This is an email

from the Cape Fear Cyclists listserv. Dated: 1/29/08. A cyclist and Wilmington Police Officer wrote it:

"I don't know what kind of news coverage there will be on this but a cyclist was hit on Market Street this afternoon. It took place in the 6700 block of Market Street. The officer who responded says that he was wearing a helmet and was on the right side of the road just inside the white line. A large box truck came by and struck him in the head, knocking him off his bike. He was rushed to New Hanover [Hospital] with a head injury. The officer told me it was pretty serious.

He was doing what so many of us do on a daily basis. Riding the right way and obeying the traffic laws. The other driver is being charged in the accident but that does not make the injuries any better. Be safe out there."


There hasn't been a word from the local media about this and, to me, that speaks volumes about what people think about alternative modes of transportation and more specifically, about how people think about cyclists.