Eyes on the Street: NYPD Bike Patrol Takes Care of Business

Submitted by Streetsblog reader Hilda, this was the scene at Eighth Avenue near West 44th Street this morning. Writes Hilda: “And I will note that the cop on the bike HAD TO LEAVE THE BIKE LANE to go around the cab before pulling out his ticket book.”

We can only assume none of his colleagues were watching.

  • Anonymous

    In my nearly 10 years of riding through the city almost every single day, I have never once seen this happen.  A copsicle giving a ticket to a car parked in the bike lane.   What will they think of next?

  • thank you more please.

  • Bikinginheels

    THIS.  IS.  AWESOME.

    More please!

  • Anonymous

    This is like seeing a White Elephant or some shit.  Truly amazed.  Cannot believe this. 

  • Joe R.

    I’m sure the motivation here is purely to meet some (supposedly nonexistent) ticket quota. Still, it’s nice for a change to see the quota-driven police actually ticketing for a real safety issue, instead of bs like no bell or riding outside the bike lane.

  • Even if it’s a quota-driven action it’s still more cost efficient and effective than sending out patrol cars, which would have to block bike lanes themselves in order to ticket vehicles for blocking bike lanes.

    Plus, it has the added benefit of creating cops with a bit of empathy for people who travel by bike.

    Agree with many others: more please.

  • Anonymous

    This is definitely a result, at least in part, of that cop thinking, “Not another one of these jokers in the bike lane!” A problem they’d never appreciate from behind a windshield.

  • Andy

    @2555783a6f62598b6aadd2d882a4830f:disqus Are you really whining about quotas for ticketing cars parked in bicycle lanes? It’s about time they create quotas for this junk!

  • Joe R.

    @ggAndy:disqus I’m not whining about this at all. I’m just saying what we have here is a bit of serendipity where the NYPD’s obsession with ticket quotas actually results in some useful enforcement for a change. To echo what others have already said-yes, more please! 

  • J

    Holy Crap! Echoing everyone else, More please!!!!!

  • Glenn

    Is that a “Traffic Enforcement Agent” or Police Officer giving out the ticket?

  • Danny G

    Once the cops figure out you can just ride up one avenue and give tickets galore, and then ride down another and give even more, you’ll see them out every day over 50 degrees

  • Driver

    That is a police officer.

  • krstrois

    I love you, elusive bike cop.

  • Matt Kime

    YAY!

  • Killmoto

    When cops ARENT around, I, vigilante cyclist, smash their mirror…

  • Kevin

    I’m not sure what would be more crazy:

    1. If this was a cop actually doing an awesome job of enforcing a common problem

    OR

    2. If this was some kind of SUPERHERO—-just some guy dressing up as a cop, giving out fake tickets to bike lane villans!!!

  • Anonymous

    I think Streetsblog should pop this image into Illustrator, make a quick logo-style tracing of it, and offer it on t-shirts, mugs, whatever–and add a tagline that’s something like “This really happened!”  I’m serious. I could look at this all day. It’s basically the livable streets equivalent of a cat-playing-piano video.

  • Anonymous

    This is how you earn my respect back. Keep it up.

  • Anonymous

    Imagine the conversation if it was a cyclist, who asked the cabbie to move.

  • Anonymous

    Ugh. I meant -civilian- cyclist.

  • pambo

    Great!  Now I’d love to see this with a police car being ticketed !

  • Anonymous

    At the 84th precinct community meeting,  D.I. DiPaolo said he was reluctant to send cops out on bikes to do this kind of enforcement, because he said he feared drivers would pull away..thus endangering other people.

  • This is great because car patrols can’t spot every single driver especially on very crowded streets. This could scare some drivers and make them think twice before breaking traffic laws. I don’t say this can stop all of them but a few tickets here and there will definitely count in the future if this action will be repeated every single day:)

  • whtabbobs

    It’s probably for expired registration or something, don’t get your hopes up.

  • Maurrythepig

    He’s clearly taking a leak on the grill and he’s NOT a cop. He’s a member of the Nasty Yellow Pee Dispenser-er’s.

  • They probably ran over a dachshund that was sunning itself in the bike lane. Happens all the time. I’ll bet that this is Buffalo, and the dude in blue bought the jacket on Ebay.

  • good

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