[Carfreeliving] Fwd: Dying VIP slapped with jaywalking ticket in pedestrian crash

[Emily Drennen]

Hi all-

All of the talk we hear every time a ped is killed about "those crazy
peds" breaking the law doesn't even begin to touch this story (below).
The callousness of it all makes my stomach hurt. 

We need a good answer to the constant question press asks which goes
something like this: "Don't pedestrians have some responsibility too?
The police tell us that half of all ped deaths are their own fault
because they were breaking the law by jaywalking, crossing mid-block,
etc. What do you say to that?"

My thoughts on it: While drivers and pedestrians each share
responsibility for being safe in the streets, it is not anywhere near
an even split of responsibility. It is analogous to the argument used
in racial justice efforts that one's ability to cause harm is
proportional to their level of power. The burden of care falls on the
party with the most power in a situation. So, in our case, being behind
a vehicle going 35 mph and weighing over a ton clearly means that a
driver can do much more harm than a ped can (by having more power). So,
the burden of care falls on the driver more than the ped.

Any ideas of how to make it sound like a better answer (or maybe have
another answer altogether)? And, has anyone been successful in getting
the conversation consistently shifted away from blaming the victim? How
did you do it?

Thanks,
Emily Drennen

PS Ellen, my 2 cents: take your heartsickness and turn into righteous
anger. The police acted cruelly and unlawfully. America Walks should
definitely make a stink - and a loud one at that!

--- Ellen Vanderslice <ellenv at hevanet.com> wrote:

> Date: Tue, 06 Dec 2005 20:36:41 -0800
> Subject: Dying VIP slapped with jaywalking ticket in pedestrian crash
> From: Ellen Vanderslice <ellenv at hevanet.com>
> To: America Walks List <americawalks at americawalks.org>
> 
> I learned today that Charles Atherton, former secretary of the U.S.
Commission of Fine Arts, died of injuries he suffered in the crash
related in the Washington Post article below.  He was crossing
Connecticut Avenue on foot when he was struck by a car.  DC police
issued him a ticket while he was unconscious and bleeding, although the
officers were not on the scene and didn't observe the crash.
> 
>
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/02/AR2005120201
> 801.html
> 
> I am heartsick.  I wonder whether there is anything America Walks can
-- or should -- do or say about this incident, or about the light it
sheds on our values?
> 
> -Ellen Vanderslice


Emily Drennen 
Executive Director, Walk San Francisco
 
415-431-9255 office/fax 
www.walksf.org
1095 Market Street #502, SF, CA 94103  

Advisory Council Member, Bay Area Air Quality Management District
Citizen's Advisory Committee Member, Metropolitian Transportation Agency
Past Chair, SF Bicycle Advisory Committee


		
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