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As we announced on Monday, a group of cycling clowns rode along Kent Avenue in Williamsburg today to protest what they call a growing "anti-bike sentiment in Brooklyn." Organized by Times Up, the ride was a response of sorts to vocal community opposition to the bike lane, which some residents and business owners blame for a sudden dearth of parking. Last month Hasidic Jews in the largely Satmar section of South Williamsburg vowed to protest the bike lane by blocking traffic on Kent.
So today the clowns came out "to comically draw attention to the serious danger faced by cyclists without safe, protected bike lanes." Blasting Fat Boy Slim from a boom box, they distributed information in English and Yiddish to educate bike lane opponents about the importance of the new lane, which will eventually become part of a separate bike path connecting North and South Brooklyn. In a press release, bike lane clown Benjamin Shepard declared, "An injury to one bike lane, is an injury to all bike lanes. Enforced, protected bike lanes save cyclists lives, improve the landscape and make better use of public space for most of the community."
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I met that first guy at one of those roving street parties a few months ago. It doesn't surprise me that he would ride around on a bicycle with clowns.
Why doesnt the city build the greenway bike lane through the navy yard along the actual water bypassing Kent south of Division all together
that could also begin the process of making the navy yard a historic park like Richmond Town in Staten Island
'Mustache Rides, 5 cents!'
I love the Time's Up Clowns!
hasidic areas are worst area to drive to in brooklyn.
The hed should read Kent Avenue, not Kent Street, which is a short east-west street in Greenpoint.
www.forgotten-ny.com
funny how the hasids are all anti-cyclists. anti-semitism bad, huh?
media whores!
I have to take issue with this so-called "community opposition." If you follow the link above, it takes you to a previous complaint by a Kent Ave resident who couldn't park on Kent when taking her daughter home from the hospital. She gives her address which is a building with its own parking garage and an ample pick-up/drop-off area. Boo-hoo.
@ Kevin Walsh: Duh, corrected, thanks.
#2: There is a proposed greenway from Greenway to Redhook that has been on the drawing board for a long, long time.
I can't remember if Kent is actually part of that greenway or not but people have been trying to get a safe path from north to south brooklyn through for years.
There's details here:
http://www.brooklyngreenway.org
Say "rally" and the hipster won't show. Say "rally dressed as clowns" and hipsters come out in droves.
So THERE you are, Baby Hitler! We were worried sick! You're wanted here.
Yeah, opinions are sure to be swayed by a bunch of people in clown outfits because, you know, clowns are such sympathetic and lovable characters. Especially ones that look like carnies.
If they were dressed in MIME gear...would it be any different?
i agree with many things times-up does, but this is not one of them.
does anyone think that a bunch of people in clown outfits making a scene and acting stupid is going to do anything to change the minds of a highly conservative community?
this is exactly the kind of thing they are opposed to and these parades only hurt the cause by making all cyclists look more like ridiculous children.
instead of this display, times-up should be explaining how livable streets benefit residents and business owners, and doing it in a level-headed and plain-spoken fashion, no costumes or noise-makers.
how do these people exist? I have no money. I can't live in new york, yet these people are ostensibly unemployed and find time to do this shit.
makes me mad.
"Blasting Fat Boy Slim"
That pretty much says it all.
9: Just wanted to point out that a PU/DO doesn't help a parent with a child that cannot be left alone. That doesn't justify removing the bike lane, of course.
These clowns are obnoxious but they make a point about the necessity of a safe lane of travel for cyclists in some areas.
John - now that you're commenting on here, any response to the question I've asked you before?
Funny you call out the clown for being on Bedford and not Kent when you can't get the avenue/street thing consistent.
Clowns are appropriate metaphors for any adult foolish enough to demand a personal bike lane.
These trust-fund newbies in clown suits want to turn Gotham into Portland or Boulder, or whatever burg or suburb they come from.
NYers learned to ride in traffic and real NYers don't need bike lanes. Bike lanes are needed for children, wimps, crybabies and former suburbanites who want to suburbanize the Greatest City in the World into East Boulder. Head back West, kiddies.
facts is the same guy who "DOESNT BRAKE FOR CYCLISTS" so it's probably a good idea not to care what he thinks about how to ride a bike or who should and shouldn't.
they dress as clowns all the time, even during "summer streets" when they weren't protesting. so nobody should be offended.
i also wondered why they scheduled it during normal work hours.
Probably alot of "professional" jobs with no real hours.
I guess the memo about how using the word "hipster" as a generic insult for things you don't like or understand is over didn't reach many of the commenters here. I know quite a few people in Times Up!, including several who went on that ride (only one in these photos though). Most are from NY, educated, have real jobs, and are very politically active beyond cycling. And at least half of them are over 40. Several others I know are part-time squatters who sure as hell don't have trust funds.
Disagree with their policies or their tactics as you like, but holding your nose with disgust and using tired, entirely erroneous, labels just makes YOU look like a clown. Don't be bitter because such people highlight your own apathy and laziness.
Clowns = Scarry Freaks
@23 Because the 8 people who showed up were all unemployed and bored.
I saw these guys. I think the biggest danger to their safety was the potential reactions of those subjected to the Fatboy Slim mix they were blasting. What exactly were they trying to say with that crap?
...wait, I'm confused- which side of the argument wears clown outfits?
times up bike clowns free bicycle repair
lord,no, i would not trust my bike to these, uh, clowns. just look at their own P.O.S. bikes.
>> "NYers learned to ride in traffic and real NYers don't need bike lanes."
So you're suggesting we go back to the '70's when the streets were less congested because the soccer moms were afraid of getting shot if they drove their Country Squire Station Wagons into the City?
I personally would prefer to fine, fee and tow them back into submission, but if the only way is to go all Bernie Goetz on them....
>> "...wait, I'm confused- which side of the argument wears clown outfits?"
In this particular case, both.
The difference is that one side will take off the outfits tonight, and the other side will still look like clowns tomorrow.
(of course, the prior group reserves it's right to dress as Pandas, Santas or wear no pants on the subway at a later date)
I'm holding my nose up in disgust.