Posted on 10/25/2004 6:09:42 AM PDT by cyborg
I was born in St. John's Hospital on Queens Blvd., as was my grandson. My father grew up there and was an altar boy at OLQM. Forest Hills was home for a number of years and still a favorite stomping ground for the restaurants and music. We always try to park on the south side, which is where most of the dining/dancing/music is. Crossing QB at night is an adventure. Crossing back later at night after a few hours entertainment is more than an adventure....too wide and too many drunks behind the wheels at two a.m.
Forest Hills and Rego Park are home to large elderly populations, primarily second generation Jewish who moved out of the Lower East Side fifty years ago. These folks cannot cross the boulevard in the time allotted by the lights, and for some reason will not wait patiently in the median. I wish I had a fin for every time I saw one of these geriatrics tempt fate there.
Although QB runs for miles it is really only as dangerous as described in the Elmhurst to Forest Hills stretch. From Kew Gardens down to the edge of Jamaica the road runs through the Court Houe system on one side and a huge cemetery on the other. Closer in to the city it's not so wide nor so crazy.
You cant take the law into your own hands. This guy will get off scott free and be out in less than a year and probably drinking and driving in less than a month after that.
I hope your right, I have no sympathy for this guy.
My mom and dad still live in the house where I grew up. Its a small two lane road with eight foot wide dirt strips on each side and no streetlights. Lots of older people walk and they walk next to each other on the road and not in the dirt. Thats not that big a deal although I always moved into the dirt when I saw car coming.
The problem is when you turn the corner in the morning and the sun is just coming up. You are BLINDED. Many times when I was young I drove drunk and never hit anyone thank God.
But not long ago a fellow who had been drinking but wasnt drunk came around the corner at the wrong time. He was blinded and two old fools were walking in the middle of the road. He was very remorseful and did hard time but I always felt sorry for him because I could see it happening to anyone and alcohol would not have to be involved.
So some "accidents" involving someone who has been drinking are accidents. I dont condone drinking and driving and despite my name I have not had a drink in over 12 years thanks to God.
Wonder if someone saw him boozing it up... I've grabbed the keys from people before.
Hearing the mom on the radio, I am sure she will not be satisfied that it was an 'accident' although technically that's what it is. If I was in this situation, I'd be satisfied with a light jail term as long as he agrees to go and speak to schools about drunk driving. Public humiliation is more effective IMHO.
BTW, good for you that you have maintained sobriety. It's not easy!
Yeah, no shiite!
...and WTH happened to these oh so stringent DWI laws that were supposed to be in effect in NYS over the past 15 years? Boy howdy!
Good thing I wasn't around or I'd be up for murder.
They ought to take photos of this boy's mangled body and force this SoB to watch it daily with a 4'x6' pic of it hanging in this AH's living room! NAILED into the walls. Perhaps after a decade of waking up it'll finally induce daily vomiting.
The lawyers and lib judges have done a fine job of screwing up this country!
Ironically too, he'll have a "defense" attorney. WTH's to "defend?" He either did it or didn't!
Lawyers screw up the world!
He has one, and even the lawyer is saying he thought his client would be in more trouble.
A guy who gets behind the wheel while drunk kills a kid because of his drunken condition, and he can't get more than a year in prison? That is outrageous!
It is outrageous.
TY. I had a religious conversion that actually made it seem "easy". One of those burning bush episodes in life that few alcoholics are fortunate enough to find.
The lawyers and lib judges have done a fine job of screwing up this country!
I think, it is bad legislation, NY has some oddball laws, but this looks like bad law as much as anything else.
Right, and who writes the laws? Attorneys. Most congressmen are lawyers, or at least a huge chunk of them. Kerry and Edwards both are, as if it isn't obvious by their campaign.
My point was too that NYS has been full of BIG talk about DWI and related issues, yet, I read about stuff like this all the time in NYS.
6.14.88
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