Actually, I think the placement of that ghost bike in that location is a little troubling. I understand it’s where Brandie Bailey was killed but I think the little kids in that school may be a little too young to understand all of it…I was taking photos there once, close to the anniversary date when a lot of fresh flowers and photos are placed by the bike. And several kids came over and were asking questions. Some seemed mildly troubled or even scared about it all…
I think the ghostbikes are important, striking memorials so it feels a bit weird to write this, but whatever…
I don’t think it’s a bad idea to have an artistic reminder of street safety outside a schoolyard. I’m sure the kids see much scarier things shambling by on Houston Street, daily. The youngest kids don’t play in the Houston street playground, where the bike is. They’re on the quieter Stanton Street side.
Yeah, but the kids are not thinking about safety. They’re thinking about death, a concept that I’m sure a lot of them haven’t thought about yet, and which, let’s face it, can be hard to explain to a 5-year-old. It scares a lot of kids, I think.
And yes, they play elsewhere, but when I was taking my photo several of the older kids (like 9 or 10 years old, I’d guess) came to that part of the gate and were asking questions.
Oops, I just re-read what you wrote. I see, the young ones are in the back schoolyard, I guess…Well that certainly makes it better, but still – the older kids seemed a bit weirded out about it too…
Actually, I think the placement of that ghost bike in that location is a little troubling. I understand it’s where Brandie Bailey was killed but I think the little kids in that school may be a little too young to understand all of it…I was taking photos there once, close to the anniversary date when a lot of fresh flowers and photos are placed by the bike. And several kids came over and were asking questions. Some seemed mildly troubled or even scared about it all…
I think the ghostbikes are important, striking memorials so it feels a bit weird to write this, but whatever…
I don’t think it’s a bad idea to have an artistic reminder of street safety outside a schoolyard. I’m sure the kids see much scarier things shambling by on Houston Street, daily. The youngest kids don’t play in the Houston street playground, where the bike is. They’re on the quieter Stanton Street side.
Yeah, but the kids are not thinking about safety. They’re thinking about death, a concept that I’m sure a lot of them haven’t thought about yet, and which, let’s face it, can be hard to explain to a 5-year-old. It scares a lot of kids, I think.
And yes, they play elsewhere, but when I was taking my photo several of the older kids (like 9 or 10 years old, I’d guess) came to that part of the gate and were asking questions.
Oops, I just re-read what you wrote. I see, the young ones are in the back schoolyard, I guess…Well that certainly makes it better, but still – the older kids seemed a bit weirded out about it too…
11/14/2008 at 7:22 am
How weird…
Actually, I think the placement of that ghost bike in that location is a little troubling. I understand it’s where Brandie Bailey was killed but I think the little kids in that school may be a little too young to understand all of it…I was taking photos there once, close to the anniversary date when a lot of fresh flowers and photos are placed by the bike. And several kids came over and were asking questions. Some seemed mildly troubled or even scared about it all…
I think the ghostbikes are important, striking memorials so it feels a bit weird to write this, but whatever…
11/14/2008 at 8:15 am
I don’t think it’s a bad idea to have an artistic reminder of street safety outside a schoolyard. I’m sure the kids see much scarier things shambling by on Houston Street, daily. The youngest kids don’t play in the Houston street playground, where the bike is. They’re on the quieter Stanton Street side.
11/14/2008 at 1:49 am
Yeah, but the kids are not thinking about safety. They’re thinking about death, a concept that I’m sure a lot of them haven’t thought about yet, and which, let’s face it, can be hard to explain to a 5-year-old. It scares a lot of kids, I think.
And yes, they play elsewhere, but when I was taking my photo several of the older kids (like 9 or 10 years old, I’d guess) came to that part of the gate and were asking questions.
11/14/2008 at 1:50 am
Oops, I just re-read what you wrote. I see, the young ones are in the back schoolyard, I guess…Well that certainly makes it better, but still – the older kids seemed a bit weirded out about it too…
11/14/2008 at 3:22 pm
How weird…
Actually, I think the placement of that ghost bike in that location is a little troubling. I understand it’s where Brandie Bailey was killed but I think the little kids in that school may be a little too young to understand all of it…I was taking photos there once, close to the anniversary date when a lot of fresh flowers and photos are placed by the bike. And several kids came over and were asking questions. Some seemed mildly troubled or even scared about it all…
I think the ghostbikes are important, striking memorials so it feels a bit weird to write this, but whatever…
11/14/2008 at 4:15 pm
I don’t think it’s a bad idea to have an artistic reminder of street safety outside a schoolyard. I’m sure the kids see much scarier things shambling by on Houston Street, daily. The youngest kids don’t play in the Houston street playground, where the bike is. They’re on the quieter Stanton Street side.
11/14/2008 at 9:49 pm
Yeah, but the kids are not thinking about safety. They’re thinking about death, a concept that I’m sure a lot of them haven’t thought about yet, and which, let’s face it, can be hard to explain to a 5-year-old. It scares a lot of kids, I think.
And yes, they play elsewhere, but when I was taking my photo several of the older kids (like 9 or 10 years old, I’d guess) came to that part of the gate and were asking questions.
11/14/2008 at 9:50 pm
Oops, I just re-read what you wrote. I see, the young ones are in the back schoolyard, I guess…Well that certainly makes it better, but still – the older kids seemed a bit weirded out about it too…