[*BCM*] Are you Serious?

[David Hammond]

I hope and pray the the police, wherever I ride, greatly step up their
enforcement against the idiot cyclists (many of whom, out in the 'burbs, at
least, are "dwi-cyclists - drunks who've lost their licences) who ride on
the wrong side of the road.  If they're adults, they should be ticketed.  If
they're kids, a stern lecture, a taking of names, and a "ticket" explaining
good cycling practice, and requiring a parent's signature and return to the
police station, should be given. Adult repeat offenders should have their
bikes confiscated on the spot - to be returned when they pass an effective
cycling course. Youthful repeat offenders - same thing, but with parents
being involved.

Why am I on my soapbox on this issue? Because the only (non-racing) crashes
I've been involved in have been with wrong-side-riders I couldn't avoid.
Luckily, Now I ride a home-built electric-assist bike. If the possibility of
dooring exists, I simply accelerate to keep up with auto traffic, and take
the lane.  I don't worry about dooring. Also, I don't worry about overtaking
side-swipes - I've got an excellent rear-view mirror.  But wrong-siders fry
my nads.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not pro-police.  They should protect all PEOPLE,
not the status quo.  Their current societal mission, imho, is horrendously
distorted.  But even though my typical interaction with them involves a
politically motivated trampling of my civil rights, once in a while I need
their help. Like with wrong-siders and road-raging motorists.

One last question - why would any cyclist NOT want a headlight?? I sometimes
ride in Boston and Cambridge at night, and there are potholes lurking that
could toss me into the path of an oncoming vehicle (notwithstanding my 8
inches of front travel and 40 years of serious riding experience) IF I
couldn't see them.

Dave Hammond

-----Original Message-----
From: bostoncriticalmass-bounces at bostoncriticalmass.org
[mailto:bostoncriticalmass-bounces at bostoncriticalmass.org] On Behalf Of
contraelolvido at riseup.net
Sent: Saturday, July 23, 2005 12:20 PM
To: list at bostoncriticalmass.org
Subject: [*BCM*] Are you Serious?

"Last time I checked, Freedom of
Movement isn't guaranteed in the Constitution; even if it was, I doubt
it would include freedom to break the law."

You might want to actually read the consitution. Try here
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_the_United_States#Article_Four
)
for an explanation. Seriously, who's the troll? I would wager money you've
never even read the constitution.

" For this concession, you get some good stuff:"

Unfortunately, none of these were happening in the first place. Biking
used to be as unregulated as walking. More and more it's being regulated.
I'm sure that massbike would like it if we need licenses, just as
messangers already do in the city. Under their guidelines, critical mass
would be illegal. So why exactly are they on this list? I assume just to
use it as an extension of their internal list. I know that alot of you
think critical mass is stupid, as per our last argument, so get off this
damn list.

"=v= This response sidesteps the issue of harassment, which is
much worse than the "did something against the law" infraction."

Exactly. It's not the rich hobby cyclist with the fancy carbon fiber and
speedo suit that's getting stopped. Its ordinary folks living in Central,
who don't can't afford $20. Is Dorie Clark from cambridge? If not, then
she has right to screw residents of it. If she wants to legistlate the
hell out of her life, do it, but leave us alone.

"And the libertarian slant the initial poster cited is bogus."

I'm not a libertarian, least not in the way you mean it. I agree that
communal responsibility exists. I just disagree that it should be enforced
by police, since I don't believe violence to be either a human, nor
effective, way of maintaining public safety. And don't assume that they
pulled me over because of the headlights. My other friend who was pulled
over had headlights, and was ticketed for something they couldn't have
seen from a distance. THEY ARE PULLING EVERYONE OVER, JUST AS THE
CAMBRIDGE COPS PULL OVER EVER 10th CAR ON PROSPECT ST. This is no
different than random checkpoints that they set up for drinking and
driving. I disagree with a lot of this countrie's laws, but even I'm not
stupid enough to believe that this is legal.

"Though I don't have much of an affinity for 'the man,' I
am glad that cyclists are being asked for ID and are getting tickets for
unlawful riding."

The legal requirnment for ID in a car was passed initially just so people
could prove they had a license (know how to drive). It was never intended
as an identification. Just as social security creeped into other aspects
of life (for extra points look up the qoute "i'll eat my hat if social
security numbers are ever used for any other purpose") so did driver's
licenses, becoming a form of national ID. You still don't need to carry an
ID to bike, nor to walk. This law of Massbike's is historically impotent,
and by its logic you would need an ID to walk.

"Well actually, since MassBike is a non-profit, don't records of where
they get their money & where their money is being spent have to be
public information?"

Yes. And I want to know how much of the cop's tickets massbike gets. I
woudln't be surprised if this is out and out extortion. How much do they
charge for the trainings? I bet my ticket goes straight to the training
budget which goes back to massbike. And yes, they are legally required to
tell me.

Cheers and free ridings

-- 
"The only advice I can give is, if [anarchism]'s allowed to continue, hang
on. Once they get a foothold, they won't go away." - Capt. Thad Buchanan,
Eugene PD

Capitalism, in effect, constitutes the point of absolute negativity for
society and the natural world. One cannot improve this social order,
reform it, or remake it on its own terms... The only choice one has is to
destroy it. - Murray Bookchin

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