February 14, 2003

Agency: assigning blame

When two people or objects come into contact, we can choose between a variety of ways of talking about it, involving different agency structures.

• A hit / bumped into / collided with B
• B hit / bumped into / collided with A
• A and B collided / bumped
• There was a collision between A and B

In this pro-bicycling letter, in sentences involving both bicycles and cars, the driver is always presented as the agent, and the driver of the car as the patient.

Bikers save gas for motorists

letter to Santa Barbara News-Press

Many drivers continue to operate cars and trucks while they talk with one hand on a cell phone, read or put on makeup as they veer in and out of lanes, miss lights and stop signs. At the same time, we read in the paper about people being maimed and killed by drivers who either care little for the rule of law on the roadways or have difficulty operating a motor vehicle with skill.

Especially vulnerable are those who choose to use environmentally friendly two-wheeled transportation. In just a few days here on our Santa Barbara streets a motorcyclist was killed by someone making an illegal U-turn, a bicyclist was hit by a truck, and another bicyclist was run over and dragged under a car for a quarter mile.

With more cars on the roads -- the News Press reported that in the next 20 years or so the amount will double in California -- and the need for more fuel-efficient vehicles, such as bicycles and motorcycles, it is imperative that some understanding of the physics of the situation sinks in to motorists' minds.

When a 4,000 pound vehicle rams a human body that is unprotected on a bike or motorcycle -- there is no steel bumper, metal crush zone or air bag -- the first thing that gives is flesh. The collision is like using a deadly weapon such as a gun.

Please, when you are in your car, remember that the person on a bike or motorcycle is making more gas available for you to use. Rather than threatening them or destroying their lives and that of their families, won't you consider giving them some space on the roadway?

Even better, hop on your bike today for Ride to Work Day, and make it a regular habit.

Jeffrey Stoutenborough, Santa Barbara

Spy plane incident

The following news stories deal with an incident when an American plane and a Chinese plane collided.

• To whom is responsibility attributed?
• Where is attribution of responsibility avoided?

Chinese jets intercept U.S. Navy plane

The U.S. Navy says the EP-3 aircraft was involved in a routine surveillance mission
April 1, 2001

HONOLULU, Hawaii - A U.S. Navy patrol aircraft has been forced to make an emergency landing in China after what officials describe as a "minor" mid-air collision with a Chinese fighter jet.

The incident occurred at approximately 0915 local time Sunday over the South China Sea when Chinese fighters intercepted the EP-3 surveillance plane during what the U.S. Navy says was a routine patrol flight.

"There was contact between one of the Chinese aircraft and the EP-3, causing sufficient damage for the U.S. plane to issue a 'mayday' signal and divert to an airfield on Hainan Island, in the People's Republic of China," said Cmdr. Rex Totty of the U.S. Pacific Command at Camp Smith, Hawaii.

The plane was able to land safely at the Chinese airfield and the 24 American crew members aboard the aircraft were not injured.

The U.S. plane was in international airspace when the collision occurred, Totty said...

Another spokesman for Pacific Command, Col. John Bratton said it was not clear if the contact was an accident or if the Chinese jet tried to bump the American plane.

The Chinese airplane did not appear to crash, he said.

Sources: Chinese board U.S. spy plane, remove equipment

Jiang Zemin says the U.S. must "bear full responsibility" for the weekend collision between a Chinese fighter an a U.S. spy plane.
April 3, 2001

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Chinese military officials have boarded a U.S. spy plane grounded in China and removed equipment from it despite U.S. protests, Pentagon sources told CNN on Tuesday...

Chinese president Jiang Zemin has demanded the United States accept full responsibility for the collision of a Chinese fighter and a U.S. spy plane and halt all surveillance flights near China's coast.

His call came just before five U.S. diplomats arrived in the Hainan Island capital of Haikou where they are expected to meet the 24 crew members of a damaged EP-3E Aries II forced into an emergency landing early Sunday after hitting a Chinese F-8 fighter jet.

"We cannot understand why the United States often sent its planes to make surveillance flights in areas so close to China," the Xinhua news service quotes Jiang as saying.

"And this time, in violation of international law and practice, the U.S. plane bumped into our plane, invaded Chinese territorial airspace and landed at our airport."

The Chinese leader added that the U.S. must "bear full responsibility" for the mid-air collision. "We have sufficient evidence," Xinhua quoted him as saying.

The U.S. says the collision was an accident and the plane was on a routine surveillance mission in international air space.

Bush statement on China, U.S. spy plane incident
April 3, 2001

WASHINGTON -- The following is a transcript of U.S. President George W. Bush's statement at a news conference on Monday concerning the midair collision of a U.S. reconnaissance plane with a Chinese fighter jet. The U.S. plane was forced to land on Hainan Island, China.

"Late Saturday night in Washington, Sunday morning in China, a United States naval maritime patrol aircraft on a routine surveillance mission in international airspace over the South China Sea collided with one of two Chinese fighters that were shadowing our plane.

"Both our aircraft and a Chinese aircraft were damaged in the collision. Our aircraft made an emergency landing in an airfield on China's Hainan Island. We have been in contact with the Chinese government about this incident since Saturday night.