Author Topic: Chat!  (Read 38554 times)

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Offline Sal Atticum

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Chat!
« on: January 30, 2011, 08:40:52 AM »
It's race morning and I need to pack up everything to go to Fargo today.

What's on your mind?
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Offline sanders

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Re: Chat!
« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2011, 09:38:24 AM »
its gonna be a nice cold race! BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
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Offline OUWxGuesser

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Re: Chat!
« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2011, 09:22:49 PM »
how was it?

Offline Sal Atticum

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Re: Chat!
« Reply #3 on: January 31, 2011, 08:34:36 AM »
It was a good!
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Offline Sal Atticum

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Re: Chat!
« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2011, 10:48:47 PM »
Didn't we see this guy out riding on Saturday?  He's a fan of us on Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/bsolem1
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Offline Sal Atticum

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Re: Chat!
« Reply #5 on: February 27, 2011, 08:42:52 PM »
JUST EXTRA POLISH. I DO SOME WORK WITH EXCELL SO I KEEP THE CAPS LOCK ON :-P

Offline Plantains

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Re: Chat!
« Reply #6 on: February 28, 2011, 12:45:35 AM »
I suppose that depends on your definition of "local" and "economy"?

There's much more to it than that silly graphic. I generally hate those silly graphics too, because they cause people to think that they're getting ripped off or something when really it's just filtered information.
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Offline OUWxGuesser

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Re: Chat!
« Reply #7 on: February 28, 2011, 09:54:01 PM »

Offline Sal Atticum

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JUST EXTRA POLISH. I DO SOME WORK WITH EXCELL SO I KEEP THE CAPS LOCK ON :-P

Offline OUWxGuesser

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Re: Chat!
« Reply #9 on: March 01, 2011, 12:26:41 AM »
self defense... yeah right.   What a scumbag. 

Offline Plantains

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Re: Chat!
« Reply #10 on: March 01, 2011, 12:52:23 AM »
Not that its ever ok to ram someone with a car, but critical mass has gotten so out of hand that I wouldn't overlook the possibility of "self defense". That said, there are about 10 million levels of self defense that you could exercise before ramming that many people.
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Offline Sal Atticum

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JUST EXTRA POLISH. I DO SOME WORK WITH EXCELL SO I KEEP THE CAPS LOCK ON :-P

Offline Plantains

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Re: Chat!
« Reply #12 on: March 01, 2011, 12:42:35 PM »
Well 1st of all... there IS a mandatory helmet law in NYS, and has been since I was a teenager. Though I'm not really certain what it "requires" anymore because I always have one on, so I don't care.

2nd. All bikes are required to have lights on as well.

3rd. I'm not sure how identifying yourself as a cyclist will cause law enforcement to harass you more? That comment right there tells you about the individual writing this article.

4th. I'm not sure why people in one of the highest taxed states in the union, living in one of the highest taxed cities in the COUNTRY are surprised when a politician comes up with another way to tax you? Especially since the state is completely bankrupt, and their only saving grace (drilling for natural gas) has just been outlawed (by the politicians). So not only is the state broke, its also brokEN, and they've just committed financial suicide.
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Offline Sal Atticum

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Re: Chat!
« Reply #13 on: March 01, 2011, 01:27:35 PM »
#3, apparently there has been a serious police crackdown on cyclists in NYC, especially Central Park.  It's hard to tell from out here what is going on, but there seems to a lot of ill will toward cops who are cherry-picking cyclists who happen to roll through lights when the park is closed to vehicles and there are pedestrians crossing.  I'm in favor of ticketing people who break the road rules, but I think they might be focusing on the wrong area, probably because it's easier to catch people there than out on the street where people run red lights or salmon.
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Offline Plantains

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Re: Chat!
« Reply #14 on: March 01, 2011, 11:34:46 PM »
Well... the thing is, people will always think they're being unfairly targeted. But its far more likely that the cyclists are in fact breaking the law. This is generally a problem, since cyclists have developed (this is a "we" statement, I don't want to sound like I'm not including myself in the cyclist subcat) an attitude that they get shat on by society constantly, they tend to get more upset when they're ticketed, and yet someone else isn't.

When a police officer pulls someone over for speeding for example, you'll not need a keen eye to notice that they likely weren't the only one speeding, so why are the other people not being pulled over as well? This is where being a mature adult comes in... as there's no "but they did it too" argument once you're over the age of 14.

All of that said, its very likely that the police are targeting cyclists. They (the police) know the city better than almost anyone, and I'm sure they've seen a relative population explosion in cycling on the last 5 years. Part of this is because people are getting into cycling for transportation in our generation more and more, but a much larger part of this is probably because "fixies" if you will, have become trendy. These "fixie" riders are the ones I envision as the main problem here, since stereotypically, they are the "anti-authority" type (how do you say hipster nicely?). More than that, they're probably riding ill equipped and downright dangerous bicycles (brakeless fixays, or improperly lit fixays). Thus setting them up for ticketing... see the cited law posted at the end***.

