Revenge of the Bedford Bike Lane Activists
Angered over the city’s backroom deal with Hasidic community leaders to remove a 14-block stretch of bicycle lane on Bedford Avenue in South Williamsburg, a group of bike lane proponents took matters into their own hands early Monday morning. Interestingly, a post on StreetsBlog claims that the renegade painters included some members of the Hasidic…
Angered over the city’s backroom deal with Hasidic community leaders to remove a 14-block stretch of bicycle lane on Bedford Avenue in South Williamsburg, a group of bike lane proponents took matters into their own hands early Monday morning. Interestingly, a post on StreetsBlog claims that the renegade painters included some members of the Hasidic community. “Scores of people in the Hasidic community are actually pissed about this bike lane being eradicated at the behest of traditionalists,” said Baruch Herzfeld, a local bike-shop operator and cycling advocate with ties to both the Jewish and secular groups in the area. “These members of the community may not want to ‘come out’ as bike warriors just yet, but they’re promising continuous action until the bike lane returns.”
Hipsters Caught Repainting Bedford Bike Lane [NY Post]
Video: Repainting the Bedford Avenue Bike Lane [NY Daily News]
Guerrilla Stripers Paint Back Bedford Bike Lane [StreetsBlog]
Men Arrested Trying To Repaint Bedford Bike Lane [Gothamist]
“I also marvel at the mindset of “I don’t like this law/rule/regulation so I’m just not going to comply”.”
Civil disobedience (preferably non-violent) is very American.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Disobedience_%28Thoreau%29
What separates this from the guy who paints his curb yellow, is that he is breaking a rule for his own personal benefit. What is happening here is a group of people breaking a rule to publicly protest government policy decisions.
There is a difference. You don’t have to like it, but there is one.
Well said bxgrl.
Oh yay- let’s have another round of sh*t comments about Hasids. And by all means let’s applaud rob for his trenchant remarks about both cyclists and Hasids. Equal opportunity stupidity. Trust me- the Hasidic community has got nothing on the Christian fundamentalists trying to turn the clock back on women’s rights to 1709 and deny equal rights to gays. But please- have at it.
And rob- why don’t you take your own advice? “Don’t hate.” Hasids and cyclists aren’t the only ones who suck, apparently.
Personally I think the painters are cool. And I object to actions of the Hasidic community on many occasions- but I refer to their actions, not to them as a group because if anyone bothered to learn anything about them, they would find them to not be monolithic. Read the article- there were even Hasids helping with the repainting.
more power to them – they feel they were wronged and instead of bitching and moaning on a blog all day they are doing something about it.
Hold on a second, petebklyn, I can let a lot go by about cyclists (yes, I am one) but there is no way in hell you can argue that more cyclists use ped side of manhattan bridge than vice versa. do you even know which side is which? I’ll give you a hint, we don’t like walking up stairs with our bikes.
— by 14 feet, I mean 14 blocks.
LC– who are you talking about not complying? There was a bike lane there but the Hassidic’s somehow crafted a backroom deal to get 14 feet of it removed. They are the ones not complying because they think they’re more special than anyone else.
Sweet. Now if we could only infiltrate the private Hassidic police force– or start our own– and start ticketing the Hassidic dudes in minivans, driving recklessly and talking on their cell phones who almost murder cyclists on a daily basis.
I agree that bike lanes are being done badly. I also marvel at the mindset of “I don’t like this law/rule/regulation so I’m just not going to comply”. How is this any different than folks who paint yellow stripes on the curb and rip out their front gates for dedicated parking?
This is wrong, period.