Telling It Like It Is

Mayor Bloomberg gave his thoughts on the East Village electrocution death yesterday, saying he was trying to get in touch with Con Ed Jean McGrath and that "It's just unacceptable that somebody can walk on a street and get electrocuted." [Con Ed responded, "We agree with him. One death is one too many. This is a tragic, unique event that has never happened before."] Then, Bloomberg knocked down the complaint that perhaps it's the chemical compound in the salt on the sidewalks and roads that might have been a better electrical conductor: "We have salt on the roads every winter." Finally, when ask what will be done to prevent another electrocution, Bloomberg said, "We'll have to see what we can do," after admitting, "I'm not an engineer." Good that he's owning up to that engineer thing, because Gothamist was about to ask him to rework the land surveys for the West Side Jets stadium.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on January 21, 2004 2:53 PM

Comments [rss]

e.

This is definitely not an isolated case - it happened last year as well (dog stepping on a manhole cover), but didn't result in death. Salt is ineffective in this sort of weather anyway - why not just use sand or another alternative?

janelle

i wonder if bloomberg will take a PR stroll through alphabet city - say, 7th street, with its two electrocution hotspots - when the weather warms up a bit (a la his lunch in chinatown circa SARS)?

Kristen

I never suggested that we not use salt. I merely pointed out that it was the salt that caused the electrocution. Also -- it should be noted that if you are wearing shoes with rubber soles you are safe -- we suspect that the woman knelt into the puddle (to save her dogs) which is what did her in.

Conan

Didn't this happen before? I've heard a case of a Dog in the village taking a wizz on a light pole and getting zapped, and another walking in a puddle. Our pets are alot more Vulnerable to Electrocution then we are. I think this woman was very VERY unlucky.

Captain Obvious

Yes. Let's not use salt, and have one 1 electrocution death in like the last 5(?) years replaced with a couple hundred slip and falls that will invariably end up in broken hips and spinal columns for the city's elderly (and not so elderly). Genius!

Kristen

BR says that salt is a major conductor and it is most definitely what caused the electrocution. He says that back during his L&O days he would routinely get shocked by the combo of salty slush and wires...