CNN anchor pleads guilty to hit-and-run of cyclist in NY

In article ,
(Brent Hugh) writes:

Anybody besides me think it would be worthwhile to send a few letters
to Cafferty and to CNN suggesting that this would be a wise way for
them to deal with this situation?

I suppose it wouldn't hurt, and it would be a way to express
one's concerns. But if they do something like that, I'd
really rather they truly mean it. It would be really nice if
they come up with the idea themselves, and then follow up on it.
It would also be nice if Cafferty did his part in this /as well
as/, rather than part of, his community service.

But somehow I don't see it happening.


cheers,
Tom

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what a lame punishment

"Brent Hugh" wrote in message
om...
Jack Cafferty is a CNN morning news anchor. Apparently in May he made
an abrupt turn and hit a cyclist. The cyclist was thrown to the
ground but the bicycle was hooked to Cafferty's car and he dragged it
through at least two traffic lights, with people following him and
hollering at him to stop.

Cafferty claimed that he saw the bicyclist fall over but didn't
realize that he wsa the cause of the crash.

According to a story by a Newsday reporter:

"Cafferty was charged with leaving the scene of an accident, reckless
driving, assault and harassment. He was allowed to plead guilty to a
traffic violation: Operating a motor vehicle knowing or having cause
to know property damage had been caused. He was sentenced to 70 hours
of community service, with six months to complete it, and a $250 fine.
He also made restitution."
(http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news...6cafferty.html)

Here's my point: We have a well-known celebrity-type person who claims
that he didn't mean to do it, claims that he didn't realize he did it,
and claims that he's remorseful as all get out.

If all that is really true, then he needs to become the posterboy for
a "Share the Road with Bicycles" campaign--talk about it, make ads,
financially support it, do stories about it on CNN, etc etc etc.

Anybody besides me think it would be worthwhile to send a few letters
to Cafferty and to CNN suggesting that this would be a wise way for
them to deal with this situation?

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/

--Brent
bhugh [at] mwsc.edu

"Rivermist" wrote in message
...
what a lame punishment


Years ago, I got in a motorcycle accident. I was JRA, and the idiot ran a
red light, hit me, and left the scene. Cops caught him a few blocks later.
He had no idea whether I was dead or alive as he drove off.

20 yr old person of non-US descent (gotta be PC), ran a red light, hit and
run, drunk, unregistered weapon in the car, no insurance.

He was allowed to plead guilty to reckless driving. Got a $400 fine,
probation, and had to go to drunk school.

Things haven't changed much

Pete

jack cafferty is a joke. his only function at CNN is to read the
latest White House press release after having the make-up person cover
the brown stains on his nose. come to think of it, that describes a
big chunk of the CNN news organization. yes, the punishment is
ridiculous; what else do you expect in this society?
smokey
(Brent Hugh) wrote in message . com...
Jack Cafferty is a CNN morning news anchor. Apparently in May he made
an abrupt turn and hit a cyclist. The cyclist was thrown to the
ground but the bicycle was hooked to Cafferty's car and he dragged it
through at least two traffic lights, with people following him and
hollering at him to stop.

Cafferty claimed that he saw the bicyclist fall over but didn't
realize that he wsa the cause of the crash.

According to a story by a Newsday reporter:

"Cafferty was charged with leaving the scene of an accident, reckless
driving, assault and harassment. He was allowed to plead guilty to a
traffic violation: Operating a motor vehicle knowing or having cause
to know property damage had been caused. He was sentenced to 70 hours
of community service, with six months to complete it, and a $250 fine.
He also made restitution."
(http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news...6cafferty.html)

Here's my point: We have a well-known celebrity-type person who claims
that he didn't mean to do it, claims that he didn't realize he did it,
and claims that he's remorseful as all get out.

If all that is really true, then he needs to become the posterboy for
a "Share the Road with Bicycles" campaign--talk about it, make ads,
financially support it, do stories about it on CNN, etc etc etc.

Anybody besides me think it would be worthwhile to send a few letters
to Cafferty and to CNN suggesting that this would be a wise way for
them to deal with this situation?

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/

--Brent
bhugh [at] mwsc.edu

(Brent Hugh) wrote in message . com...

If all that is really true, then he needs to become the posterboy for
a "Share the Road with Bicycles" campaign--talk about it, make ads,
financially support it, do stories about it on CNN, etc etc etc.

Anybody besides me think it would be worthwhile to send a few letters
to Cafferty and to CNN suggesting that this would be a wise way for
them to deal with this situation?

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/

For what it's worth, here's a letter someone from the St. Louis Bike
Fed wrote CNN. I wrote a similar letter. If even eight or ten others
take the time to write, there's just the chance it will turn on a
small light in the sub-reptillian organs they carry around near the
upper ends of the bodies and call brains.

