Sir, – I ride a tricycle as my main means of mobility, and recently I was cycling down Temple Street from the Mater Hospital at 9.30pm.
Just as I was passing the children’s hospital, I was accosted by a middle-aged male, who, after trying to make conversation with me, started to become agitated.
As this gentleman was quite intoxicated and consequently, very incoherent, I was obviously extremely nervous.
Suddenly, the man grabbed the handlebars of my tricycle, and threw myself and my bike on the footpath right outside the main entrance to Temple Street Children’s Hospital.
Only for the good people of Hardwick Street flats who came over to help me back up onto my bike and made sure I was okay, my injury, a bruise to my left eye, could have been much worse.
I reported this incident to my local gardaí at Fitzgibbon Street Garda station, and the gardaí there are investigating it, but, I would ask the Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, are we entitled by law to walk, or in my case, to cycle our streets safely and not fear any unlawful attacks to either our person or our property?
My tricycle represents my main means of independent mobility, and if I had to stop using it, I would be house-bound.
Besides using my bike for my essential daily needs, I also like to cycle for pure enjoyment which I’m entitled to do, and I’m entitled to do it in a safe and a crime-free environment.
If I can’t do this, there is something wrong with the Irish justice system because it is not protecting the people of Ireland who pay the Minister to create the peaceful and just society we can all aspire to live in.
We all know the level of street crime which exists in Ireland, but sadly, very little is done about it. It may seem ironic, but the duty of our Minister for Justice is to protect us all against those who want to inflict injury upon innocent people going about our own business.
The sooner we, the people, use the law to make Irish society a safer one, the better freedom we will all enjoy to cycle and walk around our cities and towns in peace, harmony and safety. – Yours, etc,