anger and control issues ?

What an idiot, threw his whole career away to arrest a cyclist. Im not a fan of critical mass and think that it is just an inconvenience for anyone except the riders but sometimes you have to look the other way. I hop that there is more to the strory, something off tape but it doesnt look good right now.

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Matt
Race-Ready Endurance Training
Team BIKEWAY.com
NYPD Racing

Unless that bike had just assaulted someone there was no reason to knock him off his bike. I didn't see any attempt by the cop to stop him prior to knocking him down. He might have been telling him to stop, but that is not an excuse for that much of a reaction.

Pretty stupid to think that it wouldn't be caught on video in Times Square with 1,000 tourists filmimg away!

There are good cops as well as bad ones. At least the NYPD looks like they are firing him. I am sure he will have a great future in the security industry harassing high school students in a Mall somewhere.

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I'm not a fan of how Critical Mass does its thing, but, wow. Yeah, those charges better go away, and that cop better get fired.

Next time, the NYPD I hope just uses pepper gas and stun guns en mass to stop these idiots. Maybe toss a few boxes of tacks in the road.

Anyone who things that CM does anything positive for cyclists (such as us who are real cyclists) is a fool. Thanks to their efforts cars and general traffic will act with more vengance and inconsideration when it comes to one or two bikes on the road as opposed to a malicious mob who is looking for trouble.

I dont understand why cities dont just do mass arrests and bike seizures with these idiots. It is PROVEN that CM will doctor video (with proper cutting) and try to create stories to convict innocent folks who can actually afford cars.


Here is the pathetic CM video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-390Q1BwpA

Yeah...this guy...sure does seem like a manace to me

http://www.youtube.com/...&feature=related

Like I said - mass arrests.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

Evidently, you should add "police" to that list.

I'm not sure that it is totally useless. Raising awareness, starting water cooler conversation, the old no press is bad press approach. From what i see these rides generally happen in places where heavy trafic and gridlock are the norm, the first time i saw one of these (randomly actually) it was amaizing how quit the street got while it went by.

it's not like they are doing this on the NJ turnpike during rush hour, it's times square for god's sake. who REALLY needs their car in Manhattan?

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Chip, it amazes me that you don't see the hypocricy of those two sentences. You often propose reacting to violence with more violence. Yet criticize the CM groups for agitating others to violence. Reminds me of "andeye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth and we will all be blind and toothless".

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I hate hipsters on bikes as much as the next guy (maybe more), and chances are pretty good this guy had it coming--if not for something he did just prior to the video, then probably for some past transgression.

That said, that 'officer' has no business having a badge. Your hatred of people who aren't like you seems to make you incapable reasonable thought.

They are a mob and a menace - and they know it. They need to be stopped as they do no good for cycling. I have seen some Chicago CM rides and the whole thing is a point to piss off, disturb, and create conflict with random stangers and innocent bystanders who happen to be in a car near them. They with out cause damage property and ignore traffic laws...all while preaching their right to the road (with mostly vulgarities and threats).

I then happen to be the next "cyclist" they see - only I am alone and not with a mob for protection. At the end of the day, what matters most is they do nothing positive for cycling nor awareness - they only make non-cyclists more aware that "bikers are idiots".

I am all about stopping people like this, be their point cycling or what other cause they decide to inflict on the innocent public unwittingly to the publics desire.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

I know, next time you have an issue on the bike with a car - dont call 911...call Critical Mass.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

I've got no use for CM - they're doing a lot more harm than good - but that cop should be fired, charged and sued. As little use as I have for CM, I have any less for bullies with badges.

Jay

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"If you're gonna be stupid, you better be tought." - Jerry Price

Only 1 officer draws up an arrest so the 2nd officers statement would not be in the arrest paperwork. a 2nd officer is only questioned when something like this happens where there is an investigation to the arrest or major felonies.

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Matt
Race-Ready Endurance Training
Team BIKEWAY.com
NYPD Racing

Thew CM debate has nothing to do with my comment. You totally missed the point. Reacting with violence only brings on more violence. We have better ways of dealing with problems in society than resorting to violence.

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Support Crew
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I do not believe there is something wrong with critical mass (whether folks are on bikes or walking to protest for or express whatever) as long long it is correctly organized and traffic is completly blocked.
However correctly organized and hippies/tree huggers (and I have nothing against those folks) usually are not found in the same sentence though.

Fred.

How would you stop them? I really do think they need to be stopped.

This to me really is on par with one guy at Rockman who I DQ'ed for flipping off a car and spitting at it on the bike course with no cause (I happed to be the driver). It is not that his action of flipping me off or spitting did any damage to me - but if it was a home owner, neighbor, elected official or what not it can have a huge impact.

Now, you then take innocent folks from cities and victimize them with the actions of the far left extreme of "cyclists" en mass who are hell bent on creating havoc. Now, you then ask those same people to vote for bike lanes, bike paths and cyclist rights. Oddly, the folks in CM dont seem like the average voter nor citizen to me. The tourists and people who are in cars in cities and delay them for these idiots we have a problem (hell, even pathic Rockford where I live has a CM ride of about 20 dope heads once a month).

I mean...we need to look no forther than the best cyclist in history for his ideas...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmSkJ5ZwJXI

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

I agree. I think CM is badly organized and counterproductive. It does nothing for cycling advocacy and really probably just makes more people pissed off at cyclists. That said, aside from the fact that they block traffic for an hour on Fridays, the overwhelming majority of participants are incredibly harmless - they're just a bunch of hippies. Arrest them? For what? Riding their bikes in the street? No, I want to keep doing that myself.

Funny you should say that. The last time I had an issue on the bike with a car, it was a police car.

Thanks for the clarification.

I can't think of a better time to educate people/police about things like this.

Think about this for a minute:

A 3rd generation policeman does something really stupid.
Is really afraid he is going to get fired for what he did.
The city is afraid they are going to get their butts sued for what he did.
His father and grandfather give him their piece of mind.
They educate him as to what the goals of the CM rides are about as well as how to handle situations like that.
The city gives him responsibilities to provide security for the events.
He complies cuz if he doesn't, he'll get fired
He learns from his mistake and becomes a new poster boy for the cities gentler more compasionate police force.
The police department puts him in charge of new situations like that only under closer supervision.
He learns how to deal with the situations and teaches others as well.

Or he screws up again, only under better supervision he doesn't hurt anyone and just gets fired.

Wouldn't that be a better deal?

jaretj

no. he's a bully. fire him.

Jeesh...you dont know that.

I tell you what, if you take a clip of a persons life and judge them on 15 seconds....that would be like thinking everyone on ST was EXACTLY the way the post and think 100% of what they post (unlike me who posts to get a reaction and make folks think most of the time). They MANY folks here who know me personally know this to be true.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?