NYPD's Lead Foot During Critical Mass Rides

The NY Times looks at the festering squabble between the NYPD and bike riders who participate in Critical Mass by way of the police's unusually aggressive tactics to try to stop the rides. The big question seems to be, why are the police using SUVs and patrol cars, driving them onto sidewalks even, to pursue bikers? The NYPD's line seems to be that the bikers are creating a traffic mess with potential dangers for motorists, but with the renegade, almost Bullitt-like manuvers of police vehicles, who's kidding who? The Times has video and stills from observer John Hamilton that show how police cars chasing after bikers (Gothamist couldn't see it, as our connection to the Times seemed to time out). Which makes Gothamist wonder what would happen if the police used their new Dodge Chargers during Critical Mass rides.

What do you think of the police stance about using SUVs and patrol cars to "control" Critical Mass? When we hear the NYPD's statement that they'd gladly help map a route for Critical Mass, we imagine it'd be on Governor's Island. At the last Critical Mass ride, two cops on scooters were injured when they tried to intervene. And earlier this month, a judge ruled that Critical Mass rides cannot be barred by the city.

Photograph of last month's Critical Mass accident by Fred Askew

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on February 24, 2006 9:37 AM

Comments [rss]

Brightliner

Did I say don't listen to the judge or did I say the judge is wrong? As you said, "So much silliness in this thread."
You'll have to excuse us when you write something like:

"Don't need a permit? Are you kidding!?"

You tell us what impression we're supposed to get from that. Did you write anything that can even vaguely be construed as "the city must comply with the judge's order, wrong though it may be"?

calendar

Critical Mass has been going on for many years, since the '90s.

Student of Rock

Did I say don't listen to the judge or did I say the judge is wrong? As you said, "So much silliness in this thread."

Brightliner

So much silliness in this thread.

"Student of Rock" says you shouldn't listen to judges. I guess he's a perfect candidate for the NYPD Critical Mass enforcement squad. Who the hell cares about the law? Just do whatever you want.

Stephen says CM riders are riding "far more than two abreast per lane." Just how much more is "far more" and how wide are the lanes in your universe? I don't know about you, but most lanes I've seen can handle three abreast, tops, not exactly "far more." And just what is the safety hazard of that, anyway? As long as they're in one lane, they're taking up no more of it than a single car would. Meanwhile, the cops are only being a "little" overzealous, despite the video and photos showing them clearly doing the things Stephen condemns, like crossing double yellow lines, driving on the sidewalk, etc.

Pugsley is being his usual 'bot self. Any time CM comes up, he posts the same message. "Drama queens on bikes." As opposed to being a drama bot on a blog board.

And I just have to love what they wrote in the Times.

The guidelines also include an instruction, highlighted in bold type, that says, "Department policy requires that a vehicle pursuit be terminated whenever the risks to uniformed members of the service and the public outweigh the danger to the community if suspect is not immediately apprehended."

One police spokesman said that applies to the pursuit of motor vehicles, not to bicyclesIn other words, if it's somebody in a car, leave them alone. But if it's somebody on a bike, it's Dukes of Hazzard time. Yee-hah!

rev pays

Not only can the CM participants get injured, but what about the NYPD helicopter?

You think it's going up tonight with those wind gusts??

Student of Rock

Obviously we don't agree! But if you have the balls to ride in a CM, then don't hide behind the rulings of a judge!

Ben

If this keeps getting worse every month, I predict we'll see our first Critical Mass "martyr" before the end of the year, probably some punk kid who'd want to challenge the NYPD and gets run over by a paddy wagon. Maybe then both side will stop this senseless nonsense.

For the record, I do blame CM and I do believe some of these jerks are asking for it.

Tim N.

Student of Rock: That's a pretty simple-minded interpretation. But to try to boil it down for you, one could say that blaming the cyclist for the injuries to police (and to those hurt by police) is akin to a criminal blaming a crime victim for his, and their own, injuries. In other words, it's the "you made me do it" defense.

Nola: Fair point, my friend, but IMHO driving a great big ESU SUV on a sidewalk or the wrong way down a one-way is a bit extreme, and considerably more dangerous than riding a bike in the same way.

Look, I ride in the city almost every day. I hate it when I see people riding on the sidewalk, riding the wrong way, riding with headphones (a personal pet peeve, let's not get started). I also hate it when people wander into the bike lane on the Brooklyn Bridge to take their damn pictures then curse you out when you yell "Look out! You're in my lane!" Nobody gets enough respect. If the city thinks they have a case, keep it in the courts. If you agree with the city, support them in court. CM sees the law one way, NYPD sees it another way. Let the judges decide. Because that's where this fight belongs - in court. Not on the streets where, no matter how dangerous or how outrageous you think CM's actions are, they don't stack up to police with badges and guns and clubs and great big vehicles being recklessly driven by poor beat cops who have to carry out these moronic orders that stem from an unhealthy obsession.

