By Art Stamford
Mopeds, scooters, bicycles, dogs-
old ladies in sneakers, young women in clogs –
all of them vying for West Side space –
who’s going to yield and give up their place?
There may be laws, but nobody knows them,
and anyone who does quickly forgoes them.
Passenger cars heedlessly zip along,
don’t give a damn if they’re doing something wrong.
Bikes and scooters routinely run the light,
unconcerned if they give someone a fright.
Crossing 85th I nearly got drilled,
three blocks later I thought I’d been killed.
Taxis, trucks, and buses have their share of blame,
cutting round corners like it was a game.
Deference would help, but who will yield first –
like they’re contesting who can be the worst.
The whole thing scares me: I have to confide
it’s not fun being old when you step outside.
The streets grew quiet with Covid everywhere –
we don’t need that, just respect and care.
***
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Agree. But an important addition: Cars and trucks run the light all the time too. Everyone slow down and pay attention please. You’re in Manhattan. What do you gain by running a light when the next light has stopped traffic ahead?
The delivery drivers are the worst offenders. So if you want to help solve the problem, stop ordering delivery – very simple. If at all possible, pick things up. I know that that is easier for some than others but any little bit helps.
traffic laws are soooo 20th century.
“Regular” bicyclists like Citibike and racing bicyclists seem to feel entitled to disregard traffic rules and disregard pedestrians – and curse any pedestrian who objects.
Manhattan used to be such a terrific place to walk….
World wide problem unfortunately.
In Amsterdam, bicycles actually have the right of way and it is actually not easy being a pedestrians there.
Funny thing my cousin (raised in NYC) lived in the Netherlands for a few years – and his Dutch friends told him he walked too much!
It was nothing for him to walk 15-20 minutes but too much for his Dutch friends who’d hop on a bicycle for even the shortest distances.
You left out pedestrians who step off the curbs and cross against the light. No one seems to remember the old commercials, “Cross at the green not in between”
Jaywalking wasn’t even enforced in the ’50s when I grew up. Currently, it’s almost as dangerous to cross at the green because of motorized bikes going the wrong way, not to mention motorized bikes on sidewalks.
You left out the electric scooters, mopeds, wheelies, skateboards
and everything else that can be motorized. All on the sidewalks,
ignoring lights and pedestrians equally.
Oh, please. Pedestrians who jaywalk are more a danger to themselves than to the cars who run over them.
Cyclists, on the other hand, ……
False. I have been knocked off my bike and badly injured (at low speed) by jaywalking pedestrians. I have the suture scars to prove it. People jaywalk (and drive cars) in bike lanes all the time, and it frequently leads to dangerous situations for everyone involved.
False. In my experience, it it a rare event when a cyclist stops for a red light.
I’m sorry you’ve been injured, but this is just plain old physics (you did take physics in high school or college, didn’t you?) Momentum is mass times velocity. An individual of a given mass moving at 15 mph on a bicycle has five times the momentum of an individual of the same mass walking at 3 mph. A bicyclist is much more likely to injure a pedestrian than the other way around.
Not necessarily. I used to ride my bike through the length of Central Park up the East Side to work in Harlem routinely. A pedestrian who was reading the paper while entering the park at East 90th had stopped at the curb. “Good”, I thought. “At least he’s paying attention”. Just as I approached he stepped off the curb, right in front of me, unflinching holding his newspaper in front of his face! I hit him square on, no brakes. He fell. His paper wasn’t even ripped. I flew over the handlebars, ended up in the hospital and my bike was totaled. Just one of MANY MANY MANY clueless, entitled pedestrian encounters. Cars, trucks, bicycles, scooters, motorcycles… What’s the common denominator? PEDESTRIANS.
For this plague there is no end
Without some type of law enforcement!
We need more police to enforce the laws, and courts that do less wrist slapping. But then, due to the costs of the Adams’ hospitality plan there is not enough taxpayer money left to support efforts like these.
This is great 🙂
Agree but those crossing the street should show some consideration for cars. Try to get across the street as quickly as you possibly can. I routinely see cars patiently waiting to turn while an able-bodied person crosses very slowly while checking their phone, sipping their coffee, wiping their child’s nose, or whatever else. And if you are crossing against a light, then there is even more responsibility to move as quickly as possible.
