Williamsburg, NY – As a biker, my first instinct was to side against this vigilante. After all, if this man puts Krazy Glue in people’s locks, wouldn’t his actions have the exact opposite effect, making it impossible to remove the deserted bicycles? Wouldn’t it be far better if the gentleman acted in a more socially acceptable manner, and took more conventional actions such as writing a letter to his councilman, or leaving a note, or perhaps clipping the lock on an obviously deserted bike and donating this used bike to charity?
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Bicycles are good for the city. They make the city safer. They slow the city down and make people more friendly.
By inviting in the reporter, the Crusader was able to publicize an otherwise dry, municipal fact: that deserted bicycles are a blight, they’re dangerous to the old and disabled, and they take up parking spots that bicyclists need to chain up their still moving bicycles.

But the deserted bicycles are deserted for a reason: Parallel parking cars carelessly run over and “taco” out rims. Petty thieves steal people’s seats, brakes and wheels. People lose the keys to their $50 bikes that are chained up with impossible-to-break $100 locks.
That said, I do not agree with the “Bike Crusader” proposal that bicyclists go to a depot and pay $1 to park far away from their destination. The city should encourage bicycling and do everything possible to make it easier and cheaper to bicycle.
And I certainly don’t agree with the Crusader’s tone or actions. If you see a bicycle fallen on the street, you should pick it up. You should call the Sanitation Department if you see an obviously deserted bicycle.
Acting negatively toward your fellow man by destroying other people’s property is bad for you emotionally, and might lead to the exact opposite of what you want to accomplish, which is making the streets safer for all of us. If you rode a bicycle, instead of resenting bicycle riders, you probably wouldn’t be so angry. Why don’t you try it instead of fighting it? If you come by my shop, I will lend you a bike.
The fault I believe lies mostly with the NYPD and Mayor Bloomberg. Bicycle vandalism and thievery is not high up on their priority list. I have had more than 10 bikes stolen, and have taken to riding around on the crappiest bike possible to ensure that my bike is still there when I come out of whatever errand I am doing.
The mayor should be commended for adding miles of protected bike lanes in the city. But until people can confidently leave their bicycles outside without fear of theft, the city will never truly become bicycle friendly, and the problem of deserted bicycles littering the streets will not diminish.
MR BH, I bike and I drive. I can tell you that you are only looking at this from the bikers point of view.
I parked my car and couldnt even get out the drivers side door due to 2 bikes that parked so close to the curb that their tires were right over the curb. Fortunately I was able to climb over the console in the middle and go out the passenger door, but someone else might not have been as physically fit .
The bikers as well as the motorists need to be curteous to each other.
We need to co exist and respect each other.
Drivers must obey rules or get itcketed and I feel the same holds true for bikers
This is a lovely post. He treats everyone with respect. Instead of fighting amongst ourselves, we should all look for the good in other people.
There is nothing like a bike no parking problem no tickets & the best its faster than a car on local
Baruch , well said !! To the point.
From a fellow hasidic Williamsburg biker!! And your satmaf friend Isaac Abraham will smack me tomorrow for giving you support. -k-
More importantly, can’t people who choose to ride bikes ride them in the street and not on the SIDEWALK!!.. My dog and I have almost been mowed down multiple times by idiots riding super fast on the sidewalk. If you choose to get around by bicycle, use the street like you are supposed to!! Also, can the ones who do ride in the street follow the traffic lights like the cars do?!
Do you know that it is against the law to chain your bike to any City property ie., stop signs, parking signs, street lights, trees, yield signs??? There are fines you can receive. The bicyclists don’t know any of the laws and you wonder why people become outraged. Haul your bike up to your apartment..
Bloomberg is not interested in investing and protecting the bicycles all he wanted is to get them out there and start ticketing them as was reported last week. Now he has a whole new variety what to ticket first he took away so many parking spaces for the bike lanes which automatically increases ticket opportunities then the bike lanes. if you drive on them or park on them and then the bicycles them selfs now start to get tickets. you have to understand his mind set its all about raising money everything he does is all about how many more tickets will he be able to wright and this whole bicycle thing bought so many opportunities with it now you understand why he pushed so hard for it. And don’t forget its all for the good of the people
Baruch is an Ish Shalom in so many ways.
