However, I'm thankful for the readers who sent along quick reports and photos...
Per one reader: "it was very dull.there were more hyperlocal reporters than protesters and most people were pro-bike lane. the reporters shown here are from the NYU LEV."
Another reader noted, "There were lots of people with bikes, and many with signs like the one in the photo. It seems to have been taken over by pro-bike lane people."
In an e-mail to me, Leslie Sicklick, who planned the protest, said that she will likely hold another one in the future, though at a different time and place.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Protest planned for reconfigured Avenues (153 comments)
38 comments:
L-o-v-e the 5" miniskirt and boots NYU reporter. It's that way -> to the Jets locker room where your career awaits. LOL!
I can't believe they got rid of the express bus stop on 8th St -
nygrump, can we start a protest about THAT? The MTA effectively halved our bus service without so much as a hearing...plenty of people can't manage the walk to either 14th or Houston to catch a "Select" bus, and are doomed to local service even for long rides. Sucks. Add that to the no-weekend service on the M8 and I begin to wonder why the EV is being punished so harshly. I'd like to punish the MTA even more harshly...
I'm doing my part to punish the mta. I've bought a bicycle.
I like that "Streets are for ALL!" sign. It's what I've been saying in these threads all along.
Today I watched a young fellow run through a red light on 1st Ave and buzz a senior citizen with a walker trying to cross the street. There's is just no reason to be that big of an asshole and show such disrespect for another human being. Seriously, they rode within a foot in front of her, and I see shit like this every day.
I've lived my entire live here and never felt that I was really threatened on the streets to a point that I couldn't handle myself, but in the last 8-12 months, that feeling of safety as a pedestrian is almost completely gone. And today again, I was a passenger in a vehicle up 1st Ave, and the lanes have become so narrow and congested with traffic that when a cab moves a foot left or right, you have no place to swerve out of the way. It's insaaaane. (Where's Crazy Eddie when we need him ?)
You guys really need to get out more... I spent 3 weeks on foot in the EV recently and never felt threatened by bikes. I suppose I was simply tuned in to what was going on around me and not just wandering around in dreamland too.
Check out this photo... ( http://images.theage.com.au/2010/06/21/1620985/420_beach_road-420x0.jpg ). We have packs of cyclists like this on public roads every single day here in Melbourne. A couple of years back, a big pack of lycra louts like this ran a red light and killed a pedestrian. The cyclist got off with a $250 fine, when in reality he'd broken the law and murdered someone.
I agree with the sign... roads are for everyone and they should be safe for everyone. Cyclists, drivers and pedestrians are all people who need to think of everyone around them and not just themselves. Manhattan shouldn't be trying to get cyclists off the roads... imagine how many more cars you'd end up with. You don't need that...
Cass in Melbourne
Yep, and tonight I was crossing Houston and Allen and a cyclist ran right through the red light and within an inch of me. I called out, "It's a red light!" with futility but I wanted SO BADLY to just push the cyclist over. I swear to god, every time I'm nearly clipped by a cyclist, I want to do bodily harm to them and this is not good at all. Wtf are we supposed to do!?
I hate the fucken bicyclists. I really hope there is a Death Wish guy who takes them out one-by-one. There's no doubt they intend to take out the pedestrians one-by-one. Almost got clipped on Mercer Street when a fucken asshole deliv guy from SPICE restaurant flew past me (on SIDEWALK!!!) at 40 mils an hour and averted me at the last second when I stupidly ...:) ) turned to my left (on the SIDEWALK). Time for them to be taken out Guiliani-style.
The growing rage of the citizenry is palpable.
To the anonymous Australian: You have no right to tell us that we need to get out more. You have no idea how often we're out and about in this town nor what it's like living in NYC for years on end so you can just take your haughty attitude back to Australia. I lived in Australia for several months over the course of a few different trips back and forth from here to there so it's not like I'm some ignorant Yank of your culture and customs.
Who are you to tell us we walk around in a dreamland? You don't know what level of hyper focus we're adopting while crossing streets. Lucky you that you weren't hurt or nearly hurt by a cyclist here. But most of us on this site and in the city as a whole can guarantee that many, many cyclists here disobey traffic laws much too often and at the cost of wreaking havoc and earning our ire.
PS,
as stated, I do ride a bike; and I think the new bike lanes suck. They are confusing for "ALL" traffic, and thereby, dangerous.