S.D.

Well, that's your opinion. I'm not a Lawyer, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night...

My take is: the court is the voice of authority in this matter. Maybe the judge will be overruled in appeal, but that remains to be determined. I think people should be prosecuted for things they've done, not what they may do.

Going after CM for simply meeting as a group is ridiculous. Going after riders for actual traffic violations, this is preferable.

nola

CM is a textbook example of how legitimate issues get hijacked by extremist fools. Time and time again, causes are taken over by "purists" like CM. They've done as much for bicycles in NYC as Al Sharpton has done for black people.

Student of Rock

The judge is wrong.

jt

It's so bizarre to hear complaints about cyclists holding up traffic. Cyclists are traffic. Can you imagine the cops going out to bust drivers for being in a big mass heading down Fifth Avenue -- something that we see every single day?

Similarly, and this is especially to pipsqueak, can you imagine that because some car hits a pedestrian the police should go out and try to grab other drivers for using the streets. It's preposterous.

If a cyclist is running lights or heading the wrong way down the street, they should be ticketed. We have laws about that. It's absurd to think that the very act of riding a bike, even with other cyclists, is somehow illegal. Unfortunately it seems too many police think it is.

Ethan

The court ruled, it's not a parade, they don't need a permit. So stop asking if it's true (link below). My question is, why don't they use bicycle cops for bicycle problems?

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00716F8385A0C758DDDAB0894DE404482

February 16, 2006

City Is Rebuffed in Its Effort to Block Monthly Mass Bike Rides

rev pays

CM is just one day a month,

Cars get to kill, pollute, gridlock, 365/24/7.

This is what the current administration want people to do, hate on cyclists.

Don't think the mayor loves you auto guys, too. He loves the revenue you guys bring in monthly via his sidekick Kelly.

S.D.

Student of Rock (Of Gibraltar??), are you maintining that the Judge is wrong?

pipsqueek

Cyclists are dangerous. I was hit and seriously injured by a cyclist riding the WRONG WAY down a one way street AND running a red light. He didn't wait for the ambulance to show up, either. The policeman who responded to the scene did.

If you want respect and to share the road with motorists and pedestrians, obey the traffic laws. It's that simple. That includes stopping at red lights, signaling lane changes, and following traffic patterns. Oh, and staying off the sidewalk would be nice, too.

I have seen CM in action, and waiting 15 minutes while a bunch of cyclists break more traffic laws (riding the wrong way on one way streets, running lights, riding on the sidewalk, disturbing the peace with their incessant racket) doesn't inspire sympathy. It doesn't make me want to share my city streets with people who don't think the laws apply to them, either. CM isn't a parade, apparently. Then what are they, and how are they allowed to get away with the disruption they cause and the laws they break?

Student of Rock

Tim N. - You're not seriously comparing riding a bike to beating a woman, are you? Cause that's just crazy!

Stephen

Yes, Tim, the cops are being a bit overly aggressive, but the CM riders are also to blame.

To Rev pays: nothing wrong with riding TWO abreast - but the video shows far more than that per lane by the CM riders. Two abreast per lane is the max.

No, not weaving around traffic as in cars passing in the open lane. Weaving around traffic as in riding between cars along on the lane divider. Traffic laws require all vehicles to stay within the prescribed lanes unless passing where passing is allowed (dashed yellow or white line) and such passing will not endanger traffic in either direction. Both motorcycle and bicycle riders in NYC often ride on the lane dividers between cars which is not only illegal, but presents a serious danger to the rider.

Of course, you'll counter with "Yeah - like the motorists in NYC obey laws." you're right - motorists in NYC don;t obey laws, suck righteously and create a dangerous environment for everyone.

I guess CM and motorists have more in common than they think.

Kevin Walsh

I ride a bike.

But I'm quite tired of bikers, cyclists, whatever is the preferred term, who flout traffic rules. More than once i've been almost decapitated when crossing with the green by guys who blow thru a red light, as most do. The last guy yelled back at me, 'you didn't look!'

So I haven't got much sympathy for these people.

When i'm on a bike, I ride with the traffic and stop at lights till I see if anyone's coming, and don't join massive protest rides to defend bicyclists' rights to do whatever they want on the street.

But that's so 20 years ago.

www.forgotten-ny.com