It seems to me, anyway, it's worth a try . . .

----
Bicyclists across the country have been watching with interest the
story of your morning anchor Jack Cafferty and his recent unfortunate
encounter with a cyclist. While I am disturbed by the comments of his
lawyer, as quoted in Newsday, that "this was never anything more than
a traffic violation," if Mr. Cafferty is open to even slightly more
introspection on the matter, he might be able to use his celebrity
status to raise awareness among your audience on the need for
motorists to share the roads with cyclists. Autos making sudden, and
often unsignaled, turns across the paths of cyclists are a fairly
common cause of injury to cyclists. Motorists need to be reminded of
the fact that they are sharing the roads with a variety of users --
pedestrians as well as cyclists -- and that operating a large, heavy
piece of machinery through this environment requires a high degree of
alertness and care. There is a very widespread reluctance among
motorists to see things this way. Since Mr. Cafferty's sentence
includes 70 hours of community service, perhaps he could make
arrangements to use his name recognition to help shape public
awareness on this subject.

Russell A. Willis III
Policy Task Force Chair
St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation
----

--Brent
bhugh [at] mwsc.edu

(Brent Hugh) wrote in message . com...
Jack Cafferty is a CNN morning news anchor. Apparently in May he made
an abrupt turn and hit a cyclist. The cyclist was thrown to the
ground but the bicycle was hooked to Cafferty's car and he dragged it
through at least two traffic lights, with people following him and
hollering at him to stop.

Cafferty claimed that he saw the bicyclist fall over but didn't
realize that he wsa the cause of the crash.

According to a story by a Newsday reporter:

"Cafferty was charged with leaving the scene of an accident, reckless
driving, assault and harassment. He was allowed to plead guilty to a
traffic violation: Operating a motor vehicle knowing or having cause
to know property damage had been caused. He was sentenced to 70 hours
of community service, with six months to complete it, and a $250 fine.
He also made restitution."
(http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news...6cafferty.html)

Here's my point: We have a well-known celebrity-type person who claims
that he didn't mean to do it, claims that he didn't realize he did it,
and claims that he's remorseful as all get out.

If all that is really true, then he needs to become the posterboy for
a "Share the Road with Bicycles" campaign--talk about it, make ads,
financially support it, do stories about it on CNN, etc etc etc.

Anybody besides me think it would be worthwhile to send a few letters
to Cafferty and to CNN suggesting that this would be a wise way for
them to deal with this situation?

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/

--Brent
bhugh [at] mwsc.edu


The sad fact is society could care less. It's all about cars. I'd say
at least 50% of all ads are for automobiles. Automobilists kill quite
a few people each year due to gross neglegence. The penalty for
vehicular homicide is below manslaughter. It's a slap on the wrist.
It's as if the car did it not the driver. I'd like to take it a step
further. If the government can force tobacco companies to put warning
labels on their ads they can remind automobilists with every ad that
they share the road. That they are extremely dangerous, pollute our
air, cause health problems such as asthma.

Oh but they couldn't do that...why everyone knows oil rules the
world...

I do my part...maybe we need a class action lawsuit against car makers
or insurance companies that dont screen anything but the wallets of
their insured.

On Thu, 07 Aug 2003 01:50:26 GMT, "Pete" wrote:


"Rivermist" wrote in message
...
what a lame punishment


Years ago, I got in a motorcycle accident. I was JRA, and the idiot ran a
red light, hit me, and left the scene. Cops caught him a few blocks later.
He had no idea whether I was dead or alive as he drove off.


Did they catch him themselves, or did you have to ring them?
20 yr old person of non-US descent (gotta be PC), ran a red light, hit and
run, drunk, unregistered weapon in the car, no insurance.

He was allowed to plead guilty to reckless driving. Got a $400 fine,
probation, and had to go to drunk school.

Things haven't changed much

Pete

"Arpit" wrote

Years ago, I got in a motorcycle accident. I was JRA, and the idiot ran a
red light, hit me, and left the scene. Cops caught him a few blocks
later.
He had no idea whether I was dead or alive as he drove off.


Did they catch him themselves, or did you have to ring them?

A witness (another car at the stop light) took off after him, and chased him
down. The cops were a few blocks down the street.

Pete

"Tom Keats" wrote
if they do something like that, I'd
really rather they truly mean it. It would be really nice if
they come up with the idea themselves, and then follow up on it.
It would also be nice if Cafferty did his part in this /as well
as/, rather than part of, his community service.

I'd find "instead of " ok. I'd prefer his community service to be reviewed
by a panel of cyclists, say officers of bike clubs or LAB and they make
recommendations to the court that his punishment be reduced or increased.

If he worked really hard to get out of the $250 dollar fine he'd probably
convince himself and others.

Doug
Toronto