Adam Finley, a blogger on Engadget's sister blog
TV Squad, tragically passed away last week when his bicycle was hit by a school bus only two blocks from his apartment in Minneapolis. This horrendous news did not reach Adam's family until nearly two days after his death, due to the fact that he was not carrying any identification; his only possessions at the time of the accident were some keys and his iPod, which investigators brought to an Apple Store, where the company's corporate security office was able to cross reference it against their serial number database and identify its owner.
TV Squad will be honoring Adam's memory by dedicating today to him with Adam's old posts. Our thoughts remain with Adam's family, his friends, and his team at TV Squad.
posted Sep 10th 2007 8:00AM
Sad news. Rest in peace Adam.
Rest in peace
Deepest condolences to Adam Finley.
OMG what terrible terrible news....
RIP
Sad, sad news. I hope he finds a trusty bike to ride and iPod to jam to in sweet hereafter.
A very sad way to go. I can't imagine how the family must be feeling knowing that after 2 days they have been told their son has passed away. My deepest condolences go to his family, friends, work colleagues and anyone else who may have known him.
I think he deserved a better article photo.
Rest in peace.
Not just that, but the article mainly focuses on the fact that he was identified through his iPod and is actually just general gadget news. I think it'd have been better if it was an actual tribute.
Adam wasn't very public with photos of himself, and we weren't about to contact his family to ask for a "better" photo of him, as though to say we thought this photo of him sucked.
Wow, this is surprising to me. I live in Minneapolis, and the accident was covered in the news, but I never put it together that the Adam Finley that was killed was the same from TV Squad. (Though for some reason I recall them saying that he was a visitor from Arizona or something.) They also said nothing on the news about the iPod thing.
So sad to hear. I am glad that they were able to identify him this way. Our thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.
That sort of thing happens far too often here in Oregon as well. Deepest condolences to his family.
RIP
RIP.
My condolences.
Here's hoping there's an afterlife, Adam.
R.I.P.
Oh my goodness.
RIP Adam and condolences to his family.
How classless. What's this article about? the ipod that you fanboys can't seem to get enough of, or Adam's untimely death?
RIP Adam.
Not a time to be ripping with sarcastic comments.
RIP Mr Finley, RIP.
RIP Adam, best regards to his family.
Le mie più sentite condoglianze.
Here's some MASH trivia from Adam. Funny shit!
http://sassone.tripod.com/pbjissue45.html
Sad news. All our sympathies to his family. R.I.P.
I agree with mat and I.E
As a compassionate human being, the headline of the article is embarrassing. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
JAson is a jackass too. Does it really make you glad the he was identified THIS WAY?!
was he wearing the ipod when he got hit?
i'm glad he had his ipod it was what gave the key to being able to lay adam to rest.
But im upset with engadget and conrad. You start of talking about what happend and got to talking about the ipod. Ya ok so the ipod was the only way to track who he was. but how about somthing more then go to tvsquad for his past blogs and sorry to his family.
It's always a sad day in my world when someone in the tech word passes.
Here is to Adam and his family in this hard time.
poor sod :(
In London the bus drivers are some of the worse in the world... I've been knocked off my bike too many times to count by the bus drivers... Lucky none as serious as this :(
I feel for his family :(
What horrible news, especially the fact that he was so close to home and no one knew for two days.
Seems like a good time to remind everyone to carry ID when walking, running or biking.
Wow, that is definitely tragic.
Sorry for your loss.
Rest in Peace.
Thoughts and prayers go out to Adams family
RIP Adam
Rest in Peace
Rest in Peace Adam.
The headline of the article is really embarrassing Engadget.
Horrible news, I live in St. Paul and it was all over TV - especially that they had no idea who it was. So sad, but I'm glad they managed to figure it out!
