[*BCM*] NYC [Fwd: A(n important) triviality?]

[Matthew Arcidy]

If the majority of people rode bikes, this wouldn't be an issue.  Why not 
continue getting people to choose bikes over cars, through raising 
awareness, ie, what i thought the point of CM was, instead of picking 
petty fights with bullies that you *know* you are going to lose?

Guess what, the cops have ultimate discretion and always have had ultimate 
discretion.  If you want to fuck with the cops, that's wonderful, but you 
aren't going to win.  Stop breaking the law.  If you find yourself 
breaking the law, it's your fault for being ignorant of it. I'm sorry, but 
I dont think anyone is going to pretend that CM is not full of jokers and 
asshats that like doing stupid shit that fuck it up for people like me.  
There are plenty of legitimate riders as well, but there are too many 
idiots who ride along with the asshats and think the asshats are cool.  
The cops are playing a technicality to get back at all the asshats and 
idoits, and unfortunately, a few legitimates are taken up as well.  This 
pisses me off because the asshats and idiots ruin it for the legitimate 
riders.

As Anne said, if you want to be civilly disobedient, you have to deal with 
the consequences.  If you're a parade, or can be considered a parade, and 
your supposed to have a permit, then get a permit, or stop being a parade, 
or don't whine when you get caught breaking the law.

In my opinion, you were being particularly asshatish when you decided to
do an RNC run.  Sure, more people = more publicity, but you forgot that
there were cops from all 50 states there, itching to arrest someone for
anything.  So you went ahead and gave them a reason.  The doc you sent
seems to have a tongue firmly planted in cheek, so I don't understand what
your point is.  You have no common sense?  I haven't seen the NY ride, but
the Boston ride can be such a beautiful thing when it rolls by, the quiet
majesty of human propulsion.  But from this list I've seen people who are
intent on making the ride illegal.  I don't see the point.  You don't
change anything by breaking a law unless you do it in a calculated fashion
with lawyers that are willing to take the case to the highest court
necessary.  Read up on civil disobedience and you will see that most acts
are calculated.  50 asshats deciding to ride through NYC without knowing
the laws they are breaking during a presidential visit, having no
lawyers, and *knowing* they are going to get arrested is pretty damn close 
to metally retarded.

These arrests have brought NO awareness to anyone, other than that bikes 
are a parade now.  Sweet, good work.  One more bifurcation of fronts.  
Because of that ride, people in NY associate CM with the 
antiestablishmentarians, instead of it's purpose which is to promote the 
social benefit of bike riding.  Way to set everyone back 30 years.  Why do 
you people keep making the same mistakes?  Can't you see that if it isn't 
going to be positive press, then don't do it.  That's how you change 
people's minds.  You don't change people's minds by letting them know that 
if they ride their bikes, they are going to get arrested.