Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Carnage

A Round and a Roundy: Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer — And the NYPD Victim-Blames Again

Cartoon: Bill Roundy

It's our December donation drive. Your gift helps us do these kinds of important stories. So please click here.
It's our December donation drive. Your gift helps us do these kinds of important stories. So please click here.

We all know the old novelty song, "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" — but what if it actually happened?

Well, in this city, with this police force, that would mean immediately absolving the reindeer because, as you well know, drivers are almost never held accountable for killing people with their cars (as long as they weren't drunk or driving with a suspended license).

Editorial cartoon of Bill Roundy by editorial cartoonist Bill Roundy.
Editorial cartoon of Bill Roundy by editorial cartoonist Bill Roundy.
Editorial cartoon of Bill Roundy by editorial cartoonist Bill Roundy.

And then, the investigating officers would contort themselves into blue-clad pretzels in hopes of finding something that the victim did "wrong" in the seconds before he or she was run over. In this case, New York's Finest would speculate that Grandma caused her own death because she was drinking too much egg nog.

Sure, maybe she had consumed a bit too much of the Christmas spirit — but if the Department of Transportation had designed roadways better, Grandma would have had longer crossing times and shorter crossing distances so she could get home safely whether she was drunk or sober.

In other words, our editorial cartoonist Bill Roundy has done it again!

All of Bill Roundy's cartoons are archived here.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Friday’s Headlines: Canal Street Follies Edition

Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine isn't happy. Plus other news.

April 26, 2024

Community Board Wants Protected Bike Lane on Empire Blvd.

Brooklyn Community Board 9 wants city to upgrade Empire Boulevard's frequently blocked bike lane, which serves as a gateway to Prospect Park.

April 26, 2024

The Brake: Why We Can’t End Violence on Transit With More Police

Are more cops the answer to violence against transit workers, or is it only driving societal tensions that make attacks more frequent?

April 26, 2024

Report: Road Violence Hits Record in First Quarter of 2024

Sixty people died in the first three months of the year, 50 percent more than the first quarter of 2018, which was the safest opening three months of any Vision Zero year.

April 25, 2024
See all posts