Getting in or out of your car on the traffic side of the street is a terrible idea. But to do so, while double parked might be even worse: An SUV ran into a man getting into his double parked car in Brooklyn yesterday. The victim got an estimate for new tires on 20th Street and Third Avenue before being hit, and a worker at Rapid Tire Service Shop said, "I heard something like a thump. When I turned around, I saw his head cracked open. Once the blood started coming out his ears, I couldn't look anymore." The Post reports that some witnesses say the SUV driver was talking on a cellphone (earpiece? or handheld?); the driver says he didn't see the victim and wasn't charged. The victim is in critical condition.
Okay, first things first: Double parking is bad mojo; sure, it's unavoidable, but it's ridiculously dangerous. We wonder about the details of the accident - it's possible the SUV driver really didn't see the victim, but people drive like idiots to begin with. Transportation Alternatives had an article two years ago about why double parking should get bigger fines, as many people would rather get a cheap ticket versus park their car somewhere, which then encourages more traffic and limit bike usage. Add "It's a safety issue" to that list. Also, this makes a City Councilman's plan for a five minute double park seem even dumber.
Photograph from Transportation Alternatives
