Drunk and in Charge of a Bicycle

Bidding goodbye, and hello to my Velorbis.

2011-07-27T14:23:00.008-04:00

Welcome back. That's to both of us.

Aside from the annoying problem with all my flickr image static links changing, the blog is back up and running after a year hiatus. In that time, a ton has happened. I've moved, but not far, and have all kinds of exciting plans for the next year, which I may share with you in the next few posts.

I'm still studying, in school working toward an Anthropology MA. Hoping to get that done pretty soon. And planning a relocation out of the city. Because of that, I've decided to sell my Velorbis Churchill Classic. He's in great shape, like new, and has been loved - so I'm looking for a good home for him.

He's listed on ebay here if you'd like to take a shot at bidding.

Once he is sold, we'll be back to where this blog started: I'll need a new bike. The question is, which one....

Bikers vs. Cabs: Williamsburg Bridge

2011-07-27T14:09:00.002-04:00

Here's what went down: At the base of the Brooklyn side of the Williamsburg bridge, there's a spot where cars, especially cabs, drive over the sidewalk when they don't feel like waiting in traffic on the bridge to Manhattan. So, they drive head-on into cyclists coming off of the w-burg bridge bike lanes. There are accidents all the time from cars hitting cyclists at this intersection, and it's even worse when the cars are driving over the sidewalk. Was watching this tonight, when some heroic cyclists decided to take matters into their own hands and put up a barricade.

InfoLadies

2010-05-22T10:14:00.001-04:00

"Armed with a netbook, medical supplies and a bicycle, Bangladesh's InfoLadies are giving millions of poor people access to crucial information on their doorsteps that will improve their chances in life." Read more...

Witnesses Wanted: Williamsburg Cyclist Struck & Injured

2010-05-20T13:59:00.006-04:00

Williamsburg Cyclist Struck & Injured
5.8.10, 3AM at Roebling & N. 4th

Stefan, a Williamsburg cyclist was struck by a black, 4-door, Ford livery cab at 3AM on Saturday morning, May 8th, 2010.

The driver claims Stefan blew a red light, but we need additional info because Stefan blacked out due to head trauma.

Stefan has 5 broken ribs, a broken shoulder, a broken back, and a broken foot.

Did you witness this accident. Contact Mike with any info: 410-409-9787

Spread the word.

We all know how recklessly the cabs and livery cabs drive - often far exceeding the speed limit and playing aggressive games with each other and cyclists. Please re-blog and spread the word to help find witnesses.

How to use the Williamsburg Bridge

2010-05-03T23:09:00.019-04:00

Correct use of both a smile and a bicycle basket from Sweden.

As spring gives way to summer, more of you will be out there on your feet and bikes crossing the Williamsburg bridge. The purpose of this post is to help you use the bridge correctly. I know, it's scary that I need to write a post to help people get across a bridge, but it seems that even with signs painted on the path every few feet, some people not only don't understand how to use the bridge, they're certain they understand how - in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Correct use of the bicycle lane on the Williamsburg Bridge.

Incorrect use of the bicycle lane by pedestrians.

Sneak attack danger is high.

Recently, the lovely Jennifer and I took a trip across the bridge for a ride down the east side of Manhattan. There's nothing better than riding along under the Brooklyn Bridge on a sunny day with cool air from the river blowing over you. (Until you get to the tourist explosion at the piers, but that's another post.) On this trip, however, we encountered so many people walking on the wrong side that by the time we got to the middle of the bridge and encountered a pair of runners, I'd had enough.

Correct use of being-very-pretty-and-looking-like-one-should-be-in-the-country when one is in fact in the urban jungle.

Just as I was grumbling to myself, the runner on the right decided she was going to let me know that I was riding on the wrong side. I replied that actually, she was on the wrong side, and if she'd look at the signs painted right in front of her, literally under her feet, she'd see how the bridge works.

Granted, it's a little counter-intuitive and one might think that everyone just stays to the right. But you don't. On this bridge, the Bicycles stay to the right, like cars - and the pedestrians or runners, or whoever doesn't have a vehicle under them goes against the traffic. This is sensible, because if someone is approaching you on a bicycle, you want to see them, you don't want them to sneak up on you from behind. How do you know which side to walk on or ride on? There are signs painted all over the bridge with iconographic pedestrians and bicycles and even arrows, it's actually all very clear.

It's actually all very clear.

As you can guess, my hint about her failure to see what was right in front of her wasn't taken kindly. She said "No we're not, I run on this bridge all the time, you're on the wrong side."

My cycling partner later told me that the moment she heard this exchange she could see the blog post I was going to write appearing before her. And I had pulled out my camera to gather a little evidence so I could demonstrate how not to use the Williamsburg bridge.

If you're running, walking, or on foot (sans bicycle) stay in the left lane.
If you're on a bicycle, stay in the right lane and pass on the left.

Do not do this:

Incorrect use of the bridge. Note the failure to see what is right under their feet. These people are stupid, yes, stupid. They aren't ignorant because I told them and the little stencil told them and they still didn't listen.

Oh, but crossing the bridge and navigating around the stupid people was worth it!

The Bike Ride That Changed My Life

2010-03-29T20:13:00.006-04:00

Sometimes, I feel like my brain is turning into pudding. I like pudding, especially soy pudding, but this isn't a good feeling. It's a sense that your mind is fogged over and your body is soon to follow until you just poof out of existence, log out of life.

I felt like that after work today. I'd spent 8 hours sitting in front of computers, and remotely controlling computers in other rooms, and doing other network things. It was mind-numbing.

So, when I got home, I took my bike out in the rain and headed across the w-burg bridge to Manhattan. Even just quarter-way across I knew that I had fixed the problem.

My blood was pumping again, my mind was clear, all was well again. The bike rides that change your life don't have to be epic journeys across France or races through all the boroughs, or even a whole day of biking, sometimes they can be a ride in the clouds and rain to clear the fog out of your brain. You know it's one of those rides, when an hour later, you still feel like you're there, flying through the sky and nothing will ever stop you again.

84th Precinct Looks the Other Way

2010-03-29T14:27:00.008-04:00

If you know about my interest in religion and technology, you know why this is even more interesting to me!

The First Presbyterian Church on Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights has been giving parishioners cards to 'allow' them park in the bike lane. Local police don't seem to care - but really? Let's turn the tables - what if local bicycle riders started chaining their bikes to the church? We know how that would end.

84th Precinct, do your job and get these cars out of the bike lane!

Peter Kaufman blogged this video of the illegal parking:

I would rather have the graffiti...

2010-01-27T21:50:00.004-05:00

They left it driverless and parked in the crosswalk while they painted over some scribbles. This, and NYC is cutting social services.

Hey spitting cyclist...

2010-01-24T12:51:00.025-05:00

The other night, a friend of mine was spit on by a cyclist. If this doesn't totally surprise you, you must also live in NYC, land of the special breed of asshole bikers. He had the right of way, was walking across the street and when he didn't run to get out of the way (so the bike could run a red light) the guy on the bike responded by spitting on him, like some kind of evil human-visitor hybrid child.

Hey spitting cyclist, is this your mom?

In response to this incident he made a great point, saying something like: 'Until bicycle advocates can get these kind of people under control, they're not going to get very far with their cause.' I couldn't agree more.

Morons who run red lights, ride the wrong direction and break other traffic laws on bicycles undermine everything that we bicycle culture advocates work for. He's justified, I think, in wanting to lobby for stricter bicycle legislation after this incident.

I also think part of the issue here is that NYC doesn't have a positive, shared cycle culture. There is a cultivated rebel-attitude with some cyclists. They're against the grain and against the world - and thereby also against traffic laws and pedestrians and everything else that stands in their way as they hurtle down the dark streets at night, with no lights paying no attention to where they're going.

I'm not one for laws, but traffic laws make a lot of sense. You have, on the one hand many-ton masses of metal hurling down the road, then you have all these delicate packages of bones and flesh walking across the roads, and then you have some more delicate packages of bones and flesh precariously perched on two temporarily balanced wheels flying down the road as well. Without traffic laws, and car/pedestrian/bicycle friendly infrastructure, that combination is a disaster.

But in a society where you have strong bicycle infrastructure and culture, the asshole who rides the wrong way on a bike seems as crazy as someone driving a car the wrong way down a street - and he'll get called on it.

Danish cycle infrastructure/culture at rush hour.

Cycle culture is a beautiful thing, as you dear readers know, one can even ride safely while drinking a beer.

I've written before about the delivery guys who ride the wrong way, without lights, in bicycle lanes and act shocked when they encounter you going the right way. I've written about the run-red-lights-or-don't debate, these are persistent problems. And NYC keeps building these beautiful but limited bicycle lanes that run for small stretches or aren't segregated from car traffic or are removed because of neighborhood complaints, but it doesn't seem to be getting any better out there for cyclists or pedestrians.

So, what's next, what do we do? Do we legislate the bicycles, register the cyclists, enforce the traffic laws, increase penalties?

Hey spitting cyclist, is this your mom eating lunch?

On the one hand, traffic laws must apply to bicycles, on the other hand, there are so many places where you can ride in a bicycle lane and it suddenly ends or turns into a sidewalk, at which point you find yourself unintentionally breaking the law. So how do we enforce traffic laws when there isn't a bicycle infrastructure to enforce them within?

What's the most important thing we can do to move toward building a solid bicycle culture in this city? I argue it's infrastructure, other ideas?

At the least, I hope we can all agree that the spitting cyclist is an ass and he should have his cycling privileges taken away, along with his ability to salivate surgically removed...

Special tights day?

2009-12-31T02:32:00.001-05:00

Madison Sq. Park, a few weeks ago

Naomi Klein on Cop15

2009-12-16T10:27:00.005-05:00

A great interview with Naomi Klein on what's happening in Copenhagen and how it relates to Copenhagen's creepy efforts to brand and commodify the city.

Katherine Goldstein: You've written about how aggressive the Danish police have been towards mostly peaceful protesters thus far. On Saturday, 1,000 people were arrested, mostly for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. What's your reaction to this?
Naomi Klein: There are so many wonderful things about Copenhagen, like the biking culture and the wind power that I think a lot of us have been impressed with. But the city has invested a lot in the branding campaign of Copenhagen being Hopenhagen, and that their city can be a part of this historic agreement for the future. Because the city is so invested in this positive image, they are willing to act aggressively. But this is so much bigger than that. This is everyone's planet. What is happening in this conference -- there's more at stake than Copenhagen's image concerns. The police have arrested activists and organizers preemptively of tomorrow's march, like Tadzio Mueller. It's reckless to take leaders who are advocating non-violence out of the game the night before a protest.

Bicycle blocade

2009-12-16T09:16:00.003-05:00

Bicycle blocade

Originally uploaded by Henrik Digital

Removing the bikes

2009-12-16T09:12:00.003-05:00

Removing the bikes

Originally uploaded by Henrik Digital

Solidarity

2009-12-16T09:00:00.002-05:00

Solidaritet med de aktivister og demonstranter i København.

Solidarity with the activists and protestors in Copenhagen.

