Six months ago today, in the early hours of New Year’s Day in Fort Lauderdale, someone behind the wheel of a car plowed into a pedicab carrying two people and sped off. He/she didn’t even slow down long enough to see that Julie Perry, a former megayacht stewardess and the first video host on TheBoaters.tv, and Suki Finnerty, a photographer and videographer well-known to many in the yacht biz, had been thrown to the pavement so hard, they suffered multiple broken bones and head injuries.
Even though I’ve written about this careless and, frankly, heartless incident before (see here and here as well), I’m reminding you all of it because on this six-month anniversary, the driver has yet to be identified. And not a single tip has been made to Broward County Crime Stoppers.
But I’m also reminding you because, thankfully, there’s some good news. In May I received an e-mail from Peter Meitzler, the founding board member of the New York City Pedicab Operators Association (NYCPOA), who learned of the accident and as a result had been following the developments carefully. Meitzler and his fellow board members were so disturbed by the details—the pedicab business owner didn’t have insurance, for example, and received approval to operate despite a recommendation to the contrary—that they have done a few things.
First, they are matching the $1,000 reward from Broward County Crime Stoppers for information leading to the arrest of the driver. Second, the NYCPOA is working with a lobbyist to ensure that at least in New York City, insurance coverage will be mandatory for all pedicab operators and that there will be standards for vehicle maintenance and operator qualifications as well.
On a related note, Meitzler told me he contacted Fort Lauderdale city officials to find out whether anyone was checking that all pedicab operators had insurance certificates. Nearly a month went by without a response. He inquired once again a few days ago, and thankfully this time he was told the city has a new system in place to verify all certificates.
Given that summer is here and plenty of tourists–including yacht owners and guests–are enjoying our cities and green modes of transportation like pedicabs, it’s as important as ever to keep Perry’s and Finnerty’s plight in mind. I’m not saying avoid pedicabs like the plague; I’ve enjoyed using them and talking with the drivers, and I’m sure there are plenty of responsible operators and business owners. What I am saying is, if you live or work in a city where pedicabs exist, ask the local officials about the policy for licensing and verifying insurance. And if you or anyone you know has information about Perry and Finnerty’s accident, contact Broward County Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS. You can also try Fort Lauderdale’s Traffic Homicide Investigator, at (954) 828-5755. All information is kept confidential.
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