Helen David (pedicab driver) testifies supporting ban
Helen David, a pedicab driver for 23 years, testifies about witnessing the industry from inside the stables, says some carriage drivers were former pedicab drivers who could return, and disputes the claim that Denise died from a poisonous plant rather than exhaustion.
All right, yeah.
So I'm Helen David, and I'm a tour guide in Central Park.
So I'm a pedicab driver for 23 years in New York City.
So I started in 2004, June.
And when I initially started, I used to park my pedicab in a stable on 52nd Street.
So I've seen countless of things that I wasn't supposed to see as a pedicab driver in a horse stable.
This is back in 06, 07.
And now working in Central Park alongside some of these horse and carriage drivers behind me,
I just want to make it clear to the council that some of those guys were pedicab drivers, so if they need to be transitioned to another job, they can always go back to the pedicab, because that's where we started off as pedicab drivers.
And it's safer in Central Park.
And also another thing I want to make clear, the day Dennis'horse died, that horse was out for a long time, for more than what it's supposed to be, because 5 o'clock is when they're supposed to change the...
shift for the horses to go back to the stable.
But the incident happened way after Dennis was supposed to be at a stable.
So I work alongside the horse and carriage driver, so I see it every single day.
I'm in Central Park sometimes 6.30 in the morning, and I'm there up until 8 o'clock.
So I see in and out of what is going on in Central Park with the horse and carriage.
I'm not here to bash anybody.
I'm here to speak of the truth, and I don't want anybody to go out there and try to blame the Central Park Conservancy that the horse, you know, ate a poisonous plant when it was actually exhaustion because I was there the day Dennis died.
I know what time that horse came in, and then when the horses passed away, I was home because that horse was supposed to have left the park before I did.
So therefore, I'm just here to let you guys know that we are out here.
The pedicab industry is represented, and if we are to save the city and our tourists in New York City, we have to do the right thing by the city, by the people that live in New York City, and then the horse and carriage industry.
Thank you so much.
You may continue.
Go ahead.
You, sir.