Repainting the Bike Lanes in Williamsburg

2009-12-09T11:09:00.004-05:00

Perhaps if the racoon-eyed-brats in Williamsburg didn't dress like a horrible disco accident...

...the hasidic community wouldn't have demanded the removal of the bike lanes. But, I respect both groups freedom to wear whatever they want - and the bike lanes won't go away so easily...

How to Neutralize your Airline Carbon Emissions

2009-10-19T10:07:00.003-04:00

It's actually easy, and free!

A cross country (USA) round-trip flight is about 890 kg of C02 per passenger. The average American's meat consumption contributes 1,360 kg of CO2 per year. So, for each flight cross country, go vegetarian for 8 months.

Danger! Kidnappings of Innocent Bicycles!

2009-09-16T11:52:00.007-04:00

The NYT reports on an increase in kids commuting to school by bicycle. I grew up riding my bicycle to school every day, as do many people all over the world, but in NYC, that's considered a bit strange for a kid. How strange? Well just take a look at the paranoid comments in response to the article:

"With the kidnappings of innocent children reported in the papers all the time, wouldn’t it be safer for all if they could just go back to past times and walk to a school in their own neighborhoods? "

"Great. Now you will have all these children riding bikes to school so that the crooks and thieves can beat up the kids and steal their bikes to buy crack!!

Or worse, you will have crazy NY drivers running these poor kids over as they ride through the crosswalks!!

It’s a great idea if you live in Iowa or Nebraska!

Not in NYC! This would be a bike thief’s trifecta!! Or worse, experience a sharp rise in vehicular homicide as these kids get run over by drunk and unattentive (cell phone and texting freaks) auto and truck drivers!!!

And this is why we pay the DOE employees a King’s ranson in salary to come with ideas that will place our school kids in avoidable, mortal and physical danger!!"

"...It is very common for children who go alone to end with criminals and molesters...."

"Will there be added funds given to each school where racks are installed for security to guard the racks?"

Criminals, Molesters, Helmets!

How to Kill Someone and Get Away with it

2009-09-16T11:45:00.002-04:00

Just go to Arizona and make sure your victim is riding a bicycle (in the bicycle lane) and then hit them with your car:

"...Jerome was killed on his bicycle Sept. 3, a month before his 85th birthday.

Jerome was about a mile from the home he shared with his brother when he was struck from behind by a Toyota Camry... Jerome, a cyclist for about 10 years, was in the bike lane wearing a helmet and reflective vest.

[The driver] who was not impaired, was cited for driving in the bike lane and for not giving a cyclist three feet of space, both civil violations. It’s unlikely he’ll face additional charges...

Erik Ryberg, a Tucson attorney who has represented cyclists for five years, says the tool is in place to criminally prosecute in such cases but nobody is willing to use it.

Ryberg says negligent homicide would be a reasonable charge but has never been applied when a cyclist has been killed by a driver.

“They reserve it for more serious cases of negligence than just driving,” he said."

Waste Not

2009-09-16T11:12:00.005-04:00

The installation "Projects 90: Song Dong" just closed at MOMA. Song Dong, a Beijing artist, worked collaboratively with his mother to sort out and display the stockpiles of potentially useful items she had been saving in her home.

While it's surprising to see that there weren't any bicycles in the collection there were some related supplies... Perhaps the bicycles of a Beijing household are too precious to give up?

Seat covers

Sturmey Archer Box

As a former gallery owner and an artist-against-the-art-world, I have some elaborate opinions on installations like this which would probably bore you all - so let's stick to how the public received it. Here are the comments I overheard as I walked around the exhibition:

"I don't know why, but this is special."

"I think the categorization helps too."

"I guess if you took everything out of our house..."

"The house must have been bigger than I thought."

"It's an art show."

"I feel like I've gotten my $5 worth already."

"That was a good MOMA-run."

NY400 Bike Share

2009-09-16T10:42:00.010-04:00

To celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Dutch arrival in what is now New York, the Consulate General of the Netherlands and some Dutch corporations held an event called "Holland on the Hudson" as part of the wider NY400 celebration. The Bike Share offered the free use of a Batavus bike for 6 hours.

I'm sure the native people of North America would have preferred neither, but I can't help thinking we would be better off today if we were still under Dutch rule.

About NY400:

"This year we celebrate 400 years of enduring friendship between the Netherlands and the United States. Four hundred years ago, a Dutch ship called the Half Moon guided to the shores of what is now New York City with Captain Henry Hudson at the helm. This led to the establishment of New Amsterdam and the New Netherland colony. Some 167 years later, in 1776, the Dutch were the first to salute the flag of the United States of America. NY400 celebrates the free spirit, openness, entrepreneurship and tolerance of those Dutch-American pioneers, and their continued relevance today and beyond."

Cyclists are not to blame - Or at least, rarely.

2009-08-25T12:30:00.001-04:00

Gregory sends us this article from treehugger.

"While there is a public perception that cyclists are usually the cause of accidents between cars and bikes, an analysis of Toronto police collision reports shows otherwise: The most common type of crash in this study involved a motorist entering an intersection and either failing to stop properly or proceeding before it was safe to do so. The second most common crash type involved a motorist overtaking unsafely. The third involved a motorist opening a door onto an oncoming cyclist. The study concluded that cyclists are the cause of less than 10 per cent of bike-car accidents in this study...." Read more

Bike Sharing Comes to New York

2009-08-04T09:36:00.002-04:00

if only for a few weekends....

NYC Bicycle Access/Parking Legislation Passes

2009-08-04T08:53:00.003-04:00

A while back, I posted about these two pieces of legislation - and now they've passed!

780 requires every parking garage that holds at least 100 cars provide spaces for bicycle parking as well. They must provide not less than 1 bicycle space for every 10 car spaces and the spaces must have secure racks for locking. You can read the full text here.

871 allows tenants of commercial buildings to request a "bicycle access plan" from the building owner. The submission of a request requires the building owner to either complete and implement an access plan or file for an exemption within 30 days. You can read the full text here.

These are really powerful pieces of legislation that could change the face of cycling in New York City and we're really glad to see they've passed.

Here's the update as received from the City Council:

August 3, 2009

Dear New Yorker,

Good news! Last week the New York City Council took steps toward creating a more sustainable transportation infrastructure in our city by passing two important pieces of legislation:

Intro. 0780-A (Koppell) - bicycle parking in garages and parking lots.
Intro. 0871-A (Yassky) - bicycle access in commercial buildings.

One of the main obstacles to bicycle commuting is the inability to park your bicycle in a secure location once you have arrived at work.

These bills address this problem by improving bicycle access in commercial buildings and creating thousands of bicycle parking spaces in city garages and parking lots. The legislation also encourages cycling by creating a bicycle commuting task force that will explore partnerships with private entities to build sheltered bicycle parking in public and/or private spaces. The task force will issue its report by December 31, 2010.

Together, these proposals will improve public health, reduce carbon emissions, and provide a more affordable option for New Yorker's daily commute.

If you would like additional information or have any questions about this new legislation, please contact Nick Rolf of the community outreach staff at (212) 442-5765. You may also e-mail him directly at nrolf@council.nyc.gov.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Christine C. Quinn
Speaker
New York City Council

G. Oliver Koppell
Council Member
New York City Council

David Yassky
Council Member
New York City Council

Hyelp!

2009-07-29T09:18:00.006-04:00

Real People, Real Reviews? well, not really...

Let's say you're trying to find the best bicycle shop in your new neighborhood so you go over to Yelp and locate a shop around the corner. They've got glowing reviews about how great the shop is and how helpful and friendly they are....

So you go into the shop and they treat you like dirt. What could have happened? Well, it turns out that Yelp might have deleted the bad reviews from the listing.

I discovered this when one of my reviews was removed "because it is not relevant, specifically it falls outside of a normal consumer experience." Huh? Really? We provide free content to Yelp which they use to earn ad revenue and in turn they censor it?

Well, I posted about this on a certain social networking web site and my friend responded with even more shocking information:

"They actually pay certain "elite" reviewers to give good or bad reviews to places that have, or have not advertised with Yelp. Yelp representatives call restaurants to aggressively request advertising with them, basically insinuating that if they don't, Yelp will ensure only the negative reviews make it to the "relevant" list. check out http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/13/yelp_sales_pitch/"

So, I'm deleting my Yelp account and removing all 49 of my reviews. And I won't be trusting what I read on Yelp again. From now on, if I'm going to review something, I'll do it out here in the open network, not behind their gated community.

You can delete your Yelp account here. Got any great reviews you want to save? Put them on your blog instead or send them to me and I'll post them here.

Barcelona: Bicycle Test

2009-07-25T11:36:00.001-04:00

A simple question to test your Barcelona bicycle savvy. Which way should you ride in this lane, left to right or right to left? Leave your answer in the comments.

UPDATE

THE ANSWER IS... If you're in Barcelona you go whichever direction you want. But really, whoever designed these lanes intended you to go right to left, in other words the opposite of the direction this is pointing. Right before this, on the ground you'll see an arrow pointing to the left and as you bike along, you'll occasionally find these 'arrows' pointing in the opposite direction, and not always at an intersection.... so who knows what they were trying to do here. Barcelona's bike lanes are more like an obstacle course than a bicycle infrastructure.

Barcelona: Bicycle Culture?

2009-07-23T11:38:00.002-04:00

Barcelona has some amazing bicycle projects under way. The Bicing program offers bicycles to residents who sign up for the program. Once you're a member, you can grab a bicycle from any station and return to any other - and the program is popular! Everywhere you go, you'll see people riding the bicycles.

But where are they riding them? On the sidewalk, the wrong way on the street, the wrong way in the bicycle lane, through red lights, everywhere except where they would be if they had a strong cycling culture.

Barcelona also has a pretty extensive network of bicycle lanes and projected lanes. They run between many of the neighborhoods and connect to the beaches. In some places they are real bicycle lanes, separated from the cars by trees and curbs and with their own traffic signals.

But, in other places, the lanes are a mess. Sometimes they're blocked by something (as seen above, and for no reason, there were plenty of other places to put those benches). And often, the bicycle lane runs directly through the line of traffic into and out of the Metro stations. In one place, the bicycle lane is painted on the ground directly in front of the city bus map on the back of the bus shelter. So, anyone looking at the city bus maps along that route (at every station) is standing in the bicycle lane while doing it. The Metro station crossings are the most dangerous. Because the lane runs on the sidewalk directly beside the Metro entrance , it would be very easy to ride right into the Metro. Look away for a moment and you will either be crashing into a crowd exiting the Metro or crashing down the stairs into the Metro. This might be why you rarely see locals actually riding in the bicycle lanes.

Overall, Barcelona's bicycle lane system reminds me of New York. There are lanes all over the city, but they don't connect well, some of them are outright dangerous and everyone uses them improperly. The most popular activity in Barcelona seems to be riding the wrong way on the bicycle lane or riding in the pedestrian lane right next to the bicycle lane. Even when there is a lane running on both sides of the street.

