Monday, September 22, 2014

So are we still the best cycling city in America or have they taken it back?

Whew, what a weekend we had here in the Big Arple!

So what happened?

Well, there was the Climate Change March yesterday, so that whole global warming thing is now solved, which is nice:



Good job, guys.  I totally would have joined you, but I hate crowds.  So instead what I did was atone for all my motor vehicle emissions by putting MY CAR THAT THE BANK OWNS UNTIL I FINISH PAYING THEM BACK FOR IT on blocks and running it in reverse to take back all those miles I've driven, just like they did in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" right before this happened:



I experienced similar results, causing approximately $75,000 worth of property damage as well as a 16-hour blackout when the car took out a utility pole before finally coming to a stop.  Fortunately I live in New York City, so when the NYPD arrived I simply explained that I had mistaken the accelerator for the brake, and we all had a good laugh over it.

What else?  Well, as usual, cyclists caused mayhem all over the city...by riding slowly and learning!


Professor Jackson said he was not a speed cyclist — he pedaled steadily but not at a pace that would challenge Vincenzo Nibali, the 2014 Tour de France winner. “I mean, I can ride a bike, but this is an easy ride,” he said. “It’s not a race. If you were a serious bicyclist, you would not regard this as any kind of a serious ride at all because it’s way too slow.”

It's pretty sad that a 75 year-old history professor now has to reassure reporters he's not a "speed cyclist" lest Andrea Peyser's head explode in terror.

Meanwhile, motorists all over town obeyed traffic laws as usual and didn't hit mommies pushing strollers in crosswalks or anything like that:


A 40-yr old woman was pushing a child in a stroller west-bound across West End Avenue on 74th St. An east-bound car was traveling on 74th from Riverside Dr and took a left turn on to West End, heading north. The woman and stroller were in the crosswalk (with the walk sign) when the car was trying to turn left. The car hit the woman.

Fortunately, thanks to "Vision Zero" we have new law that makes it an automatic misdemeanor for a motorist to harm a pedestrian or cyclist who has the right of way, so the driver was charged.

Just kidding, of course he wasn't:

Captain Michael Falcon of the 20th precinct said the woman suffered minor injuries and there were no charges filed against the driver.

Sounds about right.

Meanwhile, the Central Park collision I wrote on Friday has devolved into a media feeding frenzy, and these reporters are so desperate for a piece of the story that they're even contacting me.  First came the New York Times, but I was busy at dinner and my mommy always taught me not to talk with my mouth full.  Then came the New York Post, and there is nothing scarier than learning that a paper owned by News Corp has your phone number.  Needless to say, I hung up on the Post reporter as soon as she identified herself, after which I smashed the phone and buried it across the river in New Jersey for good measure.  (They went ahead and wrote an article based on my post anyway, but at least I didn't help them.)  They were followed by CBS National News, to whom I replied thusly:

Hi,

I think I've made my feelings quite clear on my blog so I will decline. I wish the police and mainstream media were similarly concerned with deadly drivers.  Here is a story for you, when you're ready to do a piece on it let's talk:

http://www.gofundme.com/eqdbv4

--BSNYC

Remember Dulcie Canton?  She's the cyclist who was run down by a hit-and-run driver who the police refuse to question, even though they have witnesses and a video of the incident.  The whole thing's so disgustingly fucked up the Post even covered it without blaming the victim or mentioning the cost of her bicycle!


(When the Post is treating cyclists like innocent victims then you know it's bad.)

Anyway, Dulcie Canton emailed me this past weekend to let me know that the police still haven't investigated.  (This happened on August 7th, mind you.)  Meanwhile, she's still recovering.  She needs to see specialists.  She has bills to pay.  She's back to work at the bike shop, but only part time.  So she's set up a "relief fund" and she's asking for help:


So instead of buying something stupid today, why not help her out?

And yes, as far as my reply to CBS, you're goddamn right I can write a blog post excoriating reckless riding on Friday and then decry the sickening double-standard on display by the media and the police on Monday.  You got a problem with that?  Put a cannoli in it.

By the way, CBS also wanted to know "what I think needs to be done so that these sorts of accidents don’t continue."  (And I really hope they mean specifically in Central Park because if they mean everywhere then that's just fucking stupid.)  Well, of course I know the answer to what needs to be done in Central Park, so I'll tell you what I didn't tell them:

Ban cars on the Central Park drives.

Ban cars.  Not bikes.  Cars.  That's the answer.  Does this excuse reckless riding in the park?  Not a whit.  However, it's a trickle-down thing.  At the busiest times of day, the park is open to drivers who are barreling through the park on a big wide thoroughfare.  (Same thing goes for Prospect Park in Brooklyn, by the way.)  So when the park's closed to traffic, invariably the next creature on the vehicular food chain takes their place on that big wide inviting thoroughfare, and that's cyclists.  And when it's open to cars, cyclists are merely forced into a smaller space, which has been recently "improved" with the addition of a bunch of confusing and meaningless painted lines.

Furthermore, if you've ever been in either Central Park or Prospect Park and witnessed the transition when it becomes open to cars, you know how absurd it it.  It's like opening and closing a tap.  There are no cars in the park, and then suddenly, RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC IS BLASTING THROUGH THE PARK!  One moment you're enjoying a nice ride or walk in the park, and the next it's BEEP GET THE FUCK OUTTA THE WAY!

So of course when the park's being pressure-washed by cars mornings and afternoons the default mode for anything with wheels is going to be speed.  Drivers are setting the pace!  However, if cars were banished all the time, the default speed would naturally slow as all the actual park users assumed complete control.  Then, once the cars are out, you make changes to the design of the roadway to further optimize it for non-motorized use.

I mean really.  You want a mellower park?  Maybe start by removing the fastest, noisiest, dirtiest machines in the goddamn park!  The drivers aren't even using it!  For them, the park is just a shortcut.  If a fancy restaurant won't let you walk in off the street, take a piss, and leave, why does the city let drivers cut through a magical green oasis so they can get home a little faster?

Lastly, I've been mentioned in this, and I don't know how to feel about it:


Click Dark - Never Coastin - DPBC from Matt O'Donnell on Vimeo.

I also don't know what year it is. It's like I just traveled through a wormhole to 2006.

Remember when fixie riders were the greatest threat to cycling civilization?

Those were the days...


155 comments:

BamaPhred said...

Podium

Anonymous said...

Podio

Flyover BC said...

Podium ?

dnk said...

Podio sans strava?

RANTWICK said...

read it!

Alias Bob said...

KOM....uh Mount Anthill, Mt. Cul de Sac, errr...Mt. City Park!!

JLRB said...

top 10 - my strava tells me so

ken e. said...

in there

dop said...

no podophylline for you

Buffalo Bill said...

Nostrava was not really an issue this weekend.

Flyover BC said...

Just say no to Dopes!!

Anonymous said...

fodder

ken e. said...

and that trini lopez link from the last comments is GOLD!

