In the fall of 1971, two years after th Stonewall Rebellion, sixteen months after Ken State, and a couple of weeks after the priso riots at Attica, a few hundred bicyclists rod down Fifth Avenue and on to City Hall demonstrating for the institution of dedicate bike lanes and bike racks. They calle themselves Bike for a Better City. One ride held a sign that read, “The internal combustio engine is antiquated, obscene, and responsibl for more deaths thru pollution and mayhe than even that great curse war.” A few taxi-drivers razzed the protesters, and at one poin an infiltrator, concerned that there were greate causes in need of pursuing, joined the cyclists ranks, shouting, “People are being murdere and you protest bicycle lanes!
Since 2000, according to a certain moral calculus, more than a hundred and twenty New York City bicyclists have been murdered—struck dead by automobiles—and another twenty thousand have been injured, by enemy car doors and steel-fortified taxicab fenders. Three were killed in the course of three weeks in June of this year, including one, Dr. Carl Nacht, who was felled by a police tow truck while riding with his wife along the Hudson River Greenway—an officially sanctioned bike path. Since 2004, about six hundred cyclists have been arrested while participating in monthly political-protest rides known as Critical Mass, most notably during the Republican National Convention, when scores were ensnared in nets, and later imprisoned, and their bikes were confiscated as “evidence.”

thanks for the link, Bill. that's a pretty good summation, although of course, as usual, the p.o.v. is that urban cyclists are very cute and sort of fictional, like characters from Snowcrash or something.
- sally mckay 11-07-2006 6:26 am [add a comment]

...like a newyorker story.
- bill 11-07-2006 2:05 pm [add a comment]