the average person realizes. "This is an example of the fragmented and potentially dangerous relationship between cyclists and motorists," she said. Among some couriers there has been a strong response, with discussions of revenge and a few comments that Ms. Hollinsworth should have hit the motorist with her U-lock. The owner of the Kensington store, who said his shop is a regular stop for couriers buying gloves and socks, was worried about giving out information that could worsen the situation. He said a customer threatened yesterday to beat up the driver. "One guy . . . came in this morning with the picture and said, 'Do you know this guy?' " |
