Ghost Bike, Amherst College
Another more experienced aide then wondered how many times previously a last-second change in plans had diverted him from just such an ambush.
Anyone who takes cycling seriously has a near-miss story to tell. So a ghost bike hits home: There but for the grace of God ...
A freshly painted ghost bike has now appeared at the location of the May 26 Sunday afternoon fatal bike vs truck collision at the east entrance to Amherst College off busy College Street (Rt 9).
The tragic accident, still under investigation, took the life of Hampshire College student Livingston Pangburn, age 22.
Who probably also had his share of near misses.
what's the sign say?
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to make a judgment as to whose fault this accident was until the MSP issues their accident report, and I'm suggesting that others might not want to do so as well.
ReplyDeleteThere were two human beings operating pieces of equipment, one or both of them made a serious error of judgment which may have included one or both loosing control of a vehicle.
The fact that a helmet-wearing bicyclist died and that the bicycle did not appear to be damaged (at least from the picture Larry posted of it with an officer holding it) speaks volumes to me, as does the fact that no citation has been issued yet -- against the only operator who is still alive as police can't summons a dead person to court.
I'm not saying anything as to fault or cause of this accident until the MSP issue their report -- and I'm suggesting that no one else ought to either. That is the problem I have with this -- and if the truck driver were a friend of mine, I'd be out there with an acetylene torch and it'd be little pieces of metal in a pile when I was done because we don't know it was the truck driver's fault yet and we ought not imply that it was until we actually do.
If it actually was -- but I'm not saying whom I think really happened and hence who was really responsible for this, and people can infer what they like.
So Ed, you're saying you would destroy a memorial to this person if it turned out to be an accident caused by their own action? That's really messed up.
ReplyDeleteThese ghost bikes not only serve to remember those killed but also as a reminder to how fragile life is and that regardless of who is at fault bike vs motor vehicle is never going to end well.
What if the biker was someone you knew? You'd be up in arms if someone destroyed a memorial to them. Just saying you kind of sound like a heartless crazy person.
Just another pile of garbage, someone else will have to clean up when all the touchy-feely people can deal with the loss of someone they never would have known. Why in hell do people create these so-called memorials that just turn into a pile of trash for someone else to remove. People die every day, get over it and move on already.
ReplyDeleteI hope that where I die, there will be a memorial to my life in the same spot where I was killed. That is to say, if I am killed and do not die from natural causes like cancer or a shooting rampage. In fact, I would prefer to be embalmed right there on the spot. Let people see my Pompeii-like cast for eternity.
ReplyDeleteAnd then replace that tetanus-bearing sculpture in Kendrick with it.
A person died and a persons life was changed in having such an accident. How about not looking for blame. Who cares. $hit happens. Life goes on. Enjoy it while you can, or as they used to say, smoke 'em while you got 'em.
ReplyDelete"Just saying you kind of sound like a heartless crazy person."
ReplyDeleteEd's photo is revealed. :)
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6MYxNzDjf8U/TGVlAa2MQ3I/AAAAAAAAF0w/eyJtBV3JnXg/s1600/tin+man.jpg
What a complete and utter dick. I sure hope I'm around when "Dr. Ed" bites it, so I can remove his tombstone. Unless of course someone can prove his death wasn't his own fault.
ReplyDeleteFound this pic of Wally earlier:
ReplyDeletehttp://demotivationalposters.org/image/demotivational-poster/1009/sad-clown-a-tribut-to-our-motifake-clowns-sad-clown-fear-che-demotivational-poster-1285627224.jpg
ironic that walt views ed as the tin man while they both battle the straw man.
ReplyDeleteAnon 2:11.
ReplyDeleteYours is one of the best posts I've ever read on this blog. Short and sweet. And right on target. Thank you.
Gotta love the twisted concept of tolerance in Amherst. Anyone remember the classic line in _Kindergarden Cop_ where the little boy says "Boys have a penis, girls have a vagina?"
ReplyDeleteOK, we have a boy with a vagina, but we are so tolerant that we dare not question that. Yet when I point out that blaming the truck driver for causing the accident before we know he actually did it is a tad unfair, I get called names.
Oh Brave New World....
actually you said you would to take an acetylene torch to the memorial if the truck driver were a friend of yours...
ReplyDeletedon't get me wrong, i find these these displays morbid. We have cemeteries for this kind of thing.
but it sounds like you've already made your determination before the MSP issued their report.
you've used that retort--"Oh Brave New World"--a few times before, always when someone calls you out on something asinine you posted, and when you want to back-peddle and make it sound like you said something less weird and insidious. But everything you've said is sitting there for us all to read, ED.