NYPD clears hundreds of bikes off street

[Anti Federalist]

Happy Earth Day - NYPD trashes hundreds of bikes for Obama visit.

http://manhattanoffender.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341bfd9e53ef0133ecdee942970b-450wi

Citing security concerns that bikes might be secret pipe bombs, NYPD officers clipped the locks of hundreds of bikes along Houston Street this morning in preparation for President Obama's speech at Cooper Union. The bikes were unceremoniously put in the back of the truck. There was no prior notification of the bikes needing to be cleared along the route by NYPD and onlookers were not given information as to what would become of the bikes. Happy Earth Day! (Updating this story as more information comes available.)

It seems that the President is no longer your new bicycle, but NYPD's overzealous response to his visit is your reason for needing to get one.

(Photo by Anthony Rebholz.)

Update: Gothamist has more information and another picture.

Update 4/23: Your bikes have been located and no, there was no sign.

http://www.thisisfyf.com/2010/04/happy-fucking-earth-day-hundreds-of-bikes-trashed-for-obama-visit-.html

[freshjiva]

I'm a daily cyclist. It would be VERY difficult for me to hold myself back from harming someone if my bike was stolen like that.

This is another reason why I'm tired of hearing about States rights. Sure, its Constitutional and how it was intended, but government is government. Federal, state, and local -- all consume wealth and intrude on liberty.

[Reason]

government

[Live_Free_Or_Die]

Change you can believe in.

[amy31416]

I would be so outrageously pissed off--that is outright theft, plain and simple.

[nateerb]

If this was me I would be getting my recompense in the destruction of city property. Parking meters, unmanned squads, DPW trucks, I might even firebomb the entrance to city hall. That $900 bike would become a $10-15K headache for my town.

Thank God the Milwaukee elites have no where near the arrogance of NYC.

Yeah, yeah, violence gets you nowhere. I'll shut the eff up and write another sternly worded letter and call my congressman. Yeah, that always gets 'em.

[Cowlesy]

haha, this does not surprise me.

[pcosmar]

haha, this does not surprise me.

Have I mentioned how much I hate cities.

Big Apple-complete with a rabid worm, bruises, ooze and mold.
:(

[james1906]

Citing security concerns that bikes might be secret pipe bombs,



Seriously? They couldn't just get a dog to sniff the bikes?

[amy31416]

Seriously? They couldn't just get a dog to sniff the bikes?

It's revenue. Some of those bikes are worth over $500, it'll bring in cash when they auction them off.

Legalized theft is easy money.

[MelissaWV]

Seriously? They couldn't just get a dog to sniff the bikes?

You're so cruel. What if the dog sniffing at it detonated the bike?!? You hate animals!!!

[pcosmar]

You're so cruel. What if the dog sniffing at it detonated the bike?!? You hate animals!!!

Time to design an exploding, tamper resistant bike lock.

Cut the lock and lose some fingers.
:mad:

[amy31416]

Time to design an exploding, tamper resistant bike lock.

Cut the lock and lose some fingers.
:mad:

Protecting your own property is the very definition of terrorism these days. Tsk tsk!

[MelissaWV]

Time to design an exploding, tamper resistant bike lock.

Cut the lock and lose some fingers.
:mad:

Well, that seems like it'd have the bad side effect of going off if you forget your combination/key. I was thinking more along the lines of dye packs from the bank. That'd be kind of funny. In this case, the people moving the bikes (having tampered with all the locks to cut the bikes free) would be covered in blue dye. It would also help nab assholes who steal bikes. It would also potentially go off and spritz the dog, but we can use strong veggie-based dyes that won't injure the dog's eyes... just make his face blue, too. :p

[pcosmar]

There was a shop in Key West that sold a T-shirt I always liked.

"Key West Bike Thieves
Hang Them--and then shoot them."

