As millions of Americans from sea to shining sea marked the day with somber ceremonies commemorating those military men and women who gave up their lives in service to our country, the Ghost Bike reappeared for the one-year anniversary of the untimely demise of lone cyclist Misty Bassi, heading to work on a bright sunny Memorial Day morning only days after graduating from Umass (also her employer) unfortunately fated to interact with a distracted driver who fled the horrific scene.
The family recently endowed a scholarship to University Without Walls so others can pick up where Misty left off.
The Springfield Republican reported
But above all, she's remembered in the hearts and minds of friends, family and many who never met her: Misty is the Poster Child reminding us that those we hold most dear, without warning or regards to fairness, can be suddenly ripped away...forever.
13 comments:
The victim, in the fullness of her humanity and in the unique contribution she made to her community, is what recedes from view first after these incidents of criminal conduct. Public attention then tends to be focused on the person who did the damage and her plight, or the larger public policy problems suggested by the incident in question. In short, it all starts to get rather abstract.
This is why victims need to be remembered. It's not about vengeance or anger; it's about remembering how precious every human life is.
Rich Morse
No person is an island, entire of itself; every person is a piece of the continent, a part of the main...
Who knows for whom the bells toll--they toll for thee.
Thanks for posting this.
I've considered many times over the past year writing a book about Misty. I want so very badly to share with the world how wonderful, funny, witty, and brilliant she was. I do not want her to be forgotten.
You remember, I remember, Mr. Morse remembers and the person who puts out that Ghost Bike remembers--as of course does her family.
Misty will not be forgotten.
Man, this is the most morbid blog on the Internet. Why don't you knock off all the "let's remember" bloviating and focus your energy in a positive direction. How about working to improve cycling safety in these unsafe areas?
Having traveled it on a bike thousands of times, I don't consider that area "unsafe" for cycling. Even now. Part of the point, Nitwit.
Larry,
Was she on the bike path or on the road? If it was the road, perhaps we need to increase the education to get people on the bike path. Even with the driveway entrances it's still safer than being in the road.
She was on the road.
I don't think I have ever used the bike path along that stretch either.
The killer car did not come from a driveway.
You are making my point. Bicycles should be on the bike path not the road, including yours.
Larry (and Misty - and you and I) may ride on any road
in Massachusetts (other than a limited-access highway like I-91): under the law* bikes are considered vehicles too.
Rob
*MGL85.11B
www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/85-11b.htm
Enough is enough - I am going to say this. Only years of driving experience and assorted CDL training courses saved my life today.
I was heading north on Lincoln Avenue and avoided a head-on collision with a large pickup truck that was fully on my side of the road and closing fast.
And this was all caused by a woman walking not on the sidewalk but IN THE ROAD, and her poorly supervised son walking even further into it, and then darting out into traffic.
Enough is enough! We have the principle that the motor vehicle always has to yield and that is a good principle until you have too many folk doing too much stupid stuff (like this) and then someone like myself could have wound up dead because of it.
The City of Bangor, ME instituted a policy of ticketing pedestrians, and arresting them if they couldn't/wouldn't produce either a drivers' license or state ID. I thought that draconian, but I no longer am so sure it is...
And Larry, if the state - with money gained from the fuel tax that you don't pay - builds a bike path, that essentially is a dedicated lane and in such circumstances you ought to be on it and not in the damn road.
It is the same thing as me riding my motorcycle down the bike path, I could justify it but I somehow think that lots of people would have problems with it...
What is referred to as a "bike path" is nothing more than another sidewalk, and as such it is intersected several times by the driveways of several businesses in that section of the road. I think its a lot less safe than riding on the street because many motorist do not stop and pay attention to cross traffic until they meet the road, at which point they're already 3/4 of a car length past the "bike path."
Keep in mind also that Misty and the car were traveling in opposite lanes in opposite directions. There is nothing that would have stopped the driver from striking a pedestrian walking or another oncoming car were they in the way because she crossed over into and past the other lane and onto the grass before regaining control of her vehicle.
What happened to Misty is a tragic accendent, one that is repeated everyday across the country. Bottom line is that Misty had every right to be riding in the road, as does every cyclist. As an avid cyclist myself I have experenced some pretty ignorant drivers. Larry, thank you for posting this, and to all you drivers out there, I'll be riding my bike on the road, get used to it!
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