I am the Marjorie Levine that is quoted in the piece from the Daily News article. The jokes are funny, but...

I want to weigh in and say I am for bike riding in the city. It is a great form of transportation. However, the bike riders are mandated by state law to follow NYS traffic laws. But, they ride through red lights at very high speeds, ride the wrong way on one-way streets, and ride on the sidewalk. This is dangerous to pedestrians. They also have been observed not following the bike lane picture signals on Ninth Avenue.

I do not see any program in place in terms of public awareness to publicize the law:

Article 34 of the New York State Vehicle & Traffic Law describes in detail the rules and regulations that are applicable to bicyclists, who can receive tickets for violations. (see www.nysdmv.com)

And yes, every day as I walk the streets I am in fear of being hit and knocked down by these reckless bicycle riders who blatantly disregard traffic laws.

How am I not right? The streets are not a free-for-all where anything goes. If laws were obeyed, it would make it safer for pedestrians and bike riders as well.

I don't know the statistics, but the number of bike-on-pedestrian injuries has to be tiny when compared to the number of auto-on-pedestrian fatalities, (let alone injuries).

You want to freak out about something? Freak out about cars. Thousands of gas-guzzling, smog-belching metal projectiles speeding around in our midst, many of which are being driven by goons who are not competent to operate a knife and fork. Toss in cel phones and non-existent traffic enforcement, and you have F***ING MAYHEM.

Two choice examples here:

http://gothamist.com/2009/08/19/no_charges_for_cab_driver_who_drove.php

http://gothamist.com/2009/08/19/bronx_driver_who_killed_father_indi.php

If you can't stop whizzing in your britches about cyclists jumping the sidewalk, you should demand more traffic calming roadway redesigns, plus the implementation of dedicated bike lanes on every street. When the streets are made safe for cyclists, cyclists will stop jumping the sidewalk, (okay, maybe the stupid ones won't, but they can be ticketed into submission).

There's the requisite quote from a biker-phobic pedestrian, 62-year-old Marjorie Levine: "When I, as a retired woman, walk these streets, I have fear of my safety that I will be hit by these riders and get knocked down."

Levine went on to say, "When I, as a retired woman, sit on the toilet, I have to fear that my ass will be bitten by a crododile from the sewer."

crocodile^

I remember as a kid back in the mid nineteenth century when I was growing up, my grandmother told me when she watched George Washington's inauguration there was such a hustle and bustle on Broadway that there were several pedestrians struck by carriages.

And then in late 1866 or early 1867 they built a bridge over Broadway so the pedestrian could cross safely. It was short lived. But I still remember when them bicyclists started riding all over and they didn't care shit about pedestrians. I believe it was about 1894 or '95. Then the auto mobile came about and it was nice and clean without all the horse shit and flies a bothering you every day. Them's were the good old days. This was before the women had the right to vote.

The city streets are Darwinian - if it weren't for stop lights and crosswalks, pedestrians wouldn't have a chance. As such, pedestrian-favoring infrastructure and respect for that infrastructure has been established, enforced and socially accepted for the most part. The bicycle - as old as it is - is a relative newcomer to this ecosystem. To accommodate cyclists, there has been little infrastructure built. Enforcement of regulations for AND against cyclists is feeble. Most of all, societal acceptance of bicycles is practically non-existent. In the resulting hostile ecosystem for cyclists, only the strong survive - unfortunately, this means the aggressive bicycle rider. For if a cyclist plays by the rules and no one else does, the outcomes usually are not so good for the cyclist.

One can look to Beijing when the bicycle was the dominant form of transportation. With strict (some would say draconian) enforcement of road rules, commuters all managed to co-exist. Until NYC has the three elements - infrastructure (i.e., bike lanes), enforcement (i.e., ticketing of double-parked vehicles and stop-light-running cyclists) and acceptance of the cyclist (i.e., pedestrians staying on the sidewalk till they have the light) - the streets will continue to be a jungle.

