Local Cyclist's Head Run over by RUN AWAY DUMP TRUCK!
story on WTOP
Alice Swanson was not so lucky...
yesterday I was rolling home from my morning shift at work and ran into AZ aka Andy Zalan
we exchanged handshakes and hellos
our discussion about nothing in particular was cut short when a woman with a tri-pod asked if she could interview us on the topic of "cycling without a helmet"
at the time neither of us were wearing helmets
AZ only wears a helmet when he is competing in events that require such or when his mother is looking
me... I always wear a helmet... well... apparently not "always" as I was not wearing a helmet at that moment in time
but really... I almost always wear a helmet... more than "almost always"
some where between "always" and "almost always"
the woman with the tri-pod was Kate Ryan of WTOP
she covers traffic and has a rare media perspective as a cyclist
first Andy was interviewed... and then myself
there was some talk about Kate Ryan's recent story about illegal U-Turns and the risk to cyclists as car drivers blindly U-Turn over the separated bike lanes
the attached image is of Glenn when he worked for WABA
in this image Glenn is bringing flowers to the spot where a Ghost Bike had been placed to honor the death of Alice Swanson... this photo was taken on the one year anniversary of her death
that photo is taken in the same spot where Kate Ryan interviewed AZ and myself
this morning as I rode my bike to work I passed this same spot
as I passed this spot a passenger van from the Woodner Apartments made a sweeping U-Turn from the right hand lane right in front of me
never respecting me or the risks they were creating