As a recreational cyclist in a university community, I notice a lot of “Give Bikes the Right” propaganda and a near universal disregard for traffic laws by some of the same cyclists. I have also seen Critical Mass in action on city streets at rush hour and it’s not winning the cyclists any popular support from my perspective.

So how do the NYPD traffic gestapo handle a sensitive issue like this? I was surprised and you will be too when you read the letter they sent to Transportation Authority (the group organizing the Critical Mass).

Note: the image in the url (above) and most of the copies I could find are poor quality; I reproduced the full letter and an enlargement of just the text in the links below. I think you’ll see why these groups chose to emphasize the rhetoric rather than the NYPD’s “threatening” letter.

NYC Critical Mass Letter

NYC Critical Mass Letter (text only)

Posted by: ter0 at August 28, 2004 10:37 AM

From the CNN article: LINK

The cyclists caused “massive disruptions including of people trying to get to the hospital and so we took appropriate action,” said NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Public Information, Paul Browne.

******

The monthly bike ride drew thousands more than usual due to the number of people who wanted to protest against the convention.

“Critical Mass” takes place on the last Friday of every month to promote the interests of bicyclists.

Posted by: ter0 at August 28, 2004 10:49 AM

Correction: The group to whom the NYPD letter was addressed is “Transportation Alternatives” (Link to their website) which is apparently a more responsible group of cyclists, as suggested by this quote from the NYC IndyMedia folks:

NYC indymedia LINK

What: Critical Mass
When: Friday, August 27th, 7pm
Where: Union Square North

Documents show that the New York Police Department is cracking down on Critical Mass as the Republican Convention approaches. Using a traditional police tactic, the City of New York is trying to divide “good” bicyclists from “bad” bicyclists.

**************

A Communiqué from TIME’S UP!

Our beloved Critical Mass Ride is under attack! (See letter at the bottom of this message.) All threats, intimidation tactics and harassment, however, will not keep us from going forward with this amazing community ritual! We have worked hard to build this dynamic community and to advocate for the rights of those that use alternative modes of transportation! We have worked hard to reclaim our rights to public space in our city of New York!

Tell all your friends. Bring family, neighbors, lovers and strangers. Bring noisemakers, musical instruments, face-paint, flowers, and your energy and joy. Bring things to juggle and to share and also your conviction that we have a right to converge and ride throughout this glorious city. Bring video cameras.

We will not be intimidated!
We will not be threatened and harassed!
This is our city! This is our community!

Posted by: ter0 at August 28, 2004 11:24 AM

More on cyclists being hassled by the Man!

Link via Drudge includes this new tactic in destruction of public property:

Earlier yesterday, parks workers discovered the Van Cortlandt Golf Course in the Bronx, where a few GOP delegates were to play yesterday, had been vandalized with anti-Bush messages. “Extensive damage” was done to holes 15 through 18 and slogans were spray-painted on the grass, parks officials said. Repairs will cost $6,000.

Posted by: ter0 at August 28, 2004 12:55 PM

Critical Mass, in my limited experience, attempts to claim a whole traffic lane as their own. I believe, although I’m willing to be corrected, that’s the point: block traffic in order to show that cyclists are vehicles too.

I’m a biker too, but I try not to be an outlaw biker. Or, at least when I bike on public roads I try to stay away from cars as much as possible.

I’m also all for the First Amendment, and it’d be nice if we only heard about cases where those who were arrested while attempting to speak out in one way or another had not also wilfully violated other laws.

Posted by: Lonewacko at August 28, 2004 03:11 PM

Somebody please explain to me just how further snarling up New York traffic aids the cause of electing Kerry.

Then again, it’s as well the Republican convention isn’t being held in the D.C. area. We have the nation’s worst, or second-worst, traffic quality, depending on how you calculate it, and thousands of bikers hogging, oh, let’s say, one of the lanes on the Beltway at rush hour, would not help one little single bit, and would decidedly NOT endear Washington-area motorists to the bikers’ cause, no matter how noble it was.

Posted by: Joe at August 28, 2004 10:56 PM