We need to get bikes and cars off the road. Complain all you want about our mass transit but it is one of the best systems out there, and we all have legs upon which we can walk.
Here's what the Australian was trying to say: pedestrians should pull the earbuds out of their ears, stop texting and/or yakking on the cell while you walk, never read a paper while crossing an intersection. In short, get your head out of your ass and watch where you're going and you should be able to navigate the big bad city just fine. I walk all over Union Square/East Village day and night and I don't understand how all these people are having all these heart-attack inducing near misses with craaaaaaaazy bikers. It just doesn't happen!
Wait, someone pulled the "I live here, therefore I automatically know better than you" argument on EVG? Shocking.
Let's face it: New Yorkers don't like change, and that's all this is about. Ten years from now, we'll have a good laugh at how we thought a bike and bus lane were signs of the coming apocalypse. But right now, I'll just sit back and watch everyone bitch and complain while new habits set in and people adapt like they have in other parts of the city and all over the world.
All of you asshats who keep complaining that they were ALMOST hit by a bike need to shut it. Bicyclists are always running on 110% awareness or they are dead. Show me the one person that WAS ACTUALLY HIT by a bike and I'll shut it. When riding a bike in NYC as most places, you are "threading the needle" constantly as a means of survival. You think "my god! he almost hit me" but the cyclist knows just the space he or she needs. Get your panties out of your ass and and stop acting like an old lady and accept them, they aren't going away. I'm always tempted to just take a few of you not paying attention idiots out as a wake up call, but I don't. Watch out for yourselves.
Gee thanks anon asshole Oct19 for being such a considerate piece-of-shit. Try that on me and we'll be reading about you in the Daily News...Just keep watching that I or Mr Death Wish doesnt get to your scummy ass first.
OWR,
Consideration has nothing to do with it. I've got the light and you're in the wrong and I'm going to run you down and guess what? You're in the wrong and paying for my medical bills, the repairs on my bike and my wages for not being able to work.. from your wheelchair.
Well Ms. self entitled cyclist, you're wrong. If you hit a pedestrian under ANY circumstances, the civil liability is on YOU.
I suggest you grow up and lose some of that excess testosterone before you hurt yourself.
Or gets hurt (I have dealt with lower scum than you in my life and that is saying alot).
Dear Anon @ 4:33,
Are you a lawyer? You're incorrect. I am a lawyer. Read up.
COMPARATIVE NEGLIGENCE
New York State is a comparative negligence jurisdiction. Therefore, when an accident in New York State is caused either partially or completely by the defendant’s negligence, even if the injured plaintiff was partially at fault, the plaintiff is entitled to recover monetary damages for the injuries sustained (subject to the “serious injury threshold” for motor vehicle accidents in New York State), however the amount recoverable will be reduced by the percentage of fault attributable to the plaintiff.
See Contributory Negligence
The concept of "Contributory Negligence" is used to characterize conduct that creates an unreasonable risk to one's self. The idea is that an individual has a duty to act as a reasonable prudent person. When a person does not act this way and injury occurs, that person may be held entirely or partially responsible for the resulting injury, even though another party was involved in the accident. In the previous example, Sally carelessly walked into the street, potentially making her partially responsible for the accident. Contributory negligence is a defense to a negligence action. Procedurally, negligence must be asserted and proved by the plaintiff before the defendant will be allowed to introduce evidence of contributory negligence. Contributory negligence is then proved in the same manner that the initial negligence claim was established.
Comparative Negligence
Most states have now adopted a comparative negligence approach to contributory negligence, whereas traditionally, the courts viewed contributory negligence as a total bar to the recovery of any damages. Under the traditional view, if a person had contributed to the accident in any way, the person was not entitled to compensation for his or her injuries. In an attempt to reduce the harsh, oftentimes unfair outcomes resulting from this approach, most states have now adopted a comparative negligence approach.
Comparative Negligence - Two Approaches
There are two approaches to comparative negligence. "Pure" comparative negligence is the most flexible approach used to allocate fault. Under pure comparative negligence, a plaintiff's damages would be totaled and then reduced to reflect her contribution to the injury. For example, if a plaintiff was awarded $10,000 and the judge or jury determined that the plaintiff was 25% responsible for her injury, she would be awarded $7,500. Even if the plaintiff was 90% responsible for the injury, she would be entitled to recover 10% of the total damages. Most states, however, have adopted a "modified" comparative negligence scheme. Under this approach, a plaintiff will not recover if he or she is found to be either equally responsible or more responsible for the resulting injury. In other words, in order to recover damages, the plaintiff must not be more than 50% at fault for the resulting injury. States differ regarding whether to preclude damages when the plaintiff is found to be 50% (equally responsible) or 51 % (more responsible) for the injury.
