Duellist

Last night at Critical Mass I got pulled over for crossing the street- right to left, on the crosswalk, with the light. Fifty dollar ticket (which I will contest). The cops were out in force, picking off bikers left and right for completely bogus things- riding no hands, for example. By the time they pulled me out there were more cops than cyclists. They were clearly there to give tickets and break up the mass- there was no illegal anything going on.
I'm wondering if anyone was there, got nailed, and what you're doing about it.
Thanks!
-Still fuming Duellist

randya

NYPD will keep it up until there is no more Critical Mass in NYC, I saw the same thing happen in PDX

wheel

Why even bother.

steveknight

critical mass seems to cause more problems then it solves. I think it gives bicyclists a black eye.

randya

more motorists hate roadies than Critical Mass participants

but Critical Mass as an urban phenom sure has gotten the media and the cops attention, I would say unjustifiably so, but it sells papers and keeps cops employed so it's 'a problem'

dougmc

$50? Must be nice. Fines for moving violations in Austin, TX start at $167 and go up from there. Same fines for a car or bike ...

trekker pete

Speaking of nyc and CMers, what's the latest on that cop that laid a rather nice crosscheck on that dude a few months back?

As for CMs themselves, they certainly do get press and awareness. 99% of it negative.

Is there any point to it besides pissing everybody else off?

Did the NYC CM have any sort of official permission such as a parade would get?

SPlKE 

O Woe!

If CM is broken up, whatever will the rest of us roadies and commuters do without our smelly shock troops out there demonstrating our right to ride around in circles in intersections?


If it happened in PDX (whatever that is), it can happen here. O Woe.


.

ilmooz

This thread is about as shocking a revelation as announcing the discovery of bees around honey.

cudak888 

Or as surprising as the discovery of derailleurs by fixed gear riders

-Kurt

Roughstuff

Riding no hands is bogus? Love it. Bikers complain about MOTORISTS with one hand on a cell phone; and yet riding NO hands is somehow ok?

roughstuff

randya

is there any straw too small for you to grasp at, eh?

Roughstuff

Should I grasp at these straws while riding no-handed randya? I assume then, of course, that motorists can drive no handed as well....

roughstuff

genec

I guarantee that the "no hands" cyclist is vastly more aware of what he is doing and his environment than the cell phone chatting motorist will ever be.

Roughstuff

Perhaps true. I know folks with better balance riding no hands than I have with both hands.

More aware is one thing; but you also have less protection in a crash...so keep those hands on those bars and those brakes.

roughstuff

SPlKE 

Sounds like you CMers rode into the middle of a CCM (Critical Cop Mass).






Anyway, the stakes have been raised. For your next CM, all riders must ride with no hands for the entire ride, to assert bikers' rights to ride in clownish circles in intersections with no hands.



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Little Darwin

If I were to ride around with a bunch of people to try to raise a stink, I would expect the risk of getting a ticket to go way up.

Part of the cost of civil disobedience is getting harassed by "the man" and is to be expected.

What would the purpose of CM be if you didn't tick people off? If you tick people off, the man will be involved. A ticket sounds like a sign of success to me.

stevo9er

What a ridiculous comment. Apples and oranges.

Roughstuff

True. A cyclist riding no hands who loses control of his vehicle (for those of you who think bikes are 'vehicles') prob ends up in a nice crash, with a bonk on the head, a few contusions and bruises, and a bruised ego. A motorist who loses control of his vehicle (for those of you who think cars are vehicles) prob ends up in a nice crash, with airbag deployment to assure your safety, and onstar to automatically call the coppers!

Best to keep those hands on the steering wheel/handlebars! Which was my simple point, all along. <sigh>

roughstuff

127.0.0.1

critical mass is worthless.

everyone else not in the 'mass', and non-cyclists, just looks at them
with disdain.


nothing is ever gained, only lost.

DogsBody

We actually get a Police Escort up here.
It keeps the Mass moving (less tail-end charlie shenanigans); and deters Carnosaurs from getting aggressive.

PLyTheMan

Carnosaurs is a good one, never heard it before. I like it much more than cagers (which just sounds stupid, imo)

Sounds like a bull**** ticket, but like Little Darwin mentioned, you have to kinda expect that to happen if you're going to be partaking in some kind of disobedience. Especially in NYC, I'm under the impression a lot of the cops there are dicks and have a particular love of busting up CM.

I'm not sure what law you actually broke, but if everyone was getting tickets that night I'd say get in touch with other people that were getting tickets and contest it all together. Is Times Up involved with CM much? Try talking to someone there or at another bike group in NYC that might be able to give you tips and, if needed, a good lawyer. Power in numbers, brotha!

CM threads in A&S are always good fun, brings out the best in everyone =D

Also, I ride without hands all the time, that backpack gets heavy and sitting right up feels good, man.

cudak888 

What would happen if a CM'er rode into a CCM with a CCM?



-Kurt

rotharpunc

the universe would implode

Duellist

Sista, actually.

Yeh, I guess we were asking for it, but it really was excessive. Incidentally, the tickets haven't been processed yet so I can't plead at all either way. Damned annoying. I wanted to get the whole mess dealt with when I go home for Christmas.

I guess Philly is better for cycling, the cops are always busy being shot at in doughnut stores (really, that happened last year) and wouldn't turn an eyebrow if I rode the wrong way along a sidewalk no hands, talking on my cellphone dead drunk.

And Philly critical mass is great.