The other day the gf and I were walking through Fort Greene when we came across a brownstone with a makeshift memorial on the stairs. Flowers, a notebook and pen were surrounding a picture of Aileen McKay-Dalton. We noted that she had only died the week before.
I proceeded to look up how she had passed away only to find out she had been hit by an SUV on Dekalb Avenue and Clinton Avenue while riding her “pride and joy” Vespa. Both McKay-Dalton and the driver were taken to the Woodhull Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
The driver has yet to be identified but The Daily News did discover that the SUV was registered to the Department of Treasury and the original case was closed. It is unclear who ran the red light but a witness says the SUV speed up at the intersection “the way cars sometimes do when it’s a yellow light.” Currently, there is a petition online to re-open the case and investigate police conduct. The NYPD stated the would not be investigating or pressing charges as there were no witnesses.
Other sites, including Streetsblog, are reporting that there were at least three known witnesses who came forward. One of which was a slight distance behind the Ford Explorer before the accident. Tara Simoncic, states “In my opinion, the police were not receptive”. She asked the police if they wanted her to stay to give a statement. A police officer at the scene replied, “I have more important things to worry about right now. If you want to go, go. If you want to stay, stay.”
There were two other witnesses, one who had to leave and the other who missed an exam to talk to the police. The man who left wasn’t asked for any contact information so the NYPD could contact him at a later date.
We encourage you to sign this petition to reopen this case. McKay-Dalton was the mother of three children aged 8, 6, and 3.
You can look at photos from her candlelight vigil here.
Annie Leonard brings us another The Story of Stuff. This time its about the chemical in cosmetics. Some of you may avoid the heavy chemicals in things like shampoo buying organic or all natural. Annie explains there are no official standards for cosmetics so companies like Proctor & Gamble can call anything organic.
We’ve written before that women being cautious around cycling often means they don’t get on a bicycle. When safety improves more women tend to get out on the streets. Safety is a very justifiable reason to be apprehensive about getting on a bicycle. It’s a personal choice about how much you think you’re risking when you get on a bike in a busy city. For Muslim women in India, however, it is now also an issue of religion and decency.
Mufti Arshad Faruqui (Far00qui ?), chairman of the Darul Uloom fatwa department, has issued an edict forbidding women over the age of 13 from riding a bicycle. Islamic culture states that the purdi (veil) are essential for women. It seems bicycling conflicts with women’s ability to wear the veils thus justifying the ban of bicycles.
“When a grown-up girl goes cycling outside her house, it is bound to result in bepardagi [undue exposure]…Even medical science has given us evidence to believe that cycling is not good for adolescent girls, physically…”Apart from affecting their femininity, it is harmful for their body structure,” he said.
Some Indian women are reacting to what they think is a ridiculous idea. Shaista Ambar, chairperson of All Indian Muslim Women Personal Law Board, argued that it would prevent a lot of girls from making it to school.
I’m not sure what medical science he’s referring to that says cycling is harmful to body “structure” (whatever structure means).
The seminary has previously forbid women to work in government, private sectors in addition to calling earrings and wearing jeans “un-islamic.”
Biking in an urban setting makes certain things inevitable. In a place like NYC there are things that are never given a second guess. One of those things are and should be locking your bike up. Our friends over at Brooklyn Bike and Board have endless blog postings about stolen bikes. They, themselves, were the victim of some ambitious bike thieves.
Locks of all kinds are an essential part of biking here. These accessories are a cumbersome necessity if you don’t want even the cheapest of bike disappearing into the night.
Kevin Scott, 21, took it upon himself to address the lock situation (if you think there is one) by combining the bike and the lock.
Our marshals, Candice and Jill, will have the bathroom passes so you can leave the parade and re-enter. If you don’t have the passes you run the risk of the cops not letting you back in. See them first.
This year’s pride theme is Liberty and Justice For All. Even though the parade is a lot of fun let’s remember how these parades started 41 years ago. We’re also here to send a message about our community and the things important to us. We encourage you to make signs that reflect that. They can be queer. They can be environmental. They can be both!