Anonymous said...

hmmmmmmmmmmm

cycle

Joe K. said...

I'm surprised your blog got any attention from the media considering the news is having Six with Apple's new iPhone. Seriously 15 minutes of my morning TV-based talking head newsreading was iphone 6ing.

The spin is out of control on it. It's as if no pedestrians ever die in NYC and a cyclist came and ruined Utopia.

And since when does loving cycling and supporting smart (read at least at a 4th grade level) bike infrastructure mean you support tridorks and stravaheads to behave irresponsibly? Tridork the Impaler may have been in the proper lane, and had the right of way, these can be argued without saying he was in the right. But for media to outright sensationalize it (Or as the Post calls it "Report" on the accident) with lies and half truths, that helps no one's cause. It just makes assholes of everyone, and assholes accomplish nothing but shitting on everything. There is nothing constructive that comes from a congregation of assholes.

I would be okay with the majority of central park being off limits to bikes, oh wait it is. I would also like if areas where the bikes are allowed were marked for others to know what traffic to look for when walking through, oh wait it is. I would also love that the news do their damn jobs and report on the fact that no, NO, NONE, NADA, cases where a sober driver breaks the law, whether it speeding, running a light, or even out-right violently using their vehicle as a weapon has that driver been charged with a crime when it has involved a cyclist.

I don't expect it to change.

Vision Zero should be re-titled, Vision Zero* (*Cyclists are worth 200 points each, go get 'em.)

Anonymous said...

You city dwellers got some serious issues. And that has got to be the most posts Friday on any BSNYC column. Mainly due to Stravargumentation.

I could not make it past 33 seconds of that video from today. So I did not see the snob reference. But I can safely say I would want it removed from just the 33 seconds I saw.

I did ride with my computater on last night. And it will be Strava'd. Dodged Deer. Avoided rednecks. Mountain bike in the cool air. But I wore my Arrogant Bastard Ale hat instead of the snobby cap. So that's something.

BamaPhred said...

Click Dark too clean, not enough tats, not enough piercings, not enough facial hair to be relevant. Probably a future Senator.

El Bonquistador said...

PARK! It's right there in the fuckin' word! C'MON! Jeez, and... 'nuff said... but further.

Your car doesn't drive when it's in park... why would cars drive through parks. It may seem like an over simplification but IT'S THE SAME FUCKING WORD!

I blame cops and politicians, and doping.

Still though, you could think about something else.

Anonymous said...

Good point in stopping car traffic in Central Park. It will never happen unfortunately. I ride through there every day on my way to work and cars routinely speed and the NYPD does nothing. It's a fucking joke and speaks to how serious our mayor is about his vision zero policy.

Anonymous said...

I was going to donate, until I read that it would be paying for acupuncture. As therapy.

So I guess that all I am willing to do is cross my fingers for her and wish her the best.

Vernal Magina said...

I still want a free hat.

BikeSnobNYC said...

Anonymous 1:16pm,

She got messed up by a car. If it makes her feel better to get acupuncture, or a foot massage, or a nice cup of tea, what's the big deal?

I mean, I have absolutely no problem if someone is not inclined to donate, but in that case just don't donate. No need to give a silly reason.

--Wildcat Rock Machine

Comment deleted said...

I'm a little amazed at the umbrage Strava users took at the suggestion that they turn it off for TWO ENTIRE DAYS.

This smacks of addictive behavior to me. (No pun intended).

It's as if it's now impossible to enjoy riding without the validation Strava provides.

I'm not saying Strava is not a useful tool, and it certainly doesn't bear all the blame for the Central Park collision, but introspection about the effect it may or may not have on public safety is a GOOD THING. Maybe one will conclude that the effect is minimal, maybe one will realize that it might lead to slightly less safe behavior - I don't know. It's just interesting to me how defensive people got over a suggestion to not use it for 48 hours.

dop said...

JB-

I've also collided with a roller blader. In Central Park on the West Drive, not far from last week's accident. He was a French tourist, listening to disco/europop/edm on his headphones & dancing to the beat. I gave him 3 feet when I passed, but he pirouetted and clobbered me. It was likev a physics experiment:we were both 200 lb, going 15 mph & on wheels. We bounced. No injuries, except front rim (reflex) was pancaked. After an apology he said, "Ah! Maveec! Eet is French. Theese you can straighten out by standing on eet!" (no)

Spokey- I live on top of a 22% hill (if I can trust strava). Getting home on a 39/26 means keeping my balance out of the saddle at a very low cadence.

grog said...

Here we drive on the parkway, and park on the driveway. Ban cars from the parks.
RECM BABE

commentatorbot_028734 said...

Imagine if drivers responded to the pedestrian getting struck like Snobby did to the tragic accident blogulated on Friday.

Instead, we get Snobby's response, "WE RUINED UTOPIA. NO STRAVA FOR YOU!"

It's nice to see sane snobby has returned.

Comment deleted said...

commenterbot, if you were trying to summarize a thoughtful response in a childish way, you have succeeded.

Joe K. said...

Hey commenterbot,

Thanks for taking my phrase from above and altering it to suck. Totally not where I was going with that.

Anonymous said...

several times daily on my commute to and from work here in NYC I am cut off my inattentive and/or aggressive drivers, walked in front of by pedestrians crossing against the light, forced to dodge cars in the bike lane, have to stop for cars turning without a signal, have to stop 9 out of 10 times to avoid the dreaded right hook, have to dodge people flinging their doors open into traffic as they exit cabs without looking, have to dangerously ride around double parked cars and trucks, etc. And then when their is one very unfortunate bike on ped accident we are all implicated as unsafe aggressive assholes by our very responsible local media and subjected to a totally overblown crackdown by the NYPD. Could someone please remind me again why NYC is America's Best Biking City? Fuck it, I'm buying a Hyundai and moving to Portland.

babble on said...

Yeah, I remember...

The next time the media ask for your input with regards to safer streets, please please please suggest that the city plaster the place with speed trap cameras, and dutifully ticket every single speeding driver. THAT would clean up the roads in no time flat.
On a lighter note, here's a quick glimpse of what I did on my summer vaycay.

Rob said...

http://nypost.com/2014/09/22/new-yorks-cycles-of-death-our-arrogant-biker-nightmare/

Very nice.

3G said...

Strava is NOT a tool for training. Power-meters and heart rate monitors are "tools for training". Hell, you can track your "training" in an excel workbook. I admit, I used it early on, then I realized how dumb it really was. It didn't help me track my training any better than me asking myself if I rode yesterday as hard as I thought I could.

It's nothing more that an ego stroking (or killing) dick measuring contest on your bicycle. If you're that insecure about cycling that you have to create your own "segment" (albeit there are probably 19 other segments for the same g-ddamn fucking piece of road) to be "KOM", my friend, you need to chill out.

What ever happened to showing up to the group ride, and just trying to beat the other guy/gals? Strava has turned cycling from a social sport, to a bunch of folks with their eyes glued to their computer screens with one hand on their crabon handlebars, and their other on their back patting themselves that it's "Ok they didn't get the KOM...next time".

