Yesterday, I nearly ran over a young teenage Lubavitch girl.
It was the last second that I saw her, and with her reflexes and my slamming the brakes, much heartache was B”H averted. She then just moved on as if nothing happened but I was left very shaken by my recklessness.
I apologize to the girl (whoever you are) for nearly harming you.
I was doing what I have become accustomed to doing but vow not to do again in the future, b’ezrat Hashem.
I started off talking on the cell phone, then texting then eventually culminating with web surfing on my Blackberry, all while driving.
By taking gradual steps towards dangerous and reckless behavior, my concentration on the road has diminished so significantly, that I now thank G-D that it hadn’t taken killing someone to wake up.
I vow to learn from this and in the future do my phone calls, texting and COLlive surfing at a time other than driving.
Please take heart…
Signed,
A deeply ashamed yungerman
mendy 🙂
who are you?
RUNNED OVER, B”H.
Man, that girl is cool. No wonder she was saved!
Ken yirbu!
I had to add another comment that is poised at three certain bochurim whom I helped get an out-of-state license. I hope that you are driving the way I taught you how to drive. I hope that you are taking everything to heart and not behaving like the drivers around. I hope that you finally understand how dangerous it is to drive; that it is indeed a privilege and major responsibility (especially if your passengers are children).
it takes 3 seconds to look at ur phone, and during those 3 seconds u can kill someone! is it all worth it??
its about time …
We hAVE VISITED OTHER STATES. YOU ARE RIGHT. WE DO NOT DRIVE THAT WAY. THIS IS TO COMMENT 52
To all of you NYC drivers, coming from and raised in Northern California, you are one of the worst drivers I have ever seen in the U.S. If you want to prevent from killing someone, pedestrian or in a car ALWAYS DO WHAT I DO WHEN I DRIVE: 1. Always stop for pedestrians even if they are jaywalking 2. Always wait a second or two when the light hit green (because another careless driver goes on red) 3. NEVER USE YOUR HORN UNLESS TO WARN SOMEONE OF POSSIBLE DANGER. Horns are not for, hey the light is green. Horns are… Read more »
ur right!
~~~~
it so nice of you to admit it!
because the girl knows who she is…and why should his name matter to any of us?
Also, if he wrote his name, a bunch of people would comment that he’s only doing it for the attention….
this is probably the 1st time theirs no negative comments!:)
Hashgach protis
ur a good man
Could someone enlighten me, as to what the big deal to make an apology without a name is?
I see people start crossing before cars come to a complete stop at the light! That is so foolish cause if some idiot spaces out and keeps going, you’re dead.
At first I thought this was some kind of a spoof, but I see it really happened. I don’t need to criticize or blast you, you have done that to yourself. If nothing else, you have done a great service in alerting people to this danger. We’re all guilty but hopefully, no more. However, I don’t think this terrifying tale will make a big change. Even if chas v’sholom someone gets hurt, nothing will stop everyone. We never think it will happen to us, until it does. But you stopped me from even speaking without a hands free (texting I… Read more »
Of course, forgiveness is what god wants and expects from all of us. Your very welcome
I’m just totally blown away…
Why all the accolades for this driver. It’s as if one proclaims that he was in the habit of shooting a gun on a crowded street and now realizes it is dangerous and will stop.
Killing bshoigeg is chayev Golus and texting and surfing (and even talking) while driving on Kingston is not shoigeg but meizid.
Ahdu Bshuftineh koaskinon
Thank you. It was very kind of you to write that.
i think you should listen to your own advice – the first sentence you wrote… not the last.
we all know that you dony use cell phone’s while deriving.
but what a man you are to stand up for your foult.
ps the iphone is better for surfing the web while deriving
I was a bit reluctant to comment on this article when I first read it. But being that only a real man would confess on a public website with a heartfelt apology, you deserve to know that your apology is accepted 100%. Once I quickly ran out of the way, I did see from the corner of my eye that you stopped at the corner, but I kept walking because I didn’t want you to feel embarrassed by your mistake. Being that Baruch Hashem no one was hurt, all we can do is learn a valuable lesson and drive more… Read more »
http://www.consumersearch.com/blog/texting-while-driving-are-apps-enough-to-prevent-accidents
I am an 18 year old baalas teshuvah and I know absolutely nothing about the guy who wrote this, besides that he has the humility and ahavas yisroel to publicly admit to almost killing someone, apologize, and vow to change. I hear that there is a shidduch crisis, but it seems to me that if more people were simply looking for someone with good middos rather than yichus or what school the person went to or how they look, there would be less of a problem. G-d willing me and all the single girls out there should marry menschen and… Read more »
While tge lesson is well taken. I think it’s important to point out that teenagers and kids in crown heights make terrible pedestrians. I see kids running into street every day after classes end. Yes. Drivers, be responsible. Bit we need to remind our kids about crossing at the lights and not in the middle of roads!
And while I’m on the subject. Testing and walking is also canebrakes. Just last week I saw a girl head down staring at her phone. Walk straight into a street against the light and almost get hit.
Thank you for standing up to the plate and admitting and taking responsibility for your actions…that testifies to the fact that you are a real mensch….! Thank you for teaching us all such a powerful lesson…this is a lesson that has to keep on being refreshed in our minds till we all realize how serious the consquences of such actoins could lead to! thank you~~
While this is a good time to remind drivers to stop texting when driving, this is also a good time to remind everybody when crossing streets to look both ways and then LOOK AGAIN, EVEN when your crossing at the intersection when the light is green.
