Critical Mass

[John Edward Mercier]

NH roads are maintained primarily with gas taxes.
On the local level this also includes registration, and when the municipality representatives chose... property taxes. But the second part in a well managed municipality does not occur.

[KBCraig]

Cop randomly pushes man off his bike at Critical Massdeliberately assaults random bike rider.

Fixed.

FWIW, I fall into the group that says Critical Mass participants, at least those I've seen, are entitlement-mentality socialist asshats. Being an asshat is not sufficient cause to check someone with a forward elbow and then throw them in jail pending charges for having assaulted an officer's elbow with their face.

No matter how many traffic laws the CM bikers break, this cop needs to go to jail for a couple of years.

[John Edward Mercier]

Completely agreed there...

[Pat K]

[Russell Kanning]

As that format you choose runs the risk of harming others, the people it could harm have an interest thru government to regulate. Not saying this is right or wrong.

why did you say it then?

[Pat McCotter]

Cop randomly pushes man off his bike at Critical Mass

Link and video:

http://gothamist.com/2008/07/28/cop_caught_on_video_assaulting_cycl.php

I just found this follow-up to this incident:

Police Officer Seen on Tape Shoving a Bicyclist Is Indicted
By JOHN ELIGON and COLIN MOYNIHAN
Published: December 15, 2008

A police officer who was videotaped knocking a man off his bicycle in July during a monthly cycling event in New York City has been indicted, the officer's lawyer said on Monday.
The officer, Patrick Pogan, has been instructed to report to State Supreme Court in Manhattan on Tuesday for the unsealing of the indictment, said the lawyer, Stuart London. Mr. London said he did not know what the charges would be.

But people with direct knowledge of the case said they believed that prosecutors were seeking felony charges of filing false records in connection with the police report that Officer Pogan filed after arresting the bicyclist, Christopher Long. Officer Pogan also could be charged with a misdemeanor count of assault.

"My client denies any wrongdoing in this matter," Mr. London said in an interview on Monday. "I would have people withhold judgment until all the evidence comes out about the bicyclist's actions prior to my client taking action."

Alicia Maxey Greene, a spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney's office, declined to comment on the case.

David Rankin, a lawyer for Mr. Long, said the indictment was "some good vindication for his client."

"I'm very pleased with the district attorney's office taking this matter as seriously as it has," he added. "What this really shows is that once you've committed some type of bad act, going ahead and lying on a charging document to cover it up is not something that's going to be tolerated by the district attorney's office."

The bike incident, which gained widespread attention after someone captured it on videotape and put it on YouTube, occurred on July 25 during a monthly event known as Critical Mass, in which hundreds of cyclists ride their bikes through the city to advocate nonpolluting forms of transportation.

While Mr. Long, 29, was riding through Times Square, Officer Pogan lowered his shoulder and shoved him off his bike as Mr. Long tried to steer out of the way, the video shows.

Officer Pogan arrested Mr. Long and charged him with attempted assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. In his police report, Officer Pogan wrote that Mr. Long was obstructing vehicular traffic as he rode southbound on Seventh Avenue. After instructing Mr. Long to stop, Officer Pogan wrote, Mr. Long rammed him with his bicycle, causing the officer to fall to the ground and receive cuts on his forearms. Mr. Long then resisted arrest, Officer Pogan wrote.

The Manhattan district attorney's office dropped the charges against Mr. Long in September, citing a lack of evidence.

Paul J. Browne, the Police Department's chief spokesman, said that if Officer Pogan were arrested, he would be suspended without pay. Mr. Browne declined further comment on the matter.

Tensions between Critical Mass riders and the police have long existed.

Shortly before the Republican National Convention in 2004, a large number of officers arrested more than 250 riders on charges that included parading without a permit. In 2006, a state judge turned down a request by the city to forbid Time's Up, an environmental group that promotes the monthly rides, to take part in them, to gather at Union Square Park beforehand and to mention the rides on its Web site.

In a statement, Time's Up applauded the indictment.

"We hope that higher-ups at the N.Y.P.D. will now discontinue their pattern of using excessive force and dangerous tactics against cyclists, and instead work with cyclists to make the ride safe and encourage nonpolluting transportation," the statement said.

[John Edward Mercier]

So the officer is wrong, and will maybe be punished...
But Time's Up is still anti-Right to Travel.

Terrible when both sides are aggressive statists.

[Lloyd Danforth]

As that format you choose runs the risk of harming others, the people it could harm have an interest thru government to regulate. Not saying this is right or wrong.

why did you say it then?

More importantly, does he think it is right or wrong?

[akmisrmaadi]

Cop randomly pushes man off his bike at Critical Massdeliberately assaults random bike rider.

Fixed.

FWIW, I fall into the group that says Critical Mass participants, at least those I've seen, are entitlement-mentality socialist asshats. Being an asshat is not sufficient cause to check someone with a forward elbow and then throw them in jail pending charges for having assaulted an officer's elbow with their face.

No matter how many traffic laws the CM bikers break, this cop needs to go to jail for a couple of years.

+1 CM are a bunch of socialist losers, big govt assholes.

they don't want liberty, they want the govt to use all its might for the issue they care about. simple as that.

[akmisrmaadi]

Terrible when both sides are aggressive statists.

+1

nothing like watching two limp wrists asshole filled groups fight to make govt thugs do what they want

[John Edward Mercier]

As that format you choose runs the risk of harming others, the people it could harm have an interest thru government to regulate. Not saying this is right or wrong.

why did you say it then?

More importantly, does he think it is right or wrong?

Its wrong.
Its the belief that I can infringe on your liberty, because of the remote chance you may harm me.

[maulotaur]

However, the broad aim is to celebrate cycling and sustainable transport, and to give cyclists safety in numbers."

How could anyone possibly have a problem with this??

[John Edward Mercier]

As long as they don't infringe on others... I don't have a problem.
But I wouldn't define cycling as 'sustainable transport', much more so 'alternative'.

I like to walk... a lot. But understand that if I need a higher rate of speed, or more cargo weight... then another option must be available.
The current system is one where those that pay for the roads must have uninfringed access... should they not, its more than a collective property rights issue... its an issue of the sustainability of that particular format.

Its a matter of the interdependence of civilization, and the affects of 'unintended consequences'.

[Riddler]

However, the broad aim is to celebrate cycling and sustainable transport, and to give cyclists safety in numbers."

How could anyone possibly have a problem with this??

works great on nantucket...
err. except for j.e.m.'s throw-in, what with the carrying shit around....like tv's, refrigerators...going to the dump....
rickshaw option, i spose....hilly terrain notwithstanding.....hopefully none-standing....in your bike path.

[maulotaur]

As long as they don't infringe on others... I don't have a problem.

Same here... as long as their cars don't infringe on others.