<\rant>

Anonymous said...

To 99.9% of you Strava users, let me save you the time and effort - "YOU ARE FUCKING MEDIOCRE". Now put the I-phone away and enjoy the ride, for a change. You're welcome.

McFly said...

Specialists? You came very close to copyrite infringement. Close one.

PBateman said...

i noticed that today if you go to the NY Post's web page that the story of the bike accident is front and center just ABOVE what i guess is a "lesser" story about the mass rapes that ISIS is perpetrating.

good post today snobs. was curious how'd you'd be following friday's and this was good.

Orestes Munn said...

Good posts today and Friday.

Acupuncture, while probably not effective, is almost certainly harmless and only happens to be one of very few rehab medicine modalities subjected to clinical trial.

Classic roadie returns by UPS tomorrow, all cold set and fredded out in a way which will earn me much opprobrium, I'm sure.

The Post doesn't always suck said...

Indeed, death by bicycle gets attention because it’s like death by plane crash — rare.

Of the 754 pedestrians killed in New York in the past half-decade, just two have died at the hands of cyclists.

But the cyclists who kill — or could kill — deserve attention anyway.

First because they should have more empathy — after all, cyclists are killed by reckless drivers.

Weeks ago, a hit-and-run car driver slammed into 38-year-old Dulcie Canton, who was riding a slow bike. The driver knocked her out cold and broke her bones.

Brooklyn’s 83rd Precinct should start investigating this case as thoroughly as the Central Park precinct is investigating Thursday’s crash.

Anonymous said...

Click Dark
Click Dork

Joe K. said...

Tonight on Extra

Bikes, the enemy of the road...

Too slow for the road, too fast for the bike lane and too Alec Baldwin for the sidewalk. How do we stop this menace? Find out after the break.

(Extra Extra)

Mario Lopez here in central park where a kind woman, shopping for her honor-student child's birthday present was run down by a frothing at the mouth Strava-fiend who the media has dubbed, "Tridork the Impaler." How do we protect ourselves from the menace these human-powered missiles present? Ban them. Ban them all. For years they have been told to behave as cars, but they are clearly too slow to be cars. Many drivers agree that the bikers' incessant proclivity for slowing traffic is intolerable for drivers and unsafe for the bikers. Many cyclists fearing for their lives from the apparent threat cars present have asked for bike lane, but this has now lead to two pedestrian deaths, something we all can agree is too many. Alec Baldwin took it one step further and rides on the sidewalk seen here (picture shown) if this continues more pedestrians will die.

Ban bikes, and horse carriages, and rollerbladers, and Rob Ford.

I'm Mario Lopez with this special report. (Extra Extra)

Thanks Mario. We'll be back after a word from our sponsors.

Cue Lexus/Infiniti/Mercedes ad with inattentive driver being saved by technology that will pull the car back into the lane or stop itself when the driver is not doing what they are supposed to be doing behind a weapon of gas destruction.

1904 Cadardi said...

Is anyone here twitterating to the NYPD/ Det Mennen for each of these cyclist and pedestrian injuries/deaths? If they want to play the guilt and shame game, then play on.

1904 Cadardi said...

dop,

22% in a 39/26? Either Strava is lying or you're one strong ass mother f***er. I've ridden that combo and it is seriously brutal. I swapped the 26 for a 32 the next time I had to ride that stretch of road.

Fred O'Sea
So you went with modern group on the old steel. Nice! You must report after the initial shakedown ride.

JB said...

Snob,

Now that the car/bike/pedestrian problem has been solved, let's turn our attention to new-fangled bicycle seats.

This one actually seems reasonable, but I may be biased since I know the developer.

Skewer away! I'm thinking about donating $100 (free saddle!).

Spokey said...

babs

thought we had caught you on a clown bike in pic 12 until i went to the larger view and saw you were pulling a trailer. better watch that stuff.

Irrelevant said...

Was driver who hit woman pushing baby stroller using Strava?

dop said...

OK, I remember the highest number.
A hill 0.2 miles long, mostly 9%-15%. There's little pitch about 30 feet long that hits 22%, the bottom of my driveway, that's a complete bastard.

commentatorbot_028734 said...

Car drivers are permitted to behave under a completely different and I'd argue far more powerful, of set of social rules. One of those rules is not one bit of collective shame about hitting pedestrians and cyclists.

Why don't those rules apply to cyclists? Where is the collective guilt at a NYC car driving blog for running down a pedestrian?

Don't mistake that for indifference to Friday's accident victim. Loss of life is a terrible thing no matter what.

BikeSnobNYC said...

Irrelevant,

Well, probably not Strava, but odds are pretty decent he was using some kind of cellphone app.

--Wildcat Rock Machine

hoot79er said...

dude is dope!

BikeSnobNYC said...

commentatorbot_028734,

That's a very good point. However, keep in mind this is a very specific type of cyclist--a racer and club rider--engaged in a specific type of riding. So it's natural recreational/sporting/whatever cyclists would have some sort of collective response. I think motorcyclists and even certain types of car enthusiasts would also feel this way if one of their own found himself in a similar situation.

Also, there's also the fact that this happened in the park, so people react differently.

But yeah, otherwise, it's only cyclists everyone expects to be accountable for other cyclists. people never identify with other drivers who kill.

--Wildcat Rock Machine



babble on said...

Spokey - Truth is I have been known to mount a clown bike!

Trailers were a way of life for years on end, first with one son, and then the other. Pretty sure that's where all these muscles came from. Next to a Burly, that little bob trailer was a dream, with only one wheel and thirty odd pounds fully loaded.

Noah said...

I got really goofy on weed and caffeine on the N/S Country trailway this past Sunday and may have either hallucinated running into you and chatting, spoken to some guy who wondered why I kept calling him "El BikeSnobborino" or gave you fodder for your next rant about the danger of sad, stoned, caffeinated middle aged divorcees clogging up this nation's rail trails...

Freddy Murcks said...

Not that my comments are ever that funny, but I got nothing today. The world is just chock full of monumentally stupid people and unfunny happenings.

CommieCanuck said...

Geez, that is fucked up, it seems NYC has a new "Walk it off" policy for hit and run.

I also hear you can steal billions from poor old pensioners there and not get charged either.

CommieCanuck said...

Was driver who hit woman pushing baby stroller using Strava?

Was the driver who hit woman pushing baby stroller wearing a healments?

CommieCanuck said...

So, here's my question.. if Tom Wolfe were writing "Bonfire of the Vanities" today, it would be a short story where Sherman McCoy just goes home?

BamaPhred said...

I wish I could comment on the current issue, but I have 0 experience in an urban environment, or urban parks.
Are the Central Park cars just passing through from one side of Manhattan to the other? Or can you actually drive around in the park?

BikeSnobNYC said...

BamaPhred,

Around the inside of the park.

You can also drive across it via these sunken transverses but I have no problem with that.

