June 23, 2007
Two Bicyclists Die in Separate Incidents
Let's paraphrase what we wrote yesterday: How is it again, with Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff and Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan riding their bikes, that NYC remains a bike-unfriendly city? Yesterday, two bicyclists died in separate incidents in Brooklyn and the Bronx. At 9AM, 18-year-old Luis Ramos was biking to his job at George's Spanish and American Restaurant when a woman opened her car door in his path on Flushing Avenue near Beaver Street. The Post describes that "Ramos slammed into the door, flew over his handlebars and fell into traffic, where a school bus ran over him." Ramos' brother Lucas had been biking about two blocks behind him and saw the police at the scene. He said, "I ran over to him to hug him. But the cops told me not to touch him." Ramos was pronounced dead at Woodhull Hospital and the police did not issue any summons.
And in the Bronx yesterday afternoon, 30-year-old Juan Solis was killed while riding his bike on East Gun Hill Road. The NY Times reports that Solis was "trying to ride around a car that was double-parked when a white box-type truck, going east, hit him at high speed and fled the scene." Solis was pronounced dead at Jacobi Medical Center and the police are trying to determine the truck's license plate number.
Transportation Alternatives has a flyer that explains how drivers and bicyclists both can give respect and get respect from each other (PDF).
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as a person that Bikes, it's usually 100% of the time that a woman is the one who always opens the car door. I've gotten clipped so many times. Usually it's JAPS cause they are so selfish. This whole clipping and detouring under buses shit is horrific. Can I sue someone for opening a car door in my path? I always just yell at them and they say sorry but maybe if you sue more people will be aware.
I rode in to car doors here twice (and neither time did the person who opened the door stop and help, they were completely convinced they'd done nothing wrong). I never rode the streets on a bike again. Now I ride only on the sidewalk from my house along Riverside till I reach the park, and back. I just don't care to be a martyr to the cause of bike riding in NYC.
In Berlin, however, it was HEAVEN -- bike lanes everywhere, with their own traffic lights. Now that's what I call a city.
I second that about Berlin--they're much more enlightened about bikes over there. I truly LOVE biking in that city.
NYC Is not a bike-safe city period. There isn't enough room on the city streets for traffic and bikes to co-exist. The infrastructure needs milions of dollars in funding to create actual "Bike lanes, lights etc that are alittle better then a line on the road. Also, I can't tell you how many times I've seen people (on bicycles) riding irresponsibly - either on sidewalks or going the wrong way down the one way street. As someone who commutes daily into Manhattan daily via the Williamsburg Bridge, if more people chose to ride on streets that are less congested (who NEEDS to bike down Houston or Broadway for example? - it's ridiculous.) Topping it off, I also don't see that many people wearing helmets. It's a shame a few rotten apples out there have to spoil it for the rest of us. Also, the pro-bike-rally crowd is sort of comical. "Blame traffic" sure we can do that - but you've chosen to bike in a city where the infrastructure isn't designed to protect you. You ride at your own risk.
Yeah. Berlin. Great example.
Brought into modern times by Kaisers and Fuehrers.
Bombed to smithereens from 1943-1945.
1/2 under totalitarian regime 1945-1990.
Yeah,let's get the USAF, the RAF, and the Russian Air Force to blast out some bike lanes in lower Manhattan.
OR maybe we could introduce congestion pricing. Beautiful ain't it?
I'm not sure that Berlin has bike lanes for the reasons you listed, Guest #5, but keep telling yourself that. Or you could take a look at Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Boulder, CO, Portland Or—cities that managed to develop bike lanes without the help of Kaisers, Fuhrers, Soviet Empires or carpet bombings.
That's not to say that Kaiser Wilhelm doesn't build a lovely bikelane, which he does, but you get my drift.
Perhaps bikers should take more responsibility for biking accidents and stop blaming drivers for something as outlandish as opening car doors. Or are you bikers too consumed with being on your bikes to actually pay attention to what's going on around you?
