"It's like he closed his eyes, and when he opened them, it happened already."

Maybe he shouldn't open his door with his eyes closed?

This editorialized comment rubber me the wrong way too. It IS a tragedy for both families, I'm sure. All tragedies are created equal, perhaps. The means to judge these things objectively doesn't exist. I think you would be putting words in Kwan's son's mouth to say he ever indicated that the two sufferings were equal.

As a cyclist, sometimes truck driver, philosopher and son of a bike messenger (who taught me that the greatest sin was to get out of a vehicle without checking your mirror), I see this as a complex issue. I do think the penalty for dooring someone should be higher, but ultimately structural changes like more bikes lanes will be most effective.

I meant to say: "All tragedies are NOT created equal, perhaps."

omg! Megan! I absolutely agree with Mike Dunford. Megan would feel this was a terrible accident. Her kindness and caring nature always came through. I worked with her many years ago and greatly admired her greatly. She was a fabulous mother. Her caring helped set up a community nursery where parents and children could come together and flourish. Years may go by and then I would meet Megan on Jerome Ave and it was as if no time had gone by....her glowing smile, her happy face..always glad to see an old friend.....What a tremendous loss to her family and the Bronx community. Megan's caring impact on our communities encompasses many lifetimes: from fighting lead poisoning, advocating better education, cleaning up parks, creating better housing, caring for her neighbors and neighborhood - the loss is so huge and so sad....but it is an accident - sadly a second here, a careful thought, timing.....so sad.

My deepest condolences to Ritchie and her beautiful children.

George W. was visiting a Florida elementary school while a fifth grade class was in the middle of a discussion related to words and their meanings. The teacher asked Mr.Bush if he would like to lead the class in the discussion of the word "tragedy."

Mr.Bush asks the class for "an example of a tragedy."

One little boy stands up and offers, "If my best friend, who lives next door, was playing in the street and a car came along and ran over him, that would be a tragedy."

"No," says George W. "that would be an accident."

A little girl raises her hand. "If a school bus carrying 50 children drove off a cliff, killing everyone involved, that would be a tragedy."

"I'm afraid not," explained George W. "that's what we would call a Great Loss."

The room goes silent. No other children volunteered.

Mr.Bush searches the room, "Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?"

Finally, in the back of the room a small boy raises his hand, in a quiet voice he says, "If you and your lawyers, Mr.Bush were to be eaten by a pack of hungry 20 foot alligators, that would certainly be a tragedy."

"Fantastic," exclaims George W., "that's right. And can you tell me why that would be a tragedy?"

"Well," says the boy, "it must be a tragedy, because it wouldn't be an accident, and it certainly wouldn't be a great loss."

------------

RIP Ms. Charlop. Hope you're smiling right now.

no use in arguing with JDS about what his opinions are. gothamist staff thrive on this kind of shit -- pageview heaven

Do not let your loved ones ride bikes on city streets. Its just not worth it. Or motorcycles for that matter.

Bike lanes are a good thing, but what's seriously lacking is driver education and awareness. A major promotion of a slogan, "look before you turn" would prevent countless bike and pedestrian casualties. "look before you open your door" obviously would be a good addition.

Also, with all the bike lanes we have, almost no one I've encountered (including bikers) know the laws regarding them. Do you?

Has it occurred to any of you who are accusing him of "flinging his door open without checking his mirrors" that maybe he DID look and couldn't see her coming? He only would have had to open his door a little bit to knock her into traffic, and I am guessing that she was biking much closer to the parked cars than motor traffic normally would.

It was an accident... why does everyone need to condemn the guy? He is obviously distraught over it.

Hmm, she's dead...he's distraught. Hardly seems fair.

Whether the door was flung or just opened enough to clip Megan's handlebars, the fact remains, it resulted in someone's death. These things are clearly avoidable. Look before opening your door. You could kill someone, plain and simple.

No, it's not fair... cyclists are almost always going to be at a disadvantage. How is that relevant?

Do you know for a fact that he didn't look? Maybe she was next to a large car when he looked and so she was not visible until it was too late? Do you know how fast she was going? As careful as everyone is, these things are NOT completely avoidable when cars and bikes have to share the road.

I agree. It's hard to see a bike coming along so close to the cars when you're looking from inside a car. Especially if the road isn't perfectly straight.

B"H

It is clear that having a door flung open in front of you while riding in a bike lane painted on the street would not be any different from the same situation without the bike lane-- it might even be worse. If a person about to fling open a door on the driver's side was aware that they might have their door ripped off by a moving car or bus, they might be more careful about how they opened it and save someone's life. Yet Mr. White calls for more of these bike lanes in the Bronx -- by the crowded intersection where Megan Charlop, Z"L, was killed. The bike lanes on the Concourse are used by about 1 bike per 10,000 square feet during the busy parts of the day. They slow down the transit buses that have no choice of where to ride. Putting that door flinging man in jail for negligent homicide might save a lot more cyclists than any number of Mr. White’s proposed bike lanes. It should also be a warning to all cyclists on our busy streets: Avoid riding between cars at the curb and the curb side of a moving bus-- or one could be "doored into a bus"... God forbid.

The people in the community who did not even know Megan or her background put up a memorial for her at the scene of the accident. If anyone would like pictures of this memorial and the scene -- as of 5:50-6PM Weds., please email vantran613@yahoo.com. The photographer has the 3 megabyte originals -- for the family.

May the memory of Megan Charlop, Z"L, be a source of blessing for all of us.

Careless driving / dooring will never change without serious penalties. He should be treated just as any other driver carelessly causing a fatal accident. Lose his license permanently, and possible manslaughter charges.

I can only imagine if a cyclist caused the death of a motorist somehow...

I can only imagine if a cyclist caused the death of a motorist somehow...

+1000

Next time that I accidentally push a fur hag in front of the incoming train, I will say "what a tragedy for the both of us"

it's only a tragedy if you care. If you're an antisocial creep it doesn't count.

and how do you know that I wouldn't care or that this man does care??? The point is that the woman is dead and the man who contributed to her death isn't the victim. To equate him with the real victim-the dead woman is really thoughtless. I am sure her family would trade places with his family in a second.

christine quinn

Morons who throw car doors open without checking their mirrors first, obviously never ride bicycles in the city. Even a close call, for a rider, will nearly give you a heart attack. In this case, it proved to be a fatal case of selfishness.