That said, "targeting cyclists" is no different than setting up a speed trap? If you choose to break the law, then you should be prepared to face the consequences? I feel like its that simple?

As you said though, it is difficult to know without being there. My good friend Carolyn is living in NYC now and she was an avid casual cyclist (read hipster wannabe)... I haven't heard anything from her, but I'm not certain if she's gotten up to the skill of riding there yet...

And lastly, the state (starting with the city) is bankrupt. The police want to keep their jobs. They're going to be "cracking down" aka earning their keep. But if you're following the laws, I don't see how they could have any reason to stop you?

***From the NYS Vehicle and Traffic Code.

§ 1236. Lamps and other equipment on bicycles.

(a) Every bicycle when in use during the period from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise shall be equipped with a lamp on the front which shall emit a white light visible during hours of darkness from a distance of at least five hundred feet to the front and with a red or amber light visible to the rear for three hundred feet. Effective July first, nineteen hundred seventy-six, at least one of these lights shall be visible for two hundred feet from each side.

(b) No person shall operate a bicycle unless it is equipped with a bell or other device capable of giving a signal audible for a distance of at least one hundred feet, except that a bicycle shall not be equipped with nor shall any person use upon a bicycle any siren or whistle.

(c) Every bicycle shall be equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make the braked wheels skid on dry, level, clean pavement.

(d) Every new bicycle shall be equipped with reflective tires or, alternately a reflex reflector mounted on the spokes of each wheel, said tires and reflectors to be of types approved by the commissioner. The reflex reflector mounted on the front wheel shall be colorless or amber, and the reflex reflector mounted on the rear wheel shall be colorless or red.

(e) Every bicycle when in use during the period from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise shall be equipped with reflective devices or material meeting the standards established by rules and regulations promulgated by the commissioner; provided, however, that such standards shall not be inconsistent with or otherwise conflict with the requirements of subdivisions (a) and (d) of this section.
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Offline Plantains

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Re: Chat!
« Reply #15 on: March 01, 2011, 11:35:38 PM »
The tl;dr version is.

They probably don't have brakes, or bells, or reflectors, so they're getting a ticket. It's not North Korea over here, the police can't just write you a ticket for no reason...
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Offline Sal Atticum

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Re: Chat!
« Reply #16 on: March 02, 2011, 08:37:33 AM »
self defense... yeah right.   What a scumbag. 
Aaaaagreed.

The tl;dr version is.

They probably don't have brakes, or bells, or reflectors, so they're getting a ticket. It's not North Korea over here, the police can't just write you a ticket for no reason...

I'm not really arguing against ticketing cyclists, in fact I'm a big advocate of the police treating cyclists as they do drivers and not just ignoring them if they (as is common in Grand Forks) salmon down the street without lights and then blow stop signs and lights.  My point is that I think the job of the police "to keep everyone safe" is conflicting with the job of the police "to help the city make money," and so they're setting up shop where they can easily ticket people who are a low risk to others rather than somewhere there is more danger and more impact on lawbreaking cyclists can be made.  Not everyone rides in central park, so even if they convince all those riders to follow the law, they're missing out on the rest of Manhattan (and the rest of the city).

Regarding those lights, are any of your lights visible from the side?  I hadn't seen a law like this before.  My rear flasher is slightly visible, but all I have similar to that is one of those green spokelights.
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Offline Plantains

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Re: Chat!
« Reply #17 on: March 02, 2011, 03:09:28 PM »
Yes, the police protect people, but if the department is only losing money, then it will ultimately cease to exist. This happened in Buffalo with Erie County. The government was spending so frivolously that a control board ultimately had to step in. Amongst their proposals were to charge for 911 services. So there would be a flat fee to provide the service, and any time you actually DIALED 911, you would be charged a surcharge.

I see your points, but they're keeping people safe by making sure they're abiding by the laws set I suppose. Central park is a hotbed of problems too because a business man getting cut off by a "bike messenger" is no big deal, but when people are out jogging or inline skating and cyclists are being insane, then you're going to get complaints.

My superflash is visible from the sides. This is the law that mandates all those silly reflectors on your new bicycle. Which is why road bikes or any bike that is "high end" gets sold with a plastic insert in the clipless pedal that has a reflector in it. Well... at least here they do?
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Offline sanders

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Re: Chat!
« Reply #18 on: March 03, 2011, 04:15:13 PM »
http://ht.ly/46RM7

Still seems like he got off really easy, but atleast they found him and he got something...
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Offline Sal Atticum

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Re: Chat!
« Reply #19 on: March 03, 2011, 04:20:07 PM »
Did you hear about this last year?  I totally missed it.
JUST EXTRA POLISH. I DO SOME WORK WITH EXCELL SO I KEEP THE CAPS LOCK ON :-P

 

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