March 30, 2007
Critical Mass Tonight, With NYPD's New Permit Rules
It's the last Friday of the month, which means it's Critical Mass time. And with the NYPD's new parade rules, which require gatherings of 50 people or more to have permits, tonight's bicycle ride is being seen as a test of whether the NYPD will enforce the rules.
The 5 Borough Bike Club tried to get an injunction against the police for Critical Mass, but a judge denied one. OnNYTurf points out that the judge is open to ruling about an injunction next month (apparently the 5BBC filed the request too close to the event). Critical Mass participants say they can't apply for parade rules because there is no central organization and no one in charge. One tell amNew York, "I'm afraid we are going to see a return to the police actions of 2004 and 2005. Police could once again block off streets at both ends, corral and arrest cyclists."
And City Council member Rosie Mendez is essentially risking arrest by riding in a pedicab during Critical Mass. Her statement:
"I ride tonight in Critical Mass not just to promote alternative modes of transportation, but more so because it is my constitutional right to participate and assemble in this manner. To criminalize the behavior of individuals assembling in groups over 50 is arbitrary and unconstitutional, and I vow to fight the NYPD's published rules, and to introduce a bill that would protect our right to assemble.Speaking of pedicabs, Mayor Bloomberg is vetoing the pedicab bill!“We, as New Yorkers, need to know that today and everyday, the constitution guarantees that 'these streets are our streets!' and we will risk arrest if necessary to ensure in the future that the rights of others are not trampled on."
Do you think tonight's ride will be peaceful or chaotic? Do you have an over-under on arrests?
Photograph of a July 2006 Critical Mass by seth holladay on Flickr
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Looks more like Critical Ass to me.
It was set up for me, sorry...
Promoting alternative transportation is fine, causing chaotic situations with dumb hipster antics are not. The streets also belong to pedestrians and drivers as well, so I hope NYPD bust the morons that get out of hand and haul their "asses" to jail.
how many dangerous drivers have you seen hauled to jail, much less ticketed? how many drivers that have killed pedestrians with the right of way have been ticketed? none to my knowledge unless they were drunk.
Seems that the police are holding bicyclists to a higher standard than auto drivers, despite the fact that cars and trucks have the greater potential to kill & injure. And do in fact kill & injure on a regular basis.
Dude, I can't agree with you more on arresting those who make dangerous moves. But while they're at it, they should actually ticket people parked in the bike lane and the NYPD need to stop doing it themselves.
Don't give them an excuse to ticket or arrest. Stop for red lights even if on your bike!
Critical mass is not a dumb hipster antic. It's about many different things to many people. To me, it was originally just something fun to do. A way to ride safely among fellow bikers. But now it's more than that. It's also about conveying a message to the public that there is a very large, and growing number of bicyclists who are entitled to use public streets, have as much right to safety and respect as pedestrians and automobile users, and ought to be considered by policy makers. When I first started riding on CM, before the crack-down in August 2004, there were many families with small children, and elderly participants. My first ride had over 2000 people. CM was fun and growing.
There is no way I can convey this message other than by participating in Critical Mass - because Critical Mass is the message (as lame as that sounds, if you participated, you would understand.) Flag burning is a form of symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment. Likewise, my freedom to associate with other individuals, and convey the symbolic message I described above, cannot be communicated in any other way. I truly feel my Constitutional rights are being violated by the threat of fine and imprisonment that has deterred me from participating in Critical Mass tonight.
Some users have posted snide comments about Critical Mass. That's fine. You are cool! You have attitude! We can see that! But what I'd like to know is why you would choose to live in the wild, vibrant, exciting, chaotic city New York, if you are going to sound like a bitch and complain about the very things that make it such an interesting city to live in? Seriously. If you want to live somewhere that you can just orderly cross the street, and go shopping, or to the new trendy restaurant you'd be better off living somewhere else. You'll cross that street. You'll get to that store. You'll keep your reservation. But you'll have to be a little patient. You'll have to actually experience New York first. Don't like it? Go back to Des Moines!!!!
Bet tonight's run is mostly ok as they might not want another court challenge this soon.
People like the naked guy wearing the flag in the Gothamist photo need to realize their antics do more to hurt their movements than further them. That moron makes ME hate Critical Mass and it's an organization with goals that I generally support.
