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Tomorrow night will be the first staredown between bicyclists and the NYPD since the Critical Mass bike protest right before the Republican National Convention. The late August ride turned into an anti-Bush ride, and though it was generally peaceful, police arrested over 200 cyclists for blocking the streets. Now, bikers are claiming they will continue their effort to reclaim the streets from cars while the police will continue to crack down on riders. The Daily News reports the police as saying, "We're going to take a stance. It's in the interest of public safety that the bike riders comply with traffic regulations. After the number of bike riders the last time, it would be irresponsible of us not to act as a deterrent." A volunteer for Times Up!, a NYC bike/environmental group, says in spite of other riders' fears of being arrest, "It's a celebration of what our city could look like when we promote bicycle riding as rational, nonpolluting transportation as opposed to automobiles." Gothamist suggests any riders take the number of the NYCLU just in case.
Critical Mass meets tomorrow night at Union Square North. And photoblogger Mike Epstein at Satan's Laundromat was one of the biking arrestees last go around. And related, Kryptonite is offering free locks to those whose locks are easily picked.
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Cool! Another Oportunity for Mayor "You-are-Guilty,-Scum!" Bloomberg to flex his "Muscles" against People who "came to get arrested".
Then Others with can Bitch and Complain when the "Protestors" object about being detained illegally for over 24 hours **Without** access to a Lawyer.
We live in an amazing city...
Jen, it's the Critical Mass Bike Ride, not the Critical Mass Protest. Let's not go crazy. It's a statement, it's fun, and there had been no staring-down until last month's police freakout. The best one can hope for is a return to the congenial relationship between riders and police that had abided until the last ride.
What is the point of Critical Mass? "We have bikes and we use them?"
When a bunch of bikes intentionally clog up the street without a permit, I'd call it a protest. A couple hundred people aren't going through their normal course of business by planning and gathering. Fuck the bikers, can't have it both ways ... think about that next time you want the cars to respect you and be aware of you but at the same time have complete disregard those same rules by barrelling through a crosswalk full of people. (end of rant)
I saw one of these knuckleheads (before RNC protest) run over a woman on 22nd and 3rd. Brilliant. Wanna ride a bike? MOVE TO JERSEY. The subway, cab and car HAVE BEEN INVENTED. Thanks.
See here.
It's about...Freedom.
Ok, That's over the Top!
;)
Actually, Bike riders are obligated to OBEY the same traffic rules that Automobiles do. If they want to ride in mass, they should simply keep that in mind (They might obey traffic rules but I've not seen a ride myself, so I can't say either way).
"Fuck the bikers"
grow up, steve. bikes have the same rights and responsibilities on the street as automobiles. it's extremely dangerous riding in the city and the risk to pedestrians caused by bikes pales in comparison to the risk caused by cars. these people are peacefully riding through the streets once a month to bring attention to the lack of concessions the city makes for them.
they don't need a permit to ride in the street because they are traffic. they usually do not take more than one lane so the flow of car traffic is effected very little. ok, so they move slower than cars. what's the problem with that? i've never seen a critical mass group 'barrelling through a crosswalk full of people'. and homer has one regrettable instance of an accident... how many people were hit by cars that day smarty-pants? the people on the sidewalks are usually cheering them on because most people understand that more bikes and less cars is a desirable thing. yes, they sometimes run stoplights which is reasonable cause for ticketing, but your 'fuck-em' stance is embarassingly anti-progressive.
hijiki -
I don't drive, I walk. And am sick of ignorant bikers wanting cars to repsect them while at the same time the bikers completely disrespecting pedestrians. And I wasn't talking about a critical mass barreling through a crosswalk, I'm talking about every single biker I see during the day that doesn't think they have to follow the rules of automobiles when it's inconvenient for them. I stand by it, fuck 'em. I'm walking here, you stop just like the cars do.
