A reader sends this note about today's commute:
Cops ticketing bikers on Delancey by the Williamsburg Bridge this morning. They claimed it wasn't us, that they were sent out because of community board complaints about bikers.
"The community board made us do it." If that's the case, then can we also get ramped up enforcement of reckless driving, which communities all over town have been demanding for as long as we can remember?
Update from our source:
Two bikers ahead of me were stopped by cops, I assumed because ofrunning red lights. I hadn't even done so yet, when I was motioned bya cop towards him, where the two cops ticketed all three of us. Ithought it was very interesting to note that the cops made a point oftelling each of us that it really had nothing to do with us, that theywere specifically told to come out and target bikers. I have no ideawhy they said that, but it seemed like they were trying to actrespectfully. One cop even said, "Just get off the bike and walk itthrough the red." Wouldn't that be jaywalking? "Failed to yield toped" is what the ticket says. There were no pedestrians around, otherthan the two cops, which I was nowhere near. I will be pleading NotGuilty.
Update 2: Thanks for the corroborating reports in the comments, folks. According to the community affairs desk at the 7th Precinct, the police have not received complaints from CB 3 about cyclists exiting the bridge. So, the issuing of bogus tickets to cyclists would appear to be the NYPD's own initiative.
Update 3: CB 3 district manager Susan Stetzer confirms that her community board has not complained to NYPD about cyclists.
