If you'd like to help us cover medical/dental costs and or catch the perpetrator, click below. Funds will also be used to support this free pedicab service and expand it. =)
Thanks in advance!
Ken

Here's some notes on Cambodian gang members...

• Cambodian-American gang member convicted of killing girlfriend - you can see the ghetto thug family members denying any wrongdoing on Loeun Sa's part, even though a court and jury found him guilty. These kinds of people should not exist in OAKTOWN! It's WAY PAST Time for public hangings of murderous gangsters.
• Asian American youth: culture, identity, and ethnicity - the guy who attacked me had slicked back hair and a loose shirt, just as described on pages 227-228 of this book. No matter, I will know him whether he's bald or blond.

  MOST interesting insight is this: "The one common enominator of almost all Cambodian American gangs, however, is the acceptance of violence by members as an inevitable part of their lives."

  Why is violence inevitable? Why not bring themselves up an not have to worry about death every day? (Actualy, most former gang members do just that.) I wish someone from the "other side" would explain this to me. What's the point? After reading more of the book above though, I feel at least some solace through cultural understanding. I think future generations will do better as they will be more assimilated -- and hopefully have less need to join gangs.

• One of my dad's work colleagues or someone they knew was Cambodian and went to a wedding and shot five people, killing two. This is worse than most cultures I know about. I think the US bombing of Cambodia and Laos really f*cked things up there, only to be followed by Pol-Pot and the Khmer Rouge killing their own people. No wonder there is this problem.
• A group of these little asian men and a black man shot up three Asian guys on Telegraph and 27th last year, killing one. I know the black shooter is in jail now, but he should have been hanged last year. Anyway, good work OPD. Style of shooting murder: shots to the chest and head. Really classy.

Tooth is better after the root canal op but is still really tender. Bill from American Medical Response (ambulance I appreciated but didn't ask for) came this week, for a cool $1,886.31. Highland Hospital (nice view of Oaktown from there by the way) hasn't sent their bill yet. To anyone who's followed me knows, I've never made money on this business. This incident really set me back financially. But that's okay--most businesses don't make profits until the four or five year mark. Maybe I can deduct all my medical bills as expenses. Depending on the take-aways though the experience may be priceless. I will power through.

On the bright side(?), I keep my real tooth and the tooth will never be sensitive to hot or cold again. (In a root canal operation, the endodontist drills a hole in your tooth and drills out the old nerve and other inflamed material.)

On another bright side, I've been spending more time gardening.

Finally and not least, I'd like to thank those of you who've contributed donations to my getting well and business development fund. I'm not sure whether to put your names here (perhaps First name, last initial?) and will decide that soon. I deeply appreciate your kindness and generosity.

Ken

Going to Highland tomorrow for general checkup, then endodontist on Wednesday for 2nd opinion on the tooth.

Details:

• Time: between 12:00am ~ 12:28am on Sunday 1/24/2010
• Suspect: Asian male, early 20s, 5'1" ~ 5'5", under 130lbs, VERY round/VERY small ears that stick out. The other guys I took around from the same group he was with were cool -- don't know why this guy was agitated.
• Was a customer at the restaurant these people were hanging out in front of
• Passenger was part of a large group of young asian adults hanging out in front of restaurant after dinner and drinks.
• Attack appears totally random - the guy was drunk or high on something, was an "angry drunk" and swerved around as he paced quickly, both before and after hopping into the cab. I was worried about him because he jumped out of the cab when I stopped at a red light and ran into Broadway when cars were oncoming. He then turned around and advanced straight toward me with a stink eye. WTF?
• Seeking additional witnesses - call 510-545-2227 if you have any information, were in the area, etc. Or send a note through our contact form. You can also call OPD's Criminal Assault Investigation Section at 510-238-3426 and ask for Sergeant Campbell.

Read more at EBX Backseat Driver Ken Ott Assaulted

If you would like to donate to Backseat Pedicabs to help defray the cost of operating this downtown Oakland service, please use the button below. We will use funds to pay medical and dental bills, track down the assailant, hire staff, repair pedicabs and generally keep things going. Thank you in advance!

-Ken

1/26/2010

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