My two cents as a walker, cyclist and motorist.

totally agree. one of the best decisions i made recently was to buy a bike. i only ride a few days a week, but it's the most rewarding way to get around the city - it keeps you fit, allows you to explore more neighborhoods, and it costs nothing. a casual rider like me would never consider biking to work everyday, because it's simply too dangerous. i would love to have a bike-friendly nyc though - it will improve the quality of life here on so many levels.

I too get lots of abuse from motorists and pedestrians alike when I haven't done anything illegal or dangerous. I can only assume it is latent irritation with other cyclists who disobey the law and endanger peds and themselves.

"villagegal" don't be naive, a huge percentage of cyclists try everyday to lead by example as you've suggested and still we're berated and threatened because of the transgressions of other cyclists (mind you I think most real cyclists know that the worst offenses are from delivery guys, who don't seem to understand that the sidewalk is for walking).

Furthermore, you all need to calm the f down.

look at your own actions before you vilify an entire group of people. How often have you jaywalked or crossed mid-block? how often do motorists in this city flagrantly ignore public safety laws?

"Furthermore, you all need to calm the f down."

I can't calm down. I have pizzas and Chinese food and dry cleaning, and special reports to deliver. Plus I have to jog five miles twice a day. And then I have to listen to my ipod and call my coworkers to find out if they are at work and what about that quart of milk and the bottle of Windex that my girlfriend needs? All of this while I take my kids to their soccer/baseball games and then I have to make sure the SUV is washed and gassed for our weekend trip to the Hamptons. And you want me "to calm the f down?"

hear hear, snoopy. As long as those that do that stay the F off my A for choosing to NOT do likewise. AYHSMB

i love that nyc is becoming more bike friendly - I hope it continues 1k more. I also like having a car in nyc and dont see why bikes, cars and people cant co-exist. save for one a-hole I never had a bad experience as a walker with a bicyclist -

I think the reason bikes, cars and people can't co-exist is because you are the first person to suggest that in 33 comments, and most likely ever in the history of this debate on Gothamist. Like the quote in the article, there is a "me first" attitude (esp. in manhattan where there is massive congestion) on the streets. Also, cops like to enforce rules selectively and help perpetuate that trend.

I think that the TA spokesperson has a really good point that a lot of people forget to point out. There are a ton of people that have a "me first" attitude. People really need to follow some basic rules and common sense about yielding, stepping off sidewalks, riding where you are supposed to and a general sense of not mowing people down with your car or bicycle or making yourself a target by crossing a street / bike lane before looking to see if it's safe. If everyone keeps up the "me first" attitude then "natural selection" will take it's coarse.

The TA spokescoyote would have had a good point if he remembered to include bikers in his comment. But he didn't -- just everybody else who uses the streets.

it's a bike people, not a driver inside his metal cocoon.

maybe the next posting of a hit and run I should dance my jig and say the Pedestrian had it coming.

The pedestrians who saw your accidents may have felt some hostility because too many cyclists fail to obey traffic regulations and ride with disregard for pedestrians. They may have thought, justified or not, that you had it coming. Many, many pedestrians feel some hostility towards cyclists. Stop whining, clean up your act and you'll have people on your side.

Wish I could agree with this... but unfortunately, I get all sorts of abuse hurled at me on a regular basis despite the fact that I am 100% respectful of pedestrians' right of way. I even once had a crazy bitch chase me and try to hit me with her car because I told her to slow down (she was racing down a side street, endangering pedestrians and cyclists alike). So it's not about cleaning up one's own act -- there are always going to be assholes on bikes out there messing it up for the rest of us.

Why the hell would you cycle on major roads such as Queens and Northern Boulevards? There are side streets you can bike on that are much safer and have much less traffic, not to mention buses and tractor-trailers.

Also, just because there's a bike lane on one side of the road DOES NOT mean you should ride against the flow of traffic on that side of the street.

Many cyclists are sound, but some are just stupid. And I've done a few amateur races in Central and Prospect Parks before I got my license.

Non of the many pedestrian around helped me either. Not one of them helped me even though I was obviously injured. "Me first" for sure.

They were too busy waiting to see if you'd get run over by a car and have your head crushed like a watermelon.