Critical Mess
YOU DON'T HAVE to be a biker to realize that over the last several years, the monthly Critical Mass ride, which attracts thousands of bicyclists, never caused the slightest bit of trouble while making a clear point about energy alternatives, pollution and traffic congestion.
After more than 250 participants were busted on the eve of the convention, the NYPD-ignoring a court ruling-has continued to crack down on the event, showing up in force and providing bikers with a predetermined, NYPD-approved route. This had never been the case before, and flies in the face of what Critical Mass is all about. And as a result, another three dozen bikers were arrested last Friday night. Why the crackdown? Is it because the participants were doing something different than they'd been doing for years? Or because they had revealed themselves to be a security threat? Is it a "quality of life issue"?
We have two guesses. First, it may be a simple issue of control. The NYPD cracked down on the ride during the convention, and now feel that it's within their rights to continue cracking down. They aren't about to let go of that extra bit of authority once they've got it.
Our other (slightly less paranoid) guess goes back to the "quality of life" argument. As a friend of ours who lives near Union Square and has never had a problem with Critical Mass pointed out, "this is a neighborhood where badly driven SUVs with 800-watt speakers in the back are a staple of standard evening traffic. The city's 'quality of life' take on the whole thing is laughable."
Mayor Bloomberg was obviously unaware of the Critical Mass rides prior to the GOP busts. And he's always made it clear that he believes this is a city for drivers, not for pedestrians, bicyclists or anyone else who's not buying gas, clogging the streets and running down the occasional elderly woman. He's done everything in his power to make New York driver-friendly, while the rest of us choke on the fumes. Anything and anyone that might call the supremacy of the automobile into question-like a huge group of bikers taking over the streets for a few hours-is clearly a threat.