As much as you have to be careful not to hurt other people, you also have to be careful not to get hurt.
#2, it was and you are right about thanking her: Thank you so much for the defensive measures you have taken. I shudder at the thought…
SHUT YOUR PHONE OFF WHEN YOU GET INTO A CAR TO DRIVE IT.
New Yorkers should spend some time in smaller cities and see that people in those smaller cities don’t cross against the lights and life is alot easier in that way. Pedestrians should know how to conduct themselves as well as drivers.
Living out of town, where using a cell phone while driving is allowed, you start thinking that it’s really just fine…the streets are quieter and it is allowed, after all.
This is a wake up call…
Btw, do any of you out there think it’s okay to use a phone where it IS legal? Just curious to hear what you all think…I’m trying to figure this out!
BRAVO for acting like a man, and admitting that you are wrong!!! Most people today just blame others Another thing that impresses me is that you went public and told everyone so we can learn from you. You signed yungerman; let your wife know what a “mentch” she has and your mother what a “mentch” she brought up!!!!
may we all learn a valuable lesson at no one’s expense BH
very inspiring i admire u for your gr8 courage in puplically apologizing
im not that girl, but i have a friend thats in jail because she killed someone while texting and driving! so EVERYONEEEEEE PLEASEEEEE STOP USING UR PHONE WHILE DRIVING…THERE’S A REASON Y THERE IS A LAW AGAINST IT!!!!
Does someone who is texting while driving have a din ‘rodef’? Can you imagine the halachik implications??!
There is a teenager who hit someone with her car & he’s braindead. If he dies then she’s in major trouble-more then she is now!! Why? Because she was TEXTING while driving!!!
THINK, USE YOUR HEAD!! We are all vulnerable & should live it to the fullest. So PLEASE PLEASE be carefull!
bh nothing happened and u learn and thaught all a very important lesson. thanks for sharing
You’re a mentch for apologizing….we could all take a lesson…
This author is very honest. me and my friend were walking home today and we were walking on the intersection by our turn and some careless driver passed us by an inch. cause you know how they make left turns as you’re also walking and some don’t have patience or wanna beat you so my friend was astonished. it surprised me and an inch more would be the end of us. Baruch Hashem nothing worse happened but if the driver was honest like you, it would be a different story. thanks for your Kavod.
Its nice that this yungerman finally got the message, no texting, talking on cell while you drive. Its been the LAW for a long time. WHY WAIT TILL SOMETHING DOES HAPPEN. DO YOU EVER HEAR THE NEWS OR READ IF FOR THAT MATTER. YOU KNOW ITS DANGEROUS.
In Flatbush, weeks ago, someone was severely injured. The list goes on and on. POLICE, they should of cought you first. Its terrible that this incident had to teach you not to get distracted by your loving blackberry while driving.
i feel bad if you feel bad
PEOPLE!!! comment!!! i want the person to say it was i who was almost hit even if they didnt realize it the girls on the sidewalk look like two unless the one pushing the stroller
at least you learned your lesson “without killing someone”
everyone should take this to heart!!
b”h she did not get hit!
This is truly special to admit something you did wrong to the public! It is very hard for some people. Yasher Koach!
Yes i agree.
Thats a good idea.
Drive safely.
very sweet!
I commend you for recognizing your mistake and posting, you don’t know what good can come of it, hopefully lots.
I urge ALL drivers to watch the 4 minute video about texting and driving. It is graphic. But it depicts what can very realisticaly happen if you text and drive.
I’m very impressed. I thought this was going to be another of those articles about people who cross not at the crosswalk, or run across the street without looking, etc.
Boy was I surprised. good for you that you didn’t also “just move on.”
may we all take a lesson from this, in any experience, to really take to heart, and not let it pass us by superficially.
I wonder if the girl herself will realize that it was her, who nearly got ran over……
Now that’s a mentch!
But really! Be careful, and stick to your hachlata with improving driving habits!
thi is so so nice and so respectfull of human beings. aside form the point at hand, i think a big lesson can be learnt from your honesty and sincerity.
Hang this not in every shul and every public place (online and off).
I will b”n never talk/text/surf and drive again.
wow!
In HS I had to write an essay on cell phones(while driving). One of the issues I brought up & I remember clearly that my teacher liked it was that it DISTRACTS the DRIVER while DRIVING!!!!!!!!!!!!This was more than 10 yrs ago!!!!! HELP! all those Blackberries, Blueberries & Raspberries! THank G-d, I don’t OWN one even 4 an EMERGENCY!!!!(what did you all do 20 YRS ago, b/4 cell phones-do the SAME NOW)!!!! Thank you “ASHAMED YUNGERMAN”, I’ve seen to many drivers using their phones either, chatting, texting or watching the latest on internet & I can testify to that(b/c I’m… Read more »
wow, very impresssed
impresses with the apolgy
Was it on Albany and Carroll? If so, I can direct you to personally thank the girl who’s still alive today.
Let everyone learn a lesson from this!
It takes guts to admit a mistake like that! Good for you! I hope other drivers take your example and keep off the cell while driving.