Fuck Horse Drawn Carriages

Photo via Advocacy for Animals.

So I guess the big news in NYC is that people are trying to ban Horse Drawn Carriages in NYC for humane reasons. It sounds pretty terrible, the horses are not provided with adequate housing and live in horrible conditions until they are worked to death for the entertainment of tourists.

I oppose horse drawn carriages for a completely different reason. About 6 years ago in midtown manhattan, I was hit-and-ran by a horse drawn carriage driver.


So at the time I was living at 53rd and 8th and had a very short commute, a walk to 50th and 7th. I was standing at the northwest corner of 52nd and 8th, facing east, waiting for a light when this crazy fast carriage going east on 52nd street decided to turn sharply onto 8th avenue at a break-neck speed. While the horse itself didn't hit me, the carriage swung wide and then slammed into my back, knocking me to the ground. I was completely caught off guard, but some passersby were nice and helped me to my feet and kind of told me what happened. The horse carriage had stopped about half a block down the street. One of the people that helped me up suggested that I should get his insurance info just in case. It was probably just the adrenaline, but I got up and felt generally ok, so I went up to him and asked for his insurance as a precaution and he just took off! At that point, we noticed that his license plate area was intentionally obscured with some masking tape.

I went back on my way to work, kind of stunned, but feeling ok; a co-worker asked if I was ok, and I asked why, and he pointed out that the back of my shirt was actually ripped, and my shoulder was starting to visibly swell. It was at this point that I found that I was having difficulty raising my arm above my head, so I decided to just head to the nearby ER.

They did some basic mobility tests and checked out the area and determined that I hadn't broken anything or suffered any serious problems, they just suggested Ice packs and painkillers.

So in the end, it wasn't really that bad other than the emergency room fee, and I was pretty lucky, all things considered. Still, those things are a fucking menace and I'll be happy to see them banned.