--Wildcat Rock Machine

dop said...

Bama-

The park has several 'transverses', sunken below ground level, for cars to pass without disturbing those enjoying the park. The architect wanted this to be a haven. The roadway in question is a six-mile loop. In the 19th century this was for rich folks to ride about in carriages. (strict etiquette: the first time your friend's carriage passes, a wave and loud hello. Second pass rates a nod. Third pass pretend they're not there.) This gilded age carriage loop used to be open to cars 24/7. It's now closed to cars on weekends & mid-days. (not sure about overnight. Pedestrians, strollers, skaters, cyclists & cars. Fun to ride 5-7 in the am with teams moving fast.

Spokey said...

PotBelly

I believe that commercial is for an Infinity. It stuck in my mind because it's so frightening

Spokey said...

or infiniti

Comment deleted said...

Commie, the Post's current behavior reminded me of that book and its characterization of the NY press. I skipped right past the irony, though.

JLRB said...

Fighting against the Fall Funk - so much negativity this time of year as things begin to die - bees fly angrily and sting me (swollen foot at the moment).

People - fuhgtarded or not - I love to hate and love them all and am thankful to be around to do so. Going to savor my ride home, even if another pedestrian zombie strolls into the road in front of me.

It's like downhill skiing - you are responsible for every idiot in front of you (and pray the idiots bombing behind you have control). Do what you can to make it safe for everyone, and hope that you get to some day be doddering along in your 70's without a care

Spokey said...

commie welcome back

babs afterwards i did notice that not only were you not pedaling, but appeared to be gazing fondly at that massage sign

BamaPhred said...

The car hours are pretty restricted, but in a city of 8-9 million people, that can be a steady steam of rubber necking, cell phone selfieing, texting, gps viewing, tourists, well leavened with the usual folks who seem to value their time more than your life.
It only takes 1 person having an inattentive moment and all manner of bad happens.
I'm sure on peak visitor and work days, the NYC population approaches that of Louisiana, MIssissippi, and Alabama combined. And I think it's too crowded here.
That blows my mind.

Spokey said...

dop

was that the original park or the moses park. moses rabidly auto-centric / anti biek & ped. I'd figure him to get people in the park for a game of auto dodge ball.

A hill 0.2 miles long, mostly 9%-15%. There's little pitch about 30 feet long that hits 22%, the bottom of my driveway, that's a complete bastard.

i guess .2 for 9-15 isn't too bad. maybe i'd stay out of the granny gear. good thing 22% is 30 feet. any longer and i'd advising selling the house and moving.

Comment deleted said...

It is so powerfully not-illegal to hit a cyclist with a car in NYC, even *trying to do so* actually cancels out subsequent crimes.

Case in point: Cabbie tries to run down cyclist, misses, goes on to sidewalk and crushes the legs of a tourist. N.C.S. Cabbie doesn't even lose his hack license.

Joe K. said...

@Spokey,

There are multiple ads for the brands I listed.

The Infiniti ad has an Asian woman backing up into a school bus, phew, the car stopped me from killing my two kids and potentially hurting 75 school kids.

Mitsubishi has the woman looking in her rearview mirror at her kids on the freeway when a car slams its brakes in front of her. Phew car stops me while I wasn't paying attention...

The Lexus ad has a woman piloting their largest SUV and reaching into the back seat for something she dropped, while yanking the wheel into oncoming traffic with a huge truck. Oh wait, it was only a simulator.

The Mercedes ad has a guy driving into a construction zone blinded by lights and the car staying in it's lane and stopping for the flagger holding a sign.

All of these cars should come with a system that immediately overrides the controls, finds the local police precinct, drives to it, parks in the lot and shuts down, then requiring a licensed driving instructor to input a code that this purchase has passed a drivers' safety course so that they can drive their vehicle again.

Spokey said...

guess i'll stay out here in the hemorrhoids.

today no one right hooked me.

a couple times, cars actually hung out behind me until i was around the curve and they could see well enough to pass.

don't think there was a single strafe.

no one parked in a biek lane although that might be * as i was only in a biek lane for about a 1/2 mile or so.

oops. did forget one. a woman did pull out of the entrance to a strip mall as I was entering the entrance area. then she decided she couldn't jet out to the left lane and stopped completely straddling the right lane. not too bad and it did remind me that I gots to toe-in those front breaks. they're alright on a soft to medium break but sing like a herd of bansees when i hit them hard.

Anonymous said...

Blogger BikeSnobNYC said:

"...keep in mind this is a very specific type of cyclist--a racer and club rider--engaged in a specific type of riding..."

This Really pisses me off, Snobby. In one sentence you've reduced the cyclist to a "type" and stated that he was "engaged in a specific type of riding".

What do you know that the rest of don't, my learn'd friend?

I'm not suggesting you need to write about this in the abstract, but please, don't be "profiling" riders and unless you actually know for certain, spare us your assertions he was "engaged in a specific type of riding".

What's especially annoying is that is that you opened Friday's blog with the observation dopey Mennen was goading you and that the first you'd heard of this was through the august New York Post's dignified report of the incident.

Mennen has probably been sporting a half mongrel of sheer delight all weekend at the response he provoked from you. He dangled the bait and you swallowed it, hook line and sinker.

Whatever the truth of the incident, you conducting an amateur investigation and declaring strava the culprit, is every bit as tawdry as Mennen's and the Post's crap.

No wonder your phone's ringing off the hook with calls from scandal sheets, you're looking like the sort of trash celebrity they love.

Spokey said...

joe

the one i'm thinking of i'm pretty sure is an infiniti but is some young dude.

he must do something like 4 or 5 inattentive things and sighs relief that he is still alive. this is on at a decent speed on some road. i think it includes not being able to stay in his lane. i think also the avoiding the rear ending of the car in front of him.

don't know whether this is a good idea or bad idea. staying in the lane may help us. you know that curve on 206 between lowes and say the firehouse? i'm on that at least a couple times a week. there are cars and tractor trailers half off the road on that shoulder. at least smart cars might keep them in the lane.

Of course the downside is that the idiots will assume the cars will save them and pay even less attention.

Joe K. said...

@Spokey,

Yes there is a new one that has been on for two weeks now with a guy that has an inner-monologue going with "Wow, that was close" "I didn't see that coming." and a few other choice phrases the world would be safer to never hear. Your comment jogged my memory.

The Lexus one is easily the most frightening for me as I have come grille-to-grille with a Ford Expedition on Amwell road after the driver left her lane and was coming straight at me. I could not see her until I laid on my horn in my little ZX2 at which time I saw her bring her head back up and look towards the road, correcting just in time as I swerved onto a driveway to avoid the accident.

I came to a stop about 30 feet later in the rock driveway after the playhouse in Neshanic/Hillsborough and sat there parked for what could have been 10 minutes while I calmed down. She was long gone and wisely didn't come back to apologize as it would have been a murder scene when I was done.

Anonymous said...

