[*BCM*] Central Square Crackdown

[turtle]

Robert Arnold <rsarnold at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Wouldn't it be most
> intelligent to crack down on ALL dangerous behavior, thus enforcing an
> air of civility along Mass Ave from all vehicles, motorized or not?

Absolutely!  

> Why target a single population? 

Because this is how police departments work.  As weird as it is, that's
the standard.  "Crack downs" are often due to either special funding,
community interests (which is why calling the cops about illegally
parked cars might be very useful), the chief's pet projects, and they
even happen because it's a quick and easy way to make money for the
city.  Sometimes the crack down is a part of a national media campaign
("Click It, or Ticket!" was the big seat belt campaign last year.).  

It is too bad that the crack downs aren't more in the spirit of
education and less in the spirit of punishment.  I'm quite sure that
many bicyclists simply were never taught about the rules of the road,
and how they applied to them.  It's unfortunate that so much of the
effort in bicycling advocacy is spent on promoting (usually substandard
and dangerous) special bicycle facilities, and so little is spent on
making sure that people know that bicycles are vehicles and have the
same rights on the roads as everyone else.

I am sorry you got a ticket, by the way.  I know how much that sucks,
especially when you don't think you're doing anything particularly bad.
 Years ago, I was actually charged with a felony because I "abandoned"
my car, which had died while I was rescuing it from an ex-boyfriend's
house.  I couldn't afford to have it towed, so I just left it parked
with the keys in it, the title signed over, and with a note saying that
it should be donated to a worthy charity.  I didn't know what else to
do.  And it seemed so silly for the cops to actually come after me. 
But it was against the law, and I should have figured out a better
solution.  (I certainly wouldn't want everyone else to just leave their
unwanted cars all over my neighborhood!)  Lesson learned.  (I sure could
have used Craigslist back then!)

Peace, Love, and Bicycles
-Turtle

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"One day we must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal we
seek, but that it is a means by which we arrive at that goal.  We must
pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means." - Martin Luther King Jr.