Barcelona puts cars first, then scooters and motorcycles, then the Bus and Metro system, then pedestrians and bicycles are last. Everywhere we went, I saw the bicycle lane being used to store trash cans, park delivery trucks, and more. Bicycle lanes in Barcelona seem to be widely considered available space for anything but bicycles. And yet, it still often ranks with the worlds greatest bicycling cities.

Barcelona: Budget Bikes & Juicy Jones

2009-07-23T09:52:00.009-04:00

While in Barcelona, we rented from Budget Bikes. They charge 16€ for a 24 hour rental and take a copy of the credit card info as a deposit, but they don't charge or authorize the deposit.

The Budget Bikes location on C/ Estruc. The other locations can be found here.

They offer theft insurance, but be aware that it only covers 300€ of the 400€ 'value' they claim for their bicycles - and the contract lets you know that the theft insurance does not cover the cost of the locks and a claim requires that a police report is filed and all keys to the bicycle are returned. We looked at Our Beautiful Parking as well but they charge about the same and ask for 100€ cash deposit.

While biking around Barcelona, take a break at the Juicy Jones on C/ Hospital. There are a few locations, but this one has the best interior space - and is in the more interesting El Raval Barrio.

They have great fresh juices (my choice is the mango, papaya, pineapple with lime) and a very affordable menu del día offering an outstanding veggie meal - your choice from 3 starters, 3 plates of the day and several desserts along with water or wine. The Thali is always good if you're craving Indian, but I suggest choosing one of the Spanish dishes instead.

Summer Essentials

2009-07-04T00:22:00.004-04:00

During the summer in NYC, we get a lot of visitors. Yes, human friends come to stay with us - but we also get insect friends wandering into the apartment. When it rains heavily, even more of them come inside. Any relaxed insect who wants to hang out in our place is welcome, but if they want to bite or they're big flying cockroaches (the large outdoor species are driven inside by the rain) we like to return them to nature (or Brooklyn as the case may be).

How do we do it? The Humane Bug Katcher. It's a great tool for gently collecting an insect friend and returning it outdoors. I used it 3 times last night - it's a great test of your ability to move slowly and carefully. Toss that swatter and try it! You'll feel so much better re-locating your insect friends.

Get yours here.

Buddha on a Bike

2009-07-03T15:28:00.004-04:00

My new favorite person who I've never met is Patrick Reynolds. He teaches meditation, yoga, fitness and happiness. I'm addicted to his yoga videos on youtube and his podcast with Gwen Bell Zen is Stupid.

Here's a great bike post from his blog:

What Riding a Bike in the City Can Teach You
One of my favorite things about living in Japan is not needing a car. I have never been interested in cars, and I don't really enjoy driving. Sometimes Japanese people will tell me that one of their hobbies is "driving", but for me speeding down an asphalt road in a big hunk of metal with other bigger hunks of metal just inches away also moving at high speeds, it's just not my idea of relaxing.

Instead, I ride my bicycle just about every day of the year. I can get to any part of the city in under a half hour on my bike, often faster than a car. And over time I've learned a lot from riding a bike. These lessons also apply to a well-lived life, and so I'll share them with you now!

Read more...

Is Reading the New York Times Bad for your Bones?

2009-07-01T14:30:00.005-04:00

This article in the New York Times is just silly. It's called "Is Bicycling Bad For Your Bones?" and asks:

"Is cycling bad for the bones? A number of intriguing studies published in the past 18 months...have raised that possibility..."

Um.... No, actually all the studies they talk about are looking at "competitive bike riders" and refer to riding a bicycle as an "endurance sport." I don't know anyone who rides a bicycle as an "endurance sport" and just about everyone I know rides a bicycle.

Finally, at the end, they concede "most recreational cyclists probably don’t need to worry too much about their bones. “The studies to date have looked primarily at racers,” Smathers says. “That’s a very specialized demographic."

So, what was all that alarmist nonsense at the beginning? Oh, I get it, they're trying to hook you into the article by scaring you. When did the New York Times start using tactics borrowed from the local 6 'clock news?

Vegan Saddles

2009-06-27T00:37:00.005-04:00

Cosmo writes:

"Hi,I am curious about your saddle. What kind of lepper saddle is it and are they easy to find. I am looking at getting a euro type bike and I know that many of them come with leather saddles. I will want to switch that out if that is what I get. Thanks.

I think it is awesome that you veganized your Velorbis. "

The plastic Lepper saddles are the "Comfotech" line. I would ask around and see if any of your bike shops can order Lepper saddles for you, I'm often surprised how many shops will special order something obscure. Even if the Lepper brand isn't available from your bike shop, there are many varieties of animal-free saddles available. Most seats sold in the US are non-leather.

Personally, I find a standard American gel comfort seat to be more comfortable than the Lepper Comfotech - but the Lepper is a more traditional style for a 'euro-bike.'

Hopefully you were spared the pain of reading the "vegan saddles" thread on bikeforums.net which is full of idiots writing "but the cow is already dead." If so, please whatever you do, don't google "vegan saddles."

Hey readers, what are your favorite non-animal saddles?

The Sanford Co-op in New Cross, South London

2009-06-22T07:55:00.021-04:00

Last week I visited a friend of mine, Luke, who lives in a co-op in New Cross, South London. The Sanford Co-op has been around since the early 1970s and is known for its sustainable energy use and communal atmosphere.

Up until last week everyone has claimed a bike parking space next to a tree, picnic table, or various other objects. There are almost 200 people living in the flats; most have bikes.
An architect Christos Choraitis designed this beautiful and smartly designed bike "shed" to house everyone's scattered bikes.

It is constructed out of re-used railway ties, perhaps referencing the industrial surroundings, and was built using co-op resident labor. (You can read about the planned design of this structure when it was reported in 2006). One can climb the outside and tend to the garden on top. Or, enter through the passcode-protected, swing-hinged door to access a bike.

The grand opening party was in full ride when I visited last Wednesday night and the "shed" makes for a natural gathering spot. We sat on top and enjoyed some sangria while others hung out by the vegetable/dip table set up inside. Luke and some others discovered the inside makes for a good climbing gym as well.

I was amazed by the co-op itself; not to mention Choraitis' design. The area surrounding the living spaces is full of gigantic plants, koi ponds and raised garden beds. The co-op was bought on the cheap due to the high levels of lead in the soil (thus the raised beds).

The houses each have their own flavor and design. The kitchens were recently refurbished and each house competed to design the best slate tile pattern. I was lucky enough to join in on the party that night and crash in one of the rooms. Everyone I met was varied in their interests and nationality. But, they all seemed to appreciate bikes, traveling and enjoying life. If I don't return to NYC it's because I moved in here.

The Best Bicycle in the World

2009-06-20T22:33:00.004-04:00

Cykelmageren (Without Title) 2009

What is the best bicycle manufactured today? Arrow? Cykelmageren?
My suspicion is that it's something that's a danish-japanese hybrid that I don't yet know about.

You all know about A.N.T.'s bikes - but in case anyone hasn't seen them yet - now you too can dream of having one, here you go!

Faux Environmentalists, Dead Goats and a Misused Bicycle

2009-06-20T01:07:00.010-04:00

Are you going to cut her throat, burn her and eat her?

This is the worst kind of faux environmentalism and it has to be exposed for what it is.

These people are roasting a dead goat using a bicycle powered spit. It's a horrifying use of a bicycle and contrary to everything we stand for. There is nothing 'green' about slaughtering animals (or any part of the animal food industry) - no matter how 'local' and 'small' it is.

There is no such thing as a 'free range' animal raised for slaughter. It's not 'free' unless it can leave without having its throat slit. A 'grass fed cow' is still terrified as its herded into a cage where its neck is sliced open as it drowns in its own blood, while other cows stand by and watch, waiting their turn to die.

Contrary to what hipsters would have you believe, eating 'local' bacon isn't any better than eating any other bacon - it's still a dead animal, an animal that was imprisoned for its whole life and then murdered. It's still the flesh of an intelligent, social being - a being capable of having relationships, of caring for children, a being that feels pain when its throat is slit and it's hung upside down with a hook in its leg.

A woman goes to jail for killing her puppy and making a belt out of it - but millions of animals are slaughtered to make your shoes, your belts, your burgers - and all of them have just as much right to live as that puppy.

I know, you might disagree. But here's the truth you'll eventually have to face: you're wrong. You're the person who said "as long as the slaves are comfortable and well fed and we let them have Sunday off to go to church, it's not so bad really, and after all, we can't release them, what would they do? how would they take care of themselves?" Those people were called welfarists and they just wanted to make the slaves living conditions better. When slavery ended, they suggested all slaves be sent to work-camps so they could be trained on how to work. The people who wanted to stop slavery were the abolitionists. Get on the right side of history, become an abolitionist today and refuse to support a culture that enslaves millions and murders them for the dinner table - just to satisfy the gluttonous appetite of America while the rest of the world starves.

Really, it's time to wake up.

"Questions in the Lot"

2009-06-17T00:38:00.003-04:00

We're Going to Barcelona

2009-06-16T23:37:00.008-04:00

Barcelona, by MorBCN, Flickr Creative Commons

Well, ehouse is in London at the moment, and we're hoping she'll be posting something about her trip soon. (Please encourage her to do so in the comments...) Next she's headed to Berlin, so if you have any ideas for her, head to the comments and post away!

Next month I'll be going to Barcelona. We're staying in Gracia and Raval, splitting our time between the two neighborhoods. I've been working on planning the trip and now that the broader details are settled, it's time to start looking into bicycle rentals.

We'll want two city bicycles that are sturdy and well kept, with all the requisite features of a real bicycle (basket or rack, lock, lights, chain guard, etc). Have an opinion, an experience to share about Barcelona or bicycling life in Spain? Please post. Do you rent bicycles in Barcelona? Why should we choose your business? Any idea where we can rent a Velorbis in Barcelona? (OK, yes we're spoiled and hate to give up our favorite bikes). Here is a list of the rental options I've looked at so far.

biciclot: Already in first place because they don't just rent bicycles, they're also a bicycle advocacy organization.

Barceloneta Bikes: 49 euro for one week.

bicing: the city-wide bicycle sharing program is, apparently, for locals only. Really? Wow, what a bad idea.

Budget Bikes Look like nice bicycles, but why do they have that sign on the front? Looks like about 61 euros a week.

Barcelona Biking: only lists prices by the hour..?

Barcelona by Bicycle: 55 euro for one week. The photos of their silver city bikes look the least offensive of the selection....

Not Drunk and barely in Charge

2009-05-24T10:09:00.005-04:00

Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, is investigating possible sites for 12 new bike 'superhighways' throughout his city. Last Friday he and several others, including the transport minister, biked together through Canary Wharf. Watch what happened to them.

No one was seriously hurt. And London will hopefully have some damn safe bike lanes.

Madsen Contest

2009-05-18T00:33:00.003-04:00

Madsen is running a contest for a chance to win one of their cargo bikes. You must link to them from your facebook (which is possible with an html app), myspace, twitter, blog, website, etc. to be entered. We are doing it here, obviously.

Hell oh!