Similarly, when going up the stairs out of a subway station, move as quickly as possible then you can check your precious phone when you are at the top and out of other people’s way. And if you are a person who needs more time, please hold back if possible so others can move quickly. When my children were young and moved slowly I always waited to leave the station out of consideration for others. And now that I am getting a bit older and occasionally have ailments that slow me down, I do the same thing.
Pedestrians can walk as slowly as they wish IMHO. They have the walk sign, walk at your leisure. If cars don’t like it, use mass transit.
Wholly agree.
I look at too many drivers with their foot on the gas pedal ready to gun it even before the pedestrian is half way across.
It happened to me. A truck knocked me to the ground on 8th St on my way to the Public Theater. Head hit sidewalk and belongings flew everywhere . Did the truck stop? No.
I’m here for the grace of God and a fit body.
Wow. You sound like a treasure. Do you hang out with Donald Trump and Elon Musk?
How about making a slight effort to help others? It really isn’t that hard. I wasn’t asking anyone to do anything difficult.
And please stop demeaning the good name of Ish Kabibble. You are insulting his memory.
Agree, Carlos. I’m a fast walker and NYC used to be a place where you could walk unapologetically fast and people respected that. Now people act like I’m the problem, LOL. I’ve had to resort to saying “Sorry, in a rush here !!”
I drives me CA-RAY-ZEE when someone walks slowly into a subway car and then stands in the doorway, looking around, wondering where there is a seat. They do this when exiting the Met, too – stand in the doorway at the top of the staircase looking around as though puzzled about the location of the sidewalk.
Harrumph. OK, I shall go back to grousing over Christmas decorations that were put up before Thanksgiving.
Seriously, the effort to rein in out-of-control ebikes seems to have hit a wall in the City Council because of people like Gale Brewer and AFAIK Sean Abreu, who do not want to cross Trans Alt.
Art, you’ve mastered the art of writing poetry. Perfect rhythm and rhyme, painted the picture in verse, powerful ending message. Thank you!
Excellent points, Art, and a thought here for you
Don lights front and back like delivery guys do.
City bikes and bicyclists are a constant danger to everyone. They not only disregard traffic lights and traffic signs, they often whiz along on the sidewalk. When’s the city ever going to crack down on them??? As of now, probably never.
Adorably expressed, but so true.
What a great holiday pick-me-up!
Bravo!!!
Micromobility devices have made it to the big screen.
Check out upright scooter at the end of the “Migration” trailer LOL.
https://youtu.be/p48tBwQgHYw?si=z6d52I-pC-0NCJFT
Thank you … perfectly said 🙏💕
Nothing matters without enforcement. Cop sitting on 79/ riverside just watches as cars break all sorts of rules. This cop could have made thousands of dollars in revenue for the city but instead he is on his phone. Boo nypd. Boo Alvin Bragg. Boo Eric Adams. Shame on all of you. It should surprise no one to see courtesy professionalism and respect removed from the police cars new paint jobs
The NYPD is not designed to generate revenue.
But are they not designed to promote public safety?
The priority needs to be based on ‘risk of death’. Buses and cars should yield to ebikes, which in turn should yield to bikes, in turn yielding to pedestrians.
Basic kindness. This isn’t hard.
Each time I arrive home, I close the door behind me, amazed to still be in one piece.
Unfortunately our political leaders don’t seem to care.
Gail Brewer, as reported in WSR, supports bills which will have no impact but is against licensing.
Neither Brewer nor Assembly person Linda Rosenthal, nor Senator Brad Hoylman, nor Mayor Adam’s even bothered to respond to emails expressing concern for the chaos & danger created by unlicensed electric mopeds, bikes, & scooters on our streets. They’ve totally missing in action on this issue
Sending a simple thank you for writing such a relatable andlovely poem! Well done!
And no one seemingly is stepping up to solve the problem. It seems as if our city officials are asleep at the wheel
Remember when our streets were safe?
Ban the motor bikes bicycles the whole bunch of them and give the streets snd sidewalks back to the people!!!