Critical Mass Panic

My previous, minimally-completed post reproduced an e-mail sent to a Brooklyn cyclist regarding the 78th Precinct's approach to "Operation Safe Cycle". I posted it here on this blog in the effort to comply with the request made by the Community Affairs Police Officer. Last night at the Community Board 6 meeting on the Prospect Park West Bike Lane's incredible success at making a safer street, the Community Affairs Officers of the 78th Precinct, Mitch and Jerry, approached me. They expressed frustration that I had posted their phone number online as they were now experiencing a backlog of phone messages on their shared answering machine, regarding bicycle complaints. In fact, Jerry explicit threatened me. In hopes of ensuring justice is met in the case of my untimely death, the below e-mails, reproduced in full w/o the offending contact information, tell the story: Wed, January 5, 2011 8:37:49 AM Bicycle Safety Enforcement From: "KIRSHY, MITCHELL" To: XXXX@X...

Do I really need to point out the irony of Shitty Council Member David Greenfield's comments at the joke of the hearing on bikes last month? He almost makes sense at some point in this video when he says he "wants the world to see what is happening...[all of his] constituents are running out of oil!" Try to tune out the rest or you might start to get confused.

Well, its been ages since I've posted. I wish I had the energy to keep it up. But I just don't right now. I am too busy preparing to become a police officer, so that I can get away with assaulting and killing , like so many of our other brave men and women in uniform around the world. The law is a joke, the justice system is a joke, NYPD is a joke, Judges Kaplan and Wiley are big clowns. We are all the punchline. Ride safe, no matter what the law says.

Gosh, I am the worst at keeping this up. Its like feeling nauseous but being unable to vomit. Only through the sheer discomfort of gagging my errant thoughts can I semi-coherently rant online about subjects such as group bike rides and police over-reaction to such events. Writing this also requires resisting sweet allure of constant riding due to Bike Month . Today, however, being rainy and cold, I spent a three hours watching " The Power of Nightmares ," a BBC documentary from a few years back about how the "Global War on Terror" is just a fantasy created by a handful of people. I highly recommend it, and if you're able to see it perhaps you will better understand why it is that NYPD continues to fantasize about Critical Mass being populated by "professional anarchists" who pose some vague threat to the city. Note the vile emphasis on that phrase as Pat Lynch of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association reacts to the recent Pogan verdict. Try not to ...

Mr. Conners (Prosecutor) Q: How many times have you viewed this video ? Mr. Pogan (Defendant) A: Too many times. Last Tuesday, April 20th, the NYPD deftly executed a humiliating blow to the good reputation of an anti-authoritarian, veteran, pot-smoking, deadly-driver but merely-reckless cyclist in the guise of a "criminal" trial against the doe-eyed Patrick Pogan. This case has had wide coverage in the media due to sensational aspects of the case and the above-mentioned, apparently not-so-damning video footage. What most reportage is missing is the clear case the defense has made that a larger conspiracy against the NYPD is being played out. The proof of anarchist-infiltrations of Critical Mass has at last been laid bare by the vocal maneuvering of slick, archetypical lawyer for former-officer Patrick Pogan, Mr. Stuart London. A quick aside: As a human being, I occasionally suffer bouts of empathy and compassion. Just as all who view the video of the inertial-halting-vector-...

Well massive it was not, with 3 riders. 47 short of needing a permit. Weather followed the same pattern as it has the last 8 months, a very menacing forecast followed by a downright pleasant evening, slushy streets excepted. Cool but clear, the snow let up but participants stayed away. Maybe the permit ruling scared them off. NYPD have totally taken over this community party, with a strong prescense including 2 unmarked sedans (1 officer each), 1 unmarked minivan (2 officers), 1 unmarked SUV (2+ officers), 6 patrol cars (1-2 officers each) and 1 interceptor (1, duh). I guess the scooter brigade was also intimidated by the weather. 4-6 uniformed and less-than-uniformed (not naked, but sporting a NYPD beanies or ski-masks) milled about. So that is 11 vehicles and minimun 17 officers mobilized. Riders and an accompanying documenting party took photos and video of the scene (coming soon!), and had some discussion with the cops. As usual a few classic verbal police maneuvers were put into f...