While Skillman Ave. is not the Boulevard of Death, it’s hardly the yellow brick road either–as the Safer Skillman Ave. Coalition can attest.
This weekend the police were called out to Skillman on two separate occasions following traffic incidents.
On Saturday, a couple went to their car, which was parked between 43rd and 44th, and found that its front, right-hand corner had been smashed in. Remarkably, the back of the vehicle wasn’t even scratched. After a discussion with the police, it appeared that someone had driven in the wrong direction, hit the car and then drove off.
The second incident occurred on Sunday when a bicyclist was riding along Skillman– against traffic–and plowed into a car that was turning. Fortunately, the rider was okay. But his front wheel was the worse for ware.
2 Comments
“Bike Salmon” (bikers who ride against traffic) and other bike-related rule-breakers are big problem. I love biking and the strides the DOT have made in creating bike lanes throughout the city, but I also feel that bikers need to do their part and obey the traffic laws. I’m not making a blanket statement on all riders, of course. I’m sure there are very conscientious riders out there as well.
Drivers have to do a much better job of doing their part to make the streets safer, but it’s strange how bikers don’t feel as thought they are bound by the same laws. They should not be on the sidewalk, going the wrong way, running red lights, etc. We all see it happen every day, and until they start to respect the rules of the road also, bicyclists aren’t going to get the respect they are demanding from the public.