2009-05-02T14:51:00.003-04:00

It's a beautiful spring day in New York - cloudy and a little rainy, but beautiful. And then, the chirping birds and sound of the breeze are suddenly interrupted by a penetrating, MIDI tune, and a voice saying... 'Helllo!" It's an ice cream truck, parked under the window, playing that awful song over and over and over....

It was one thing when as a kid there was one ice cream truck in our little town and if you were lucky it might come by - but in a city like this there are fleets of them, prowling the neighborhoods blasting 'songs' designed to get attention no matter how hard you try to ignore them. What can you do when they park in your hood and keep playing that music? Well it turns out that NYC accepts noise complaints for parked ice cream trucks:

"The City accepts complaints about ice cream trucks and other mobile food vendors that play music while parked. Investigations are most successful when you provide details about the problem, including the truck's license number, vendor name, and days and times that the noise occurs."

Be sure to get the license plate number and file your complaint online here.

BByB

2009-04-30T16:14:00.009-04:00

I acquired a flat tire crossing Eastern Parkway last night. This was after riding on the new bike lane, visiting Prospect Park, and thinking about how much I loved everything. The sun had set as I sadly walked my bike up Underhill. It made a continous thump-thump sound; I felt the pity of passing pedestrians. Luckily, I was able to bring my bike by our neighborhood shop Brooklyn Bike y Board as soon as I left Manhattan earlier today.

I have to say I love the guys who work here. They are seriously hot and seriously talented. This is Zach (sp?) working on my bike. He got a kick out of my weird brake casing and told me a story about how he once bounced a phone off his shoe and caught it in superhuman fashion.

What I appreciate about the new owners/workers at BByB is their genuine interest in every bike (and bike owner) that rolls in. They drooled over a customer's perfect Frejus Campione del Mondo Olimpionico roadbike, yelled about plans to start a bike polo team, sprayed me in the face with a water gun (on accident), practiced track stands, and told me how they watch out for the extra small and extra large bikes- all of this while helping me and others. And, even though the shop was busy, the Fearless Leader heard me tell Zach about my plans for something other than my single speed and he showed me this small-framed, silver 5-speed with pink cables.The shop is going to put some narrow tires on this one, tune it up, and modify it for my liking. Then it's coming home with me. I haven't told my red bike yet.

Metro Card Bending

2009-04-30T16:00:00.000-04:00

From the decision of Judge Victoria A. Graffeo in the case of an MTA metro card bender. Thanks to the judge's decision, hackers everywhere can learn more about the MTA Metrocard design.

"The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) is responsible for operating the mass transit system in the New York City area. In years past, a person gained access to the subways by purchasing a token and depositing it into a turnstile. This mechanical means of entry was eventually replaced with a computerized system that uses a "MetroCard" -- a plastic swipe card that is "read" by a scanner, embedded within a turnstile, that deducts the cost of the fare from the MetroCard.

There are two types of MetroCards: value-based MetroCards (referred to as "pay-per-ride" cards) and time-based MetroCards (referred to as "unlimited" cards). A purchaser of a time-based card is provided unlimited transportation access for a specified period of time (one day, one week or one month depending on the purchase price). The purchaser of a value card electronically stores a certain amount of money on the MetroCard that will be debited each time the user enters the MTA system. Only value cards are at issue in this appeal.

A MetroCard has two distinct magnetic fields that contain information, referred to as the primary and secondary fields. The MTA opted to use two fields so that the information encoded onto the card has "backup" storage in the event that a magnetic field is damaged. Based on the testimony of an MTA expert in this case, when a value-based MetroCard is swiped through the electronic eye of a turnstile, a computer reads both magnetic fields. If the MetroCard has monetary value remaining, the turnstile grants access and deducts the cost of the ride from the value of the card, amending the information stored on the magnetic strip to reflect the reduction in value. Thus, the expert explained, if a MetroCard is bought for $4 in value, that amount is initially encoded onto both the primary and secondary fields. When the card is first used for a $2 fare, the computer will deduct $2 from one of the fields, leaving the other field at $4. The next time the MetroCard is swiped for entry, the computer does not change the $2 field but instead reduces the $4 field to zero. Once one of the fields reads zero, the turnstile is not supposed to open. By utilizing this design methodology, which electronically leaves $2 of value on one of the magnetic fields even though the purchased value has been depleted to zero, the MTA intended to give riders "the benefit of the doubt" in the event that the magnetic strip was damaged. Thus, if the computer eye in the turnstile cannot determine the true remaining purchase value but can read the $2 backup field, one ride can be obtained.

Individuals seeking free rides on the subway soon learned how to take advantage of the system's design. By creating a small bend or crease on the section of the magnetic strip where the zero-value field is contained, a person can obliterate that information so that, when swiped, the computer is unable to detect that the MetroCard is worthless, meaning no purchase value remains. When there is a strategically-placed crease or bend on the card, the turnstile computer will read the other field containing the $2 "backup" information, which gives the user of the card a free entry to the subway. Hence, a person can bend a valueless MetroCard and swipe it once, then use or sell the free ride at a discounted price by swiping it a second time (this is referred to as "selling swipes"). The ease of this type of alteration and its popularity among individuals who are willing to defraud the MTA contributed to considerable losses of revenue for the MTA -- it was estimated that as of 2005, fraudulent MetroCard use was costing the MTA approximately $16 million per year, the equivalent of about 8 million ride fares."

Bergen St. Loves Bikes

2009-04-30T15:44:00.008-04:00

A Crown Heights update:

If you learned anything from Michael or Biden you will know this is turning out to be a good week not to ride public transportation. So, here is some bike news.
Yesterday I was riding south on Schenectady on my way back from a job in Bed-Stuy. I turned west onto Bergen St. and low and behold there is a newly (not necessarily freshly) painted bike lane!

Up until this week Bergen has had a bike lane as far east as New York Ave, and the paint was barely there anyway. But now it goes beyond what is even shown online to at least somewhere past Schenectady.
Below shows the new lane painted over the old one futher west. The city must have been out painting this week (I also noticed fresh paint at Prospect Park last night). Isn't Crown Heights beautiful? I'm in love with Brooklyn today, if you couldn't tell.

Yes, we have no pandemic.

2009-04-30T10:25:00.010-04:00

New York City, State and the US Federal Government aren't using the word. But I think it's worth pointing out that it's the right word to use.

North America is currently experiencing an influenza pandemic. "What?!" you say, "they told us it's not a pandemic yet!" Well, sort of. It's not a global pandemic, but it is a pandemic. And no, a pandemic is not necessarily always global, it can also be national or regional.

Based on the guidelines in the W.H.O. document "Pandemic Influenza and Preparedness Response," we have "human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region." What we don't yet have, but will certainly have soon is "community level outbreaks in at least one other country in a different W.H.O. region in addition to the criteria defined in Phase 5."

It seems our local, state and federal government don't want to use the word pandemic yet - perhaps simply to prevent panic. But we should be aware that there is currently a pandemic of H1N1 flu in the United States. Or as I am calling it "Factory Farm Flu."

If you pay attention, you'll hear the correct language from W.H.O. For example Margaret Chan, the W.H.O. director general was quoted by the New York Times today saying "W.H.O. will be tracking the pandemic."

Of course, there's a bright side. Riding your bicycle and avoiding the subway is a great way to avoid the Factory Farm Flu.

"Serious obstacles stand in the way."

2009-04-17T10:33:00.010-04:00

The New York Times thinks they've found a "new It object" - the "dutch bicycle." But points out that "Serious obstacles stand in the way." Amazing work NYT - how did you ever uncover this little known object and the secret society that uses them? (And how did the writer get away with ignoring the community that has already embraced regular bicycles... perhaps Google searching is too advanced for a Times journalist.)

I guess the times didn't feel there was a story here until Club Monoco decided to put a Gazelle for sale in their window.... It's too bad their vision is limited to whatever is going on the corporate retail world. Club Monoco is even claiming that the Gazelle they are carrying is "Exclusively for Us" and the "Ultimate Urban Accessory." Puke. It's a bicycle, not an accessory.

And back to the Times, what's with those gloves? They're writing an article about riding a regular bicycle and say "If a guy is going to get on a bike, he wants to imagine he’s Lance Armstrong"? Right, why do you need those gloves to ride a "dutch bicycle"? Has the author even been on a bicycle?

And the final insult? No mention of Denmark? No mention of Copenhagen, the worlds best cycling city? Oh nevermind, I give up.... newspapers are dead anyway...

Bike to MOMA

2009-04-04T15:35:00.003-04:00

"Bike to MoMA on April 6 and get half-price admission and free bicycle valet parking! One Monday a month, The Museum of Modern Art stays open until 8:45 p.m. Drop in after hours for exhibitions, films, DJ, cash bar, and a bite to eat at Cafe 2 (limited evening menu)—plus the first 600 ticket buyers after 5:30 p.m. get free admission on their next visit.

The evening goes green with free bicycle valet parking courtesy of Transportation Alternatives, New York City's advocate for biking, walking, and public transit. Rain or shine, park your bike (enter on 53 Street) and receive a voucher for half-price Museum admission. Carbon emissions will be offset for the event, and we're raffling off a collapsible STRiDA 5.0 Bicycle, ideal for urban transport.

Exhibitions on view include Martin Kippenberger: The Problem Perspective and Projects 89: Klara Liden. In the theaters at 7:00 p.m., New York–based artist and filmmaker Carter introduces the U.S. premiere of his most recent film, Erased James Franco (2008), and takes part in a post-screening conversation with its star, James Franco. (Screening is included in the cost of admission; tickets are first come, first served.)

As always, members get free admission to MoMA Monday Nights, and may bring up to five guests per member for just $5 each."

L Train

2009-03-27T00:24:00.002-04:00

A rare animal sighted on the L train tonight - coming home late.

Excess

2009-03-15T13:46:00.003-04:00

“You know, the yelling and screaming about the rich — we want rich from around this country to move here,” Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said a few days ago. “We love the rich people.”

No, actually, we don't. The hoarding of wealth and resources might make sense to proponents of the absurd economic system we're living in now - but look at what a success that has been. Anyway, since Baron Bloomberg is the richest of them all, he must have been using the royal we.

This is why we're voting for Reverend Billy for Mayor.

Swrve Cycling Jeans

2009-03-14T02:43:00.005-04:00

Congratulations to Swrve for making it on the Independent's Cycling Gear 50 Best list!

One of the things that really sets Swrve apart from the cycling clothing world is that their gear is great for everyday wear, in every situation, not just on the bike. Yes, there's lycra in them there jeans, but you'd never know it.

So get over there and order a pair.

I don't recall him ever having mentioned a rabbit...

2009-03-14T01:56:00.004-04:00

Why do I find this image of Mr. Gyllenhall so disturbing?

There are many good reasons, but in my case it's because until now, whenever I thought of this particular celebrity, and I don't often think of celebrities, I thought of this photo:

And now it's all ruined. And I blame it all on People Magazine. That bike photo is like watching a nun drowning kittens.

Reply from Central Services....

