Today's question: What's more dangerous -- hunting with Dick Cheney or bike riding with George Bush?
For background, we offer this report from Murdo MacLeod, the able
political correspondent for Edinburgh's Scotland on Sunday newspaper:
US LEADER CRASHED BY TRYING TO 'PEDAL, WAVE AND SPEAK AT THE
SAME TIME'
He may be the most powerful man in the world, but proof has emerged
that President George Bush cannot ride a bike, wave and speak at the
same time.
Scotland on Sunday has obtained remarkable details of one of the most
memorably bizarre episodes of the Bush presidency: the day he crashed
into a Scottish police constable while cycling in the grounds of
Gleneagles Hotel.
The incident, which will do little to improve Bush's accident-
prone reputation, began when he took to two wheels for a spot of
early-evening exercise during last year's G8 summit at the
Perthshire resort.
After a hard day's discussion with fellow world leaders, the
president was looking for some relaxation. Instead, he ended up the
subject of a police report in which the leader of the free world was
described, in classic police language, as a "moving/falling object".
It was "about 1800 hours on Wednesday, 6 July, 2005" that a
detachment of Strathclyde police constables, in "Level 2 public order
dress [anti-riot gear]," formed a protective line at the gate at the
hotel's rear entrance, in case demonstrators penetrated the biggest-
ever security operation on Scottish soil.
The official police incident report states: "[The unit] was requested
to cover the road junction on the Auchterarder to Braco Road as the
President of the USA, George Bush, was cycling through." The report
goes on: "[At] about 1800 hours the President approached the junction
at speed on the bicycle. The road was damp at the time. As the
President passed the junction at speed he raised his left arm from
the handlebars to wave to the police officers present while shouting
'thanks, you guys, for coming'.
"As he did this he lost control of the cycle, falling to the ground,
causing both himself and his bicycle to strike [the officer] on the
lower legs. [The officer] fell to the ground, striking his head. The
President continued along the ground for approximately five metres,
causing himself a number of abrasions. The officers... then assisted
both injured parties."
The injured officer, who was not named, was whisked to Perth Royal
Infirmary. The report adds: "While en-route President Bush phoned
[the officer], enquiring after his wellbeing and apologising for the
accident."
At hospital, a doctor examined the constable and diagnosed damage to
his ankle ligaments and issued him with crutches. The cause was
officially recorded as: "Hit by moving/falling object."
No details of damage to the President are recorded from his close
encounter with the policeman and the road, although later reports
said he had been "bandaged" by a White House physician after
suffering scrapes on his hands and arms.
At the time Bush laughed off the incident, saying he should start "acting his age".
Details of precisely how the crash unfolded have until now been kept
under wraps for fear of embarrassing both Bush and the injured
constable. But the new disclosures are certain to raise eyebrows on
Washington's Capitol Hill.
Jim McDermott, a Democrat Congressman, last night quipped: "Not only
does he break the law over here on eavesdropping and spying on our
own citizens, but it seems he can't even keep to your law when it
comes to riding a bike. It's another example of how he can't keep his
mind on the things he should be thinking about."
Bush often takes to two wheels for exercise, after pain in his knees
forced him to give up running. He regularly rides at secret service
training facilities near Washington, and the G8 accident is just one
in a long list of mishaps. In May 2004, he fell off his mountain
bike, grazing his chin, upper lip, nose, both knees, and his right
hand, while riding on his ranch in Texas. In June 2003, he fell off
his hi-tech Segway scooter.
In Scotland, an accident such as the one at Gleneagles could have led
to police action. Earlier this year, Strathclyde Police issued three
fixed penalty notices to errant cyclists as part of a crack-down on
rogue riders. Legal experts also suggested lesser mortals could have
ended up with a fixed penalty fine, prosecution, or at least a good
ticking-off from officers.
John Scott, a human rights lawyer, said: "There's certainly enough in
this account for a charge of careless driving. Anyone else would have
been warned for dangerous driving.
"I have had clients who have been charged with assaulting a police
officer for less than this. The issue of how long the police
officer was out of action for is also important. He was away from
work for 14 weeks, and that would normally be very significant in a
case like this."
No-one was available for comment from the White House.
Mr. MacLeod's only error was to contact the White House. For an
official response to an incident of this sort, he should have
called the woman who owns the Armstrong Ranch in Texas. Notably,
she got the story out within 24 hours. This tale of executive
excess did not come to light for six months. Still, considering
recent developments, the timing could not be better to set Bush
and Cheney up for the great bikes vs. bullets debate.
