Streetsblog New York City » From “Hey, You #*%!!” To “Dear Driver”

“Dear Driver, the brainchild of Erik Fabian and Josh Weinstein, is a combination self-regulation tool and cyclist/driver communication conduit. Like many good ideas, it isn’t complicated.

It works like this. You cut me off, almost door me, or yell at me for taking street space, and I take a deep breath and hand you a nicely printed letter for you to read when you park your vehicle.

What does it say? Essentially: that I felt endangered, and that I hope you will take a moment to read a brief note that helps you understand who I am (a woman of a certain age, a psychotherapist), why I bike (I love it and its non environmental-impact), the challenge for me on two wheels (particularly since 2006 when my husband, Dr. Carl Henry Nacht, was killed on his bicycle), and what the rules of the road are for us both.”