Yes, it's an Infinitiyi commercial and very scary.
SkyNet got too big.

vsk

Freddy Murcks said...

I just read that the woman who was run down has died. While I don't mean to minimize the tragedy, this is one pedestrian killed by a bicyclist in NYC in I don't know how many years. I am just wondering where the outrage is for the pedestrians that are killed and maimed by cars in NYC nearly every damn day.

BikeSnobNYC said...

Anonymous 5:34pm,

Oh save it. All I'm saying is he's a USA Cycling license-holding racer out for a ride in the park. So this is obviously going to resonate with the rest of us who also fit the description as we can relate to that type of riding, especially those of us who live in NYC and have participated in the local racing scene. If that's not true why are you even reading this?

--Wildcat Rock Machine

Spokey said...

yes that sounds like the one i'm thinking of. i think you're right. he is talking to himself with "that was close" and stuff like that.

and yes, anything like a close call in a ZX2 warrants sitting there for a few minutes to subdue the pulse and adrenalin. and that section of the road is narrow with a dearth of escape routes.

Olle Nilsson said...

Never ceases to amaze me that after all these years the Catalina Bay link still works.

Couldn't make it more than 1/2 way thru the video, so will have to take your word they mentioned you. Cause I never coast. No that's not right, I always coast. Except when I'm walking, then I never coast.

Finally, morespellingmisteaksorimafuckinkillya

Spokey said...

vsk

just wait until skynet switches from avoidance to encounter mode. glad the camry that i own is even dumber than i am.

still i kind of wish i had kept the coronet 440 with good old points and a carb (even if it wasn't a six pack). i think that dumb beast would survive an EMP.

babble on said...

Aw fuck, snob. That really hurts. Seriously. I am a UCI license holder, and I participate in group rides, too. And believe it or not, I am also a responsible rider, despite the profile you just stuffed me into. So by your reasoning, does that mean if some pedestrian walks out in front of me, I am automatically at fault no matter what?!?

That is absolutely so not on. What happened to innocent until proven guilty?

Fuck that. It's just bullshit plain and simple.

the artist formerly known as Roille Figners said...

Hi, it's the former Roille Figners letting you know I won't be reading or commenting anymore. I wouldn't normally announce it, but I think it's appropriate you know that it was Friday's post that tipped it from "this close" to actually walking out. Thanks for the mammaries.

T.A.F.K.A.R.F. said...

PS Serial Retrogrouch is a cock-gobbler (with apologies to Babs)

leroy said...

I don’t have a Strava account and now, thanks to my dog, I don’t need one.

This weekend, I tested his new app: Nostravadamus.

I got a customized report in bridle path brown Crayola:

“You will go over the Brooklyn Bridge, cross the George Washington Bridge, head north, and ride some route you’ve ridden before. You will be a little slower or a little faster than usual.”

Uncanny.

I got a discount because I tested the beta version.

BikeSnobNYC said...

Babble On,

At 3:39pm, commentatorbot_028734 pointed out:

Car drivers are permitted to behave under a completely different and I'd argue far more powerful, of set of social rules. One of those rules is not one bit of collective shame about hitting pedestrians and cyclists.

I agreed with him, and added:

However, keep in mind this is a very specific type of cyclist--a racer and club rider--engaged in a specific type of riding. So it's natural recreational/sporting/whatever cyclists would have some sort of collective response.

MEANING:

He's a racer. I'm a racer. Many of us are racers. So naturally we're going to be especially invested in the story. When I said "specific type of riding" I merely meant amateur racing. I'm not "stuffing you into" anything. My comment was entirely in the context of his comment.

I'd think with all the time you spent commenting here maybe you'd take the time to actually read and understand them but apparently not.

Anyway, I'm glad I've given you a convenient place to constantly promote your own blog.

--Wildcat Rock Machine



BikeSnobNYC said...

thee artist formerly known as Roille Figners,

Later.

--Wildcat Rock Machine

STG said...

SNOB,

Although banning cars in Central Park would be great for cyclists and pedestrians, I see no correlation between bike speed and car speed. If I were given a wider bike lane on a car-free central park loop I would take advantage of that and ride faster, (during appropriate off peak hours).

I see all this car-banning stuff the same as gun control. We need to enforce our existing laws, and hold people personally accountable thats all. Its in the same vein of creating a new automatic misdemeanor for injuring a pedestrian in a car. If you're not enforcing your existing laws, writing new toothless laws will not help.

I'm an American rugged individualist, and I will take my cues from Jobst Brandt - the Charlton Heston of bikes. All these greenways and banning cars nonsense will lead to us losing our right as cyclists to use normal roadways. That right will be taken from my cold dead hands.

Sean

Ti Burglar said...

I don't think he's saying that, Babble, but I agree that "spandex-clad" group riders (or tridorks) need to take a bit more responsibility considering 1) their visibility and 2) their speed. I don't know Central Park, but to me blasting around Stava-ing on a tri-bike in an area where pedestrians could jump out any moment seems ridiculously irresponsible. Of course, the idea of riding a tri-bike also seems irresponsibly ridiculous to me.

As far as cars and that fucking commercial, yes, that shit boils my blood. While those technologies are beneficial, it's just hard not to see those ads as normalizing and accepting irresponsible driving. Also, they will not save your ass when you're on a bike. They won't save you from getting hooked, or having someone pass you then jam into reverse immediately to parallel park (because once you pass a bike it ceases to exist). Maybe "the smartest" car could recognize the cyclist, refuse to go into reverse...and then what? Keep following the car ahead until things are "deemed safe"? What about a situation where it has to decide between backing into the cyclist (driver's instruction) or plowing into the rear of the car ahead of it (safer, probably more expensive/litigious scenario)?

Care to place a bet?

Comment deleted said...

Gonna miss you, Roille. Have a good life.

BikeSnobNYC said...

STG,

Out of curiosity, are you saying this as someone who rides regularly in Central Park?

--Wildcat Rock Machine

babble on said...

Wow. Nice. Thanks for that, and thanks for making it abundantly clear how welcome I am here.

so long, and thanks for all the fish

:*(

Dooth said...

I like steel cut Irish oatmeal for breakfast because...
I never toast
I never toast
I never toast

BikeSnobNYC said...

babble on,

You're welcome here. Everyone is welcome here. But I reserve the right to be offended when I'm taken so wildly out of context, and to speak frankly when I'm addressed directly.

--Wildcat Rock Machine

STG said...

SNOB,

I ride in Central Park at the following times and under the following conditions when there are few peds and cars:

Weekend rain days (training)

Weeknights from November - March (training)

Late weeknights, April - October (spinning/recovery)

If I want to -train- during the week I ride from 5-7am in Prospect park, or after dark (I live in Brooklyn).

Most of my real riding I keep to the land of make believe where I won't kill anyone.

I regards to car speed vs bike speed, I go as fast as I can safely given the conditions. IE, on NY bridges (especially manhattan) I pass conservatively, I give other cyclists and pedestrians their 3 feet. But if there's no one there, hammertime. Because I'm a faster rider I tend to forgo bikelanes wholesale and simply ride with the cars most of the time. I never use the protected bike lanes, I feel like I'm attacking the Death Star.

