Ghost Bike on Morrissey stolen

The report by Boston Biker that the police in the town of Wellesley didn’t want a ghost bike helped spur today’s post.

As someone who has lived in Dorchester for almost 30 years I can say I’m not a big fan of memorials to folks who have been killed on the street. I pass by a number of them daily. Some fade away, but others remain for months and years. Of course I don’t like the dozens I see when I’m out driving on the highway either. But I’ve grown to accept them as being important to someone, so I tolerate them.

Well obviously one of our Dorchester neighbors wasn’t as tolerant as me regarding the Ghost Bike installed by Dotbike to memorialize our neighbor Mr. Bui who was struck and killed while riding his bicycle on Morrissey Blvd.  We’re pretty sure it was stolen and here’s why.

A Dotbiker was passing by the site of the Ghost Bike and noticed it was gone. He looked over and saw it leaned against a trash barrel, the lock was cut and thrown in the barrel. He returned the bike to the spot and tied the bike to the post with the cut lock. A day or two later the bike was completely gone.

We checked with the State Police and DCR who we had cleared the installation with back in September. They indicated no one had taken it down at their behest. So, who did?

The family was a suspect, but given there has been a consistent line of flowers installed there even after the bike was removed I would write them off the list.

So, that leaves the driver or someone close to him as a leading suspect. Isn’t it bad enough that you had a tragic accident while you were speeding and killed someone? Now you have to dishonor the dead by removing a memorial to them?

Personally driver, from the moment I heard of the accident and your reaction I had been sympathetic to your plight. Why would someone be riding down Morrissey Blvd on a bicycle at midnight? You did the right thing and stopped and turned yourself in. Perhaps you schemed to avoid a DUI by feigning illness and being brought to the hospital or not. I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. 50 on a spot that is 30 and there’s often a cop sitting there? Stupid but it’s easier to go 50 on that road than 30 I must admit.

But removing a memorial to someone because it hurts you? Guess what? You shouldn’t be driving down Morrissey Blvd anymore anyway. I hope you don’t have a license. Perhaps you should start riding a bicycle yourself instead of wasting others lives. Given the report of your sporatic driving record, you don’t seem to be getting the point. You lost your license once already, HEY SLOW DOWN!

There didn’t seem to be an upswelling of emotion to replace the lost Ghost Bike outside of me. Hey we were planning to take it down around Thanksgiving anyway. But after stewing about it, seeing the student get run over by a T bus earlier this week and then seeing Wellesley discouraging one, I’m fired up.

My idea would be to get a foot or two long miniature bike sculpture or something and then install it on the post about 12 feet above the ground. I’ll take my time though. If anyone wants to help, please get in touch.

Meanwhile, I won’t be going to a certain bakery on Dorchester Avenue ever. I’m way less inclined to go to the bar/restaurant nearby either. Even with only circumstantial evidence, this jurist has decided the driver is guilty of insensitivity. Too bad, I was willing to give you the benefit of doubt. Until now. There is a path to redemtion. If by some miracle you read this, you can redeem yourself by returning the bike!

Comments are closed.