Williamsburg, NY – Bikers dressed as clowns gathered and rode through williamsburg on Wednesday morning through a campaign called “Love your Lanes”
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The plans called for riding through Williamsburg on the bike lanes, with emphasis on the contested Kent avenue bike lane.
They met at the park at the foot of the Williamsburg bridge, about 20, in clown gear. Some of them in party hats, and some with little construction cones. Almost no one wore a helmet.
The rode down North 4th street where they confronted a taxi driver who was backing up on the bike lane. A rider, a man with a construction hat, explained to the driver about the “grave danger” he puts them through by his behavior. When he moved they were all clapping and cheering for him.
At the DOT station at Kent and Broadway they got a construction van to move of the bike lane – onto the sidewalk.
On the block where the Schaeffer building and certified lumber (Kent between Division and Broadway) they danced around a few double-parked trucks. Banged on them and applied yellow crime scene tape to the back door.
Great…That’s great…Peaceful protest…and smiling doing it…
10 loosers dancing on the street…they dont wear halmets…they ride on the sidewalk and against traffic
Bicyclist, not resembling a moose , will be as safe as the pedestrians they encounter on there daily law breaking meanderings through these city streets. Issue tickets to peddling law breakers as well as require that all adult bicyclist have registrations, licenses and insurance for there bicycles. Share the city streets and share the cost of maintaining these streets. Drivers add more than six hundred and fifty million dollars, in tickets alone, to this city’s coffers. Every commercial vehicle pays a two hundred dollar tax, annually, for the privilege of operating in this city. Every car pays an eighteen percent tax on their parking fees to be able to park in this city. Parking meters generate more than sixty million dollars in revenue for the city. Can someone tell me how much the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, Verrazano Bridge, Queens Midtown Tunnel and the Triboro Bridge tolls add to the city’s coffers? Can someone out there tell me how much money, out of town motorist, spend in this city? What on this God green earth, do bicyclist contribute to this city? Zip, zero, none, nothing and nada! When a bicyclist with no health insurance, injures themselves (no car involved) where do they end up? Oh yes, silly me, in a city hospital! Who pays for that? Why are people trying to turn this city into something it’s not? Cities have cars, pollution, muggers, junkies, noise, bars and rats. If you don’t want those things, MOVE! Move to Maine. Move to Colorado. Move to Kansas! Take your bikes and find a nice place to live. Please, just go!
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Its not about how modest u go dressed, its about a neighborhood that doesn’t drive bikes at all. So u can trash the hasidic guys how much u want, it doesn’t take away from the fact that’s UNFAIR to put in a NEIGHBRHOOD that doesn’t use bikes, 4 bike line (whyte, berry, bedford, kent). when there is a huge problem of parking and traffic in the neighborhood. So if the HASIDIC have a problem with it, they r 100% right they have tall bldgs, a lot ppl on 1 block, and there is a major problem to them.
Its not about the modesty, its about parking and traffic ,in a place were there isn’t a handful of people driving bikes, I understand that other people need to have a lane to pass by the hasidcs, but y 4?? Set up a bike detour and make it on 1 of them…….
The best
A HASIDIC
I dont get it for 20 bikers tens of thousands of people have to park 1 mile from their homes ?
the entire bike lane is a circus.
Thanks to the clowns for being misameyach the oilom !
Invite them to come back regularly !
Before they teach the motorists the law, they first need to teach themselves the law. This Sunday I witnessed an accident where the bike rider was extremely lucky to walk (ride) away. The bike rode up Bedford Avenue and as usual when he reached Wallabout Avenue he didn’t stop for his red light, but drove straight on, not looking if any cars are coming on WWallabout Avenue. When the car saw that he was about to send him to his creator, he slammed on his brakes, but the car did kiss the bike and driver but before my eyes an unintentioned acrobatic stunt was performed where the driver walked/flew/ran over the hood of the car with his bake in hand and landed on the other side of the car on his feet and after a quick exchange of glances between the biker and driver, both drove away. What I’m trying to bring out is that major accidents are going to happen, and most of the fault will be the bike riders who do not value their life and expect the drivers to somehow avoid them. It is Bloombergs responsibility. He is the one who brought upon us this “oonshikenish”, and he should send his police to ticket the bike riders for not obeying, bike rider laws.
I don’t see whats so interesting with it, besides that they came in a group and banged on trucks.. I see every day clowns using the bike lanes, some with 6′ tall bikes, some with funny clothing, some with weird hair styles.. it’s every days normal to see Halloween type of stuff in the bike lanes..
Oh good! at least you see who represents the lanes, and whom are the bike lanes representing: 20 CLOWNS.. how nice.
Don’t these people have jobs on a Wednesday morning?
I dont think enough Jews understand that these people are insulting the chassidim in these neighborhoods. To them the way we dress is a “joke” and makes as much sense as dressing like a clown. They are mocking tznius and chassidic opposition to the bike lanes. So I fail to understand why Jews think this is a funny joke when the joke is directed at Klal Israel.
they look pretty tznius to me!
Do any of those clowns have jobs?
What idiots climbing up on the back of a truck like that. They are probably hoping to get squashed and then sue the truck driver and trucking company for zillions.
I LIKE THIS!!!!!! BRAVO!!
I’m frum and I commute to work by bike most mornings. You wanna combine weight loss and exercise and save money at the pump…get a bike!!
I wonder if God would rather you pray, or protest for a cause that does not serve ANY religious purpose whatsoever. Wasting all your time and energy on this while there are poor, sick, and abused people in the community suffering tremendously.