And you can rest assured that my lawyer is better than yours and will hand you what's left of your ass after you get our bill end your 10%
Both of you need to read up on Contributory Negligence
The concept of "Contributory Negligence" is used to characterize conduct that creates an unreasonable risk to one's self. The idea is that an individual has a duty to act as a reasonable prudent person. When a person does not act this way and injury occurs, that person may be held entirely or partially responsible for the resulting injury, even though another party was involved in the accident. In the previous example, Sally carelessly walked into the street, potentially making her partially responsible for the accident. Contributory negligence is a defense to a negligence action. Procedurally, negligence must be asserted and proved by the plaintiff before the defendant will be allowed to introduce evidence of contributory negligence. Contributory negligence is then proved in the same manner that the initial negligence claim was established.
Comparative Negligence
Most states have now adopted a comparative negligence approach to contributory negligence, whereas traditionally, the courts viewed contributory negligence as a total bar to the recovery of any damages. Under the traditional view, if a person had contributed to the accident in any way, the person was not entitled to compensation for his or her injuries. In an attempt to reduce the harsh, oftentimes unfair outcomes resulting from this approach, most states have now adopted a comparative negligence approach.
Comparative Negligence - Two Approaches
There are two approaches to comparative negligence. "Pure" comparative negligence is the most flexible approach used to allocate fault. Under pure comparative negligence, a plaintiff's damages would be totaled and then reduced to reflect her contribution to the injury. For example, if a plaintiff was awarded $10,000 and the judge or jury determined that the plaintiff was 25% responsible for her injury, she would be awarded $7,500. Even if the plaintiff was 90% responsible for the injury, she would be entitled to recover 10% of the total damages. Most states, however, have adopted a "modified" comparative negligence scheme. Under this approach, a plaintiff will not recover if he or she is found to be either equally responsible or more responsible for the resulting injury. In other words, in order to recover damages, the plaintiff must not be more than 50% at fault for the resulting injury. States differ regarding whether to preclude damages when the plaintiff is found to be 50% (equally responsible) or 51 % (more responsible) for the injury.
OWR, by reading your posts here and elsewhere - seek help. Anger management, weed, whatever works?
Oh, and I know your identity.
Oh sure you know who I am...I have 'anger' issues cause I dont wish to get run over by emotionally-disturbed bicyclists who have cycle-rage?.. You mean I should be more accepting of their wish to hurt another human being?
Oh silly me, when I was almost clocked/knocked down by the SPICE Rest guy flying on a dark sidewalk, I was supposed to control my anger. Dude/honey deal with your own issues. BTW, you have no idea who I am nor do I care if you do!
i was hit by a bike & fractured my shoulder. they were in a bike lane & busy yapping (w/each other) & didnt see ahead. @ first i was scared a car would hit me. so i stood like 1/2 foot near a curb to see if i could find a cab. i didnt want to cross the street that day i had a bad feeling. the second i turned my head i was struck down. i rode a bike for 30 plus yrs. i never hit anyone. i think these lanes are weird. also if someone hits a walker they should be arrested. & if they are text-ing or on a cell phone it should be like drunk driving.
, but don't stop. You expect respect, but don't follow rules. On the sidewalk flying in and out of people. With me, you hit me and I will kill you myself. Respect others.
cyclists want to get from A-B in a more environmentally friendly manner than driving, they're generally not on a wish to 'hurt others'. Get over yourself OWR.
Hey Tom,
Thanks for reading and listening properly to what people have to say. If agro anon at 10.24 bothered to do the same, they'd realise I was saying there are cyclist issues all round the world, not just in their little world. They admitted to travelling to Australia, perhaps they were in dreamland while they were here too and just didn't notice.
Cass in Melbourne
"I'm gonna start driving my car like these cyclists ride their bikes. Steal some plates so you won't know who I am, just like a cyclist. That should even things out."
Don't think people are starting to think this way ??? Pretty scary.