I have experience with my own life-altering injuries and am more conservative in my riding when it can affect others.

Sean

Count of Sprint said...

93

Count of Sprint said...

95

dang

BikeSnobNYC said...

STG,

All very sensible. I only asked because people commenting here are not necessarily local or familiar with the parks.

I just think if the parks go car-free they'll naturally become more pedestrian friendly, plus they can dispense with signals, etc. that are car-centric, since that stuff doesn't work so great for cyclists and pedestrians.

--Wildcat Rock Machine

Mr Nofish said...

Has any proof surfaced that Marshall was truly going too fast in a situation where he shouldn't have?

In the meanwhile what I've seen is Snob assigning blame based on this guy having a Strava account and being a fast, dedicated rider.

A moron could jump in front of my bike tomorrow ON PURPOSE (it's happened) and cause me to crash with the subsequent injuries and damage - and I'll be assigned blame a priori?

You can bet your ass anyone who's fitting that profile or even part of it is going to feel rightfully pigeonholed AND pissed off.

james said...

Today's comments have been a bummer so I offer this: What's the dope pedallers going to do now that their very prominent PBR has been bought by Russian company Oasis beverage ? Probably no fuks given'.

Orestes Munn said...

I find it a little odd that this tragic situation or peoples' rather predictable and reactions, including the valid ones, should trigger such emotion, but Thst shows what I know.

By way of Central Park Fred cred, I grew up in Manhattan and was even a paid-up Century Road Club member for a little while. The park was an OK place to ride then, let alone the 60s when my dad first took me there, but we still got our distance over the bridge,

Please excuse the frivolous and Fredly aside: Cadardi, I peeled off a couple of "boat bucks" and went full NOS Dura Ace 7800 and Ksyrium Eliies. I've never ridden anything remotely like that in my life. I suspect I'll like it.

Comment deleted said...

Joyless century.

dop said...

100

dop said...

it's not joyless, you won

Comment deleted said...

Nope. No joy today. I'm going to miss Babs and Roille.

Orestes Munn said...

Robt. Moses built the zoo, which is really pretty well-designed, and was involved in minor (for him) hanky-panky involving the Tavern on the Green, if memory serves, but, as dcp implies, his great depredations were elsewhere.

STG said...

SNOB,

Thank you for the replies. I somewhat disagree with you, but I like the way you think!

I agree that the traffic signals are not ped/cyclist friendly. However, I do notice that in Prospect Park the police tend to enforce "Idaho stops." I can run red lights without being ticketed, so long as I don't violate someone's right of way (crossing or preparing to cross). I tested that while spinning this past Saturday morning (right after the Jason Marshall incident), when NYPD posted a squadcar at every traffic light in Prospect park. Within reason, I was able to get a brisk ride in despite the crowds, without being ticketed OR violating anyone's right of way.

Traffic lights are critical for safety of peds and cyclists. It needs to be clear who has the right of way in any given intersection, otherwise everyone will just play chicken with each other. In addition, good community based law enforcement can show a greater value than civil engineering / urban planning because it directly affects the psychology of all participants. This is much better than physical herding via urban planning and bike lanes.


I do want to make one observation super clear on the psychology of the situation. 100% of the time, when I stop at a light to yield to peds, they wait several seconds to cross. This means that they are conditioned to wait for you to pass even if they have the right of way. This could only happen if very few cyclists that look like I do (roadies) yield to peds, or if pedestrians have that perception. Note this only includes "good pedestrians" who waited for the crossing signal, not those who cross regardless of signal/traffic.

Sean

semi serious cyclist said...

If this is your early strategizing for your run at Gracie mansion, better rethink your tactics. Closing Central Park to motor vehicles to favor the lowly cyclists and pedestrians?

The motorists fought tooth and nail a century ago for the right to drive their cars over people in the park, mind you! Not a chance in God's Green Acres is NYCDOT going to close the park to the automobilery.

Sunny Boy said...

Hi there. I rode my bike to work and back today and nothing even remotely bad happened at all, in fact I really had quite a pleasant time. I hope that everyone will have has a ride as splendid as mine was before they go to bed tonight. However, I did see a dead body on the side of the road the other day and even though it was draped in a sheet, it still was quite unsettling...

Joe K. said...

At Spokey:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id8CQ-vsojQ

It's called voices. It should be called Attempted Manslaughter.

Yeah, you know the spot then, mind you this was around a decade ago, so it was pre-repaving and the road was still 50 through the farms. I avoid Amwell like the plague when i go ride.

Did you ride Sourlands, or is that not your scene?

I Love My Car said...

Roads were made for horse wagons with four wheels and now in modern times, roads are made for cars with four wheels. All you bike people are getting a free ride on the roads that got there because of cars. I don't like how uppity all you bike hippy commie tree huggers are getting. If you don't like to ride on the roads with cars then get the hell off the road and slop about in the ditch where you all belong!

STG said...

No one is getting a free ride. We all pay taxes and traffic tickets. Drivers pay tolls on the highways that are exclusive to cars. Also, the majority of cyclists also drive.

You're a trolololololol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6FUR_nhGX8

Sean

Spokey said...

I Love My Car

you can have your roads when you start paying for them.

STG

not sure what you mean. A lot of toll roads are off limits to bicycles. But AFAIK bicycles need to pay the tolls too. I do know someone who was threatened with arrest in south jersey for blowing through a toll on his bicycle.

maybe that is one thing that varies by state

Spokey said...

joe

you mean mtn /trails? then no. i'm pure road. i do ride by them occasionally.

Mostly i loop around hillsborough. dukes / 206. or 202 /raritan/206. stuff like that. i used to ride down to my sister's who lived east of quakerbridge but she moved to columbus.

I Fuck My Car said...

I like how powerful a car makes me feel...just by stepping on the gas. How cool is that? And I can kill people with it and get away with it!

Anonymous said...

Who will do complicated math equations if Rollie leaves? And if Babs leaves there goes half the comments on any given day. I can't think of what it might be like here without them.

Anonymous said...

Another excellent post bikesnobnyc. Thank you.

Screen Door said...

Slam!

Dave said...

Had a major problem with some pedestrians on the W&OD rail today - I'm waving and yelling at them just so they'll see me, and they look around, pretending to be stupid, then just keep sauntering across the trail in their lousy brown suits. Three altogether. Totally irresponsible. They could cause me to roll off an embankment avoiding then and fall into the creek and drown. No criminality suspected. Lousy whitetails. Breed like rabbits.

Don't even get me started on the daredevil squirrels that like to see how many times they can zigzag and still not be crushed. Psychopaths, thrill-seekers, all of them.

gNarly Simon said...

You're so vain
I bet you think this blog is about you
Don't you? Don't you?

Seasonal affective said...

Angry Autumn

Anonymous said...

