Ghost Bikes: good idea(?) from tragic events

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MplsCoaster

MplsCoaster

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Went for a ride yesterday and finally took a picture of the Ghost Bike that I pass every ride.
Ghost bikes are tributes to bikers that died from traffic accidents.
http://www.ghostbikempls.org/
IMG_5360II.jpg

It happened last November. Here is Thomas Malloy's profile and incident account
http://ghostbikempls.org/main/?page_id=83
The driver hit Thomas with a truck and drove off, ditched his truck, and only turned himself in 9 hours later
Not sure if you have Ghost Bikes in your particular community or even have the problem
http://ghostbikes.org/
I understand bikers sometimes take more liberties than they should (and they should more be conscious of their actions) but, like for pedestrians and motorcycles, it would be beneficial for everybody if drivers took some extra caution.

Please Drive Alertly and Ride Defensively
Thanks for looking
Steve
 
Re: Ghost Bikes: good idea from tragic events

Of course I'm sad to hear of a cyclists death... I'm just don't agree with the ghost bike idea... or any of these on the spot memorials. What if people started placing memorial cars at the place of an auto accident where some one dies. I know that seems absurd but where do you draw the line?
What if someone were killed in the street in front of your house? Would you want a memorial of some kind placed in your yard (easement out front) that you would have to look at every day and mow around?

Are these on the spot memorials something to do with the person's spirit or something?
I thought cemeteries were the place to memorialize the dead.

What if you die at your desk at work?
What about after a tragic event that kills masses of people. There would be no rebuilding because of all the place of death memorials.
Just curious how others feel about this.


I know my post is probably asking for trouble. Lets please keep it civil.
 
Re: Ghost Bikes: good idea from tragic events

Also reminds me... a while back we rode up to an establishment where cyclists tend to hang out. There was an all white bike up against the patio fence by the street. We thought oh my I wonder who was killed. A minute later someone hopped on it and rode off. So now if you build an all white bike people may assume it's a ghost bike.
 
Re: Ghost Bikes: good idea from tragic events

This seems to be the problem here as well, I have also noticed the more expensive the car the less they seem to care. The guy in the Chevette will drive like it's made of gold, the Porsche will drive like he stole it and will mow down anything in his path. I had a guy in a nice 911 almost knock me into the street not stopping at the white line and going 3/4 of the way into the crosswalk. I bunny-hopped and put a large dent and tire track on his hood. His fault. :mrgreen:

Porsche makes a great BMX ramp. :lol:
 
Re: Ghost Bikes: good idea from tragic events

Hey Randy,
Understand your opinion. Thanks for keeping it civil
Could also see how spot memorials could be easily over used (or abused)

From my viewpoint, it makes me sad but more aware every time I cross there with my bike
As a driver, it reminds me to be more alert in that area
They don't leave them up from then on (there by losing effectiveness), and they have no tires

Have also seen spot memorials on highways where people died but only crosses or flowers.
Thanks for your input
 
Re: Ghost Bikes: good idea from tragic events

So the ghost bikes aren't meant to be permanent?

My parents told me while traveling somewhere they spotted a giant granite (or similar) monument that was placed in a roadside ditch where someone was killed. I'm sure that had to get approval.
 
Re: Ghost Bikes: good idea from tragic events

aka_locojoe said:
So the ghost bikes aren't meant to be permanent?

My parents told me while traveling somewhere they spotted a giant granite (or similar) monument that was placed in a roadside ditch where someone was killed. I'm sure that had to get approval.
Click to expand...

There have been 8 since 2008. I remember when Jimmy Nasser happened .5 miles away.
http://ghostbikempls.org/main/?page_id=19
They put one on the boulevard outside the golf course hedge where he worked and died.
Saw they took it away after about a year
Think they never found the person who did it
It's hard not to get angry.

Yeah, Granite marker is different.
Can understand how the family might feel though.. meaning out of tragedy
Appropriate and permission are things that should be considered

Thanks for other opinions too
Steve
 
Re: Ghost Bikes: good idea from tragic events

I'm with Randy on this one. The cemetery is where you put the crosses and flowers. They are starting to get out of hand around here. At first it was a simple white cross....then lots of plastic flowers. I noticed one the other day that was a big statue. Where does it end?
 
Re: Ghost Bikes: good idea from tragic events

aka_locojoe said:
What if someone were killed in the street in front of your house? Would you want a memorial of some kind placed in your yard (easement out front) that you would have to look at every day and mow around?
Click to expand...

The house on the corner of my street had an accident over a year ago wherein a man flipped his car over into a yard, killing a girl that was walking on the sidewalk as he did so.

There is still a large display of candles and other things of that nature on the spot where his car landed in the yard. I've been curious about how long it will last there. In my opinion, the person that lives there is a saint to let a stranger's memorial stay on their lawn a year or so later. I know I'd be politely telling the family that it needs to come down after a few months at the longest.
 
Appreciate everybody's input
Didn't start this thread to be controversial but I could have worded it differently
Hopefully adding the question mark made it less opinionated and preachy
Glad others showed me a different viewpoint
It seems to show me that good intentions can lose their message if not used with discretion and reason
Thanks
Steve
 
My concern is the bikes gettings stolen.
 
Theres one here. I was at its inclination. Ironically when i left i got rear ended a block or two away. Im surprised its the only one. I wouldnt want a memorial in front of my house but i would hang it about a foot or so high, so when i dis cut the grass.
 
Just my 2 cents here, but I have heard of these things and they kind of weird me out. There's obviously nothing wrong with mourning someones death, or marking the spot where it happened to remember the PERSON by. But to me these ghost bike things seem to be more of a statement about America (in general anyway) and its apathy to cycling as a legit method of transportation, than it is about the human life that was lost. Know what I mean? Sure a cyclist was lost here, he's one of us, but aren't we all human beings first and foremost? If I ever get wasted by a car while riding I don't care if people mark the spot or not. But I hope they don't put one of these tacky spray-painted things up and turn my death into some sort of weird political statement about why we need more bike lanes in our cities or something. Maybe I read too much into these things in our culture? I don't know, anyone feel kind of the same when they see these?
 
Next time a ped is hit, im gonna post up a manequin in a white bed sheet.
 
Hey Guys, Thanks for your input
Seems like awareness isn't always raised
I agree that people's deaths shouldn't politicized, that's just wrong.
I wish it didn't seem like something as strong as apathy but see how it could, that wasn't be my intention
See that other cities used bikes tires.
aka_locojoe said:
000_0001-4.jpg
Click to expand...
I don't understand the picture above or agree with it at all

I guess when I looked at the Mpls website they said :
This website is dedicated to preserving the memory of bicycle riders that are killed on the streets of the Twin Cities.
Our goal is to highlight the need for meaningful change in the attitudes and behaviors of bicyclists and drivers alike, so that we can all co-exist on the roads.
As cycling increases in popularity, it is becoming more important than ever for us all to use caution and common sense to try and avoid further tragedies.

I took it at face value and with my interpretation.
I haven't seen an extremist viewpoint so far in Mpls associated with GB
I'm glad others showed me that's not the case in other cities

I guess my first and continuing sentiment is:
Please Drive Alertly and Ride Defensively
 
Listen, this way of bring awarness to the public works. You may not agree with the use of a ghost bike but if one cyclist or one motorist becomes a little bit more aware of each other by using them thats find with me. I think the people who died and the families left behind would want it that way.

Al
 
In Texas, they remove the crosses that many people put up to memorialize auto accidents. Then they contact the family and sell them a nice low memorial that is not a danger to future drivers. Program just started.
 

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