Just like for drivers in cars: if you run into someone, you're at fault.
Dev, you're an idiot!
"Dooring" is illegal!!!
It's clearly on the books in NYC that if someone in a car opens their door into the path of traffic (including bikes), it is the fault of the person who opened the door. If you are driving, and someone opens their door into the path of your car (which you then run into) is that your fault? No.
The police should be tarred and feathered for not even issuing a summons or ticket. This is a HUGE problem in NYC. Basically, if you kill a bicylist, you are immune from criminal prosecution. The only respite cyclists have is the civil courts. This is appalling, the police and DA's office should be ashamed of themselves.
Don't be ridiculous. It's been proven time and again that NYPD doesn't give a rat's ass about bicyclists. When was the last time they ever gave a ticket to a driver who killed one? Don't even mention the open hostility they show at Critical Mass. Bloomberg may talk the talk about wanting a green city, but he sure as hell doesn't walk the walk.
Of course the NYPD cares - Found a friendly warning from the 94th precinct on bike today. Don't forget cyclists are obliged to follow the traffic laws!!
Sounds like another great revenue stream for the city since there are plenty of folks who ride the wrong way or proceed through a stop after looking both ways.
Make sure to bring your ID or spend some quality of life time at the station house. Hmmm, I wonder... Do those summonses add points on my DRIVERS license??
NYPD cyclists warning found on bike parked on Bedford Ave.
I agree with #9. Dooring is illegal and I can't believe this idiotic woman got away with it when she was ENTIRELY RESPONSIBLE for the death of that teenager.
#1, I've been biking in NYC for nearly 10 years, and I have to say that men and women are equal-opportunity "doorers." Face it, there are inconsiderate assholes everywhere.
One time I narrowly avoided getting doored by a chick getting out of a cab, and I said to her, "Maybe next time you'll be more careful" and she said, "No - maybe next time YOU'LL be more careful." Dumb bitch! If I hadn't been being careful, she WOULD'VE doored me. I am constantly astounded by the misplaced self-rightousness of people like this (yes, I'm talking about pedestrians too).
Bicyclists are the most annoying self centered assholes. I have no pity for them. Critical Mass? Screw you. You get what you deserve.
Fine, #9. Next time I drive into the city and park on the right side of the street, I'll be sure to climb over to the passenger side to get out, just so I can avoid potentially opening the door and hitting a biker who is riding too close along the sides of the parked cars.
I agree, #14. No pity for reckless bikers.
Bicycles are supposed to be where no one else feels like being. Use a bike lane, but only if a car hasn't double parked there. Stay to the side of the street and pray that no one wants to open a door on you. The 'suggested' bike lane on 5th Avenue in Brooklyn keeps the rider away from doors, but but closer to traffic. Bike riders would be a whole lot less reckless if we had somewhere to be.
Dev: I can't believe you are such a douche. Have you ever heard of LOOKING IN YOUR FUCKING MIRROR, ASSHOLE?
If I'm riding my bike in the bike lane, and you open your door in my face, I'm the reckless one? You are such a jackass, I hope you get run over by a bus.
Last week, while I was biking down Bowery towards the Manhatan bridge, a traffic cop actually stopped a yellow cab from cutting me off in the intersection -- it was totally great, and definitely the first time I've ever been looked after by nypd on my bike. They're not all bad!
Dev, you not only show ignorance and inconsideration, you like to flaunt it. Look at the DMV manual:
www.nydmv.state.ny.us/dmanual/chapter07-manual.htm
If you can actually read (which appears to be in doubt), notice where it says "After parking, remember that you may not open the door on the road side if it will interfere with traffic." Your sub-average IQ may not be able to accept it, but bicycles are part of traffic. Why don't you do all of us a favor and get out of your parked car on the driver's side without checking for cars coming behind you. Darwin would applaud.
