Chicago Mayor runs red light cutting off man in wheelchair
Chicago Mayor runs red light cutting off man in wheelchair 5.00/5 (100.00%) 1 vote
By Ray Hanania
If this were anyone else, they would be in jail today.
A vehicle speeds through a red light at an intersection with a pedestrian crosswalk as an apparently disabled man in a motorized wheelchair tries to cross the street in a clearly designated pedestrian crosswalk.
Most media reporting this incident and video describe the man as being “on a scooter” which changes the issues significantly. But this original video from WGN TV describes it as it is. The man trying to cross is in a motorized wheelchair, not a “scooter” and you can easily see it.
Here’s the video (The incident is at about 40 seconds into the video):
Right after that, another video shows the mayor speeding through a red light as a senior citizen stands at the corner.
It’s a reckless disregard for the law.
Mayor Emanuel caught running red light as man in wheelchair tries to cross street. Image from the red light camera video by WGN TV
Mayor Emanuel responded that he will pay his tickets just like anyone else, a politically correct response that ignores both the willingness to violate the laws and the arrogance that speeding through a red light for no real reason is outrageous.
The mayor also asserted that it was his tail car that went through the red light, not him, arguing the tail car has to stay close to him because he is the mayor. But in truth, his car went right into the intersection whent he light was yellow, and was in it when it turned red. Then, the tail car enters the intersection as the light is fully red.
Fortunately, the apparently disabled man in the motorized wheelchair was smart enough not to enter the pedestrian crosswalk, maybe knowing that the whole purpose of the red light cameras isn’t to stop speeders or make intersections safer, but rather to generate huge profits to cover the city’s massive budget shortfalls and deficits and poor city financial management.
If any other driver were caught doing this, they would probably be jailed.
One of the problems is that the City of Chicago intentionally makes these red light cameras dangerous by intentionally reducing the time span for the “Yellow Light” to be displayed from 3 to 3 1/2 seconds to only 2 seconds. This gives drivers less time to get through the intersection and makes the red light pop up faster, so the city can collect it’s outrageously priced ticket fines of $100 or more.
Studies show that these red light cameras are causing accidents when vehicles slam on their breaks to avoid going through the speeded up red light change.
Mayor Emanuel owes the people of Chicago an apology, but I think he should be dragged before the court and charged with endangerment to the public.
The Chicago news media that protects him doesn’t have the courage to take Mayor Emanuel on. But they should. And even if they don’t, responsible candidates like Ald. Bob Fioretti and Willie Wilson, who are running for mayor of Chicago, should challenge Mayor Emanuel and hold him accountable.
I would file a citizen’s police report against him and ask the police to arrest Mayor Emanuel.
You know he would do that to me.
(Ray Hanania is an award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter and now President/CEO of Urban Strategies Group media consulting. Mayor Rahm Emanuel has refused to be interviewed by Hanania because Hanania is a Palestinian American and the Mayor’s administration has embraced anti-Arab policies. Reach Hanania at [email protected].)
Blogger, Columnist at Illinois News Network Online
Ray Hanania is senior blogger for the Illinois News Network online news site. He is an award winning former Chicago City Hall political reporter and columnist who covered the beat from 1976 through 1992 (From Mayor Daley to Mayor Daley).
In 1976, he was hired by the Chicago community newspaper The Southtown Economist (Daily Southtown) and in 1985 was hired by the Chicago Sun-Times and covered Chicago City Hall for both. In 1993, he launched the “The Villager” Newspapers which covered 12 Southwest Chicagoland suburban regions. He hosted a live weekend Radio Show on WLS AM radio from 1980 through 1991, and also on WBBM FM, WLUP FM and shows on WSBC AM in Chicago and WNZK AM in Detroit.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media;In 2009, he received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. Hanania has also received two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild, and in 1990 was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
Hanania’s writings have been published in newspapers around the world. He currently is syndicated through Creators Syndicate and his column is feature every Sunday in the Saudi Gazette in Saudi Arabia. He has written for the Jerusalem Post, YNetNews.com, Newsday in New York, the Orlando Sentinel, the Houston Chronicle, The Daily Star, the News of the World, the Daily Yomimuri in Tokyo, Chicago Magazine, the Arlington Heights Daily Herald, and Aramco Magazine. His Chicagoland political columns are published in the Southwest News-Herald and Des Plaines Valley News on several Chicagoland blogs including the OrlandParker.com and SuburbanChicagoland.com.