( it was a common problem )
;)

[james1906]

YouTube - Anti-carjacking device (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQbHnLSasfQ)

[lynnf]

Happy Earth Day - NYPD trashes hundreds of bikes for Obama visit.

http://manhattanoffender.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341bfd9e53ef0133ecdee942970b-450wi

Citing security concerns that bikes might be secret pipe bombs, NYPD officers clipped the locks of hundreds of bikes along Houston Street this morning in preparation for President Obama's speech at Cooper Union. The bikes were unceremoniously put in the back of the truck. There was no prior notification of the bikes needing to be cleared along the route by NYPD and onlookers were not given information as to what would become of the bikes. Happy Earth Day! (Updating this story as more information comes available.)

It seems that the President is no longer your new bicycle, but NYPD's overzealous response to his visit is your reason for needing to get one.

(Photo by Anthony Rebholz.)

Update: Gothamist has more information and another picture.

Update 4/23: Your bikes have been located and no, there was no sign.

http://www.thisisfyf.com/2010/04/happy-fucking-earth-day-hundreds-of-bikes-trashed-for-obama-visit-.html

pure insanity. and by extension of this logic....... every person is a potential suicide bomber so let's shoot them on sight.... every breast could contain falsie
liquid explosive breast implants, so shoot them.

when will we stop this insanity?

lynn

[dannno]

Comment:


Isn't it kinda dumb to bring all of these pipe bombs to a police station?


:D

[phill4paul]

A solution to the problem. Standard issue for law enforcement.

http://incredimazing.com/static/media/2007/10/03/d272288b236b5c7/guniz4.jpg

[andrewh817]

Happy Earth Day! Now go buy a GM car you lazy bastards........

[BlackTerrel]

Wow!

I almost didn't want to believe this article. But sadly confirmed it:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/23/bike-stolen-check-the-police-station/


The crowds that lined East Houston Street on Thursday morning to watch Barack Obama’s motorcade speed toward Cooper Union got a glimpse of the pomp and protection that accompanies the president. There were black sedans with tinted windows, S.U.V.’s full of Secret Service agents and a brigade of motorcycle officers from the New York Police Department led by a high-ranking officer wearing a white shirt.

But early arrivals along the motorcade route on East Houston Street also got a glimpse of a less likely group that preceded the president: police officers wearing dark blue windbreakers who sawed through locks securing bikes to street signs and other bits of infrastructure and then piled them high on the back of a flatbed truck.

Photographers documented the scene. Blogs like This is Fyf and Gothamist posted the pictures. Outrage ensued.

The Police Department said the bikes, along with dozens of cars, were removed from the motorcade route as an ordinary security measure and could be picked up at the Seventh Precinct station house. But some people who live or work on the Lower East Side said that the police did not clearly indicate that bikes would be removed on Thursday morning and then did little to let bike owners know how to recover their property.

“If I knew the police were coming, I would’ve moved my bike,” said Nat Zirata, 64, who said that a bike frame he had built was removed from a signpost on East Houston Street, near Second Avenue. “They should’ve given us a warning.”

The only indication that the confiscated bicycles could be retrieved at the station house were some decidedly unofficial-looking handwritten notes, posted after the fact, saying “Retrieve Bikes from 7th Pct.,” without an address (19 1/2 Pitt Street).

[angelatc]

A pipe bomb? Couldn't one make one out of a bike rack, or a barricade like those in the picture?

And are pipe bombs usually detonated with timers? I thought they were "light and throw" devices.

[phill4paul]

A pipe bomb? Couldn't one make one out of a bike rack, or a barricade like those in the picture?

And are pipe bombs usually detonated with timers? I thought they were "light and throw" devices.

Pipe bombs are just bombs (in a pipe) and can be detonated any number of ways any other bomb is detonated.

You have a great point regarding the barricades!

What I don't see is the reasoning. There would be no threat to POTUS from a pipe bomb if he were in the presidential sled. That car is really a tank.

[Bruno]

This wasn't about this President's safety, it was a show of police power.

[silus]

If they were single speeds, the pres. should watch out. You don't want to piss off the broke-hipster cyclist contingent. They are everywhere, and a lot of them supported him.