http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/story/226516p-194587c.html
Yap that’s right dumb-ass you’re under arrest for both being stupid and not wearing a helmet
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The police have a very difficult job what with 911 and the general liberal tone of NYC, not to mention the many crazies who are looking for trouble. I think turning the monthly Critical Mass ride into a protest was a bad idea. It makes good theater, but is not good for cycling.
-Robert
Most people are intelligent enough to get the difference between protestors on beaters and real cyclists – unless of course we’re talking about W supporters 
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I think that 9 of 10 Critical mass dumba$$es are batting for your team.
given the nuisance critical mass rides are in new york, i can’t say that i am shedding any tears.
I can guarantee you that your team loses the intelligence test. You have Bush as your man. No need to say more.
Hasn’t CM always been a protest? Sometimes passive-agressive, sometimes more overtly agressive, but a protest nonetheless.
dhcrunner:
No kidding. It’s very scary that a country with so many intellectual resources is reduced to being led by a man who doesn’t know entrepreneur is a French word.
-Robert
I saw one of their rides two years ago when I was in NYC getting my dose of culture. It looked mostly like a bunch of regular people-with a few obvious crazies thrown in-out for a ride. I didn’t know they were in any way “radical”, although many Americans think riding a bike is radical.
Maybe it was the right thing to do. I wasn’t there. But, generally, if the protest is going to make you more enemies than friends, why do it? NYC cab drivers hate cyclists (messengers in particular) as it is!
They sure got a lot of news coverage for their views and I think the police looked bad from what I’ve seen. The police appear to have exacerbated the problem by closing off streets. (NB: my father was a cop so I have always had a special place in my heart for the hard job they do. This decision was made at the Mayor’s Office, I’m sure.)
-Robert
My experience with CM was mostly when I was in San Francisco - this was not a friendly once-a-month-ride. This was a deliberate decision to disrupt as much traffic as possible, confront motorists verbally, etc.
I’m sure it’s slightly different in different cities, but my gut feeling is that the “crazies” are the ones organizing it to make a political point in the most disruptive manner possible - the regular folks are suckered in to make the ride large enough (eg reach the “critical mass” where the cyclists can cause the most havoc.)
Take a look at http://www.critical-mass.org/ - most certainly “radical”
I can think of one very good reason to not do that ride. The police have apparently confiscated about 250 bikes! Yipers! I’d be hysterical.
-Robert
Maybe then can send one to Mr. Tibbs…
Has he learned to ride a bike yet? :0-
-Robert
TSR will supply the training wheels.
This ride goes off every month, and no one makes a big fuss about it. It’s old news. With the convention in town it suddenly becomes big news.
I think the cops have crazier people to worry about the next few days.
Boy, let’s hope not too many. Sheezh, the last thing we need are some Republican martyrs.
-Robert
I recently changed my mind about the Critical Mass ride here in Vancouver - once I was agin’ em, but now I’ve joined them. I’ve had it with car culture, and the rides themselves are extremely fun and liberating. The cops here have taken quite a different approach. Instead of arresting us they follow and essentially help with traffic control.
BTW, the goal is usually not to block traffic (hence the slogan, “we’re not blocking traffic, we are traffic”) but to stay together as a group. When the ride is large, that does mean blocking intersections until the group moves on through.
Why do you think this kind of protest makes us dumbasses?
Tony - I think what you described and what happened in NYC are two different things with very different agendas.
"Everyone picked up their bikes over their heads and started cheering. Some sat down in the street
Why would I call somebody a dumbass -
**This whole thing is about peace," said one cuffed and disgruntled biker who identified himself as Jesse from Brooklyn. "I don’t have a gripe with the police. I have a gripe with the RNC, **
So you have a gripe with a National political party so you stop an sit down in the middle of an intersection. Get down with your bad self buddy
I swore an oath to defend the constitution, and staunchly support anyone’s right to free speech, along with the rest of the bill of rights. But yah know, sometimes given the opportunity to express their views some people come off sounding and looking just plain dumb.
For what it’s worth, from how you describe CM, I would probably be inclined to join one.
Back to watching the back log of olympics I have taped on the DVR,
Jim
BTW, the goal is usually not to block traffic (hence the slogan, “we’re not blocking traffic, we are traffic”) but to stay together as a group. When the ride is large, that does mean blocking intersections until the group moves on through.
Then you’re trying to have it both ways - you ‘are traffic’, but aren’t following the laws against gridblocking. It’s as if a bunch of cars drove together en masse, and blocked intersections because they ‘were in a big group’.
It’s intentional interference with and annoyance of motorized traffic. It’s petty and childish, and completely counterproductive.
Purposely blocking traffic was a really bone-headed move in my view. Is that political speech? I don’t know, but it is dumb political speech if it is!
How many of these people will REGISTER TO VOTE and VOTE? The problem with too many Democrats is that they sleep in on election day, or get laid, or whatever. They don’t vote. So the right wing wackos who vote like clockwork have taken over the country…
I’ll take a voter any day.
-Robert