Hanania is the President/CEO of Urban Strategies Group media and public affairs consulting which has clients in Illinois, Florida, Michigan and Washington D.C.
His personal website is www.TheMediaOasis.com. Email him at:
[email protected].
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Chicago Mayor runs red light cutting off man in wheelchair
By Ray Hanania
If this were anyone else, they would be in jail today.
A vehicle speeds through a red light at an intersection with a pedestrian crosswalk as an apparently disabled man in a motorized wheelchair tries to cross the street in a clearly designated pedestrian crosswalk.
Most media reporting this incident and video describe the man as being “on a scooter” which changes the issues significantly. But this original video from WGN TV describes it as it is. The man trying to cross is in a motorized wheelchair, not a “scooter” and you can easily see it.
Here’s the video (The incident is at about 40 seconds into the video):
Right after that, another video shows the mayor speeding through a red light as a senior citizen stands at the corner.
It’s a reckless disregard for the law.
Mayor Emanuel caught running red light as man in wheelchair tries to cross street. Image from the red light camera video by WGN TV
Mayor Emanuel responded that he will pay his tickets just like anyone else, a politically correct response that ignores both the willingness to violate the laws and the arrogance that speeding through a red light for no real reason is outrageous.
The mayor also asserted that it was his tail car that went through the red light, not him, arguing the tail car has to stay close to him because he is the mayor. But in truth, his car went right into the intersection whent he light was yellow, and was in it when it turned red. Then, the tail car enters the intersection as the light is fully red.
Fortunately, the apparently disabled man in the motorized wheelchair was smart enough not to enter the pedestrian crosswalk, maybe knowing that the whole purpose of the red light cameras isn’t to stop speeders or make intersections safer, but rather to generate huge profits to cover the city’s massive budget shortfalls and deficits and poor city financial management.
If any other driver were caught doing this, they would probably be jailed.
One of the problems is that the City of Chicago intentionally makes these red light cameras dangerous by intentionally reducing the time span for the “Yellow Light” to be displayed from 3 to 3 1/2 seconds to only 2 seconds. This gives drivers less time to get through the intersection and makes the red light pop up faster, so the city can collect it’s outrageously priced ticket fines of $100 or more.
Studies show that these red light cameras are causing accidents when vehicles slam on their breaks to avoid going through the speeded up red light change.
Mayor Emanuel owes the people of Chicago an apology, but I think he should be dragged before the court and charged with endangerment to the public.
The Chicago news media that protects him doesn’t have the courage to take Mayor Emanuel on. But they should. And even if they don’t, responsible candidates like Ald. Bob Fioretti and Willie Wilson, who are running for mayor of Chicago, should challenge Mayor Emanuel and hold him accountable.
I would file a citizen’s police report against him and ask the police to arrest Mayor Emanuel.
You know he would do that to me.
(Ray Hanania is an award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter and now President/CEO of Urban Strategies Group media consulting. Mayor Rahm Emanuel has refused to be interviewed by Hanania because Hanania is a Palestinian American and the Mayor’s administration has embraced anti-Arab policies. Reach Hanania at [email protected].)
Ray Hanania
In 1976, he was hired by the Chicago community newspaper The Southtown Economist (Daily Southtown) and in 1985 was hired by the Chicago Sun-Times and covered Chicago City Hall for both. In 1993, he launched the “The Villager” Newspapers which covered 12 Southwest Chicagoland suburban regions. He hosted a live weekend Radio Show on WLS AM radio from 1980 through 1991, and also on WBBM FM, WLUP FM and shows on WSBC AM in Chicago and WNZK AM in Detroit.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media;In 2009, he received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. Hanania has also received two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild, and in 1990 was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
Hanania’s writings have been published in newspapers around the world. He currently is syndicated through Creators Syndicate and his column is feature every Sunday in the Saudi Gazette in Saudi Arabia. He has written for the Jerusalem Post, YNetNews.com, Newsday in New York, the Orlando Sentinel, the Houston Chronicle, The Daily Star, the News of the World, the Daily Yomimuri in Tokyo, Chicago Magazine, the Arlington Heights Daily Herald, and Aramco Magazine. His Chicagoland political columns are published in the Southwest News-Herald and Des Plaines Valley News on several Chicagoland blogs including the OrlandParker.com and SuburbanChicagoland.com.
Hanania is the President/CEO of Urban Strategies Group media and public affairs consulting which has clients in Illinois, Florida, Michigan and Washington D.C.
His personal website is www.TheMediaOasis.com. Email him at: [email protected].
Latest posts by Ray Hanania (see all)
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