Today I saw pedestrians walk against the light, coming a second from causing a major bike accident. And instead of realizing they messed up, they YELLED at the bicyclist. Cursed at him. Blamed him completely. Even though the cyclist had the light and they were idiots not paying attn.
So yeah, I'm thinking the pedestrians don't have much of a leg to stand on here. Mostly because I see that scenario on a daily basis.
My biggest issues have always been with delivery people who think the sidewalk is the bike lane, and the ones going the wrong direction in the bike lane.
But hey, I'm not dumb enough to think I'm changing any minds here. Off to get on my bike!
Anon 9:47 Thank for adding to this discourse in a totally ignorant way. Most cyclists in this city are as disturbed as the rest of the pop here and act out their anger in any way they can, usually by cycling recklessly. Cyclists Beware, a backlash is coming..
Now worry about your own p's and q's
Dear OWR,
You were the first to wish harm on others. If someone says it's all your fault and wishes the same to you how do you justify what you have said and negate the angry feelings of cyclists?
No one is trying to defend the delivery guy riding on the sidewalk.
From now on I'm going to ride around with a sign that says OWR - EVGRIEVE. If you see me doing wrong you go right ahead and confront me. If I think you've done wrong, I'm going to kryptonite chain your ignoran, angry ass to a a bike rack.
At anon @7:19. So what you're saying is you were standing in a bike lane and got hit. Sorry, I can't feel for you other than I'm sorry you got injured, but if you were actually on the sidewalk..
Are you bike riders unable to understand that when you aggressively ride too close to people in the street that you're scaring the shit out of them ??
Riders coming from the wrong direction do the same thing.
When I step off the curb, I'm looking in the direction of traffic, plain and simple. That's where I expect to see something that might possibly hurt me. Not passing a foot away from me when I have the green light and not coming from the other direction.
And when we DO cross the street and you're just in too much of a hurry to stop, can you please pass BEHIND the pedestrian instead of in front of them ? And if that's not possible, maybe, just maybe it's because there's too many people crossing the street for you to proceed through safely ??
Nobody is asking you do to anything beyond trying to obey common courtesy, and the rules of the road, and nobody living in New York needs their daily anxiety level ratcheted up 5 notches because the streets have become too dangerous.
Seriously... have a fucking heart. Understand that the longer this thing grows out of control, the greater the chance of some really ugly stuff happening, and that's not a threat, it's a logical assessment of probability.
Anon @ 12:07: I try to say this to other cyclists I encounter while riding after watching them break the law.
One woman was riding the wrong way down 1st Avenue with a kid in her lap last week. After I scolded her, she said, in plain earshot of her kid, "fuck you."
Unfortunately, they have no fucking heart.
That's why eventually the tide is gonna turn and lots-of-them are going to get hurt or worse...They have declared war on people WALKING on SIDEWALKS and CROSSING the STREETS, you know the way we're supposed to.
BTW Anon 12:07, I doubt you will be able to spell that, hold it and not get crushed by a reckless van-driver but please do I cant wait to read about it in the NY POST!
OWR: Cyclists have declared war? So far, you're the only one threatening harm to anyone at all.
So, fine. Gauntlet thrown. I hope you get hit by a car.
Thankfully, since the new street design with bike lanes has slowed cars down to reasonable and legal speeds, you actually have a chance of surviving!
And I hope you get killed by a Bed-bug infested mattress tossed on your head from a roof on Avenue B,
Yah, yah back to you
(Just kidding but be careful not to ride into me on a sidewalk flying 40 miles an hour or I will seriousely fuck you up!)
Prior comment was from me,
PROUDLY OWR!
I'm a shut-in freak who freebases Fox News and knows New York because I'm from Long Island and read the Post. Bicycles are crazy. I've never actually been hit, which is surprising since my neck is thicker than my head. What we need is more cars. I also hate transit workers, immigrants, old chinese ladies, old people in general, children, yuppies, homeboys, Jews, rich people, poor people and whoever else I'm supposed to hate this week.
What I really hate is the idea that thousands of bridge-and-tunnelers won't be able to puke in my neighborhood, leave their shitty SUVs double-parked all down my block when scoring their drugs and in general turning the streets into a death trap. Bicycles are obviously bad. I don't know anyone who has been hurt by a bike, except bike riders, but they are a new group of people to hate on. It's hard being a reactionary and keeping it fresh.
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