Rest in peace adam
The title of this article is fine! The way these a**holes in buses drive now that is something to get upset about. My wife was forced onto the muni tracks on market buy some fat*ss MUNI bi*ch trying to intimidate her. She got locked into the tracks and flew face first onto the ground in the middle of downtown san francisco. The muni driver said "your lucky i didnt hit you" on her way by, not stopping to see if my wife was ok. Long story short bicycles need better streets to ride on , maybe a dedicated street here or there, soley dedicated to bicycle riders. I dunno. R.I.P Adam Finley
It's sad that he had to go so young. I'm glad to hear that his ipod helped identify him. My thoughts go out to his family.
Rest in peace mate ... I just hope he didn't die for a reason of listening to the iPod while driving his bike... :(
I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that I give all of our deepest condolences to Adam's family and friends, and TV Squad colleagues. He will be sorely missed.
RIP
As a daily bike commuter, I can empathize. People in internal combustion vehicles think they own the road, and they will purposely try to "beat" a bike to an intersection, or cut bike riders off, or get aggressive with bicycles because we're smaller than they are. I've almost been hit few times. Each time I had right of way, and the people who almost hit me just plain ignored that fact.
And I am not a road cyclist. I ride the sidewalks (it's legal in my state) and my bike looks more like an electric moped (because it is an electric bike, actually). I can have my flashing lights on, my headlight on, and be wearing bright colors and people will still almost hit me in the intersections when I'm crossing, even though I've got a crossing light in my favor and they don't.
So to the the drivers out there: Let this news remind you that people on bicycles need some consideration. You're supposed to treat us like another car when we're on the road (same courtesies, no passing on the right, no tailgating, etc.) and like a pedestrian when we're on the sidewalks. Trying to "beat" a bicycle to an intersection doesn't make you get where you're going any faster (we'll probably catch up to you at the next stop light) and it does put bicycle riders in serious danger.
I'll be thinking of this poor guy when I ride to work today. Hopefully, I continue to make it in one piece... But all it takes is one ignorant, pushy, aggressive, non-attentive driver in a car/truck/bus and I'm done for. That thought stays with me every time I ride. But still, I love riding, and I haven't visited a gas station since spring began. I just wish people in cars would stop being such jerks. I stay out of their way, so why must they SPEED UP to cut me off at an intersection, or turn when I have a crossing signal? Why do I get treated different when I'm on a bike than I do when I'm at the same intersection on foot?
Be safe. It's not worth someone's life to get to the mall 3 seconds earlier.
What state lets cyclists ride on the sidewalk? Where I am in CA, if you're on the sidewalk (I don't think it's legal here) you become a pedestrian.
Riding on sidewalks is way more dangerous than riding on the road since you tend to be less visible to drivers. In CA atleast you're allowed the full use of one lane.. not that I don't get honked at by drivers from time to time.
It also doesn't stop cyclists from being assholes/idiots. I got yelled at by another guy on a bike a while ago for signaling a left turn so I could avoid a parked car.. he seemed to think that just because he was going faster than me give him the right of way. Sorry, vehicle ahead of you has the right of way.
Michigan allows bike riders on the sidewalks, as long as we don't provide an obstruction or hazard to other pedestrians.
And let me clarify that I consider myself a bicycle rider, not a cyclist. There's a difference. A cyclist is one of those guys in spandex with a bike that cost more than a decent car, who thinks that he IS a car for all intents and purposes. A lot of them around here are completely reckless and will swerve through traffic as if the cars see them clearly and won't plow them over... I know better.
I ride a bike for matters of practicality and because I'm environmentally concerned. I ride wearing my work clothes, not spandex. I don't signal turns because A. I'm on the sidewalk and B. nobody recognizes what those hand signs mean anyway, and C. it causes me to take my hands off the handlebars, which I'd rather avoid.
I totally disagree with the sidewalk being less safe. I used to ride a motor scooter in traffic (and bikes, too) and cars are not very kind to anything that goes slower than 50 mph. I had too many close calls on the road. If I wipe out on the sidewalk, there's no car on my ass that will proceed to run me over. I can avoid roads for about 90% of my commute--- It's just at the 10% that are intersections and driveways where I need to be extremely cautious and ride defensively. When in doubt, I can cut through a deserted parking lot or someplace where cars don't go.
