My take is, this is the country we want to be.
7
The story brings back memories of my humble beginnings as a Cuban refugee in this great country. I also biked long distances to my first job in a laundry in South Miami.
That experience gave me the courage, discipline and resilience to overcome many obstacles I found in my daily life.
Very inspiring .
That experience gave me the courage, discipline and resilience to overcome many obstacles I found in my daily life.
Very inspiring .
11
So very inspirational! Thank you for that story.
6
This is the immigration story that needs to be told!
10
Not to dismiss Mr. Iranzi's struggles and successes, but why exactly is the Springfield PD stopping, interrogating and searching him? None of that was constitutional.
Doibtless they would have done just the same had he been white.
Doibtless they would have done just the same had he been white.
3
We don't have all of the facts. The police need reasonable cause; they would have had it if there were break-ins in the neighborhood, to name just one of many possibilities. In my youth I was stopped by police, searched and questioned more than once (I'm white) and the only time it went badly is when I mouthed off and made a major fuss about my constitutional rights. Stupid youth. Anyway, Mr. Iranzi handled the inconvenience well, the police treated him with respect, and the outcome was positive for everyone.
4
I find nothing inspiring about this story, save Jowel's escape from the DRC. I wonder how many new arrivals from other parts of the world get regularly stopped and questioned by the police for riding a bicycle.
As one black man to another: Mr. Iranzi, welcome to the United States. I'm sorry to say that you should expect more police stops in the future. It will get tiresome soon.
As one black man to another: Mr. Iranzi, welcome to the United States. I'm sorry to say that you should expect more police stops in the future. It will get tiresome soon.
3
Mr. Iranzi's habit of riding a bike in the dark without a light for miles night after night will strike some as heroic, but it reveals him to be a scofflaw. MA law says cyclists "must use a white headlight and red taillight or rear reflector if you are riding anytime from 1/2 hour after sunset until 1/2 hour before sunrise." The "headlight must emit a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet" & "taillight and reflectors must be visible in the low beams of a car’s headlights from a distance of at least 600 feet." (Source: massbike.org)
Mr. Iranzi's failure to follow these rules created danger for himself & others. Biking exhausted in the pitch dark on sidewalks & streets with no light, he easily could've struck & injured a pedestrian or been in a collision with a motor vehicle or another cyclist. Yet he expresses concern only for HIS OWN safety, & was shocked & offended (at first) to be stopped by cops, who could've fined him. That they didn't apprise him of the bike laws - & the imprudence of venturing far from home without ID - is hard to believe.
Now that Mr. Iranzi's "saved enough money to buy a car," I hope he's more heedful of our laws & the public safety, starting with the need to be licensed & insured to drive a car - owning one isn't enough. Since he's now resettling others new to the US, I also hope he's telling them what any tourist knows: when you go to another land, google/learn the laws/rules that pertain there & abide by them.
Mr. Iranzi's failure to follow these rules created danger for himself & others. Biking exhausted in the pitch dark on sidewalks & streets with no light, he easily could've struck & injured a pedestrian or been in a collision with a motor vehicle or another cyclist. Yet he expresses concern only for HIS OWN safety, & was shocked & offended (at first) to be stopped by cops, who could've fined him. That they didn't apprise him of the bike laws - & the imprudence of venturing far from home without ID - is hard to believe.
Now that Mr. Iranzi's "saved enough money to buy a car," I hope he's more heedful of our laws & the public safety, starting with the need to be licensed & insured to drive a car - owning one isn't enough. Since he's now resettling others new to the US, I also hope he's telling them what any tourist knows: when you go to another land, google/learn the laws/rules that pertain there & abide by them.
5
Wow. That's pretty harsh. How was he supposed to know he was supposed to have a light on his bike? It's a good idea of course, but I doubt many of us know it's required by law. I certainly didn't until I read your comment.
There are no laws to study to own a bike. No signs on the street informing us we are required to use bike lights. I've bought several bikes over the last 30 years from reputable bike shops here in Massachusetts, and not once was I told I was required to use a light.
I live in Boston. I see loads of people riding bikes after dark with no lights. Obviously, there are plenty of Americans who don't know the laws/rules of their own country.
Have you ever been so poor that you had to count every penny? I have. There were times when I couldn't afford new socks or a cup of coffee. I certainly could not have afforded a bike light at that period of my life.
He never said he was "shocked and offended" when stopped by the police on his bike. He was afraid. People who escape the horrors of war and move to strange countries tend to get frightened.
I doubt that Mr. Iranzi had money to buy a computer when he was working 8 to 10 hours a night at a bakery. Maybe coming to our country with nothing, learning English and building a new life for himself, his wife, and their son was more important to him than Googling Massachusetts bike laws. Having fled a war that verged on genocide and having escaped to a refugee camp, he might not have heard of Google.
