Did they confiscate a Serotta in the raid? I will have to look for it at the police garage sale. Hopefully the frame is in my size :)

Seriously.

NYC should be a more bike-friendly city. Granted, there are a few bike paths, but that's just a token compared to what it can do to accomodate cyclists. Most New Yorkers work withing 10 miles of their homes. Promoting cycling eases the strain on Mass Transit and Motor traffic. C'mon people. Think outide of the box.

Thought I'd share this from Portland IMC:

Infamous story about police attitude about CM 26.Feb.2005 20:22

"This really happened:

Group bike ride in progress (I think it was a Bike Pub Crawl). Police car pulls along side, officer asks "Are you Critical Mass?" Bicyclist response: "Huh? No, we're not." Officer: "OK" and drives off! No more officers bothering ride.

I guess groups of bicyclists riding together are OK as long as they are not CM, though nothing distinguishes a CM ride from many group rides."

See PDX CM stories on IMC at:
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2005/02/312240.shtml
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2005/02/312263.shtml
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2005/02/312237.shtml

I was there when Mayday the Clown went down...

Check this out, the NYPD can't or won't get their story straight.

(There is a no reproduction clause at the end of the article, I figured I would respect that.)


http://thevillager.com/villager_96/14arrestedascritical.html

This just in on the Portland Critical Mass Board from one of our own:

Hi Portland Critical Massers,

I was one of the 14 people arrested on the NYC Critical Mass Ride on Friday. I am still all achy and sore from being tackled by three robust cops and pinned to the ground. I am also without my bike, my cell phone and my tiny recording device. All the people arrested had their bikes taken as evidence. My other stuff was dissappeared as if it never existed!

Check this out, the NYPD can't or won't get their story straight.

(There is a no reproduction clause at the end of the article, I figured I would respect that.)


http://thevillager.com/villager_96/14arrestedascritical.html

Dave Bonon, a member of the Danbury Independent Media Center, came from Connecticut , Eric Ferguson from Croton-on-Hudson, and someone from Portland Maine Indy Media? Maybe they were in town to see the Gates ;)

Either way it does make you wonder how many New Yorkers are still willing to get arrested over this.

Stacy

Dave Bonon, a member of the Danbury Independent Media Center, came from Connecticut , Eric Ferguson from Croton-on-Hudson, and someone from Portland Maine Indy Media? Maybe they were in town to see the Gates ;)

Either way it does make you wonder how many New Yorkers are still willing to get arrested over this.

Stacy

I can't speak for the other two guys, but I know Eric is pretty involved and well know in the cycling activist community here in NYC. I had a chance to meet & talk to him over the summer after the pre-RNC CM and he's hella nice, too. Croton isn't far from the city proper at all.

No wonder they all looked like the Cleavers. Laika, you were probably the only city boy there :)

Stacy

No wonder they all looked like the Cleavers. Laika, you were probably the only city boy there :)

Stacy
Not this month! This city boy was in Puerto Rico, getting some sun on his pale hide.

JohnB, No sweat, I said I couldn't (and didn't) go into details (my inlaws are here). But I will try to quickly explain.
Thanks for clarifying, and I'm glad you didn't take offense.


I am a freelancer and I have certain "societal" privileges and I believe what is happening is wrong, so I didn't and won't run and hide from the government and police force that is supposed to protect me. I was arrested under a law that the Arresting officers were not even clear on. I know people disagree with CM or (fill in cause here), but what if this gov't was coming after what you believed in?
It does seem as if someone in the hierarchy feels they have to put a stop to you (NYC CM) somehow. I agree with the point that if it wasn't "parading", it would be something else, that was just the easiest excuse.

This is reminding me of The Pushcart War (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0440471478/qid=1109989129/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/104-6053989-1543168), by Jean Merrill. Anyone else read it? It's also in NYC, and pits the little pushcarts of the city against the big mean trucks, complete with a corrupt and mean-spirited city government. I think a lot of you would like it. Plus, it's an easy read, written at about a junior-high level, yet highly entertaining.

Yup. Its called a work-to-rule action. Its an old union tactic, and back in the days when it was used against those terrible corporate fat cats, it brought production to a standstill. Interesting to see the target reversed.

roughstuff
It's called being a pedantic weenie, and is not unique to the police or OTHER unionized workers

Cars are parading to then right. I mean if a group of bikes is a parade then a group of cars is to. This padading w/o a permite sound like total crap to me. IMO I think the Cop (pigs) are trying to get more revenue coming in they see cyclist as easy targets. How much did the city have to pay to secure the RNC on the taxpayer bill? Sounds like the mid-end of the month speed traps for cars around here.
Many of 'em are good guys who put their lives on the line, believing that they are protecting the innocent, and are none too thrilled when they're forced to waste their time on things like critical mass and marijuana posession.

Many others are scumbag drunks who consider the uniform a free pass to be abusive to their employers, ie, the citizens of NYC.

But NONE of them are making policy; they do not have a choice whether or not to attack CM, they have orders from above.

About 5 bicyclists were arrested after riding barely a block tonight. More arrests were made later. I don't have much else to say. I'll rant somewhere else. Chat amongst yourselves. Photos here:

http://www.untitledname.com/archives/2005/02/critical_mass_f_1.html

http://www.untitledname.com/archives/2005/02/critical_mass_f.html

Will

There's a certain NWA song that seems appropriate right now as well as an Anti-Flag song.
Need to get some biking lawyers in there to represent

No wonder they all looked like the Cleavers. Laika, you were probably the only city boy there :)

Stacy
I've met a lot of people at CM, and except for during the RNC they were almost all NYC residents

Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; Amendment I or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

You can pick it apart, the Mayors Office and the NYPD are not exactly congress. But like congress, they are headed by republicans, so I guess it is perfectly fine to disregard our constitional protections

All of the police are actually disgruntled motorists.

There's plenty of crap in the bowels of power in this city on Both sides of the aisle.

The single most anti-bike legsilator in any state in the country is Democrat Madeline Provenzano, who I have the ufortunate pleasure of being a constituent of.

You can pick it apart, the Mayors Office and the NYPD are not exactly congress. But like congress, they are headed by republicans, so I guess it is perfectly fine to disregard our constitional protections

Or misunderstand them.

Last Friday's Brooklyn Mass was small (maybe 25ish), with about an equal number of police. In addition to the scooters (8 or so) and a few marked cars, there were several black luxury sedans with blacked-out windows (illegal, actually). I'm hoping that was police brass coming out to learn about CM, because the ride went very nicely with police corking for us.

Here're a few pix and video clips:
http://peterbergin.com/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=71