The next Baton Rouge edition of critical mass will be this Friday (May 30, 2009) Meeting place is the LSU Clocktower at 5:30. Typical roll out time is around 6PM.
I have no idea what the potential route will be as this is an informal, leaderless expression of our right to assemble and our right as cyclists to be on the road.
I implore you though, if you come out to critical mass, please try to be as legal as possible.
I.E. please especially have lights. The ride typically extends into the twilight hours. Lights really are necessary for everyone's safety. Please don't depend on someone else to ride with lights so you can ride next to them... If we all do that, no one has lights...
Thursday, May 28, 2009
From NYC Bike Blog
From Vlad at the Glass Bead Collective:
The next NYC critical mass is this Friday 5/29 at 7pm starting at union square north. Come out and enjoy what is now becoming a much safer ride.
We are releasing a new video that takes you inside the New York Critical Mass bike ride from this past March 2009. This immersive short was shot with a 180 degree lens and does a good job communicating what the experience is like.
video posted here, of police harassing the March ride. (this video was posted up earlier on bikeblognyc)
Critical Mass is a leaderless bike ride that takes place in 100s of cities worldwide on the last Friday of every month. The New York Police Department has had a very confrontational relationship with the NYC ride since 2004. From 2004 – 2007, hundreds of police officers were dispatched each month to stop the ride and arrest the participants, deploying helicopters, blimps and undercover officers with video cameras to monitor the ride and engage in the violent take down of the cyclists, initiating a civil rights battle. After much embarrassing media attention and several losses in court, the NYPD were forced to retreat from these tactics. The arrests have stopped, but the police continue to harass riders by giving out tickets to cyclists who do not have lights or bells on their bikes. Anyone receiving this ticket can get it annulled by presenting lights and/or bells and their ticket to a precinct the following day.
Hence - please come to the ride but make sure you have a bell and lights on the front and back of your bike - this will significantly reduce a chance that you will be harassed by the police.
This selective targeting is currently being challenged in federal court in the Five Borough Bike Club vs NYC . See 5bbc.org/parade
This event is no longer just a bike issue, but a civil liberties issue. The harassment of this ride is a direct result of New York City’s police leadership trying to impose a permitting system where spontaneous gathering of citizens would be subject to a permission’s process. In effect they are trying to take away our constitutional right to assembly and association.
We ask all of you to please forward this message around, as well as the links to the video. Put it on your blogs. This is a fun, family friendly activity that protects some of our most fundamental liberties.
The next NYC critical mass is this Friday 5/29 at 7pm starting at union square north. Come out and enjoy what is now becoming a much safer ride.
We are releasing a new video that takes you inside the New York Critical Mass bike ride from this past March 2009. This immersive short was shot with a 180 degree lens and does a good job communicating what the experience is like.
video posted here, of police harassing the March ride. (this video was posted up earlier on bikeblognyc)
Critical Mass is a leaderless bike ride that takes place in 100s of cities worldwide on the last Friday of every month. The New York Police Department has had a very confrontational relationship with the NYC ride since 2004. From 2004 – 2007, hundreds of police officers were dispatched each month to stop the ride and arrest the participants, deploying helicopters, blimps and undercover officers with video cameras to monitor the ride and engage in the violent take down of the cyclists, initiating a civil rights battle. After much embarrassing media attention and several losses in court, the NYPD were forced to retreat from these tactics. The arrests have stopped, but the police continue to harass riders by giving out tickets to cyclists who do not have lights or bells on their bikes. Anyone receiving this ticket can get it annulled by presenting lights and/or bells and their ticket to a precinct the following day.
Hence - please come to the ride but make sure you have a bell and lights on the front and back of your bike - this will significantly reduce a chance that you will be harassed by the police.
This selective targeting is currently being challenged in federal court in the Five Borough Bike Club vs NYC . See 5bbc.org/parade
This event is no longer just a bike issue, but a civil liberties issue. The harassment of this ride is a direct result of New York City’s police leadership trying to impose a permitting system where spontaneous gathering of citizens would be subject to a permission’s process. In effect they are trying to take away our constitutional right to assembly and association.
We ask all of you to please forward this message around, as well as the links to the video. Put it on your blogs. This is a fun, family friendly activity that protects some of our most fundamental liberties.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Sunday Fly By Night 5/10/2009
Here's my route from the Sunday Fly By Night. (Despite what the map says, I really started and ended at Highland & Lee....
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2811434
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2811434
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Memphis Bicycle Film Festival
So far, there are 3 of us heading to Memphis for the Bicycle Film Festival. Are you going?
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
This Blog
So this blog has fallen by the wayside these last few weeks because my other blog (brbikepolo.blogspot.com) has been taking up all my time. In case you follow this blog and not the other, we are doing a series of races here in Baton Rouge on each of the first four Fridays. There is a points system, and whoever has the highest total points wins prizes. There are also prizes for each individual stage winner, as well as fun categories like Fixied Gear Rider, Lady Rider, Out Of Towner, etc etc etc.
We have some really nice sponsors for that too, so you should check it out.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In other news:
BRASS has several events coming up.
At every Sunday In The Park event at Lafayette Park in downtown Baton Rouge, Brass will have a bicycle corral. This is a manned location where you can leave your bike while you go enjoy the festivities. There will also be bicycle corrals at several other festivals in the downtown area.
BRASS also has VELO rides. These have been wildly successful in the past, and are back with a vengeance. Unfortunately, I forgot to post this info before the first one occurred, so you missed the first one. But, the second one, Velo des Oiseaux is Sunday May 17, and celebrates Baton Rouge's bird population. The third, Velo Feliciana actually occurs in St. Francisville area, celebrating the beautiful country that is West Feliciana Parish.
Please check out http://brsafestreets.org/ for more information on those
We have some really nice sponsors for that too, so you should check it out.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In other news:
BRASS has several events coming up.
At every Sunday In The Park event at Lafayette Park in downtown Baton Rouge, Brass will have a bicycle corral. This is a manned location where you can leave your bike while you go enjoy the festivities. There will also be bicycle corrals at several other festivals in the downtown area.
BRASS also has VELO rides. These have been wildly successful in the past, and are back with a vengeance. Unfortunately, I forgot to post this info before the first one occurred, so you missed the first one. But, the second one, Velo des Oiseaux is Sunday May 17, and celebrates Baton Rouge's bird population. The third, Velo Feliciana actually occurs in St. Francisville area, celebrating the beautiful country that is West Feliciana Parish.
Please check out http://brsafestreets.org/ for more information on those
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