There are no laws to study to own a bike. No signs on the street informing us we are required to use bike lights. I've bought several bikes over the last 30 years from reputable bike shops here in Massachusetts, and not once was I told I was required to use a light.
I live in Boston. I see loads of people riding bikes after dark with no lights. Obviously, there are plenty of Americans who don't know the laws/rules of their own country.
Have you ever been so poor that you had to count every penny? I have. There were times when I couldn't afford new socks or a cup of coffee. I certainly could not have afforded a bike light at that period of my life.
He never said he was "shocked and offended" when stopped by the police on his bike. He was afraid. People who escape the horrors of war and move to strange countries tend to get frightened.
I doubt that Mr. Iranzi had money to buy a computer when he was working 8 to 10 hours a night at a bakery. Maybe coming to our country with nothing, learning English and building a new life for himself, his wife, and their son was more important to him than Googling Massachusetts bike laws. Having fled a war that verged on genocide and having escaped to a refugee camp, he might not have heard of Google.
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@Donovan ...
Are you serious? A scofflaw? Do you have any experience just trying to survive in difficult situations? Imprudence ... telling them what *any tourist* knows ... you belittle a man who has overcome much from a position of having been able to BE a tourist!
Grow up and recognize that the vast majority of the world does not have, probably never will have, your advantages and recognize the strength, devotion and constancy of the human (and family!) spirit in his story.
Your commentary is in contradiction to American values.
Are you serious? A scofflaw? Do you have any experience just trying to survive in difficult situations? Imprudence ... telling them what *any tourist* knows ... you belittle a man who has overcome much from a position of having been able to BE a tourist!
Grow up and recognize that the vast majority of the world does not have, probably never will have, your advantages and recognize the strength, devotion and constancy of the human (and family!) spirit in his story.
Your commentary is in contradiction to American values.
28
And THIS is why we allow refugees into our country!! Welcome home Mr. Iranzi.
23
Uplifting story compared to so much we read about today!
When we read about so many police shootings, these police officers were polite to a (probably black) person they pulled over and worked with him even though he didn't speak much English. Love the part how they would do a quick siren as a friendly greeting!
At a time when there is so much violence towards people of differing religions, the fact that a Jewish organization provided so much assistance to a (likely) non-Jew. And, in turn, he is going to be social work for them.
When we read about so many police shootings, these police officers were polite to a (probably black) person they pulled over and worked with him even though he didn't speak much English. Love the part how they would do a quick siren as a friendly greeting!
At a time when there is so much violence towards people of differing religions, the fact that a Jewish organization provided so much assistance to a (likely) non-Jew. And, in turn, he is going to be social work for them.
12
That's a really nice story. also, the watercolor photo made me want to read it... nice touch. Good luck to you and your family Mr. Iranzi, someday you may wish you didn't have to drive a car and still could be on that bicycle (said from a person who is living in south florida where cars literally drive you nuts everyday... leaving for Maine in a few months! (Visit Maine! Rockland, you must see it one day!)
4
Loved the "little whoop sound" salute ... Way to go, cops!
5
A belated welcome, Mr. Iranzi! I hope you and your family are settling in and doing well. You are a very lucky man. The odds of running into a French-speaking police officer in Springfield are probably similar to the odds of being granted refugee status in the first place!
And I'm glad you ultimately had a good experience with the police. They've been getting a bad rap lately (not undeserved, necessarily), but most really are just trying to protect people.
And I'm glad you ultimately had a good experience with the police. They've been getting a bad rap lately (not undeserved, necessarily), but most really are just trying to protect people.
9
This is a wonderful story--best of luck to you, Mr. Iranzi! Your resilience and hard work inspire me.
5
Nice.
2
Jowel Iranzi and family - Welcome to America!! I wish you peace and prosperity. With your hard work and positive can-do attitude, I believe you will find both.
Elissa Alford - thank you for telling Jowel's story.
Elissa Alford - thank you for telling Jowel's story.
20
I am so glad you are here and that you shared this story.
15
Hard work and a cooperative spirit pay dividends. Good for you.
5
This story shows the United States, the American people - and yes, the vast majority of policemen - that I know and love. Welcome Mr. Iranzi, and thank you for your story.
12
McC Seattle
See..black lives do matter
See..black lives do matter
1
I really love this, especially how Ms. Alford has structured the piece so that we get to hear Mr. Iranzi's voice shining through. It lends a real immediacy and intimacy to the story.
13
Great, inspiring story. Few Americans know what the Congolese people have gone through and how unsettled the situation remains.
47
I wish Mr. Iranzi and his family well. He sounds like an excellent social worker.
51
Mr. Iranzi you are a man of great wisdom and courage. I was profoundly moved by your story. I wish you and your family all the best.
75