The best rule I ever heard regarding riding a bike is to ride it like you're invisible to everyone.
I agree with The ZeroCorpse, some people who ride bikes are ass*holes theyself. They would swerve left and right, they don't follow the rules. i.e: they don't stop at stop signs, they would ride across street with a red light.
oh yea, and when youo get stuck in traffic, they would ride pass your car and bang on the side then yell "serve your right to get stuck in traffic, get a bike"
anyway, this is off topic.
my condolences to Adam's family.
I honestly don't understand why bikes are allowed on streets. They are no more compatible with cars than someone on roller-skates.
I don't know why so many people have to die this way and yet nothing is ever changed. To the contrary, there's really only a push to get MORE bikes on streets.
What's worse, are the casual bikers who are just out for fun or exercise. Save lives; use trails.
My condolences to Addams Family
R.I.P. :(
RIP Adam, really sad news :(
Absolutely disgusting.
After this article I am boycotting any future engadget-ipod articles. This is "tribute" reads like a sleazy, trashy promo for ipod. Tell me engadget, do you get paid only when you mention "ipod" or do you have to mention the apple store too??
An unfortunate accident, to be sure, but it's interesting that Apple seemingly quickly cooperated to identify its customer, thereby saving the family additional days of frantic worry. I think other companies might hide behind legal BS: "We'd like to help, but..." Maybe I'm wrong.
The headline is fine. Those who object to the iPod emphasis should get their own blog.
RIP. Sad.
Likely not the place, but to comment on some of the above posts... I, too, hope he wasn't wearing his iPod while riding. But I bet he was. I'm not speculating, just want to comment on how dangerous riding with an iPod is.
Also, don't ride on the sidewalk. If you DO, then plan on traveling at the speed of a pedestrian in crosswalks. Regardless of flashing lights, cars are looking for slow moving pedestrians in the crosswalk, not bikes.
and... ride defensively. Watch you back. Don't play the "bike vs car" game. Not all cars are careless, and not all bikers are asshats.
Don't listen to your ipod when your riding your bike. Even walking can be sketchy because you can't hear cars. Be aware of your surroundings.
no offense engadget but this title on your article should make you
guys feel ASHAMED!!! instead of bringing up the news with the lost
of a conrad you bring it up with an ad for the ipod... juheezus
pace e condoglianze alla famiglia
Rest in peace Adam Finley. My condolences go out to his family . . .
On a side note, I agree with James above. If you DO bike on the sidewalk, you should go the speed of a pedestrian (we can't always see or hear you bikers sneaking up on us). And quite frankly MOST of the bike riders I've seen (MOST, not all) go much slower than the speed of the cars around them. This concerns me because in my area, most of the streets are fairly small with few lanes and well, most bikers try to squeeze themselves between a wide load and some parked cars while going at a slow speed. Don't know, but it seems kind of dangerous to me (especially since my area doesn't have that many bike lanes). Just my opinion, but I think that if you're going much slower than the cars around you and there is no bike lane to safely ride your bike on, you mind as well ride on the sidewalks anyway. Bike riders sometimes forget that cars are much bigger than they are and if they are not careful, they are the ones who suffer greater damage (being on a bike and all). But of course, both car drivers and bike riders should always be careful of their surroundings.
Anyway, sorry for being off-topic.
Always knew school buses were the root of all evil...RIP
Oh man, thats terrible...
The Apple Store referenced is actually First Tech Computer, an Apple Specialist in Minneapolis uptown area. I work there and am glad we could help identify the victim. My condolences to the family.
RIP
Too many bicyclists are being killed and too little media is devoted to it. We had a local father killed recently with almost zero news coverage. I was nearly struck (yet again) last night - read about things you can do to change bicyclists standings.
Elephants On Bicycles