Bike Lane Repainters: "We're Self-Hating Jewish Hipsters"

Two cycling activists suspected of repainting the Bedford Avenue bike lane turned themselves in at the 90th Precinct in Williamsburg yesterday.

According to the Post, 26-year-old Quinn Hechtropf and 24-year-old Katherine Piccochi were among the bikers who used paint rollers, spray paint and stencils to recreate the South Williamsburg cycling path, which was removed by the city last week with little explanation. As they painted the lane at around 3:30 am on Monday, the Hasidic community's Shomrim Patrol grabbed the pair and alerted police, who did not issue summonses or make any arrests, contrary to preliminary reports. But a day later — after a video of the repainting appeared online — detectives asked Hechtropf and Piccochi to surrender. After getting hit with criminal mischief charges, a violation for defacing the street, and desk-appearance tickets, Hechtropf had this to say: "We're self-hating Jewish hipsters."

Bike activist Baruch Herzfeld, an Orthodox Jew who runs a South Williamsburg bike clubhouse, claims that cops arrested the duo at the urging of the religious community: "The cops told them they wouldn't get arrested, but the police must have come under pressure by the Hasidim." But members of the Hasidic community including Moshe Goldberger complained to the tabloid that even though the cycling activists broke the law, they are the ones being vilified: "That unauthorized painting on New York City property is unlawful, but that is overlooked because it's committed against the terrible Hasidim."

A Department of Transportation spokesman told The Brooklyn Paper that "[a]ny paint remaining after [Wednesday’s] expected rainfall will be removed."

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

By Ben Muessig in News on December 9, 2009 10:38 AM

Comments [rss]

Potty Boy

Actually, in this particular instance, I think the Hasidim are correct, as well as Moshe Goldberger's quote. If they protested or put pressure on DOT, and DOT caved, it's not the Hasidim's fault. They used democracy. It's the fault of the DOT or whichever bureaucrat caved. If bikers don't like it, they can create a voting bloc.

jakers

I'm on the bikers' side insofar that I'm pro bike-lane. But this really was a half-assed and lazy way to fight the decision. Do some real political organizing and get the decision changed.

Maybe you pull a stunt like this if you've been organizing for a while and hit a wall with growing public awareness, but jumping to protest by graffiti isn't going to get you any traction (hell, it probably sets your cause back a few steps).

MrManhattan

Amazing how far we’ve gone backwards from when JFK said in 1960:

“I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish, where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches of any other ecclesiastical source; where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general population or the public actions of its officials.”

hellogreg

world naked bike ride

Dick Pounds

@callo282 you're lucky they didn't chase you with rocks (for being slutty).

Wza

Must've been easy to bust the perps.

Probably caught 'em in an internet cafe sipping latte and discussing the next plan online.

paul

Actually, they turned themselves in; says right there in their article. BTW, you confused hipsters with the cast of Friends. Jackass.

callo282

Any respect that I had for the Hasdim community was obliterated when I was lost in that neighborhood late one night on the way to a friend's house. Being a woman, every man ( are their women not allowed out at night?) who I asked for directions refused to even look at me, let alone give me directions where I needed to go.

Sir Jimbob

Bike lane or not, I still use this route to get to Manhattan.

seven

Most Jewish people I know can't stand the Hasids. They do give Jewish people a bad name, and somehow manage to embody almost all anti-Semitic stereotypes about Jews.

If they're so concerned about maintaining a 17th century lifestyle, at least have the decency of the Amish, and move way the fuck out to the country, where your silly little demands don't infringe on the rights of women to ride in a bike lane with shorts on.

BDS=(Boycott.Divest.Sanction)

in my eyes these people are HEROS. Thank you.

Dude69

In my eyes you're an idiot for being a hipster lover!

felixthecatSUX

YAWN

Dude69

+1

felixthecat2

You're still on the UnF***able list.

GoldenRuler

with the direction this country is clearly headed, I'm not sure whether I'll need a burka or a snood or... whatever it is that conservative christian women wear. wal-mart sweaters? I'll take the burka.

Bike Rider

wellsaid

shovel

Win!

zodak

i'm confused about who we hate more in this story? hipsters, cops or religious fanatics? religious hipsters? religious cops? someone should track down a hipster cop, then i would know where to direct my hatred

Tropical Richmond

It's not Jews that are the problem, it is self-righteous Hasids that are the problem here. You want to live in a modern world you can deal with bike lanes, period. Otherwise, move back to the old country. These folks give regular Jewish people a bad name. So please call them what they are, Hasids, and don't lump the rest of us in there.