Northeast - Three Articles on Cycling in the City in Sunday's Daily News

There were 3 articles in Sunday's Daily News on bikes in the city. Here's a link the first one, which has links to the other two.

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/08/16/2009-08-16_biking_boom_in_new_york_city_sets_off_clash_between_cyclists_pedestrians_and_car.html

Thanks for the link, Paul. I couldn't find the links to the two other stories, but the main story is very interesting. Especially the parts about pedestrians fearing that they are going to be run over by bicycles!

Thanks for the link, Paul. I couldn't find the links to the two other stories, but the main story is very interesting. Especially the parts about pedestrians fearing that they are going to be run over by bicycles!

Papa T... Here's links to the other two articles:

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/08/16/2009-08-16_daily_news_cyclist_speaks_out_on_biking_through_manhattan.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/08/16/2009-08-16_is_biking_safe_in_nyc_victims_on_both_sides_weigh_in_on_debate.html

Not that anyone is interested, but there were more articles in the paper.

There was an interview with Arone Dyer, who builds and repairs bikes at Bike Works NYC.

http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2009/08/16/2009-08-16_brooklyn_bike_builder_sets_the_wheels_in_motion.html

Then there was a two page display of new bike gadgets that you could pee your money away on. I can't find a link for this. Most of it is crap, at least to my eyes. Although they had a shot of a $30 snake bike lock. If you want to get a look at this, try this link:

http://www.pylones-usa.com/pylones/item.php?product=293&item=PY-SNBRD&search=snake

If you had a pet poisonous snake that you could ride with and then wrap around your bike when you went into Starbucks, that would be even cooler.

The articles are vapid. Nothing of substance to be gleaned from any of them as far as I could see.

Whoa. This is a Daily News writer? Looks like she rides SS.
http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2009/08/16/alg_weichselbaum-bike.jpg

Like so many things, you have responsible people and not so responsible people. I've seen cyclists do all sorts of really stupid things so I understand why pedestrians get startled or scared sometimes, by the same token pedestrians can be oblivious to their surroundings and often cross the street as if they have the right of way even when they don't then have the nerve to get upset about it.

My favorite is the folks who come up to a crossing of a bike path... with their eyes glued to the opposite side of the path looking to the right, never once looking or glancing at the closer half of the path where they'd have to look left.

Every time I read an article like this I wish they could separate the food delivery guys from normal messagers and commuters.

Truth be told, as a pedestrian, it's the bike messenger guys by a long shot I'm mostly concerned about. Food guys, at least in my nabe, seem to be reasonably polite even though they tend to use the sidewalks too much. I've seen one of those messenger guys almost hit a pedestrian, swipe them, get yelled at and stop, take out a kryptonite and start wailing on the poor guy. THIS is the kind of crap that will cause some motorist to be cavalier about anyone riding a bike!

I've seen one of those messenger guys almost hit a pedestrian, swipe them, get yelled at and stop, take out a kryptonite and start wailing on the poor guy.

If you are referring to the U-lock Beating video, that cyclist was not a messenger. Living here, after a while, you can start telling who are the real messengers and the d*bags that just try to dress like them to get some sort of "street cred". Poseurs. Wannabes. Not messengers. Trust me. A real messenger wouldn't have stopped. :lol:

Nah, it was a messenger (pretty sure, he did have a big bag)... saw it live around 50th & 7th.

Truth be told, this was many years ago... but was pretty scary as it looked like the justification for wailing on the motorist seemed VERY thin.

Truth be told, as a pedestrian, it's the bike messenger guys by a long shot I'm mostly concerned about. Food guys, at least in my nabe, seem to be reasonably polite even though they tend to use the sidewalks too much. I've seen one of those messenger guys almost hit a pedestrian, swipe them, get yelled at and stop, take out a kryptonite and start wailing on the poor guy. THIS is the kind of crap that will cause some motorist to be cavalier about anyone riding a bike!

I agree with you about the actual messengers, though even then it is only some individuals. The most annoying and dangerous riders are the trend-hopping, messenger uniform only people, who seem to ride into intersections as if there were some kind of rule in place that if you are on a bicycle in the city you DO NOT STOP. My opinion is that such an unwritten rule actually has materialized because of the large amount of web videos of people riding through various cities like morons.

As a pedestrian, I also realize that I routinely jaywalk and do all kinds of inconsiderate and skittish things. What I try to do both on the bike and off is to be aware of my surroundings and so avoid problems on both ends rather than saying that this group or that action is to blame. I run red lights but I also make absolutely sure that no cars are coming and that I will not hit anyone. This means that more than half the time I actually do stop and wait as I see people in front of me ride in circles on the crosswalk in futility or block traffic while attempting to perform a track stand. I jaywalk like all New Yorkers but look out for cyclists rather than charging into the street with my head down (I don't look against traffic though because I long for the day when a bike salmon crashes into me).

Did not mean in any way to implicate all messengers... as with most things, it's the few bad apples that can indite a whole class (to some people).

Yes I jaywalk as much as anyone, but I think I also pay a lot more attention to what is going on around me. I see MANY folks crossing bike paths without making even the slightest glance at traffic. If I were walking, for sure I'd be looking first.

Indeed, this is scary on MANY MANY levels (including non bikers hating all bikers):

http://digave.com/videos/red-web.mpg

Bicyclists can't be the only ones to obey NYC traffic laws. When pedestrians stop jaywalking & drivers recognize lane markings, we'll talk

My favorite is the folks who come up to a crossing of a bike path... with their eyes glued to the opposite side of the path looking to the right, never once looking or glancing at the closer half of the path where they'd have to look left.
+1 See it all the time on the Westside Greenpath, but whats worse, the Brooklyn Bridge, people see you coming and wait until the last sec to get out of the way. Happens all the time to me.

Whoa. This is a Daily News writer? Looks like she rides SS.
http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2009/08/16/alg_weichselbaum-bike.jpg

I perused CL the other day and saw this pic with a "bike stolen" ad. hrmmm