Gothamist: Chaos at Critical Mass

robot rider

Fri, 03 Feb 2006 00:24:45 -0500

It irks me to no end that Bloomberg and the NYPD actively intimidate bicyclists. He should be kissing our asses for using a form of transportation that causes no pollution, and requires little to no investment in infrastructure (fiscal conservatives should be beating off right now). If traffic cops were as vigilant ticketing cars in bicycle lanes as they are alternate parking scofflaws, Bloomie would be sitting on a huge pile of cash, and maybe the roads would be a little safer. I dunno.

pugsley

Sun, 29 Jan 2006 17:25:52 -0500

drama queens on bikes.

rev pays

Sun, 29 Jan 2006 15:20:06 -0500

If you say so.

mike

Sun, 29 Jan 2006 12:21:45 -0500

hr - that's right. we should accept things as they are and never try to improve things for the better. remember that the next time you drink clean water. those pesky health activists! and, for your comment about roads being meant for cars and trucks -- you really should read some history.

hr

Sun, 29 Jan 2006 12:10:20 -0500

the roads are meant for cars & trucks. the sidewalks are meant for pedestrians. get over it already and stop living in some silly idealistic world that will never exist. live in the now!

Brightliner

Sun, 29 Jan 2006 03:27:13 -0500

More than 500 drivers act like pricks on every day of every month. Why don't you whine about them? You want to talk about a pain in the rear? How about the various parades on Fifth or Sixth Avenue at least once a month? At least Critical Mass is out of your way within a few minutes, not a few hours.

mike

Sun, 29 Jan 2006 03:24:09 -0500

hey e, i'm here to clue you in -- 1 million cars pull that shit everyday, with basically zero consequences. i stop at red lights while riding my bike, and yet the cops arrested me.

e

Sat, 28 Jan 2006 23:36:28 -0500

CM is a pain in the ass, especially to Pedestrians. They can ride around all they want, but why can't they obey the street lights/signs? If they wan't to be recognized as traffic, should they not obey the laws? What if 500 cars drove aroudn like pricks the last friday of every month.

Brightliner

Sat, 28 Jan 2006 17:23:59 -0500

Apparently, it was "fun and games" for cops to harass cyclists before. They'd better not try to pin this on the cyclists. Nobody forced the cop to swerve. If a cyclist had somehow caused the crash, that's one thing, but its apparently not the case. He took a stupid chance with a stupid move and learned the consequences. Why suddenly veer? You're on a motor scooter, officer. You can easily outrace the cyclists and then slow them down from ahead. But you just wanted to play "chicken" as the big man on the street, probably hoping to cause a nice pileup of bicycles. Answer me this: If that pileup had happened and cyclists badly injured, who here thinks the cops' attitude would have been, "Heh. SOBs had it coming to them"? Goddamn blue wall at work. I hate to say this, but it may have to get to the point where their stupid, reckless enforcement does get a cyclist killed and the ensuing wrongful death lawsuit costs the city a few million dollars and a lot of PR grief before they figure out it's not worth it. Honestly, Bloomberg couldn't give a rat's ass about cyclists. That stunt he pulled with buying a bike before his first transit strike threat meant nothing. Yeah, sure, save gas. Had the strike happened, he might have ridden one day for a couple of miles, surrounded by a motorcade every inch of the way.

-ed

Sat, 28 Jan 2006 16:47:11 -0500

As has been demonstrated beforer, NYC cops don't know follow basic traffic rules and are unsafe in/on any motorized vehicle. The injured officer should be cited for 1) improper lane change, 2) failing to signal, and 3) impeding traffic flow, just as they would have if the accident could have in any way been blamed on a cyclist.

JESUS CHRIST

Sat, 28 Jan 2006 14:09:27 -0500

why is critical mass illegal? You don't have a right to congregrate in groups? Why? cause groups tend to get ideas that the government sucks and are oppressive

andrewfelluss

Sat, 28 Jan 2006 13:38:35 -0500

violence is violent. CM has momentum, and it's destructive and violent to challenge that. Bloomberg should realize that alot of problems would be solved by reducing traffic... Adding more efficient street level bus service. -- Reducing truck cargo and increasing shipping to ports that encircle the city -- Encouraging safe bike routes to alleviate MTA rushhour stress... change is good

S.D.

Sat, 28 Jan 2006 13:26:03 -0500

Hope the injured Cops are ok. Bet Mayor Bloomberg Blames the CM ride prior to knowing the Facts. If the NYPD wanted to stop the ride, why not do it prior to starting??? (sarcasm)Thank Goodness Mayor Mike is battling the Bike Menace!(/sarcasm) Nuts.

rev pays

Sat, 28 Jan 2006 11:26:58 -0500

oh Jeez, are they still doing this cat and mouse waste of taxpayers money crap? And what did the cop mean by "it's not fun and games anymore". Was it "fun and games" before?