2009-03-09T15:32:00.002-04:00

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Office of the Mayor
Date: Mon, Mar 9, 2009 at 12:13 PM
Subject: Responding to your message

Dear Mr. Drunk And In Charge:

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and concerns about bicycling in New York City. Our Administration supports legislation that would require large commercial buildings to make provisions for bicycle storage either on site or reasonably nearby, and we appreciate your writing with your input on the subject.

Our Administration is committed to increasing ridership throughout the five boroughs through our ongoing Bicycle Network Development Project. Since the Project's inception, we've developed 400 miles of bicycle lanes, routes, and car-free greenways, and we plan to complete another 200 miles of new vehicle-free bike paths, on-street striped lanes, and signed routes by the end of 2009. As part of our continuing CITYRACKS program, we'll also install 1,200 on-street bicycle racks by the end of 2009. Because of initiatives like these, we've already seen a 35 percent increase in bicyclists between 2007 and 2008 alone-and this is only the first step.

As part of our PlaNYC initiative, we will improve conditions and expand opportunities for bicyclists even further by dramatically accelerating the implementation of the 1,800-mile bike lane master plan so that the entire system is in place before 2030. Please know that we are committed to building on the progress we've already achieved by making it even easier, safer, and more enjoyable to bike in a greener, greater New York. Thanks again for writing and happy cycling!

Sincerely,
Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor

The Wild Bunches of Spring

2009-03-07T20:42:00.020-05:00

The Times writes about us today, bikers that is.... cyclists. Which we still are, even after spending a winter hiding indoors. How do we know? Because after a snowstorm that brought in the month of March and a freezing week - today it was beautiful. So we went to Manhattan.

And, as the Times article correctly notes, much of the cycling going on in this city is still of the Faux Tour de France variety (lycra and all). But there are lots of other kinds.

There are the flocks of teens on trick bikes, zipping down the slope of the Williamsburg bridge into Manhattan much faster than the 'racing' cyclists.

There are the hipsters on fixies, their butts at least two feet higher than their handlebars, tight jeans dragged down by the combined forces of the improbable angle and janitor keys hanging from the belt loop; wearing utility as a style.

There are the delivery folk, riding a bicycle that no one would likely steal, with a chain lock thick enough to bear the anchor for an aircraft carrier - they always look to be in between something - half in the kitchen, half on a bicycle. And they are on the margins in other ways, underpaid, under tipped, under appreciated.

There are the "women in fitness" as Jennifer called them "dressed like they're active - they watch Oprah." And the Dads with their kids who say "good job staying upright buddy!"

And then there's us. A minority on our upright bicycles. Running errands and riding because it's a great way to get there. Here are photos from our day...

First we had to prepare, add some air to the tires - and I had to make my new favorite smoothie: fresh coconut water, wild blueberries and raw cacao nibs. (there are no smoothies in this photo, no matter how hard you look)

Off we headed across the Williamsburg bridge.

What is this 'character project' Jennifer asks... it looks like art, but it's from USA television network...

Expecting friends from the west...did their flight land yet?

Heading back home across the bridge, under the moonlight after a lovely day in the city.

We're ready to endorse.

2009-03-01T21:52:00.002-05:00

Reverend Billy for Mayor!

NYC is ready for change.

“We’re at a critical point in the city’s history right now,” he said. “The mayor’s trying to privatize Union Square. We’re surrounded by logos everywhere. We need to oppose that.” Read more...

Anthropomorphizing

2009-02-23T18:17:00.009-05:00

Do you ever project your thoughts and feelings onto your bike? I do.
Bicycles are closely tied to human behavior; both in a literal and figurative sense.

When I discuss NYC bike culture with fellow bicyclists and various other persons someone inevitably complains about the dangerous behavior they witness. We weave in an out of traffic more aggressively if we had a bad day. We disregard traffic lights if we sense there are no consequences. Or, the conversation can turn to the positive. We pick a bike based on whether we want to ride slow, or fast, or convey a sense of style. We stroll down the street with our friends to exhibit solidarity.

The bike as an object is subject to assigned emotions.
When we ride we say we feel free or are empowered. We use this blog to assign Michael's bike a fitting name. Guilt ensues when one leaves her bike locked up overnight in a strange neighborhood because she drank too many bushmills and ginger ale and was too drunk to be in charge of her bicycle.

The point being, this past week I had to leave my bike in two different places (once due to the said drinking and once due to being out when the winds tore up cars and trees). I felt a strange sense of loneliness. I worried that my bike would be abused or stolen. I interpreted the slight squeak on the ride home today as somehow symptomatic of my abandonment.
Have you had such experiences? Please share.

Brrrr.....

2009-02-20T13:35:00.006-05:00

Check out this brilliant blog about riding in the winter - since we're all (except Liz) too wimpy to do it...

A little justice.

2009-02-20T06:59:00.001-05:00

From the times...

Police Officer Who Shoved a Bicyclist Is Off the Job

A police officer who was videotaped knocking a man off his bicycle and onto the ground during a cycling event in Manhattan last summer has been fired, the Police Department said.

Paul J. Browne, the Police Department’s chief spokesman, said the officer, Patrick Pogan, 23, was fired about 10 days ago.

Stuart London, a lawyer for Mr. Pogan, disputed the Police Department’s statement, saying that he had resigned.

Mr. Pogan was accused last year of assault and of filing false paperwork related to the arrest of the cyclist and was suspended from the department. The Manhattan district attorney’s office dropped the charges — attempted assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct — against the cyclist, Christopher Long.

Mr. Browne said on Thursday that the firing stemmed directly from the events involving Mr. Long, which took place on July 25 during a monthly event known as Critical Mass, in which hundreds of cyclists ride through the city to advocate nonpolluting forms of transportation.

The termination was reported by The Associated Press on Thursday night.

“They make errors all the time,” Mr. London said of the Police Department’s assertion that Mr. Pogan had been fired. Mr. Pogan resigned “to concentrate his efforts on fighting the criminal charges that are against him,” Mr. London said, “so that when he is ultimately acquitted he can reapply to the Police Department.” The shoving incident, which gained widespread attention after it was videotaped and posted on YouTube, embarrassed the Police Department. The video has been viewed on YouTube nearly 2 million times.

88 Bikes, This Saturday in NYC

2009-02-05T13:42:00.002-05:00

"Please join us in New York City from on Saturday, February 7th from 5- 7 PM, for an exhibit and brief discussion of 88bikes work around the world. Dan Austin and Nicolas Arauz will host a late afternoon gathering of sponsors, supporters, and fans, showing photos and videos of all our projects of the past 3 years. The event takes place at 535 Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill, in a space kindly donated by Atlantic Assets Group. Wine and snacks will be served.

Click here for a map. Please also rsvp (email link) for the event if you plan to attend."

Barri

2009-02-05T10:30:00.008-05:00

Barri (yes, that's her) was recently laid off from corporate America - like many others here in New York, she is now looking for work:

"I was laid off from corporate America in Jan 2009. I'm kinda glad. I'm also kinda scared. Things I will do for money include, but are not limited to, the following:

Go through your facebook friend list to determine who it's time to unfriend.
Write your online dating profile, white lies and all.
Organize your Obama campaign memorabilia.
Set up your DVR recordings in preparation for Lost, 24, Battlestar Galactica, American Idol and Howie Do It.
Sell your stuff on ebay. What were you thinking buying that diamond pave dragon cuff anyway?
Duck tape an umbrella to your bike when you have to get to a hot date in the rain.
Change your Brita filter. Who wants to wait around until the water is clear of carbon? I do.
Go to first base. Second base negotiable for the right hourly rate.
Febreze your suits after your interviews. Dry cleaning is overrated.
Delete all the porn off your work computer's hard drive."

While # 6 might be of particular interest to you, dear readers...the thing is - she's also a brilliant comic writer - and YOU should be paying her for how much you're going to enjoy reading her new blog. Check it out.

Nouveau Parti Anti-Capitaliste (NPA), via bike

2009-02-04T16:31:00.005-05:00

I tend to be a democratic socialist; am recently fascinated by how charismatic figures, popular opinion and social structures converge to form societal shifts; and love postal carrier bikes. Thus, although I am not as informed as could be on the French political landscape, it should be obvious I loved this video below on M.Besancenot. The video is long, but the bikes appear at 1:40, and on an ethnographic level there are some great moments of political meetings, rallies, sports and singing.

Olivier Besancenot

From The Independent: " [Olivier Besancenot] wants to destroy the institutions of the French state but cultivates, brilliantly, the image of a concerned, plain-talking, working-class boy-next-door. He has become the second most popular political figure in France, after President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The baby-faced postman and Trotskyist idol of the young, Olivier Besancenot, 34, will launch this weekend something which has been, until now, a contradiction in terms: a mass-appeal, far-left party. The Ligue Communiste Revolutionnaire (LCR) is dead. Long live the Nouveau Parti Anti-Capitaliste (NPA).

...

In 2007, he won, with 4.1 per cent of the vote in the first round, an election-within-the-election on the left-of-the-left, crushing the once powerful Parti Communiste and two Trotskyist rivals. He is now credited by pollsters with up to 18 per cent of voting preferences – something unheard of for the far left, even in France. "

Tragedy in Chinatown

2009-01-22T15:32:00.002-05:00

More evidence that cars are horrible people-killing monsters that should be banished to underground tunnels. Too awful for words.

You can take your lane with you

2009-01-17T21:02:00.004-05:00

About a week ago, the bloggers for a Boston-based product innovation firm, Altitude Inc., posted an image and quick blurb about a "virtual bike lane".

Apparently this projected laser of a bike lane, a Light Lane if you will, doesn't actually exist yet but might be in development. The virtual bike lane has sparked some questions across blogs, like here and here. Some seem to wonder how it would be bright and crisp enough, where it would attach, how legal it would be, and if you could hack some other images besides the traditional bike symbol.

The designers state that the idea behind Light Lane is "Instead of adapting cycling to established bike lanes, the bike lane should adapt to the cyclists."

--thanks goes to Ben

Winter Break

2009-01-16T13:32:00.002-05:00

We're on a winter break here at the blog...NYC is just a mess and currently colder than Berlin. But in the meantime, why don't you start shopping for spring?

Slush

2009-01-05T23:54:00.001-05:00

In the morning it was clear and dry - by the end of the day, this bicycle commuter had a wet ride home to look forward to - with no real bicycle lanes, and no plowing of the non-existent lanes, there isn't much hope for bicycle commuting in NYC on a snow day.

Cops Gone Wild

2009-01-05T23:52:00.002-05:00

Another sidewalk riding ticket issued in Brooklyn. Stay tuned for details - this time, it was a friend....

Muji Bicycles

2008-12-16T11:24:00.003-05:00

Sometimes it's fun to look at a catalog.

Even if I have no idea what it says.

YOU are a terrorist.

2008-12-09T11:57:00.006-05:00

The Times reports on new legislation that would go a long way to improving the situation here in NYC. The bills before the city council are "Introduction 871", which would "mandate access to bike parking in most office and retail buildings" and "Introduction 780" which would "require garages and parking lots to provide at least one bicycle parking space for every 10 car-parking spaces."

