Re-posted from Brooklyn Spoke.
On June 2, New York City Council Member Eric Ulrich, the same guy who had the bright idea to introduce a new licensing system for bicyclists, tweeted his own “random observ” about bike lanes:
Interestingly, this tweet no longer shows up in his history. He may have felt the need to delete it after this tragic incident happened in his district on June 3:
WOMAN STRUCK BY OUT OF CONTROL VAN IN QUEENS
OZONE PARK (WABC) — A grandmother is fighting for her life after two vans collided in Queens. The force of the impact sent one of the vans careening through the intersection and onto the sidewalk.
The victim, a 53-year-old woman, was left sprawled across the pavement, gasping for breath and covered in blood.
Family members say she was waiting on the corner to cross the street, on her way to pick up her grandchildren from school.
The accident happened at 103rd Avenue and 93rd Street in Ozone Park.
Ulrich’s office is at 101st Avenue and 93rd Street.
The next day, a Queens resident and former Community Board 9 member tweeted this reply to Council Member Ulrich, expressing her concern about his priorities:
I can think of about a million possible responses to this if you’re as inclined to dislike bikes, bike racks, and traffic calming as Ulrich appears to be.
One possibility is to ignore the tweet, which I’m sure is a tactic favored by most politicians. Another would be to respond with something disarming: “Thanks for your concern. My condolences to the woman’s family.” Perhaps the council member could have told told @hangingbyastrap that he respectfully disagrees and that no one knows how this tragedy could have been prevented.
Instead, Ulrich sent this tweet:
Classy.
