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Video: NY Times Ethicist Gives OK to Bike Through Red Lights
By
John Del Signore
Published May 16, 2010
Modified May 16, 2010
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By
John Del Signore
Published May 16, 2010
Modified May 16, 2010
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Randy Cohen, who teaches the world how to tell right from wrong with his NY Times Magazine column "The Ethicist" is an avid cyclist, and Streetfilms recently accompanied him as he rode around town holding forth on biking dos and don'ts. Cohen abhors the presence of motor vehicles in the park ("Seeing a car in the park is like seeing someone pelt the Mona Lisa with mud!") and adores NYC DOT chief Janette Sadik-Khan ("She's increased the supply of human happiness in NYC and she's done it while speeding up traffic flow.") But the best part is when he weighs in on the ethics of running red lights:
"I'll deny this in court, but I almost never stop at a red light except when I might endanger another person or myself," explains Cohen. "I slow down, look both ways, and go through the light. What are we, Germans?" So there you have it: stereotyping the behavior of an entire nation—perfectly ethical!
Tagged
bike
cyclist
ethicist
janette sadik-khan
randy cohen
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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