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Because there were, miraculously, no injuries, that professionally-shot video of a street fight between a pedicab driver and a cabbie was an instant classic—especially that part where the pedicab driver rides off on the sidewalk after throwing a trashcan at his adversary (and missing). But Mayor Bloomberg was not amused, and told reporters yesterday that the traffic-stopping fisticuffs were "totally inappropriate."
Hizzoner seemed to place the blame squarely on the pedicab driver, who escalated the altercation by throwing his coffee at the cab's window. And Bloomberg took the opportunity to remind everyone that "by the end of November we'll have licensed all these pedicabs. If they had been licensed by now we would be able to look and see who the pedicab driver was because we'd see his license plate on the pedicab." Does that mean police are investigating the licensed cab driver (top, left)? Because it takes two to tango in the middle of traffic.
Pedicab drivers must now apply for a special license, and owners must apply for a business license by November 20th. The licensing requirements also come with new restrictions in Central Park, which have pedicab drivers outraged. Under the new rules, pedicabs will be forbidden from areas where taxis and carriages make pick-ups; required to operate in the right lane of traffic, not the bike lane on the left; and, weirdly, prohibited from displaying advertisements at times when other motor vehicles are barred from the park.
But City Councilman Leroy Comrie doesn't think the new rules are stiff enough, telling the Post, "Pedicabs have been for too long acting like they rule the streets ahead of any other mode of transportation because they're wearing a cloak of environmental friendliness that no other commuter vehicle could do." In June, a serious collision between a pedicab and a taxi by the Williamsburg Bridge in Brooklyn left three injured.
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"Pedicabs have been for too long acting like they rule the streets..."
what? is that a joke?
Substitute 'bikes' for 'pedicabs":
"(pedicabs)/(bikes) have been for too long acting like they rule the streets ahead of any other mode of transportation because they're wearing a cloak of environmental friendliness that no other commuter vehicle could do."
Any wheeled vehicular device should be licensed!
Too often certain types of cyclists hit people and speed off. More often than that, they constantly flout traffic regulations: riding on sidewalks, ignoring completely red lights, have no insurance in case a pedstrian is injured, etc.
In Europe, cyclists obey traffic laws. Not here.
We license dogs and pretzel sellers. Why not cyclists?
For pedestrian safety, license bikes asap as well!
Should we license pedestrians too? How about wheelchairs? Skateboards? Foot-propelled Razor-scooters driven by both children & adults?
Who are these "types of cyclists" who hit people and speed off? And how often is this happening?
Let's fit everybody in the city with an explosive collar and also give everyone a remote control that would allow them to detonate anyone else's collar.
Pretty goofy that your handle is "thefacts." Pretty goofy indeed.
pedicabs and cyclists are "soft targets" just like those irritating pedestrians that get in your path when speeding across an intersection in your big-boy Hummer. so if it feels like they think they own the streets, maybe it's cuz they assume people in cars will avoid colliding with them because of the whole "imminent death" thing.
The mayor is right: the pedicab's response was out of line. However, it was also out of line for the cab driver to cut the pedicab off (he hit the pedicab) and then to get out of his cab and throw-down. There's escalation at each stage of the event here and both the cab driver and the pedicab driver choose to take it to the next level.
Bloomberg has said a myriad of stupid things the past month. I think he wants a close race.
Who the hell rides these pedicabs anyway? They are a nuisance. That cabbie did the right thing.
Ditto, tourists take them & I have noticed they do not like to stop at red lights because I have told off a few!! Good for the cabbie, the pedi-asswipe driver was a dirty fighter because the cabbie got the best of him ...
"Other motor vehicles," John? Where's the motor on a pedicab?
Hopefully licensing pedicabs will bring civility to the streets ... just look at what licensing automobile drivers does.
If you fight like this then don't fight. If either of these guys had any idea what he was doing then the other guy would have been toast.
the carriage drivers don't even had driver licenses and only 25,000 insurance. what a joke. Bloomberg is silent when there are horse carriage accidents yet he has something to say about this. I
I think it would actually spur tourism if there were more fights like this one. The Mayor should look into how to goad more pedicab drivers into altercations, maybe even bring in Michael Vick as a consultant.
Not a bad idea, Vick could help with organized fighting aspect, we could have teams cabbies vs. pedicabs, motorists vs. cyclists, I'd wager a few bucks on the cabbie from this story!
Beautiful! If they're properly trained, this would make for entertaining diversions.
Leroy Comrie is a jackass. PEDICABS act like they rule the streets? How about CARS, you idiot? You know, the ones who act like they rule the streets because they'll freaking KILL cyclists and pedestrians that get in their way, and get away with it most of the time?
So... get rid of all cars? Brilliant!
I just got my over-priced medallion to J-walk, walk while drinking coffee, texting, calling, tying my shoe, ironing, not looking out where I walk, stepping on the back on your heel, and chewing gum.
Suckaz!
Sorry but Mayor Bloomberg running for a third term is "totally inappropriate."
Two guys getting into a brawl is just another day. I'm glad the cabbie beat the crap out of the pedicab 'driver'- he deserved it. And they shouldn't be licensing pedicabs - they should ban them.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/nyregion/11pedicab.html
More car accidents than pedicab accidents, lets ban cars too!
The New York City Pedicab Owner Association stands for best practices. We in no way condone fighting by pedicab drivers.
Take another look at the scene of the fight: Broadway has a bike lane on its far left side. The pedicabber, by law, has no right to be protected from the taxi by driving on it.
The fight started because of aggressive honking by the taxi driver. Taxis are going to be doing a lot more honking in mid-November when the new law comes in. One of its provisions will ban us from the bike lanes, with fines of up to $10,000 and two weeks in jail.
Imagine 54-year-old me taking tourists on Bleecker Street's single car lane because I'm banned from the adjacent bike lane. Motorists are going to be fuming, but there's no way I'm going to incur a $10,000 fine and jail time!
That rule only resulted in a fight this time, but it may soon get someone killed. Everyone loses. It's bad for drivers, and it's bad for us.
Stan O'Connor
Secretary, New York City Pedicab Owner Association
www.nycpoa.org
Mr. O'Connor: Please inform your pedicab drivers that they have to stop at red lights like everyone else in NYC. Thank you:)