[ZiNE]

Saw this in todays NY Post. As bad as it looks, it turns out he didn't break any bones.

April 22, 2005 -- A bike messenger whizzing through Midtown traffic miraculously escaped death yesterday when he was squished between a truck and a city bus.

Doucoure Adama, 21, was wedged into an 8-inch space between the truck and the M1 bus after the truck suddenly stopped on Madison Avenue near 40th Street at about 10:45 a.m.

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/43085.htm

 

[Cucucachu]

Those bike messengers are nuts and the bus & truck drivers try to kill them just for sport!

 

[.thumper.]

I love this part of the article...

"The driver of the truck - registered to RM Inc. of Norwalk, Conn., and bearing the message, "Be a Blood Donor. Thanks" in large letters - was too shaken up to comment."

Saw this in todays NY Post. As bad as it looks, it turns out he didn't break any bones.

April 22, 2005 -- A bike messenger whizzing through Midtown traffic miraculously escaped death yesterday when he was squished between a truck and a city bus.

Doucoure Adama, 21, was wedged into an 8-inch space between the truck and the M1 bus after the truck suddenly stopped on Madison Avenue near 40th Street at about 10:45 a.m.

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/43085.htm

 

[some_guy282]

Holy #$%^!

Who do you think was at fault in this accident, based on the information in the article? I'm thinking the truck driver. He should have been more aware... didn't look into his rear view mirror.

 

[brado1]

Man o Man that is

Insane! dude that would've sucked!...Couldn't imagine!

 

[scorcher seb]

Holy #$%^!

Who do you think was at fault in this accident, based on the information in the article? I'm thinking the truck driver. He should have been more aware... didn't look into his rear view mirror.

Hard to see how the truck driver could be at fault based on the article.

"The truck sped up a little bit and then stopped suddenly."

That's what they do. That's what all traffic does. Dumb riding, most likely.

 

[dompedro3]

NYC drivers..

quite possibly the rudest wors drivers in the world. The bus drivers are horrible I have been almost hit several times by buses barreling through red lights just as the turn red (you know the sign says walk you loom both ways and step off the curb only to be blasted by a bus horn because the driver is trying to make it through the light). The drivers in general, as soon as the light turns green they lay on their horns and yell if they dont move fast enough. Seriously, messengers are insane for riding in that crap...and to be completely truthful, many of them are asking to get hit the way they ride, its not like share the road, they cut off cars and run lights all the time...although this is a little rediculous...

 

[Christine]

Now, I have plenty of sympathy for bike riders in the city, but I'd like to know one thing....

WHERE THE F*** IS THIS GUY'S HELMET?!

Yes, I'm guilty of not wearing a helmet when I ride within a mile of my place. But when I'm going to be on the bike for more than a few minutes, I put it on. Wouldn't *dream* of riding in the city w/o it.

Problem is, many of these messengers aren't even sober while they work, so they feel invincible. Let's hope this is a wake-up call.

 

[K'Endo]

Perhaps this would explain the cause of the accident ...

http://www.digave.com/videos/red-web.mpg

(51mb download, 8mins long. Interesting bits start after the first minute.)

Kn.

 

[El Juano]

I dont really think a helmut would have helped this guy, had the truck and bus been a bit closer.
Good thing that he was riding skinny tires...

 

[MyPC8MyBrain]

Amazing video..

Perhaps this would explain the cause of the accident ...

http://www.digave.com/videos/red-web.mpg

(51mb download, 8mins long. Interesting bits start after the first minute.)

Kn.

I have a new found respect for bike messengers in NYC. It amazes me that these guys last longer than a week riding like that. Love the part where the guy grabs onto the car for a tow.

Don

 

[Haroow]

Candidate for Darwin award.....

 

[Dijridoo]

How do you know?

Problem is, many of these messengers aren't even sober while they work, so they feel invincible. Let's hope this is a wake-up call.

How do you know they aren't sober? Have you been a messenger? I agree that a lot of the messengers I know and see ride like there are no road rules (and to the ones I know - there aren't any rules). However, I would argue that the feeling of invincibility comes from a combination of the job conditions, length of time on the streets, personal ego, and really getting into the flow. Not necessarily chemical usage on the job.

I'd rather have a stoned messenger on the street than a solo driver on a cell phone...

 

[Christine]

As a matter of fact, I was a messenger in NYC for about a month, Dec-Jan '01. Just wanted to give it a try.

During the orientation class, they emphasized how important it was to NOT be under the influence, and I remember thinking, "Shouldn't that go without saying....??" And I realized it wasn't necessarily a given.

The class was about four hours long, and they boasted that they never had a messenger die while working for them. Although, a *former* employee was killed under an 18-wheeler.

We learned how to predict the movements of cars, and how to tell when a cab was about to let out a passenger in order to avoid getting doored, among other useful survival tactics. Unfortunately, I didn't learn how to secure my seat until it was stolen on Sixth Ave

Edit: Based on the article, though, I doubt he was one of the stoners. Considering the working conditions it's not really surprising that many of them do get high while out there.

 

[gtbikesalltheway]

man that video is sweet. and to think I thought road bikes were boring. I loved how everybody wore a helmet

 

[nnn]

Haha that video reminds me of my commuting rides, a couple of years ago, too much...what was I thinking