This should be the LEAST of everyone’s worries!
What about the families who are struggling to have food at the table on Shabbos?
What about the people with illnesses, and the families trying to cope with that (emotionally and financially)?
What about the scared and helpless children getting abused in the schools?
What about the teens who are mixed up in drugs and other self destructing behaviors?
Then we have the ever rising rate of overweight and obese children (not to mention the adults). Making a big stink about this, is a big turn off to exercise for them, and instead they are increasing their risks for diabetes, heart disease and other weight related health issues.
Is your TIME and ENERGY more important than all of these Other scenarios?
“Then we have the ever rising rate of overweight and obese children (not to mention the adults). Making a big stink about this, is a big turn off to exercise for them, and instead they are increasing their risks for diabetes, heart disease and other weight related health issues.”
Farkert, this publicity will let them know that there are nice bike lines and that they should start riding bikes and get healthier.
“What on this God green earth, do bicyclist contribute to this city?”
What do all you car, minivan, truck, SUV drivers contribute ? Oh, all the pollution, noise from honking, and other great benefits. Also the government subsidizes things for the motor vehicle drivers. They don’t pay for all the roads and infrastructure. We need to raise the gasoline tax here like in Europe and Eretz Yisroel and make the car drivers pay the real costs of thei vehicles instead of giving them a giany subsidy as has been done for many years. Where do they end up after becoming obese due to lack of exercise and sick from the fumes? (Chas vesholom) Not too healthy for sure.
Enough is enough ! Cut off subsidies for the cars, gas needs to go up to maybe $5-7/gallon as in Europe and EY.
My favorite part was when they asked the DOT van to go on the SIDEWALK (see above in the story) – So whats up with that?? We should die for them?? Lol
Many drug dealers and low life people are on bicycles in Williamsburg. They don’t have any business in our neighborhood. They come into the supermarkets and restaurants without any clothes on and no respect for us. We need to park our cars in their bike lane because of the children going to the school and the people davening in shul. Why should a few hippies get to make a major traffic problem for us? We can’t take the children to school on a bicycle and get the groceries with a bicycle, we must have the vans and to park them too.
I am all over living the healthy life style with walking more and biking more. I am also all for the hipsters in will’burg. I am against the these streets taking up useful parking spots. NYC is is very tight as it is with parking. Some people are too old / sick/ mothers with kids to be this active (I am not one of them) but to sort of force everyone to give up their car is ludicrous.
This is hilarious. Plus, the “clowns” look rather modestly dressed to me. (To the degree that a clown suit can be considered “modest”, that is.) For all those who have a problem with bike lanes, get a life. You don’t own the streets. You don’t own the neighborhood. Share the road. Less cars on the road benefits everyone including you. How would you like it if people started driving their cars on the sidewalk every Shabbos, preventing you from walking to shul? That’s exactly what you’re doing.
WE ALL AGREE BIKING IS HEALTHY ,GOOD FOR THE PLANET… THE ARGUMENT IS THAT IN THIS PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD THE LOSS & INCONVIENCE TO THE MOST DENSLY POPULATED COMMUNITY IN THE CITY WHERE FOR WHATEVER REASON ADULTS ON BIKES IS VIRTUALLY NON EXISTENT ” I AM A FAN OF THE MAYOR HIS INTENTIONS WERE & ARE GOOD HE JUST DIDNT DO THE HOMEWORK …RIGHT IDEA WRONG LOCATION
these bike people have no respect for our neighborhood. we dont want you here. get out!
Boy are they lucky it wasn’t my truck. It so happens that I was standing at the exact same spot a few days ago, I needed to load up a few things from 460 Kent Ave. The “No Stopping” deal is crazy. My friend lives in the next building. I remember the morning he arrived to shul telling me what happened. He was completely distraught over what’s going to be. He felt robbed of any sort of clear-headedness. He has nowhere to park he has to schlep the children from wherever he does finds parking.
Its pretty messed up. Since I started frequenting 460 Kent Ave. (I just started doing business with one of the companies there). I can’t begin to tell you how bothersome it is for them with the parking and the trucks coming to deliver load & unload. There were never any double parked trucks there. Everybody still remembers that Kent Ave. was always the best route to use to cut through the Burg with the fastest.
I can’t wait to see the look on these clowns faces when these lanes will be removed with hashem gods help.
Clownies, ride em as long as you can, cuz it hopefully aint here to stay. (Also, you better behave, it only takes one angry truck with dirty plates to do a number on you, god forbid. Don’t be busy teaching the drivers the rules of the road, cuz if they’ll do the teaching its not gonna be pretty.)
somehow i thought they’d look funnier
#18 ***************
You are so right every word you said is gold …my question is if you know that this is shtisim why are you looking on this site in the time what you can help out people who don’t have money…almoones…yesomim…boochirim that are mixed up with drugs ….boocherim who are involved with girls …I love every word of your comment please give me your phone number I have lots of work for you and I know you don’t want to waste your time with this shtisim
#31 I guess you don’t have a problem with parking but other people do have a problem and yes its their neighberhood they have their business on kent av for the last 30 years and their trucks can’t go in and out because of a few stupid bikers
NYC needs bikes to keep growing. An overreliance on cars is killing this city. Because it is so crowded, that is why you need bike lanes and other similar infrastructure. Cars are easier, but when everybody is selfish and uses them the city shuts down. Bikes and other modes are the future. Cars are the past. We don’t want NYC to be left behind.