@ Be:
I understand your frustration but it's a little hypocritical to derride people for complaining about reckless and inconsiderate cyclists when you yourself are calling for a safer environment.
I agree with the 2nd poster that they must obey the traffic laws, stop for red lights, let pedestrians through etc & not make asses of themselves.
I ran into these guys 2 years ago after working late at work. Just wanted to get home but no, these guys did not stop for anything hell even parade floats stop for lights. Also more that one rider was yelling & giving the finger, real classy.
That's ridiculous. Policing people who are in or on moving vehicles isn't just about whether those vehicles can kill or injure.. it's about the fact that we live in a society with laws.
None of us has a "right" to anything except those rights ennumerated in our Bill of Rights and our Constitution.
@ William:
Stopping for lights and being respectful isn't wild, vibrant, exciting, and chaotic like the REAL New York. Go back to Des Moines!!!
I hope the bicyclist cleans his seat after he's done riding it.
please, someone call the police! there are 50 or more cars driving all over manhattan without a parade permit! it's anarchy!
Yeah, I have to agree with #[12]. Nobody likes a shitty place ! Seriously though, Why is this guy giving the cops the opportunity to arrest him ? It totally defeats the purpose to me . They can actually arrest a person for Lewd conduct .
When you guys are done being knee-jerk, you might want to get your eyes checked. That's a woman in the photo.
Bet they'd never try this "Parade Permit" Crap with all the Motor bikes at the San Genaro Festival.
Do they need a permit?
@ #8 Stop Marginalizing Me
1)CM is not an organization. Honestly, it's not. It's an event. That's it.
2) Why does the human body offend you so much. It looks pretty silly to me. Maybe if you understand that CM is not about a group, but is primarily about a coincidental gathering of individuals, you would note be moved to such harsh feelings by certain peoples' behavior.
3) First off, the cyclists in CM are far from reckless. I and pretty much everyone I see riding take great precautions for there own safety, and we always clear the lanes when a fire truck or ambulance needs to get through (even though these are often decoys used to break up the ride). We let emergency vehicles pass far quicker than cars do. Maybe it is reckless to ride a bike on your own in new york, but it much safer to ride in groups, allowing greater visibility and safety. Also, we could ride a lot more orderly if we didn't have police chasing us so often. Rides used to be more leisurely.
4) I really want to tell you to go back to Des Moines. Need I remind you again that this is New York. You should not expect people to be anything other than inconsiderate. If you are a New Yorker, you just shrug it off, or be inconsiderate back. It goes with the territory. Part of being a New Yorker means that you can say anything thing you want to me, and short of physical harm, that's okay. You need to adapt or leave. Either way stop complaining about my city. My great, surly city.
5) Even if you don't agree with the above two points I don't see how recklessness and being inconsiderate have anything to do with or not do with environmentalism (which by the way is not necessarily what CM is about). I don't understand how I am being hypocritical...
Also, Critical Mass has tried stopping at all lights and obeying the traffic laws. It doesn't work. You know why? Because when we do the police still grab you and throw you off your bike and either arrest or ticket you. For example, in summer of 2005, the CM ride I was in was stopping at all the reds lights. (I know because I was right up near the front.) We had left Union Square going west, and had been going south on Seventh Avenue, when we stopped at a red light. We waited for it to turn green, and THEN, the police zoomed in, and started going ape-shit, violently throwing people off bikes and arresting people - FOR OBEYING THE LAW!!!! The scene was crazy. I actually got a away to a pay phone on the corner and called 911 and said that the police had gone insane are were arresting people for no reason.
Seriously, we could stop at all the red lights. I am actually in favor of this. But if we did, when the right has over 1000 participants, as often happens in the warmer months, then that will back up traffic even more on whatever street we are traveling on. Yeah, it will clear the cross streets. But tell me, is it really that big a deal that for 10 minutes, once a month you have to wait for a procession of bicyclists to pass by. Before I started participating I always thought it was exciting. Is it really so inconvenient that you have to stand their and watch the beauty of New York, maybe with a little attitude? C'mon.
Walking on the bikepath at 181st and the Henry Hudson Parkway, what do I come across but six cops on motorcycles tooling along the path. I didn't ask them if they were going to write tickets to themselves.
Wow!!!! That's woman in the picture ? I thought it was a guy . My fault I had one clue "It" was female .