Sunday, July 1, 2012

Report: Cab slams into the Staples on Broadway; 8 people injured

A cab crashed into the Staples on Broadway near Eighth Street this afternoon... Per WABC:

At 2:15 on Sunday afternoon, police say a taxi was trying to avoid a bike on Broadway and E. 8th St. when it slammed into the store. Except eyewitnesses say the driver ended up hitting a cyclist as well, taking the biker through the window.



WABC reports that eight people were taken to Bellevue for non-life-threatening injuries.

19 comments:

sean n. said...

no one mentions anything about speed? how about trying to avoid a bike by slowing down or properly changing lanes. jumping a curb and plowing through a store front doesnt happen at or under 30 mph in any situation.

Brian Van said...

I guess no criminality suspected? After all, if a cab needs to careen off into a storefront because it's driving as fast as engine physics allow, it's well within their rights

Matt_LES said...

Fuck off you militant cyclists. I've been cycling in this city since I was a kid--- long before your Midwestern daddies paid for your transplant here.  I am so over your "but, please, I'm saving the earth, I'm special, pass legislation to save me from physics and my own arrogance" bullshit.

Move to fucking Brattleboro, VT.  Stop causing accidents in my city with your oil and water nonsense.  Can't wait till the next mayor bulldozes these fucking bike lanes and pedestrian plazas, so we can get back to sanity.

Anonymous said...

I saw it. The driver was going too fast, and it seemed like maybe he initially swerved to avoid a pedestrian, and then another car, and the hit the cyclist and went through the window. I saw the cab going too fast and swerving, then heard it hit the cyclist and crash into the Staples. Definitely a bit gruesome afterwards, but from what I could see, it was extremely lucky that one or more people didn't die.

Anonymous said...

So who was at fault? Cyclist? Taxi? Both?

- East Villager

Anonymous said...

Matt_LES, how about you shut the *#!& up, no one even mentioned whether the cyclist was at fault or not, just that a taxi jumping a curb into a business is a shitty reaction to something getting in front of them. I guarantee you both parties were seriously at fault.

Uncle Waltie said...

Matt_LES said... long before your Midwestern daddies paid for your transplant here."

My favorite post of 2012 - so far.

Anonymous said...

There was a report on the news last night indicating that the taxi driver was cut off by another car not a cyclist. It's great to here no one was killed in this terrible accident. But can you imagine what it was like for the people milling about in the store when a taxi came crashing through the glass?

THE NOTORIOUS L.I.B.E.R.A.T.I.O.N. said...

@Matt_Les Thank you!

I certainly don't want to see anyone get hurt -cyclist, cab driver, or pedestrian - but I too am sick of this smug arrogance some of these cyclists reek of. Wonderful! You ride a bike and it's good for the environment. But please, I'm not building a shrine to you in my home to worship daily, I'm not going to bow down everytime a fixie nearly takes me out, and I'm not going to cheer when you win a Nobel Peace Prize in your head.

Back in the 90s I dated a bike messenger and we hung out with his friends, most of whom were also bike messengers or rode bikes. They didn't fetishiize it and they didn't expect the world to treat them as if they just cured cancer.

Hey19 said...

Im sorry, Im missing it, where is the smug arrogance in this article?

BabyDave said...

@Matt_LES: Love ya.

Peace in the East said...

WHY IS EVERYONE SO ANGRY?

Honestly, not every cyclist is the same, nor every transplant.

And its ironic someone is claiming a disgust for 'smugness' while lording it over everyone that you were here first.

Stop grouping people together. Also, this story has nothing to do with transplants.

And not every person who moved here after you has a disrespect for the neighborhood.

I hope the people involved in this accident turn out okay.

THE NOTORIOUS L.I.B.E.R.A.T.I.O.N. said...

@Hey19 Re-read my comment. I wasn't referring to Grieve's article but a particular, vocal segment of cyclists.

Hey19 said...

@THE NOTORIOUSL.I.B.E.R.A.T.I.O.N.

My question was mostly directed at Matt_LES, but also you for thanking him, for what seems to be an off topic rant. But I guess you confirmed what I thought, your statements really dont have anything to do with this article.

Matt_LES said...

My "rant" was directed at views expressed by other commenters. It wasn't really off topic and I make no apology for it. 

I think the relevance of my statements regarding me having cycled since I was a kid and also about "transplants" was obvious, but I will break it down:

1) Cycling always has, and will continue to be, a hazardous activity on city streets.  I have been cycling for twenty odd years here and I have seen some bad accidents in my time.

2) I believe the proposition that we should "push" such an activity to be as commonplace as walking or driving is ludicrous.  Also, the snarling traffic caused by the increased bike volume and reduced vehicle lanes creates far more emissions than a cyclist "saves" us.

3) That people who move here suddenly think we should turn NYC into a faux Oxford or Cambridge, just so they can gad around giddily is, frankly, pretty fucking annoying.  Additionally, polling consistently shows that a plurality of city residents object to the imposition of cycle lanes and pedestrian plazas.

4) Cries for "harsher" laws to "protect" cyclists get on my nerves.  It is heartbreaking when people get doored, but for reasons of practicability, we can't criminalize the act of opening a car door.

Oh and Piss In The West or whatever your fucking name is, why don't you wind your neck in about smugness. Really?  Check yourself there pal. 

Hey19 said...

Dude, you were the third comment, with two pretty innocent comments in front of you. Brian Van and Sean N are the militant cyclists you were referring to?

This article has very little to do with bikes. Your rant would make as much sense if it were against Staples customers, or windows.

I dont know what that last paragraph is, so Ill leave it there.

Not-transplanted-but-hoping-to-escape said...

@Matt_LES: You write:

2) I believe the proposition that we should "push" such an activity to be as commonplace as walking or driving is ludicrous. Also, the snarling traffic caused by the increased bike volume and reduced vehicle lanes creates far more emissions than a cyclist "saves" us.

Driving in a crowded city is what's ludicrous and the "snarling traffic" resulting in "far more emissions" is the result of motor vehicles not bikes. The city streets could be just fine with most non-emergency, non-disabled, non-delivery motor vehicle traffic gone, allowing most people to walk, run, and cycle in relative safety over the very short distances involved in, especially, intra-Manhattan travels.

Anonymous said...

Fuck all you assholes, we Native New Yorkers were here first. If we need to drive, we drive, even if we've left the city in order to regain our sanity.

Peace in the East said...

@Matt_LES
I may come off as smug sometimes but the difference between me and you is that I can admit it. And try to curb it.
Looks like you're a ray of sunshine who thinks they can never be at fault.
Just because you're a 'real' New Yorker, doesn't mean you need to be an real asshole.
I hope you change.