Motorist attacks cyclist on Sapulpa’s Ozark Trail

Rock Creek Bridge, Ozark Trail, Sapulpa

A New York cyclist exploring the Old Ozark Trail alignment of Route 66 near Sapulpa, Oklahoma, when he was attacked by an inexplicably enraged motorist, according to the Tulsa World.

Jeffrey Tanenhaus, 35, of Scarsdale, New York, who became bored with his office job and decided to see the country by bicycle, had spent an enjoyable night in Tulsa, proclaiming it “my favorite city yet” on his Twitter account.

The good vibes quickly changed Tuesday afternoon while he stopped on the side of the road on the Ozark Trail west of Sapulpa. A man in a pickup truck, later identified as Franklin Burton, 37, stopped near him.

“He pulled over to yell at me about how much he hated bikers and how we think we own the road and how we shouldn’t be there,” Tanenhaus recalled later.
Shaken and perplexed, he watched as the pickup sped away, leaving tire tracks along the road. Minutes later, it came back.
This time, Burton came straight at him, Tanenhaus said. He got out of the pickup, started yelling again and swung at the cyclist, hitting him in the face, Tanenhaus said.
Burton pushed over the bike before getting back into the pickup and leaving, Tanenhaus said.

Fortunately, a couple found Tanenhaus and took him to a hospital, where he received stitches on his upper lip. In the same area later that day, police responded to a baseball-bat assault at a residence. The assailant later was identified as Burton, and police arrested him. Burton later admitted to police he assaulted Tanenhaus, and the cyclist also identified him from a photograph.

First, it’s good that Oklahomans came quickly to Tanenhaus’ aid after the attack. He said he was grateful for the couple’s help. He also said the attack wouldn’t color his views of the Sooner State, as his impressions had been positive up to that time.

Second, Burton’s contempt for cyclists seems a little too common (albeit not as violent). There’s a notion that roads are meant only for cars and trucks. But that is not true and never was. Save for a few restricted-access interstates, bicycles are permitted on all roads.

In fact, the genesis of the Good Roads Movement is directly attributable to the rising popularity of bicycles during the 1870s — a good quarter-century before cars. People wanted to enjoy leisurely rides into the country, which was difficult when dirt roads turned to mud with the slightest rain.

A few complain that cyclists aren’t paying their fair share because they don’t have to pay gas taxes while riding. First of all, you’ll find few cyclists who don’t also own a car. Second, does anyone think cycling adds any real wear-and-tear to roads? This seems to be rooted in jealousy or, in the case when the occasional cyclist ignores the rules of the road, disproportionate anger.

I, for one, welcome cyclists on Route 66. They’re tourists just as much as the folks who follow the Mother Road in their cars. And because cyclists burn so many calories, they’re bound to spend more money in Route 66’s restaurants.

The 3.5-mile Ozark Trail alignment near Sapulpa served as Route 66 from 1926 to 1952.

(An image of the Rock Creek Bridge on the Ozark Trail alignment of Route 66 near Sapulpa by Ron Doke via Flickr)

5 thoughts on “Motorist attacks cyclist on Sapulpa’s Ozark Trail

  1. Hi Ron,

    Thanks for another post supporting bicyclists’ rights to ride the common roads including Route 66. As the signs increasingly being erected along our SoCal city streets say: “Share the Road” accompanied by a graphic of a bicycle.

  2. I can’t say how they do on route 66
    I do not condone this mans action on one person. Having said that.
    I can say how they are on roads to and around our house.
    Texas state law states that if there is a shoulder then the cyclist must ride on it, must obey all traffic laws and signs . They must ride in single file if on a two lane road and must not impede traffic on other roads
    We have days that will have 200 or more cyclist show up. They gang up in the road, drive 4 or 5 wide ,hold up traffic till some one calls law enforcement ,run stop signs and generally ignore any and all traffic laws
    When you live in an area that has this problem, then you do not have much respect for anyone on a bicycle
    I have never ran over or hit a cyclist but have really been pushed to the edge
    When you have to follow them for 5 or 6 miles it will rake your nerves and self control
    Any attempt to get them to move over to let you by falls on deaf ears
    Our roads have a lot of hills and curves so passing is not an option and even where you can pass I have seen the ride 7 or 8 wide so you can’t get around

  3. Speaking as the Director of Tour Sapulpa Visitors Bureau, I was appalled that this incident happened. We cherish our Route 66 byways, and are very proud that we have so many visitors each year. The man responsible for the altercation was from another Route 66 community, but none the less, still an embarrassment. We have reached out to Mr. Tanenhaus, and offered our sincere apologies. We hope your readers will continue to take our scenic tours in the future, we think they are pretty awesome!

  4. Ron ,
    I take you have not been subjected to 45 minute delays or more because they are grouped up in the middle of the road in groups of 25 or 30 and more. I have seen them use all kinds of excuses for blocking the road, from several bikes had run into each other to someone had fallen off and was hurt ,to there is a problem further up the road and they were told to keep it closed. As soon as law enforcement shows up they take off . When stopped and question they ban together and say they only had it blocked for a few minutes.
    You have not had to drive 5 to10 miles behind a group that will not let you go around them constantly stopping and going . A 10 minute trip to town takes you 30 minutes or more
    Like I said I do not condone what this man did but they can when in a group wear your nerves thin
    We live on a two lane road with a lot of hills and curves and most of the road is a no passing zone. There is a narrow shoulder that was added for them to move over for traffic .They refuse to do it
    There are a lot of fines issued but it seems to not matter to these groups
    May you never be faced with them gathering in your neighborhood and doing the same thing

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