What do our favorite developers think? Sylvester Giustino, representing the Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater New York wondered about "How to screen bicycles and bicyclists for terrorist activity".

Really? You're kidding, right? He's still living in that USA?

To express your support for these bills, please contact the city council leadership, contact your council member AND contact the mayor.

Friendly Birds

2008-11-24T16:50:00.006-05:00

Save a life.
Get your Thanksgiving dinner here.

EuroBurg

2008-11-22T10:52:00.002-05:00

Williamsburg is New York's Marais? I'd like to think so, but I've lived in both and we have a ways to go.

"Many of the immigrants say they have chosen Williamsburg partly because it is cheaper than Manhattan, but also because it is reminiscent of the cities they left behind. They say they like its cafes, its more muted displays of wealth (well, more muted than Manhattan’s) and an artistic vibe that reminds some of the Marais neighborhood in Paris, or Brighton, England. The sense of community has softened their pain of being far from friends and relatives." read more...

Hunter Study Points out Obvious & Misses the Point.

2008-11-19T15:34:00.007-05:00

The Times uses this photo to illustrate a cyclist riding the wrong way. Ummm... what about the truck parked illegally in the bicycle lane?

City Room blogs on a 'study' out of Hunter College.

From the Times reporting it amounts to students looking at cyclists and deciding that since they aren't wearing helmets and are riding against the direction of traffic - they must be a safety problem.

Hmmm... How about spending your time looking at ways to create more bicycle infrastructure? Of course I haven't read the study - but I wonder if they report on the fact that most bicycle lanes are blocked by illegally parked cars - sometimes police cars.

Here's part of their absurd conclusion...

“With the ranks of cyclists growing in the city and the amount of street space becoming even more fiercely fought over, it is imperative that all three groups — cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians — abide by the traffic laws and be more respectful of the rights of others who share that space,” Professors Tuckel and Milczarski wrote in their conclusion.

Luckily there is a voice of reason in the article - Wiley Norvell, from Transportation Alternatives says “It’s our philosophy that good street design gives us better behavior....It doesn’t surprise me to see high rates of traffic infractions on streets that do not have provisions for bicyclists.”

MTA Fare Increase & Service Reductions

2008-11-19T00:01:00.003-05:00

Do you need a little more motivation to get off the subway and onto your bicycle?

"It appears likely... that the base subway and bus fare would increase to at least $2.50, from $2, and that a monthly unlimited-ride MetroCard could rise to about $100...

...the (MTA) has also drafted proposals for deep budget cuts, including reductions in service that call for the elimination of two subway lines and cutbacks on bus routes and commuter trains...Many riders will have to pay more to wait longer for trains and buses that are more crowded." Read more...

NYC Police Targeting Cyclists in Williamsburg

2008-11-17T16:43:00.003-05:00

As bicycle use in Williamsburg is growing faster than any neighborhood in NYC, the police are discovering a new source of filling their ticket quotas. This isn't a new trend, the NYPD have previously stolen bicycles as well. Is this how NYC gets more 'bicycle friendly'?

From Free Williamsburg:

He actually apologized to me for writing the ticket (I didn't even know this was a law), telling me he was just doing his job and that the officers were specifically instructed to target cyclists for several hours. "Everyone in this neighborhood has a bicycle, so we are starting to spend more energy on bicycle infractions. Expect to see more of this in the future and stay off the sidewalks." Read more...

Here's my take. The police need overtime. They get paid almost nothing. Starting salary for NYPD is about what you make folding jeans at the Gap, and the job is dangerous and exhausting. So, they need (really NEED) the overtime. The more time they spend processing arrests, tickets, etc. the greater the chances of overtime.

If the city of New York would pay police officers a living wage, this would help move the police focus from targeting innocent people toward the protecting and serving category. The police should be on OUR side. Let's pay them a living wage, and get them on our side.

More Bike Lanes

2008-11-14T09:36:00.003-05:00

If you hadn't noticed, the New York Times article on more bike lanes wasn't real.

But, we still hope that NYC will start making not just cosmetic changes, but serious infrastructure changes to the city so that bicycles become a totally viable method of transportation.

In the meantime, to help lobby this city, and others to build more bike lanes - go over to our neighborhood shop and buy one of their great T-Shirts. We can't stop wearing ours. 10% of the proceeds go to Recycle-a-Bicycle.

Make These Five Easy Changes Today

2008-11-13T12:28:00.008-05:00

A United Nations study released today claims negative climate change could be progressing faster than we think, and The New York Times reports one official as saying there is an "urgent need to take on emissions across the planet".

Every time I read an article to this effect (there seem to be more and more these days), I think "What can I do?" StopGlobalWarming.org has a great list of changes we can all make to do our part. Below are five I consider to be the easiest (as in, start them today!), but all are attainable.

The first item is an addition:

1. Ride a bike. I realize I'm preaching to the choir here, but please don't drive if you don't need to. Yes, we all need to go places that sometimes require cars, but we should ride -- or walk -- when we can. Next would be public transit and trains, then carpooling, then driving. Cars should be our last option.

Over the summer The New Yorker ran an inspiring piece on Samsø, and island in Denmark that has -- over a period of 10 years -- made itself carbon neutral. The article also presents a team of scientists and thinkers who argue for a 2,000-watt life, or a life in which each person uses 2,000 or less watts of energy daily. The reporter admits to having trouble finding a person who does this successfully, and comes close with a Swiss engineer and his family. Their secret? “The most important decision was that we wouldn’t have a car,” he says. “That was a conscious decision. We looked for a house where we didn’t need a car.” The New Yorker piece continues:

Driving a lot—even in what, by today’s standards at least, counts as an energy-efficient vehicle—also makes it difficult to live within two thousand watts. A person who drives a Toyota Prius ten thousand miles a year consumes roughly two hundred and twenty-five gallons of gasoline. This is equivalent to consuming around eight thousand kilowatt-hours, or to using nearly a thousand watts on a continuous basis. (For a family of four, the same gasoline consumption would come to almost two hundred and fifty watts per person.)

That pretty much says it all.

Some more:

2. Ban plastic. 2.5 million individual plastic water bottles are thrown away every hour in the US. Buy a reusable water bottle, say no to plastic bags in stores and carrry a tote!

3. Buy minimally packaged goods. Less packaging can reduce your garbage by about 10%.

4. Buy local. Find your local CSA and shop at the Greenmarket!

5. Take shorter showers. Can't stand the thought? Take a regular-length shower every other day, instead.

New York City Adopts Full Scale Bicycle Culture

2008-11-12T09:11:00.005-05:00

The NY Times special edition reports this morning that New York City has approved plans to create meaningful bicycle infrastructure. This includes:

The 9th Ave. bicycle lane will extend all the way through Manhattan.

A similar 2nd Ave. bicycle lane will extend up the entire island.

"Over the next two years, every other avenue will also receive a full bike lane, blocked off from traffic, while every fifth crosstown street will be opened exclusively to bicyclists and pedestrians beginning next month."

Unlike past efforts which have really been cosmetic and not functional bicycle infrastructure, this will be a full-scale effort to build the kind of bicycle culture in New York City that we see in cities like Copenhagen.

“Now that our country is taking its rightful place among the world’s developed nations,” said Mayor Bloomberg, “it is time for our greatest city to take its place among the world’s great cities.”

Imagine all the parking...

2008-11-11T13:14:00.009-05:00

This Associated Press article on proposed bike parking rules makes it easy if you try:

"Officials are proposing new rules that would greatly expand bicycle parking in apartment and office buildings around the city, the latest step in a plan to make New York one of the most bike-friendly places in the nation."

That's a dream I can believe in.

Guess Who's Coming to the White House

2008-11-10T15:24:00.003-05:00

Lady Laura

2008-11-10T15:02:00.003-05:00

What at first looks like a standard news feed with a photo about the Obama visit to the White House today...

...upon closer inspection reveals an apt typo...

"Lady Laura Bush" - wife of the President who would be king...

Bicycle Sharing, Media Monopoly & Critical Mass

2008-11-10T09:52:00.003-05:00

From the article in the Times on expanding bicycle-sharing programs, something terrifying*:

“We provide a turnkey program,” said Martina Schmidt, bike-sharing director of Clear Channel Outdoors, which now runs programs in 13 European cities and recently started its first American program, the one in Washington. “We give the city what they’re looking for, and they give us space to sell.”

along with the good news:

"Officials in Lyon, one of the first cities to institute a large technology-driven bike program, estimate that bike-sharing has eliminated tons of pollutants since its inception in 2005. But more than that, they say, it has changed the face of the city.

“The critical mass of bikes on the road has pacified traffic,” said Gilles Vesco, vice mayor in charge of the program in Lyon. “Now, the street belongs to everybody and needs to be better shared. It has become a more convivial public space.”

*Clear Channel is a frightening media, radio and advertising monopoly. Here are a few highlights from their sordid past:

Following September 11, 2001, Clear Channel radio stations circulated a list of songs that were deemed inappropriate for broadcast. The list included not only songs about planes and fires and falling, but songs that Clear Channel found politically or ethically objectionable, including all music by Rage against the Machine.

In 2004 Clear Channel rejected a billboard for Times square reading "Democracy is best taught by example, not by war."

Following the absurd reaction to the exposure of part of Janet Jackson's breast during 2004 Super Bowl - Clear Channel launched a "self-policing" effort, and declared that there would be no "indecent" material allowed on the air.

Obama and Ending the War

2008-11-09T12:56:00.004-05:00

As Obama becomes our President-Elect, we can't forget the work we've done along with the brave members of Iraq Veterans Against the War, to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We must hold President Obama accountable for ending these wars.

Read IVAW's letter to our next President and don't forget why we fought so hard for a president who spoke out against the war in Iraq from the beginning. It's been a long path from protest, to resistance to an election. Now comes the hard work.

The Williamsburg Celebration

2008-11-09T00:59:00.002-05:00

NYPD Abuse of Power in Williamsburg

2008-11-08T18:16:00.006-05:00

DSC_7151, originally uploaded by alottabelotta.

The Times continues their investigations into the police reaction to Obama victory celebrations in Williamsburg. The verdict? Old people don't like noise, young people don't mind. C'mon Cara, how about you do a little more work?

Jennifer sums it up perfectly in the end of the article, "“No matter where gentrification happens, I don’t think people deserve to be treated the way they were that night.”

South Park Celebrates Obama

2008-11-07T16:30:00.001-05:00

I guess some South Park writers live in Williamsburg...

Illegal Bicycle Riding?

2008-11-07T09:13:00.003-05:00

Daniel Krieger is stopped by the police for riding a bicycle in Central Park at nightand writes about it in the times today.

"I’d gone into the dark woods of Central Park on the well-lighted 72nd Street Park Drive an upstanding citizen, trying to reduce my carbon footprint while getting some exercise and saving a few dollars. Next thing I knew, one of New York’s finest was threatening arrest, drawing me into the labyrinth of the city’s criminal justice system." read more...

NYPD sends Riot Police to stop Obama celebration. Obama Supporters Arrested.

