Where There’s a Will, There’s a Subway

The city’s Critical Mass crackdown has apparently reduced the number of participants — or maybe it was the weather. Either way, the spirit and ingenuity of the riders remains intact.

According to BikeBlog, rather than succumb to the scooter cop horde like "lambs to the slaughter," cyclists gathered for Friday’s mass decamped from Union Square, walked their bikes to the 4 train, and regrouped on Broadway for an unmolested ride.

Ironically, the group was too small to be in violation of the new permit law, yet officers still pursued the cyclists underground with "erratic fervor" to question them as to whether they had swiped their MetroCards. One rider was reportedly issued a summons for taking his bike through an exit door.

Other than that, we were scot-free.

As we headed up Church St. towards Canal, it seemed that a lot more people knew who we were. There was a lot of friendly supportive honking from motor vehicles and crowd waving. We stayed mostly downtown and our numbers grew a little as others joined in and meet up from Union Square…I still think we were always just under 50…so we were technically legal.

It was a successful critical mass…no tickets, no arrests and no cops.

Video: Time’s Up! and Team Spider via BikeBlog

  • I guessed I never had such fun watching an almost unedited critical mass video!

    Keep Riding! Maybe the police will give up their noise scooters and show on bikes next time!

  • From Indymedia:

    Tonight’s Critical Mass was the most succesful in months, some say years. Despite the cops attempt to close down the Union Square subway station as a crime scene, bike riders, revelers, and media activists took public transportation to undisclosed location(s), taking over the streets for hours late into the night. The Mass rode without police escort for hours. Highlights included Critical Cookies and a VJ afterparty at you know where.

    With no reports of arrests or mass-ticketing, ride participants found themselves liberating public space and enjoying the first harassment-free ride in a long time. Rain during the day effected ride turnout, but the few that did show-up (47-49 in total) experienced the special treat of outwitting the pigs en masse.

    PS.(Joao!!! Nice to see you on here!)

  • ddartley

    That video of cops running through the subway station to catch cyclists… sooooooo embarrassing to both cops and our fair city…

  • I think CM:NYC can explode if you co-ordinate many groups of under 50 riders to start at various start points around the city. 🙂

    I think a few people here in Toronto are considering it (just to be more of a presence on the streets – having multiple groups) – you guys could have CM:Soho, CM Times Square, CM:Hells Kitchen, CM:Village, and whatever.

    I hope to come to NYC this summer or fall, and I’ll try to be there to take part in CM with you guys. 🙂

    J

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