Critical Mass hits 3 boroughs
Tonights ride was a big success. Took off from Union Square with about 500 strong. Mutant bike gangs, recumbants, old skool bikes, messengers, bladers, all came out strong for a great ride. There were arrests in Manhattan. Seems like the cops were pulling the 'baby elephant' tactic, where the lions pick off the slow pokes in the back. Not sure how many. They used a big tinted window suburban and mopeds. We got text messages about mass cop mobilization in Times Square, so after a few loops at Columbus Circle, the ride headed up Central Park West. We cut through the car path of central park and headed over to 2nd ave. This was a fun ride with lots of cheering and lots of happy onlookers waving to us. We headed down 2nd ave and then took the lower car path on the 59th Street bridge. Back to the good ol' days. The cops tried to mobilize in Queens and you could see sirens flyin in. One girl was thrown off her bike by a cop trying to get a token arrest. So glad they are willing to put people into serious injury just to make a point. The ride scattered through Queens as lone under cover impalas raced around trying to figure out what are next move was. We went across the Pulaski bridge and into Greenpoint. Most people stayed in Williamsburg at the free wheels party. Great ride. More details to follow.
Critical Mass NYC June 2005!!!!!!!!!
Critical Mass NYC June 2005!!!!!!!!!
posted by Michael Green at 9:38 PM
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6 Comments:
Those of us who didn't stop at the party went across the Willy B, using the bike path. About 20 cops on scooters were waiting for us at end of the path in the Delancy St traffic island, but other than clogging up the path and wasting gas/taxpayer money, they didn't bother us.
This my first ride since October, and what a great ride it was! :)
-mike
It was a great ride. Perfect weather and no helicopters buzzing overhead. Lots of positive responses from folks on the sidewalks.
My wife and I hesitated at the QB bridge, but then we decided, what the hell. It was great going over that roadway for maybe the first time, on a bike. But then the cops lay in wait at the bottom, it split up a large portion of the group. A cop seemed to be trying to tackle a cyclist and sent both of them sprawling in the street. We circled around near Northern Blvd then went back across the QB (on the bike path natch). A line of motorcycle cops sped past on the roadway, back to Manhattan.
Later on we stopped by Elizabeth and Houston. Some riders had applied fresh paint to the stencil outlining where Andrew Morgan had been struck and killed. The riders diverted traffic to allow the paint to dry. Shortly after they departed, the wheels of the cars resumed their endless rolling, right over that very spot.
drewo-
That was nice to see community support. I was one of the quiet ones that you were talking with on Houston St. Sad...but nice.
-t
hey. . . photos from the ride are up. you can see them here.
http://suckapants.com/2005/06/everyday-is-just-another-game-of-whos.html
I left the ride to check out times square. Sure enough there were at least a hundred scooter cops laying in wait and about a hundred more on foot with plasticuffs and orange netting. Thankfully the mass didn't ride into their trap.
Still we ride...
This was my first Manhattan Critical Mass since the RNC. I've done Brooklyn a few times since (the cops are like they used to be in Manhattan), but this was great. I realized, however, while trying to escape the cops, that I need a faster bike.
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