"Ghost Bikes"

Against the greenery leading to Wagner College on Staten Island stands a single white bike chained to a street sign on a hill. After passing this bike continuously for events at the college, or going to see friends, I always noticed it but never paid attention to it. One day, I was stuck in traffic and finally turned to look at it and admire its contrast against the changing leaves. I wondered to myself when and if I was ever going to see the person who rode this bike. The bike has been chained at that spot for six years, and I've never seen someone claim the bike. Another question that I had was why white? Is it because while riding it's easier to see, or because the color looks nice? Although I had all these questions, what didn't make sense to me was its location; everyone in the area lives in a house that has room for a bike, or on campus. Why would it be chained to a pole? After getting out to get a closer look, I realized the significance of this white bike. The bike is a "Ghost Bike." 
        A ghost bike is a white bike near the spot where someone was hit by a car. It is chained to a street sign near the site where the crash occurred. It is painted white to symbolize the loss. The most prominent message it sends as it stands chained to the signs is to make drivers remember they need to share the road and be aware of the other drivers, cyclists, or pedestrians. It also reminds drivers of the rights that cyclists to have on the road. According to ghostbike.org, the first bikes appeared in St. Louis, Missouri in 2003. Unfortunately, the number grew to 630 bikes in 210 cities all over the world. It continues to grow until today.  
        A majority of accidents are caused due to the reckless nature we have as human beings in the twenty-first century, probably because of all the distractions we have -- cell phones, eating and drinking, driving drunk, even being lost in thought, among plenty of others. Judgy, I know. But the truth is, a majority of cases are due to factors like those. It's getting hard to remember all the people that we hear about on the news. An upside is that we have people like those from the Ghost Bike foundation to help leave a memorial of those who suffered under the careless actions of others. The growing number of memorials of ghost bikes serves as a reminder for everyone to be aware of their surroundings while on the road. The beauty in tragedies is having a lesson to learn from. Granted, not everyone follows the lesson, but there are improvements in having people pay attention to the road and not other things. 

        The bike that is chained on the hill leading to Wagner College is in memory of R.J. Tillman. R.J. Tillman was a 29 year-old nursing student. On February 12, 2012, at approximately 9 pm, R.J. was riding home from Wagner College after class. He was hit by a hit and run driver. To this day, the driver has not been identified. I think that it's important to realize that although this person is absent from our society, they are still standing there loud and clear. The memorial up-keeping serves as a sign that they will not be forgotten. I've seen other bikes with decorations for different holidays around it, as a way to celebrate events with them. Their memories live on through the decorations that were put there by the people who put them there and through the drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians who stop to admire it. Although it might be pretty to look at, let's strive not to have too many more to admire. 

 

         I spotted John 3:16 written in chalk on the ground of 75^th street and Central Park West. What I strive to do is understand the importance of this religious symbol by the means in which it is portrayed and how it connects to the message. I could not help but notice that the words written are not the original words from the Christian bible, but rather a simplified version of what the verse is trying to say. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life” is what the bible says, but the meaning of John 3:16 is the story of love and appreciation. The message written in the sidewalk is ‘You are love(d)’. The ‘d’ placed in parenthesis is well thought of as it gives two meanings to what is written down. John 3:16 summarizes the relationship between humanity and God. The first meaning is that you are love because God created you with love, therefore the life we have has an origin of love. The second meaning with the ‘d’ added at the end is a reminder of this. A reminder that God loves us and cares for us in more ways than just existence and expresses his love by giving us the capacity to have spirituality and feel a connection with him. The word ‘loved’ is used as an indication that God sees no boundaries for love. This sidewalk message in short is playing a role in motivating oneself to radiate love as to understand that oneself is loved unconditionally. With this love, one will eventually find salvation. Basically summarizing what the whole Christian faith is about.

             It is important to consider the location of the verse: the ground in New York City.  Millions of people walk over that sidewalk every day, and it is very likely that not everyone will stop and read what it says. First let’s consider the fact that it is not a very striking image or sign that people would stop and stare like if it was the Mona Lisa drawn in chalk. It is a very simple verse written with 3 different colors and truly not big of size. Second, it is important to consider the material that it was created with: chalk, which is not permanent. It fades extremely quickly. Street art is usually created for the purpose of making a statement and that is why spray paint is essential, because it is almost permanent. Chalk is not meant to last forever so it seems like this sign is making an invitation rather than a statement. It catches a person’s eye just the right amount for them to become interested in what the text is saying. It reminds people of the meaning of love and their relationship to God and therefore invites them into salvation without necessarily shoving it their faces. The chalk is a symbol of something ephemeral that will fade when pedestrians walk over it. However, it is still there for those who choose to notice it. Just like religion, this sign provides an insightful message about love and spirituality for those who choose the path of faith.