NYC Critical mass tomorrow
 

So Times Up(!) et al won the court case (woot)

Anybody have a hint on whether this will impact whether or not the po's will continue to take bikes? We know that they won't arrest people at Union Square, but do we know anything else? My "b-bike" is not working so well, and I'd hate to risk my soma.

Thoughts?

nothing a judge has said has ever affected smolka's decisions in the past. i'd suspect much of the same from the NYPD.

I'm thinking they will still arrest people. What do you guys think?
If I get my bike back from the paint shop tomorrow (wasnt back today) I'd love to ride it again if they will not make arrests. I don't want it getting taken from me right after I get it back.

yeah, i got my new (well new to me) iro on tuesday, it would be the suck to get it taken away. also i don't particularly feel like getting arrested, since my band's playing (i think) at the times-up! party, among other reasons. but i'll probably go anyway.

There will be arrests.

After the last big court victory the cops crashed the after party and clipped bikes. This was after also arresting people on the ride. Remember, 2 scooter cops were injured on the last ride.

I think it will get ugly.

I heard Bloomberg ordered the streets to be cleared and Smolka is going to shower us with candy and tickertape as we pass through times square.

or that.

who knows?

wouldnt be easy to get away from the police, in the traffic congested times square??

you'd be surprised.

Orange hurricane fencing held up across the street by a team of police can sometimes make escape a bit sticky.

what, your bike doesn't have a pogo button, like knight rider?

an NJS pogo stick at that?

I heard that too! except they're going to do it all surprise-party, and they're going to have big hoses like they use for tear gas, and the netting, but then the netting will be made out of pie and the hoses will spray Sparks and the police van recording things will play Hey Ya!

Check it out>

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/24/ny...4critical.html


Ride together. Don't be intimidated.

That article is absolutely NOT comforting at ALL. I don't really mind getting arrested, but I DO mind losing my nice bike.

On another note, we all know that NYC cops are helpful and professional to the upper classes, and pigs to the rest. It is good to see the Times--voice of the elite--convey a bit of their piggishness towards everyone else.

two in whatever precinct soho is were really nice to me when they caught me a couple stories up on a building wheatpasting some pieces. they liked my work and let me go. i couldn't believe it.

but the scores of others i've had run-ins with haven't even been open to speaking to me in a civil fashion. they were more fans of rehearsed monologues than engaging in rational dialogue. it's hard to try to deal with someone as a human when they view themselves as simply a uniform or a badge.

...wait. I'm working in an office right off Union Square (I'm visiting from Chi).

Should I hang around for a show?

Do you really need to ask? If you don't have your bike around just swing by the north side of the square and say hi. That'll be safe.

Remember, the word of the night is "de-escalation"

Anybody got a huffy I could rock for the night?

it's a nice word, but it sure looks funny all typed out.

dees-nutz-alation.

when and where will this take place, never been to a critical mass??

This sounds interesting.

booo. I lost my favoirte pair of jeans.

A guy and I were doing a sweep around a few blocks to see how many police were out since they wernt really sitting in the square. It seemed there were a few cops at every other damn block down broadway. By the time we circled back, People started to ride. Ohh well. We did ride behind the police for a bit. lol. Met up with a few more people to ride a little bit more but I didnt want to get arrested since I just got my bike back from the shop 20 min before mass.