MAYOR MENINO HIT BY CAR!

I wonder if this will change the way he thinks about bicycling in Boston. It has certainly been my experience that people don’t “get it” until they are actually out in traffic and see the conditions on the street.

It’s bad enough to hit a bicyclist on your way to work, but what if it’s the mayor?
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That scenario unfolded for an unidentified commuter late last month: A woman driving to work realized she had struck Mayor Thomas M. Menino while on his morning bike ride, the mayor’s office confirmed yesterday.

Although the mayor did not publicize it, the incident does seem to support one of his pet causes, that the city needs to be more bike-friendly.

The woman was driving on River Street May 26 when she crested a hill and struck Menino, said Dorothy Joyce, the mayor’s spokeswoman. He fell off his bike and suffered a small cut to his ankle, but told the flustered motorist to “just get going, and don’t be late for work,” Joyce said.

Menino brushed himself off and got back on his bike to return home, she said. Joyce said she did not know the driver’s name, which direction the car or Menino was traveling, or whether he was attempting to cross the street or make a turn. The mayor didn’t file a police report or go to the hospital, she said.

By law, bicycle riders are only required to report an accident if personal injury or property damage exceeds $100.

“I really don’t know much about it,” Joyce said. “He keeps his rides private. That’s his private time.”

The cause of the bike accident is unknown, Joyce said, but the sun may have been a factor.

When asked why the incident wasn’t made public, Joyce said, “He was on a private ride, and the mayor’s fine. . . . There’s no reason to alarm anyone. Accidents happen.” (via)

What kind of makes me mad is the whole “it’s no big deal” attitude. I mean was the mayor doing something stupid and didn’t want it to get out? Does he really think that it’s not a big deal when cars hit bikers? I would think that this sort of incident would spur the mayor into a frenzy of bicycle safety measures, bike lanes, education, new laws, you name it. The man got hit by a car for Pete’s sake!

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