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In case you didn't notice, last night was the last Friday in March which means that it was time for another round of that ongoing battle sometimes known as Critical Mass vs. the NYPD. And how did this month's standoff go you ask? Differently, early reports imply. Thanks to the nice weather there were apparently more bikers than usual (sigh, fine, cyclists), hundreds of tickets written and a few arrests (concrete numbers anyone?).
As usual CM started out at Union Square and rode uptown only to be systematically split up into smaller groups by police cars which blocked the avenues. The police then pushed those smaller groups of bikers off their main route so as to facilitate easier ticketing.
But something different happened this time. The bikers agreed prior to CM to reconvene at Washington Square Park when all was said and done leading a crazy sounding standoff. BikeBlog reports:
We slowly picked up stragglers and rolled into the park with a squadron of police vans following. Then we had a weird Mexican standoff in the park while the cops tied up all of 5th ave. waiting to see what would happen. Then the weirdest part happened. Everyone began to ride into Washington Square Park. From all corners. The spoke card worked. We soon grew in size to almost as many as we had at Union Square with people cheering as different groups came in. Then we walked over to the other side of the park and left out of Thompson street cheering and riding. The cop brigade move out and then we made our way to the big wide-open 6th Ave. We were cheering and chanting...
And so here we'd like to point something out to Hizzoner: Critical Mass ain't going away any time soon. Especially now that the weather is getting warmer. Maybe it's time to earn yourself some more political capital Bloomie? Think of the PR possibilities if you could just eat a little crow and find a way to embrace the cyclists in the city! It's time Mike, and we promise, it won't hurt nearly as much as you think it will.
CM stencil from Evapro's flickr stream.
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drama queens on bikes
Pugsley, yeah, god forbid people have fun on bikes. Or weren't you ever a kid?
Good to see the cops are beginning to obey the law.
I ride a bicycle, but until Transportation Alternatives, Critical Mass, et al promote responsibility on the part of bicycle riders to obey traffic regs, stop at lights, stop for pedestrians, and all the other noncool stuff, I'd be more inclined to support their activities. I'm tired of crossing at the light and getting buzzed by, uh, bicycle riders....
www.forgotten-ny.com
Kevin,
I'm a big fan of your site. If you'd take a look at TA's site, or at all involved in what they do, you'd know that they do indeed promote responsibile bicycling.
Critical Mass is not an organization. It cannot promote anything. It just is.
I will have a look. I had a telephone conversation a few years ago with Jon Orcutt of TA, who scoffed at my concerns, but perhaps it's a new day.
Thanks...
www.forgotten-ny.com
Critical mass is responsible biking. Also, it's fun and good for you.
Kevin - JO hasn't been affiliated with TA for years.
>>>>Critical mass is responsible biking. Also, it's fun and good for you.
Sure, as long as you're not blowing thru red lights and buzzing people crossing at the green, riding on the sidewalk or against the traffic.
But what's the fun in that?
www.forgotten-ny.com
Try it some time, and you'll find out how fun group rides like critical mass are. The vast majority of massers are very polite - and people on the sidewalks generally are so supportive, cheering the ride on and all.
I'm as much against people riding on the sidewalk or against traffic as you are, trust me. I've also rarely seen that kind of behavior in the rides (especially before the NYPD crackdown turned a more or less peaceful family ride into a frenetic running-of-the-bulls event)
If you really want to thumb your nose at traffic lights and signs, there's a simple, legal way to do it, although it happens 1/12th as often as Critical Mass. The Five Boro Bike Tour lets you ride down the middle of the street without worrying about speeding cars or hitting pedestrians. Well, at least if you're not trapped inside the seething mass of the main crowd, er, peloton.
Kevin, it's unfair to pin that kind of behavior on CM. Those kinds of assholes existed long before CM and wouldn't disappear if CM stopped. I'd need to know more about that Orcutt conversation before passing judgement. AFAIK, Transportation Alternatives has always advocated the responsible use of bicycles. I can't imagine anyone in that organization saying the wholesale flaunting of traffic regulations would be conducive to getting bikes accepted as a viable means of transportation.
as a 'cyclist' and a pedestrian and an occasional driver I have observed that pedestrians flaunt the rules just as much as anyone else, standing in the middle of the street before the light changes & etc... It is impossible to place blame on any one group-- everyone on the street in nyc wants to cross first. But How often does one hear about a bike killing a pedestrian? I think people on bicycles are at the most risk and need the most advocacy. Non polluters should rule the streets.