No babs and Figners? Ok. No babs and Figners back in the day.

get over yourself said...

harden the fuck up

1904 Cadardi said...

This has been a very interesting and probably the most enlightening discussion here in Snobland. WCRM has really been my window into how crazy and inept the traffic law enforcement in NYC is towards car vs. ped/cyclist incidents. And I think he has done a good job of brining the issues to light. He didn't give a big F-U when one us was "behind the wheel". He called it out as wrong. Just as wrong as if it had been a car the hit the victim. Maybe more so.

It's not right that an innocent woman was killed by a cyclist in Central Park. Just like it's not right that all the cyclists and pedestrians were killed by cars. But I don't think strava is the problem, a douche riding with strava is probably going to be a douche without it. A kind, respectful rider will probably be kind and respectful whether strava'd up or not. (for the record I'm not a strava'er but that doesn't really matter). I can see #nostrava as the gesture it's meant to be, I can also see people defend strava because they probably fit into the kind category. Either way, this is Wildcat's playground so he gets to say whatever he wants.

But as long as he lets me play in his sandbox: We (cyclists) are in the minority and things have gotten so out of whack that while a pedestrian death by car doesn't make the news, someone on a bike killing a pedestrian does. It's not right, but it's the truth. So we as cyclist need to be better. I think we all need to feel bad when one of our own fucks up. I've seen commuters, MTBers, hipsters, racers and just about anyone to ever through a leg over a bike all ride like dangerous assholes. We all need to do better. That includes me.

To close, (and quote Consolidated) I haven't got shit to say but if I don't say something, how long will it be this way.

1904 Cadardi said...

Roille, Babs, et.al. Reconsider, it's fun having you around.

Fred, you are about to enter a new world of awesome cycling fredlyness. Okay maybe not awesome, but still pretty cool nonetheless. At least enough to make you say "hey, this integrated shifting thing is pretty neat." Extra points for the first time you shift while standing.

Nacnud said...

Sad to see two prolific commentators leaving over the "Death and Strava" incident (what is Strava, by the way?).

There's an old newspaper adage that explains the media commentary regarding the incident in the park:

Dog bites man, no story. Man bites dog - now there's a story.

Maintain the rage Comrrade.

Joe K. said...

@Spokey,

No, I meant the Sourland Spectacular ride back on the 6th.

Either way, I usually take off to the south down Beekman/Mountain Ave and into the safer pastures of pastureland Hunterdon county. I used to ride a lot through Bound Brrok and down S Middlebush, but Bound is no longer "Not deadly" as the drivers over there, especially early Saturday morning only expect bikes on the sidewalks.

Spokey said...

nope

never even heard of it. but i was entertaining family on the 6th as a belated labor day so wouldn't have made it anyway. come to think of it, it rained on the 6th.

I generally don't do organized rides. the one exception is the farmland ride by central jersey bike club. been doing that so long that a few years ago i started where the complimentary tee from a decade back. e.g. i wore the 2004 this spring. but i see it's an annual event so i'll keep it in mind for next year.

McFly said...

Hey there Delilah what's it like in New York City?

I'm a 1000 miles away but I'm still thinking of that Titty.

(In times of dissidence and confusion we must seek counsel from the Titty. The Titty is omniscient and provides the supple comfort we yearn....long for in a world of hurt and pain)

dancesonpedals said...

if this blog is going to be a big tent, somebody needs to pitch one.

ce said...

We have a park in town. Occasionally I might see a pedestrian or a motorist there. Mostly just snakes.

However, I'm sure
I can extrapolate from my experience to offer some advice for the big cities:

While out riding in your big city parks I suggest you stay well clear of the 30ft long, acid spitting, mega snakes.

Panties said...

In a twist

The Morning After said...

It's appropriate to get pissed off and it's fine to leave an internet forum, but announcing your intention to do so is a pretty silly thing to do.

Anonymous said...

That's it, I'm taking my horse Commanche and I'm outa here. Oh, and also my gerbil Tuber. And there's some warm Stella on the sink, I'm taking that too.

babble on said...

And this paddle. For the pink canoe. THAT's all I need. Oh! And this headlight.

recumbent conspiracy theorist said...

"I smashed the phone and buried it across the river in New Jersey for good measure."

So it really is true and not just something I seen on TV you New Yorkers dumping your trash and dead bodies over in Jersey.

babble on said...

... so I can see clearly in the pre-dawn of a new day.

Steve Martin said...

..and my dog shithead.

Anonymous said...

I'm packing my suitcase of small parts and getting out of here. That's right: no more anonymous posting!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous, we hardly new ye.

Anonymous said...

Excuse me, knew.

Anonymous said...

Pink knew.

Anonymous said...

Phew.

Babs was a bit insufferable, no. That whole "I"m too sexy..." bit gets old good and fast. Besides, she's no spring chicken and thus I was always surprised that her tired "sex is good" monologue played so well here.

Who would have thought the strava black out would effect these closet freds to the degree it did?

BamaPhred said...

Ok! Don't let the door slam on your ass on the way out!

Seriously, all this over Strava?

I enjoy it, but comparing it to real training is like comparing your online persona to actual in-person social skills.

If you think I'm boring and irrelevant on-line, wait until you meet me in person.

leroy said...

I've ridden in and around NYC for years and year round. Sometimes on a carbon bike, sometimes on a commuter, and sometimes on a Citibike.

I haven't ridden in Central Park in three years even though I am often nearby. Just too crowded. And frankly, the arbitrary police enforcement is a pain in the butt.

Sometimes you can go through a red light with no one around. Other times an Idaho stop gets a ticket. Sometimes a rookie thinks the speed limit is 15 mph and tickets you, other times cars buzz you with impunity at more than twice that speed.

Always, you have to look out for pedestrians, rollerbladers, other cyclists, cars, squirrels and other hazards.

The last time I rode in Central Park was at 4 AM on my way to the starting line to pre-ride the New York City Century and touch up the course markings as needed. I was chased out by a cop who told me the park was closed, notwithstanding that TA volunteers had been setting up for the Century all evening.

There is much to like about cycling in and around NYC, but Central Park isn't high on my list.

I hope Prospect Park doesn't follow suit.

Ki Ho'Alu said...

We have the same problem in Sacramento on the American River Bike trail. The rush of anti-social, egotistical, wannabe, jester outfitted pretenders racing along using moms with strollers like gates in a Giant Slalom. On your left - Fred.

Anonymous said...

I'd sue the guy who mentioned you in that music video. No way in hell I'd want my name on that.

Comment deleted said...

Yeah, Anony @ 10:39, old people (anyone over 30, that is) should just stop with the sex stuff to avoid disgusting you.

Anonymous said...

Did I say anything about explicit or non-explicit sexual comments disgusting me? How's your reading comprehension, comment deleted?

I don't know about you, but reading lame, daily sexual provocations from a 40 something Freddette in this comment section has me neither titillated nor wanting to visit her blog. Perhaps you like them rode hard and put up wet?

