What time? (no do facebook)
2010-08-02 14:12:10
19
Ghost Bike Re-Lock Up - Meyran & Lousia in Oakland
It will be a year since Rui Hui Lin was struck and killed by Timothy Kish in a hit-and-run incident.
Lin was a Chinese-American immigrant who had just earned his citizenship and was working hard to bring his pregnant wife and daughter to live with him in his recently purchased home in Oakland. While on his way to wire money to his wife, he was hit by Kish at the intersection of Meyran & Louisa, who got out of his truck, handed h...im a towel, got back in his truck, and left Lin to die on the middle of the street.
Over the past year, the ghost bike memorial we put out for Lin has been vandalized several times. On Tuesday, August 3, we will meet at the intersection where the ghost bike currently stands to replace it with a new bike.
With the recent controversy around the killing of Donald Parker and his memorial, it is important to show the community that we will not let these incidents be forgotten.
With the high population, the large number of pedestrians, and more cyclists than ever in Oakland, safe road use is an important issue--although Lin was killed on a bicycle, it could have easily have been a college student walking across the street at the time.
Please come out to pay respects to a great man and show the community we will not let dangerous, irresponsible driving be tolerated on our streets.
2010-08-02 02:07:24
Tuesday 3 August is also "National Night Out"
(from their web site:)
"NATIONAL NIGHT OUT is designed to:
Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness;
Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs;
Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and
Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back."
Not all of that relates to cycling, or the particular issue of auto v. bike, and not to take anything away from Lin's death, but perhaps a ghost bike event would be an appropriate complement.
And not to be crass, but having some media attention would provide greater impact - and the ghost bike/national night out angle might be attractive to media.
Just thinkin' out loud.
2010-08-02 14:19:29
Facebook says Tomorrow · 8:00pm - 9:30pm
2010-08-02 15:59:16
I've been MIA busy, but I'll see you yinz tomorrow
2010-08-02 17:01:04
ALMKLM-It's taken care of.
2010-08-02 18:50:02
Could this be coordinated with the Team Decaf ride?
2010-08-02 22:21:29
I don't know. Do you have a contact with the leader(s) of the team decaf ride?
2010-08-03 14:14:31
The Event calendar has John's info.
2010-08-03 15:51:38
I sent him an email.
2010-08-03 17:00:19
Thanks to everyone who came out. It was a touching experience.
If you weren't there late, a relative of Rui Hui Lin came by. The only English that came through her tears was, "Thank you."
2010-08-04 02:50:16
Just saw the news story about this, great little speech, Nick.
2010-08-04 03:16:59
yeah i don't see a link yet on kdka's website. i am glad it got coverage.. but i kinda wish they would have showed your whole interview cause you said some good things.
2010-08-04 03:39:06
I just wanted to expand on Nick’s post a little. After the new ghost bike was put in place last night and the media had left, several of us were standing around just talking and socializing. It was around 9PM and people had been slowly leaving for home or whatnot and only about ten of us remained. Slowly and tentatively an Asian woman approached our group and suddenly became very emotional. Her English was very limited, but she repeatedly thanked us while gesturing toward the memorial. She apparently was a relative of Rui Hui Lin. She was obviously grieving for Mr. Lin, but at the same time thankful that we had remembered him. I lent her my cell phone which she used to call, I assume, another relative and they spoke for a minute. She then handed me the phone and a young sounding female on the other end thanked me several times. There was a language barrier that prevented us from asking questions of each other, but the gratitude, and grief, of both women was unmistakable.
2010-08-04 16:07:50
Wow, just got chills when I read that, Marko82. This is a really wonderful thing being done here. Wish I could have made it.
2010-08-04 16:50:46
+1 IHeart.
One grain on the scales of life on the side of "people don't suck". Much more to go.
2010-08-04 18:00:32
I'm glad there are other people to stand with me on this.
2010-08-05 00:38:47
I didn't know Rui Hui Lin but I went to the original lock-up and it had a pretty profound effect on me. I really should have been there last night, thanks to Nick and everyone else who attended for doing what you did.
2010-08-05 01:02:48
It was a very touching experience overall. The panhandler's timing at the end was friggin horrible though.
2010-08-05 02:12:59