Avid city cyclists and intrepid bike messengers have their share of scars and stories from being “doored” on New York City streets. They’re cycling along, minding their own business and obeying the traffic laws, when all of a sudden, some oblivious driver or passenger unthinkingly opens the door of a car right into their path.
For lucky cyclists, it may just end with a couple of bruises or a scrape. But some who get doored in traffic face a much worse fate. They can get knocked into adjacent traffic lanes and have the tires of heavy vehicles roll right over their prone bodies. Some won’t survive the experience.
This week in midtown Manhattan, it was former mayor Rudy Giuliani who allegedly was the guilty party. According to media reports, on Thursday, May 17, at approximately 2:20 p.m., Giuliani opened the door of the Cadillac XTS in which he was a passenger right into the path of a pedicab driver at 49th Street and 8th Avenue.
Fortunately, it was reported that the pedicab driver did not suffer any injuries as a result of Giuliani’s alleged actions. The 73-year-old Giuliani also was uninjured in the mishap.
The fact that the pedicab driver was not injured perhaps led to Giuliani’s facing no tickets or legal sanctions for his reported breach.
Sadly, all will not fare as well. If you got doored on a NYC street and suffered injuries and damages, you may want to follow up and learn whether you may be able to pursue a legal claim against the one who doored you.
Source: AM New York, “Giuliani involved in crash with pedicab in midtown, NYPD says,” Alison Fox, May 17, 2018