When I lived in Chicago I always thought the Critical Mass rides looked cool and seemed peaceful. So I'm positively disposed toward them. But lately it looks as if this group has lost sight of its mission, and is now an undefined agglomeration of leftists with no shared vision.
the risk to pedestrians caused by bikes pales in comparison to the risk caused by cars
I don't know if that's an assertion that's valid on its face without supporting evidence. I've been hit twice by cyclists in this city, and never by a car. Probably an important enough argument to merit further research.
you cling to that steve... but the fact is that more pedestrians are hurt and/or killed by cars than bikes. your position is sadly misinformed. 'every single biker' behaves that way? oh, please.
if you pay attention while you walk, then you should know that it goes both ways. pedestrians think they have the right to cross against the light because the oncoming traffic is 'just a bike'. they think they can dart out midblock between cars. they think they can stand in the middle of what few bikes lanes there are. all of these things cause accidents and it's usually the biker that is hurt more than the pedestrian.
if you're worried about your safety as a pedestrian, you'd be more accurate targeting your hate on cars than on bikes. it doesn't take a genious to see where the real danger is.
sorry, i meant 'genius'
stats quoted in nypost:
"On average, cars in New York City kill 10 sidewalk pedestrians a year and injure 600, while bikes kill no one and injure less than 200 people"
personally, i've been hit twice by cars (once on a bike, once on foot) and i've never been hit by a cyclist.
The city would probably be cleaner, the air would be nicer, and it would be quieter with fewer cars on the streets. Bikes are one means to that end.
The situation with bikes in NYC is wierd right now. Yeah, you're supposed to obey the traffic laws and you're supposed to have the same rights as any vehicle. Back in the real world, try that and you will get hit by a car or by that car's driver. Bikes exist in a legal limbo where the right of a person to ride a bike is not protected by police, and in return they let us do whatever we want.
Seems like a good deal for bicyclists at first, but the end result is that generally only crazy people are left riding bikes and their aggressive behavior refelects on anyone else who bikes.
I'd sacrifice my ability to blow off red lights for more rights and real bike lanes. ut I mean REAL bike lanes, not like the one on 6th avenue.
=v= I know the press has claimed Critical Massers were arrested "for blocking the streets," but that's not accurate, so please don't repeat it. We're not blocking traffic, WE ARE TRAFFIC! The police, on the other hand, blocked traffic like crazy. All bike arrests in August that I'm aware of were done indiscriminately without regard to "blocking traffic."
=v= Similarly, it's not accurate to call this a protest. It's not a protest, it's a pro-bike demonstration.
get over yourselves and take the subway. and watch out for that door. this is not san francisco, not cambridge and certainly not amsterdam. it's a car city, move on.
88: It most certainly is not a car city. Over 50% of households in NYC do not own a car, and that number is over 80% in Manhattan alone.
Why couldn't this city be more like Amsterdam? Why not try? Certainly better than sitting at home watching TV, or wasting time on the Intern.....
;)
88 has laid down the rules. everyone fall in line!
My boss took the wrong week for a business trip.
Get over it people, some ride bikes and some don't. Some love the subway, some don't. Everyone causes some sort of problem for some one else.
This has to be the most unattractive quality of New Yorkers, the whining.
Well Stevo I can see your point. I rode a bike for a living as a messenger and now as a commuter. I also walk a lot. I have had the same problem with bikers jumping reds, going the wrong way ect. BUT you have to admit that pedestrians should take some personal responsability. People at crosswalks need to LOOK to see if things are coming at them. Parents should not jaywalk with the stroller walking pointman for them. I have never bothered a ped that had the walk or the flashing don't walk going for them. But like you say if peds want respect they won't break laws and cross on my green or when the sign says Don't walk. The best is those peds that take 2 strides into the intersection and the stand there waiting for the light to change. Like those 3 feet is shaving time off thier walk. Sorry to rant but I hate peds on my bike more than cars. Cars are more predictable at least.
Get over it people, some ride bikes and some don't. Some love the subway, some don't. Everyone causes some sort of problem for some one else.
This has to be the most unattractive quality of New Yorkers, the whining.
88 - If you want a car city move to LA. New York is not it. We use more mass transportation than any other city in the world, and we have one of the lowest car ownership rate for a US city. Bikes are here to stay, and we have the same rights to the road as cars. Mayor Koch had the right idea when he proposed a then $10 toll for any personal car to come into the city. Why would anyone drive an SUV in NYC when we are so cramped for space --- one reason, personal entitlement.