2008-11-06T12:10:00.002-05:00

UPDATE: NEW VIDEO

photo by Ryan Muir

UPDATE Nov 6th:

My family first came to Williamsburg 4 generations ago. But even if you’ve just moved there, you’re still a New Yorker, and you’re still entitled to protection by the police, and you should never, EVER be attacked by your own police.

Over the last 8 years, we’ve all witnessed police brutality while we protested and it seemed to be part of the whole Bush regime. But with this election, as a Nation, we’ve come together to say ENOUGH!

We’ve said it’s time for a change. We WILL NOT tolerate police behavior like this anymore. If the NYPD isn’t going to protect us in our own neighborhood - they can get out.

It’s great that the Times picked up this story and decided to ask the NYPD about it. It would be even better if they followed up on all the eye witness reports that contradict the NYPD account.

In the meantime - I would encourage everyone who was witness to this stormtrooper behavior to fill out an official civilian complaint review form here:

https://www.nyc.gov/html/ccrb/html/complaint.html

UPDATE: NEW VIDEO

UPDATE Nov 5th: Welcome nytimes.com readers.
(This post was blogged by the New York Times twice today.)

Tonight, in Williamsburg Brooklyn - hundreds of young people, feeling patriotic for the first time in their lives, took American flags and went out into the streets. They danced, sang, rode bikes and were smiling, cheering and chanting for Obama.

The celebration was entirely peaceful. It was patriotic young Americans celebrating our new president. They were chanting "USA...USA...USA" and "Obama....Obama....Obama...."

And then the NYPD showed up and started pushing people. And when the people didn't stop celebrating, and more people came, the NYPD decided that the appropriate response was to send in the riot police with sticks.

The riot police then started arresting people, throwing them to the ground, hitting them. Dragging them off with bleeding heads and twisted arms. The crowd was celebrating peacefully.

I spoke to many of the officers who said they did NOT vote for Obama and didn't see this as a celebration. I spoke to officers who said that they didn't like how much they would be 'taxed by Obama'. There were vans full of white officers brought in. Something very wrong happened in Williamsburg tonight.

This is a prime example of why it's time for CHANGE in New York City. The Bloomberg Administration must go.

The local media needs to do a serious story about the shameful response of the NYPD to a totally peaceful celebration on election day. The question that needs to be asked is "Why did the police show up to an Obama rally and start arresting people?"

And the Obama campaign needs to comment on this immediately.

We have a tape full of video of people singing dancing and celebrating and then suddenly the police in riot gear arresting the celebrating voters, dragging them away with bleeding heads. Is that what democracy and a peaceful transition of power looks like in America?

We'll be posting the video to youtube soon.

YOUR VIDEOS

Videos are starting to come up on youtube. Here is a search result list.

The NYPD didn't send Riot Police to Columbia where the same kind of celebration was occurring.

YOUR STORIES

I'm going to collect first hand accounts of the night that I find here. Post yours in the comments:

The New York Times has reports from other spontaneous parties that broke out in New York, many of which ALSO stopped traffic.

"I came across the scene on N7th on my way home - coming out of the subway. I can fully attest as to the peaceful nature of this gathering. Some people were drinking - most weren't. By and large people were just standing around, elated, enjoying watching and spending time with other elated people. If you moved away from the crowd at around 1:30 am or so you could see the forces amassing. The cops made no attempt to peacefully curb the excess of the crowd. Several people witnessing the amassing of troops were telling them that they were about to incite a riot. The worst offense I witnessed was that the intersection of N7th and bedford was blocked by the crowed. But come on - New York is a pedestrian city. Get over the temporary lack of vehicular transportation access and celebrate life and history once in a while. There was no riot, the cops over reacted. Period." (From Free Williamsburg)

"I left as things heated up with the cops, but what my husband and I saw last night in our neighborhood was incredible. We have been devastated and unrepresented for EIGHT YEARS! We have the right to celebrate. People were singing the national anthem and "Give Peace A Chance". If you have a problem with that, I got nothin' for you. And you know what, every person I spoke to DID register and DID vote. It was beautiful and amazing and I applaud every Brooklynite today. WE DID IT!" (From Free Williamsburg)

"I was right on the southeast corner of N 7th and Bedford. I was there when it started with 1 person cheering for joy in the street to hundreds of people cheering for victory.

Then it turned for the worse a couple hours later.

A few minutes after the riot cops rolled in, I saw one cop break a beer bottle on the ground with his baton for no reason at all amidst all the positive energy and celebrating crowd. I assumed for intimidation purposes. People looked up at him and exclaimed "hey that isn't safe" as one girl used her foot to try and push the shards to the side against the curb. Then after the first beat down occured, one innocent bystander was pushed back and I saw him fall on this glass with his hands. I could only see this one guy being held down by 3-4 cops, then a slew of other cops hitting other people nearby the Oasis falafel place. It was hard to keep track because I couldn't believe what was going on.

There were no large amounts of bottles being thrown whatsoever, these were just sounds of broken bottles of a car cop rolling over trash bags on the street.

The second wave of brutality occured after someone flung an empty beer bottle over at the cops, which I admit was a stupid move but I think by this point people were extremely upset by what began as a joyous election celebration into a Bedford ave. nightmare. After the bottle was thrown, riot cops charged forward, walking swiftly then people got upset and more brutality occured.

What the hell happened???? There was absolutly NO NEED for any of this violence." (From Free Williamsburg)

"People were celebrating by the Bedford Avenue L-stop in Williamsburg/Brooklyn. Like everywhere else. All of a sudden the police officers use brutality against a random and innocent bystander. Suddenly there were cops in riot gear all over the intersection, pushing and hitting people, running them into the garbage, trying to get access to rooftops even (though it looked like no one wanted to open their door for the NYPD).
This is very disturbing. I was so proud to witness this historic moment at various locations in the city, and all of a sudden I feel like I am in Jim Crow land, in the third reich. What is going on???? Why is the police so aggressive?" (From the New York Times)

"things got very very ugly, the police got outrageously aggressive, beating people up, needlessly, in what was a beautiful night. very sad." (From Free Williamsburg)

"Does anyone have photos or video of the police brutality? I was there and I'm super-fucking pissed off. I'm trying to write a Op. Ed. piece and it'd be great to have some accompanying material.

Things I witnessed:
- An officer striking the ground with his steel baton in an attempt to intimidate, breaking several glass bottles which sent shards everywhere.
- A photographer was slammed up against a trashcan, shattering his camera.
- A young girl curled in the fetal position was hit three times by an officer with a baton as her protesting boyfriend was dragged away.
- A man carrying his dog was cross-checked from behind by a cop's baton, causing him to drop his dog.

That said, I saw exactly one bottle thrown. And was into a garbage truck as it drove by.

When I first saw the violence directed at civilians, I called 911 and filed an internal affairs investigation. The detective on the line asked me for badge numbers and I gave him as many as I could.

If you're as pissed as I am, please get in touch." (From Free Williamsburg)

"All over NYC, there were impromptu celebrations just like this one (harlem, bed-stuy, etc) - just ask around. Only in Williamsburg did the police show up AND show up in Riot Gear.

This along with the insane targeting of critical mass cyclists needs to stop.

We need to organize our community to protect ourselves and our neighbors from these angry McCain supporting cops." (From Free Williamsburg)

Rachel Maddow Made Me Post This

2008-11-05T21:38:00.011-05:00

EVER WONDER IF YOU CAN YOU KILL A LOBSTER PAINLESSLY?

For the answers, read below.
(yes, nothing to do with bicycles, but just as important.)

Placing Lobsters in a Pot of Boiling Water
Although boiling lobsters alive is one of the most common methods used by chefs, it may also be the cruelest (how would you like to be boiled alive?). In the journal Science, researcher Gordon Gunter described this method of killing lobsters as "unnecessary torture." As anyone who has ever boiled a lobster alive can attest, when dropped into scalding water, lobsters whip their bodies wildly and scrape the sides of the pot in a desperate attempt to escape, and they can take up to three minutes to die.

Placing Lobsters in Cold Water That Is Gradually Heated
Many people believe that placing lobsters in cold water that is slowly brought to a boil causes the lobsters to lose consciousness before the water becomes uncomfortably hot. But lobsters killed by this method do struggle to escape as the water becomes hotter - for five to seven minutes. J.R. Baker decided to prove the obvious and tortured some animals in the name of science. He explained that as you would expect, as the temperature of the water rises, lobsters begin "shaking" and "trembling," and their entire bodies start to convulse.

Placing Lobsters in a Saltwater Solution Before Boiling Them
Although the lobster industry has claimed that immersing lobsters in a concentrated saltwater solution (one part salt to three parts water) renders them unconscious, we don't know how they experience the salt water (it could be completely agonizing for them), and lobsters regain full consciousness again within 30 seconds of being removed from the salt water. Since it can take three minutes to kill lobsters in boiling water, as you would expect, when plunged into it, the lobsters struggle to escape.

Cutting Lobsters in Half or Severing Their Spinal Cords
Julia Child, who never met an animal she didn't want in her tummy, once claimed that a lobster "may be killed almost instantly just before cooking if you plunge the point of a knife into the head between the eyes or sever the spinal cord." Nonsense! Like some other animals, lobsters continue to feel pain even after they have been cut in half (like you would if someone cut your legs off). Dr. Jaren G. Horsley, an invertebrate zoologist, says, "The lobster does not have an autonomic nervous system that puts it into a state of shock when it is harmed. It probably feels itself being cut. ... I think the lobster is in a great deal of pain from being cut open ... [and] feels all the pain until its nervous system is destroyed." In other words, the lobster feels being cut in half much like you would, regardless of what Julia Child claims.

Placing Lobsters in Fresh Water
To read the description, this may well be the cruelest method of killing lobsters. Lobsters who are transferred from sea water to fresh water (unsalted tap water) flip wildly, assume unnatural postures, regurgitate food, and suffer from a painful swelling at their joints. According to J.R. Baker, "the lobster has no defence against the entry of fresh water through the gills. The hard external skeleton prevents any swelling of the body as a whole, and as a result the soft integument at the joints becomes distended outwards. ... It is almost as though one sought to anaesthetize a human being, encased in tight armour, by slow injection of fresh water into the blood stream."

A New Day in the United States

2008-11-05T15:57:00.003-05:00

He's not technically the President-elect until the electoral college votes for him. However you name it, it's history.

A Voting Update from Liz in Crown Heights, Brooklyn

2008-11-04T13:29:00.012-05:00

I was going to just share my vote from inside the booth but I couldn't help but upload more.

A lasting image as everyone enters the school gym to cast their vote.

This kid is wearing a shirt that reads "Future President". His dad showed me a picture he took within the booth of the boy selecting Obama.

Finally.

Voting for Change

2008-11-04T08:50:00.002-05:00

The line went around the block at 8am. Inside, the poll workers were already stressed and a bit overwhelmed...

I voted for Obama under the Working Families party to indicate my support for that progressive party platform instead of the Democratic Party.

Wondering what that strange machine is?
Here's a video on how to use the New York City voting machines.

