[*BCM*] CM arrest today

[Adam Shoop]

I suppose I'm the first to get back to back to my computer after  
today's Critical Mass ride, but for those of you who missed the ride  
or kept riding on after Harvard Sq., one person was arrested after  
blocking traffic.  A few individuals took down his name, etc. and  
contacted sympathetic lawyers.  The police officers (one motorcycle  
cop, one or two squad cars and one wagon used to transport the  
arrested person and his bike) would not say what charges were being  
made.

He did make an announcement--to the 15 or so other riders who stopped  
and gathered around the arrest--along the lines of: "you're all  
having a good time and riding bikes but don't ride away after  
blocking traffic when I tell you stop and don't give me fake  
information when I ask you."

Unfortunately, I think what might have resulted in traffic tickets or  
disorderly conduct might land the rider in jail for a night.  The  
relevant state law requires simply that cities "provide a noncriminal  
ticketing procedure against violators of the provisions of sections  
11A and 11B [requiring that bicyclists obey the traffic laws, etc.]"   
But further on states:

"A police officer taking cognizance of any such violation may request  
the offender to state his true name and address. Whoever, upon such  
request, refuses to state his name and address, or states a false  
name and address or a name and address which is not his name and  
address in ordinary use, shall be punished by a fine of not less than  
20 nor more than 50 dollars. Any such offender so refusing to state  
his name and address may be arrested without a warrant, but no person  
shall be arrested without a warrant for any other such violation."

I've been on most Boston rides since last year and to my knowledge  
there haven't been too many problems.  Occasionally massers have been  
asked to leave Memorial Drive, and once were escorted by motorcycle  
officers to the Longfellow Bridge and stopped being followed once we  
crossed to Cambridge.

I've casually followed the legal proceedings against CM rides in New  
York and as far as I recall, all injunctions and lawsuits have been  
thrown out (including two federal suits (1) to prevent the  
environmental group Time's Up! from advertising or supporting the  
event, (2) one to require a parade permit for each ride; and the New  
York state Supreme Court suit to obtain a monthly permit for the event).

Best,
Adam