VICTIM OF CARRIAGE DRIVER ATTACK WANTS HIS DAY IN
THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION
New York, NY - September 16, 2012 - Andrew Grossberg lives in Los Angeles. On August 25th, while visiting New York City, he got into an argument with a carriage driver and ended up in the hospital. Finally feeling a little better after being medicated with heavy narcotic painkillers and spending the past few weeks resting or seeing doctors, he wants his story to come out.
Mr. Grossberg (his photos below) recently contacted the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages. He freely admits to having remarked to the driver that he did not like the horse carriage trade and attempted to take a photo of the license plate after the driver heckled and yelled at him and his friend.
Grossberg says “The next thing I knew is I was being beaten severely and I could not even stand up to escape from the brutal beating of a deranged horse and carriage driver. Left for dead on the sidewalk outside of Central Park, I woke up in New York Presbyterian emergency room with a fractured nose (broken in two places), a concussion, a heavy bruise to my jaw, and pain radiating all over my body.”
Continues Grossberg “Malone of the Horse and Carriage Association has taken it upon himself to say that I was the aggressor in that night's incident. However, if I was, why was the horse and carriage driver arrested and I was not? Why was I hospitalized and he was not? I ask you to look at the emergency room photos and ask yourself and decide who the
aggressor was.”
On August 21st, just a few days before the attack, this same driver – Emin Karsavuran – reacted in an extremely hostile manner to a member of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages as they were holding a peaceful educational event that evening. One of the activists said something that enraged the driver and he came running up to him ready to pounce. Fortunately he did not. Photos and video are available.
Said Elizabeth Forel of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages “This is an industry that has enjoyed entitlements and as a consequence is out of control. They often get away with violating the law because no one in authority is watching or caring. From overloading their carriages, to working when it is past 90 degrees, in heavy rain or snow, to overcharging, to making illegal u-turns, to not attending their horses - these violations have been captured on videotape and uploaded to YouTube. Many have been sent to the authorities who ignore them.
The majority of the public want to see this trade shut down. Every online poll taken since 2006 has resulted in between 75 and 80 percent of respondents in favor of a ban.
The climate that has been created by the Administration has caused activists, pedestrians and neighbors in the area to feel frustrated and angry. They feel hopeless in the face of such gross entitlements concerning such a tiny trade that is favored like a spoiled child by the administration.
Many people make negative comments to the drivers because so many people do not like them. What is the solution – to rope off Central Park South from Columbus Circle to Fifth Avenue to protect these volatile drivers? "