Good riddance.

Spokey said...

now that seems a bit mean spirited.

not sure what a daily sexual provocation is but i don't see that her posts were much different in that area than others (say like mcfly for instance). don't tell me that that ugly gnome of gender bias has gotten a hold of you.

frankly i'm suspicious of your claim to not visiting her blog as you seem to have a larger depth of knowledge than could be garnered from this blog alone. Note I do read reasonably well despite poor eyes. Just deduced that as a claim based on nor wanting to visit her blog. I am well aware that although not wanting to you may have been compelled to anyway.

I give snobbie credit for allowing all sorts of comments without moderation above that silly robot. In general i find most comments silly but all in pretty good fun.

there are of course topics that will generate serious and passionate debate. this recent one is a good example. i think snobbie is a bit off base with seemingly putting responsibility where it doesn't belong, but that's his opinion and i'm happy he doesn't stifle opposing opinion.

just my cent and a half.


Andrew Ross said...

Re: Closing CP to cars,

I grew up in NYC on CPW, and was CRCA's first Marshall Director. I cut my teeth on the Pepsi 24h race and the night ride, so riding in the park was something I was familiar with. It's been 15 years since I've ridden in Central Park, and I've moved west to where there's a lot more room to roam on my rides, and I imagine the situation has only gotten worse.

I advocate leaving the cars there.

Here's why: The pedestrians, tourists, rollerbladers, etc. have no respect that the surface upon which they tread is a roadway where vehicles operate. They meander around clueless to the threat those vehicles represent to their health. If you remove the cars, mentally it stops being a roadway, and just a big pedestrian mall with no order to it at all. Bikes are no longer vehicles like cars are, but some fancier foot-powered version of a walker. What minimal sense of peril existed from blindly stepping foot off the curb onto the road surface vanishes.

Do you really think it's the speed of the cars that makes cyclists want to tear up the tarmac, or the fact that it's the only open roadway in the city?

BikeSnobNYC said...

Andrew Ross,

Thanks for the comment. I am familiar with this argument, but remember that both Central and Prospect Park are closed to cars on weekends already, and during that time they manage to hold bike races, running races, duathlons, etc. on the roadways in the mornings and then various types of users manage to (more or less) share it during the afternoons. So I don't think the park would further devolve somehow if you ban cars during rush hours too. (Plus there will always be maintenance vehicles, police, etc. on the roadway anyway, car-free or not.)

--Wildcat Rock Machine

Anonymous said...

Those fixie riding rappers are a loud minority in the Bay Area. My retro-grouchy ass is going to ride them down with my cloth handlebar tape and big fat tires and rub ben-gay on their balls.

It's like salting a slug. They will shrivel up and die.

TourguideStan said...

I’m in a position unlike perhaps anyone else who uses Central Park. My wife and I drive through the park Monday through Friday. And I give walking and bike tours of the park on a daily basis. So I’m probably the only person in NYC who regularly bikes, drives and walks in the park, and I want to keep doing all three.

I give a 10-minute prep before letting my customers on their bikes. There are a few sentences about cars that routinely drift into the bike lane. But I spend three times that amount of time warning my tourists about bike racers, guys who pass with an inch to spare, without calling “On your right/left.” By comparison, the drivers are much more predictable and avoidable.

And, while car drivers rarely honk in the park, bike racers regularly harass me for not keeping my bike tourists out of ‘their’ car lane. Actually, I tell my people not to ride in that lane because of the danger the racers constantly pose. The racers don’t seem to want to understand that Strawberry Fields is a major stop on all bike tours, and that all of us bike guides have to take the right lane, southbound at about 77th, and head up the hill.

On walking tours, I try to get tourists to cross the drive shoulder-to-shoulder like marching soldiers, rather than in a line like the Beatles on the cover of Abbey Road. This leaves fast cyclists a space to pass us all. This shouldn’t be necessary, because city law says the pedestrian has the right of way in the crosswalk every single time. It doesn’t matter whether the vehicle is a bike or a car.

Cars are kept out of the park for 19 hours a day. The only times they’re allowed is 8 - 10 AM southbound, and 4 - 7 PM northbound. Except for that stretch from 59th to 72nd.

When you say that people who drive in the park “aren’t even using it,” is that fact or just your opinion? It’s wrong in our case. If my wife drives, I take pictures. Or vice-versa.

You believe that banning cars will slow down the Lycra guys. The park was car-free all summer long, and did they slow down? No. Were cars driving in the stretch where and when the lady got mowed down? No. The racers have more freedom of movement when cars aren’t in the right lane on weekends. I think that means they go faster, don’t you? They certainly are more verbally abusive on weekends.

My wife has bad knees. She can’t walk far, let alone bike. She used to be young and mobile, but now is older and has to take what she can get. If you get cars banned, she won’t be able to use the park at all. That’s probably true for a lot of people.

TourguideStan said...

And total agreement to what babble on said: we need more speed cameras on the streets.

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Obat Kemaluan Pria Bernanah
Cari Alami Obat Kemaluan Pria Bernanah
Cari Tradisional Obat Kemaluan Pria Bernanah
Beli Obat Penyakit Kemaluan Pria Bernanah
Obat Kemaluan Pria Bernanah
Beli Obat Kemaluan Bernanah
Beli Obat sakit Kemaluan Pria Bernanah

Anonymous said...

good
Obat Infeksi Kutil di Sekitar Kemaluan
Obat Alami Infeksi Kutil Sekitar Kemaluan
Obat Alami Infeksi Kutil di Kemaluan
Obat Tradisional Infeksi Kutil di Sekitar Kemaluan
Jual Obat Kutil di Sekitar Kemaluan
Jual Obat Alami Kutil Sekitar Kemaluan
Obat Alami Kutil di Sekitar Kemaluan
Jual Obat Alami Kutil di Sekitar Kelamin
Penis Mengeluarkan Cairan Nanah Berwarna Kuning
Mengeluarkan Cairan Nanah Berwarna Kuning
Dari Penis Mengeluarkan Cairan Nanah
Dari Penis Mengeluarkan Cairan Nanah Berwarna Hijau
Mengeluarkan Nanah Kental Berwarna Kuning
Dari Penis Mengeluarkan Nanah Kental Berwarna Hijau
Penis Mengeluarkan Nanah Kental Berwarna Kuning
Dari Penis Mengeluarkan Nanah Berwarna Kuning
Penis Sakit Mengeluarkan Nanah Berwarna Kuning
Dari Penis Sakit Mengeluarkan Nanah Berwarna Hijau
Dari Penis Sakit Nanah Berwarna Kuning
Sakit Mengeluarkan Nanah Berwarna Kuning
Penis Nyeri Mengeluarkan Nanah Berwarna Kuning
Dari Penis Nyeri Mengeluarkan Nanah Berwarna Hijau
Dari Penis Nyeri Mengeluarkan Nanah
Di Penis Nyeri Mengeluarkan Nanah Berwarna Kuning

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