To the jackasses who posit that they don't need to check the bike lane before opening their door and exiting their car into traffic: you are fucking stupid.
Sure, you pose a threat to us bicyclists, but you also pose a pretty serious threat to yourself. If You open the door, and I hit you as you exit your vehicle, you are going to find yourself crushed between your own car door and a very fast moving cyclist, because (news flash) I am not likely to switch lanes blindly just to avoid hitting your stupid ass, and since I'm keeping up with traffic, I'm not moving slow.
Wow. You guys are really adamant.
I think bike lanes are great, but since they're few and far between in this city, that's not really what we're talking about, is it? Because they're certainly far enough away from the parking areas to allow for cars and open doors. At least they are on Hudson. So to me, the areas with bike lanes are non-issues.
I'm not, anyway. I'm talking about the rest of the streets, where the majority of bikers I've seen actually are. Very rarely do I see them on Hudson. But many times on Greenwich (St AND Ave) and Washington.
It seems you bikers aren't willing to do the same things you expect us to do: watch out for what's around you. You're as much a threat to yourselves as drivers are. So quit blaming us for everything and take some goddamned responsibility for your own actions.
Or, take the train and contribute to the economy.
That's all I'm saying.
You are a total jackass. "Watch out for what's around you." I knew you wouldn't comprehend the DMV drivers manual. Anybody with even one working brain cell would know that's saying it is the responsibility of a parked driver to watch out for any traffic coming from behind, but you're too goddamn stupid to see that. Keep it up. The sooner you get hit by a car by jumping out without looking, the sooner evolution can proceed.
This is as simple as it gets . "You" Being the operator of said vehicle, Were informed during the [5]Hr class that when operating a vehicle "You" are to observe Ur surrounding prior to executing an action . Basically, That means when Ur operating the vehicle Ur attention should be focused on the ROAD [100]% of the time . If It were my family they would settle my final affairs and then sue the stupid ass driver for the accident ! This is totally the fault of the driver as long as he wasn't riding against traffic . If this is the case then both parties are responsible for this accident . A case could be made for the cyclist if he was approaching her car due to the fact that she should have seen him and waited for him to pass before opening the door .
to those blaming cyclists for people dooring, you do realize that these cyclists aren't getting hit by doors that were clearly open for a few minutes and the biker wasn't paying attention. there is no time to avoid getting doored if someone opens their door at the last minute without checking. its common sense as a passenger or driver in a car. you look before you open your door. especially if you are exiting onto the traffic side of the street. you do it to protect yourself and others. if a car were to hit your door after you thoughtlessly opened it without looking, you think its not going to be your fault? shoot, you could die yourself that way by getting wedged between the car door and whatever is hitting you (cyclist or car).
Beyond all the hyperbole of bikes vs cars this simple fact remains, a person was killed because a car door was opened in their path. Just take a quick look before opening the door - that's all! Not a big deal, takes 2 seconds.
Wow, the 94th precinct "reminds Bicycle riders that they are obligated to obey the traffic rules and regulations" YET the police are not obligated to enforce any traffic rule or regulation let alone obey them unless they feel like it!
WTF?
I do agree that more bicyclists should wear helmets, use lights at night, and not go the wrong way down a one way street (unless it's for less than 1/2 block). But as for obeying traffic lights, well, no, these are nothing more then yield signs, as a bicyclist feels safest when there are no cars around thema nd the best way to have to cars is sometimes to ride through a red light ahead of cars.
Basically, blame the police, not the bicyclists.
Don't count on driver's checking their mirrors for traffic close to their doors. Few do it. Most don't even think about it.
So how can you prevent yourself from being involved in this kind of crash?
1. Always ride at least 4 ft. from parked cars. This puts you in the ideal position to avoid any door that opens.
2. Slow in close, congested traffic, when you are riding up between lines of slow or stopped traffic, and are closer than 4 ft to parked cars. Slowing down gives you more reaction time and your bike stops much more quickly.