Help

2008-10-30T22:19:00.002-04:00

Seen at Penny Licks, 158 Bedford Ave.

Vote, Tuesday Nov. 4th & for Mayor in 2009!

2008-10-29T10:55:00.004-04:00

These photographs come to us from Jason Gardner, who commutes by bicycle from Brooklyn to Manhattan every day. Thanks for getting the bike lane in there!

All Americans vote on the same day, November 4th, for the President. Don't let anyone stop you - and don't accept a provisional ballot unless there is absolutely no other option. Whatever you do, don't walk away without voting! And if you do vote on a provisional ballot - document the whole process.

You can find your polling place or learn about early voting here (http://www.voteforchange.com/).

Report any voting problems here (http://truth.voteforchange.com/).

And get ready to campaign over the next year to get a real progressive mayor in New York City. The huge network that we've organized for Obama over the past year can be put to good use in preventing Emperor Bloomberg from buying yet another term in office.

Enough with the subsidies for Trump-esque developers building multi-million dollar condos and the Financial Industry's predatory practices. Where has that brought us? Billion dollar bonuses for wall street while people loose their homes. New York wants CHANGE.

My great grandfather worked in a steel mill here in Brooklyn. That makes me a 4th generation New Yorker. It's time to make this a city for the people again. So that people like my great grandfather aren't pushed out by the rich, so that they aren't burdened with debt and forced to close their family business when the chain stores move in. Hard working New Yorkers deserve a mayor who works for them, not for the corporations, developers, bankers and brokers.

It's time to get the "Republican in Independents Clothing" OUT and give New York City back to the people. These are our streets, not Wall Street.

Dragør

2008-10-19T16:58:00.003-04:00

Dragør city bicycle.

Dragør city bike hard at work.

Bike in Dragør, not working so hard.

Vesterbro to Nørrebro & well, Fisketorvet

2008-10-18T17:56:00.006-04:00

They've been repaving the cycle paths on Vesterbrogade, which we ride on every day - doing the work at night.

I don't know how the US survives without the Red, Yellow, Green lights for both stopping and going.

Browsing the photo exhibition of Christiania residents with bike.

Either a quick stop or every other bike already left and this one remains...

One of the most fun night rides I've had in Copenhagen - riding into Nørrebro and back.

Nørrebro Train Station

Fisketorvet is a mall that brings a special suburban feel right into the heart of Copenhagen. It could be a US mall, except for the housewares stores full of Danish design, oh and the prominent bicycle parking that you can just glide right into. It's 20 feet from the entrance. Even the sprawl in Copenhagen gives bicycles priority.

Malmö

2008-10-15T13:33:00.003-04:00

We popped over to Sweden today for lunch and some shopping. Yeah, I just wanted to write that. It was raining but very lovely even so. Fall was in full effect, and the city was full of cyclists.

Cycling wasn't allowed through the cemetery, but I don't think the residents mind.

Air for your tires, right next to the bike path.

Under the cycling bridge, another form of transport.

Thanks for thinking of those who need to bring their bicycle up! These are all over Denmark as well.

It's always nice to walk with your friend who didn't bring a bike.

Fishing for Frøsnapper

2008-10-15T05:35:00.006-04:00

I had to bike, in the rain, to two places this morning before I found the Frøsnapper that I wanted. No, it's not a fish, it's my favorite Danish Pastry. It's sprinkled with poppy and sesame seeds and then twisted and baked. It's sweet and wonderful for breakfast.

I first went to a Bakery on Istegade, drawn in by the classic pretzel shaped sign that indicates a bakery in Denmark. This one was OK, but what I would call a 2nd tier bakery. After veering off the busy street and looking for that hidden bakery that always exists, I found Enghave Konditori on Enghave Plads 7.

They had exactly the Frøsnapper I was looking for. I'll definitely be back.

Relaxed Copenhagen Rush Hour

2008-10-14T17:39:00.002-04:00

I wouldn't dare try to match the eye of Copenhagen Cycle Chic's stellar photographers. But I did happen to be coming home today during rush hour, and really loved cycling with these people. The Danes may be the happiest people on earth, but put me on a bike with them, and they make me the happiest person on earth.

Could he have been any more comfortable waiting for the light to change?

Copenhagen cycles home during rush hour.

Coming off of the path, order is maintained.

Shop Hours, Credit Card Chips & Pastries

2008-10-14T16:14:00.005-04:00

There are two things that US Americans usually find really annoying when they visit Denmark. First, everything closes really early, and many (most) shops aren't open at all after 6pm or at all on Sundays. Second, for the most part, Danish businesses require that credit card transactions are made with a card containing a chip, and if you are lucky enough to have a card with a chip, you'll still be charged a 5-7% fee for using a 'foreign' credit card. A quick Google search will find many ex-pat blogs bemoaning the fact that they can't participate in normal Danish life until they get a Dankort, the ubiquitous danish credit card that incurs no fee and has the required chip.

To prepare for your trip to Denmark, don't plan on shopping from 9am to 9pm like you would in most big American cities, if you do, you'll be disappointed. Also, prepare to take out lots of cash from the ATM and use that to pay. You'll get a better price in the stores and in some cases this will be your only option. (And don't bother trying to explain that it's actually impossible to get a credit card with a chip in it to anyone at a store in Denmark, they don't want to hear it.)

These are two issues I've known since I first lived here in the 90s. But today, I discovered a new one. You can't buy contact solution in the pharmacy or grocery store. Yes, New Yorkers, you heard that correctly. That one product that we're always buying at 3am on the way home from a bar, cannot be purchased anywhere in Denmark except (are you ready for this?) at an Opticians shop. That's right, you have to depend on the opening hours of a glasses shop to get contact solution.

Of course, these aren't big deals, and as long as you're prepared, they won't get in the way of enjoying the worlds best bicycling country and I might add, the worlds best pastries. I had one today at Jakob's Bageri (Holmbladsgade 9) on the way to Amager Strand Park. It was unreal how good it was, and no matter how many times the lovely girl at the bakery tried to help me say the name, I couldn't. I should have bought six.

1st Rental Bike

2008-10-14T05:25:00.004-04:00

In case you've wondered what I've been riding... here's the first bike I had until Sunday. It has since gotten a punctured tire (somewhere near Christiania) so I had to trade it in for another.

This one was a Batavus with brooks saddle - SRAM, etc. It was a very nice ride!

I specifically asked for a girl's bike with a basket - otherwise, the standard Danish men's bicycle is nothing like this. Most of the men I've seen are riding with the seats quite high, on a sporty carbon frame - and I'm really shocked at the number who are wearing helmets! It really never used to be that way.

Explore Development and Architecture in Copenhagen Online

2008-10-14T05:10:00.003-04:00

This is the coolest site I've found so far for exploring the new developments in Copenhagen. If you're visiting the city and want to get a sense of where you can go see new or recent development projects (all of which incorporate the old and the new in really clever ways)- check out COPENHAGEN X.

I especially suggest you play around with the map - here is a link to it in English.

Culture Night

2008-10-11T16:03:00.006-04:00

Culture Night in the Parliament (Folketing)

Once a year in Copenhagen, government ministries, cultural institutions and more open their doors for the Danes to come in and see what they're all about. You buy a button for 75 kr. and you get entry to any of the events. It's called Culture Night. We joined our friends Pi, Jakob, Ane and Maj for dinner at Kitt's house along with her friend Sidsel. Afterward, we all toured the city on our bikes. We visited Galleries, the Parliament (with no security or searches at all), a Transvestite fashion show and more, ending the night at a cozy bar in Fredericksberg.

Danes touring the seats of representatives on the floor.

You can try to explain the intensity of the cycle culture here in Denmark to someone who hasn't been here (as Copenhagen Cycle Chic and Copenhagenize do every day), but it's almost impossible to really understand until they visit. It's a lot like the vast spaces of the western USA, which are very difficult to convey to someone who hasn't visited.

Entrance to Parliament

Kitt tries out speaking in Parliament

The Wicked Witch and her flying monkeys.

Each party hosted an open house in Parliament, the ruling conservative party (Venstre) let you color the PM.

Reminds me of George Bush, looks like him too...

Venstre also had a bicycle on display.

Gregory experiences his first night of cycle culture.

In Copenhagen there are literally thousands of bicycles everywhere, everyone is riding, and everyone is respectful of them. Cars are being driven by people who also ride bikes, they don't honk, they respect the bicycle. And the cyclists respect the cars and the people as well. If the light is red, you stop on your bicycle. This is something that New Yorkers really need to learn. If you want bicycles to become a normal mode of transportation, you have to start obeying the traffic rules. The whole system breaks down otherwise. Pedestrians, cars and bicycles all get a chance to go, and they all have a lane to go in. That's how it should be, and how it is in Copenhagen.

Pi and Jakob share a beer as we wait for the light to change.

Historical bicycles on display in the Workers Museum

Outdoor exhibition of photographs of the residents of Christiania

Jakob, Pi and Maj at Café Intime Bar.

How many Carlsberg does it take to get to the soft chewy center of Denmark? After about 6 beers, champagne and Schnapps made by someone's dad, we biked home to Vesterbro to get some 3am falafel. We joined all the other Copenhageners on the bike lanes at 3am who were also drunk and in charge.

At the falafel place, we found a relative of Jenny's bicycle.

Red and White vs. Red and White

2008-10-11T15:42:00.006-04:00

Søren Larsen

Denmark is playing Malta tonight here in Copenhagen - and I'm watching.
At the moment it's 3-0. Two thoughts on the game so far:

1. Isn't Søren Larsen the bomb? And he's a good footballer too.
2. Malta just sucks, right?!

The absolute BEST bicycle rental shop in Copenhagen.

2008-10-10T11:06:00.007-04:00

First thing today, after sleeping in, we walked over to Baisikeli to rent bicycles. This is not your average bicycle rental business - they're a bicycle rental business with the mission of building a sustainable bicycle industry in Africa. The name is the swahili word for bicycle.

They've already managed to engineer bicycle ambulances for use in Africa, and distribute bicycles to children so that they can get to school faster (which helps encourage the parents to let them take a break from working at home to attend). By simply choosing Baisikeli for your Copenhagen bicycle rental, you're supporting the delivery of thousands of bicycles to people who need transportation in Africa. It's such an easy choice - when you're in Copenhagen, you must rent here.

They were brilliant, friendly and quick to outfit our chosen bicycles with baskets, lights and hand us the keys. The prices are extremely reasonable (see them here) and you can pop in and out with a bike in no time. They're also very conveniently located near Ørstedparken which is a lovely park just a few blocks from the main train station (København H.).

Henrik and Niels are the creators and owners of the project and, let me tell you - this is about helping people. It's about their vision for a better world. It's a powerful statement in a world where ego and get-rich schemes often dominate small business. They've made an ethical and moral choice - and Denmark should be so proud of these two native sons.

If you're lucky enough to see Niel's beautiful little boy - you'll see that the Danes take to bikes at a very young age! He was ready to climb right out of the carriage and onto that shiny red one. More about Baisikeli in upcoming posts...