I think its a miracle if bloomberg gets re-elected. He’s sucking out every dollar from us. He can’t balance a budget unless he finds another way to steal from us.
gooood! finally we have sombody speaking out on our behalf, the message should be FREE WILLIAMSBURG OF TIRANY from those how are looking to dominate the mojarety, there is no reason that ANY yiddisha place in the world its completely normal to ride bikes (beside willy & monroe….) we need to stand up agains the dictaters, will this -biking- hold back musiach?? open your eyes stupids!!!!!!
Baruch Herzfeld is the man and i agree he is an Ish Shalom. He has made the effort and has been successful in bring the yuppies in williamsburg and the chasidim together. He is friends with everybody in williamsburg and he should run for city council because he has done a lot for williamsburg and he knows how to bring all types of people together. Baruch Herzfeld you are truly a blessing.
All those that think he is an ish shalom you are very mistaken. just look at his facebook posts and see the way he talks about reb dovid fienstein. any person that can have suce disrespect for one of the gedolei hador is an animal and those that praise him should look into this.
to number 11, please stop spreading motzei shem ra, what you are saying is simply not true. Its bad enough that the comments were disabled regarding the Bialystoker controversy, we do not want comments for this article to be disabled and spreading lies will cause this to happen.
Baruch Herzfeld never spoke bad about Rosh Hayeshiva on facebook, only about someone who knows the Rosh Hayeshiva who happens to be a Rasha. If you want to know who does not respect the Rosh Hayeshiva, you should have checked the previous comments that were made on the article of the Bialystoker synagogue controversy. Baruch Herzfeld is out to make sure things are done right in Judaism and in general. Anyone who does not respect such a holy individual like Baruch Herzfeld, does not respect yidishkeit. He is very well respected, just go into Gottleibs Restaurant in Williamsburg and you might just meet him sometimes and see what a great person he is, and if you dont seem him, the people in the restaurant and the people that work there respect him.
Oh really number 13, please see the following posts written by him on facebook about the Rosh Yeshiva. He calls him a woman hater, talks about him wanting to destory shuls and compares him to an anti semetic priest. this man has no right to speak of a gadol hador in this way.
July 12th:
Baruch Herzfeld I love Rabbi Weiss. From personal experience, I know that most Yeshiva University ordained Rabbis lack personal conviction, afraid to stand up to garbage spewers like Rabbi Steven Pruzansky or misgongysts like David Feinstein.
July 8th
Baruch Herzfeld A true “Chesed Shel Emes”. The city is full of wonderful people, interested in preserving our shared city history and the dignity of the dead. Contrast this with some Lower East Side rabbis such as David Feinstein, more interested in demolishing and selling off synagogues, than in revitalizing them.
July 2nd
Baruch Herzfeld Is Dovid Feinstein shelly silver’s jeremaiah wright or am i delusional from 20 straight hours typing on my iPhone?
Baruch is a member of Stanton Street. According to the Village Voice R’ David Feinstein approved the sale of the Shul. This left some hard feelings amongst the mispaalim. So I understand the hard feelings. No one, not even Moshe Rabbeinu was free of fault.
To number 14, I am friends with Baruch on Facebook and what you claim he says is simply not true. Its not nice to be making up statements and days he said it when its simply just not true and since Rosh Hashana is coming up I think you should ask forgiveness from Baruch for the motzei shem ra you have said. Baruch is very well respected amongst the residents of williamsburg and there is no reason to make false claims on an individual who is very respected and respects other people.
to number 16, have you looked at his facebook posts on the dates mentioned above, whatever is posted above is there written from his account so dont say they arent true you obviously dont know what you are talking about.
to number 17, enough is enough if you have nothing nice to say about Baruch please refrain from saying anything about him. He is a very nice person who is well liked in williamsburg and he maintains the peace amongst the chasidim and the yuppies. You need to meet with him in person to realize that he is a great person and probably one of the nicest guy you will ever you meet. Since you have not met him, therefore you write such stuff about him, but if you meet him, you will take back all the negative things you said about him.
ive met him plenty of times and i know what he is. you can see from what he wrote above on facebook that he is no tzadik. if he feels he can say what he wants about a gadol i feel i have every right to say what i want about him.
I do not believe that you have met him because if you really did and you have saw what he has done for other people you will notice that he is truly a great person.
Number 20: “Have Saw” huh?
great educaiton you got there…your parents must be very proud!
I love how everyone keeps saying Baruch is well liked in Williamsburgh…too bad thats not the case on the LES where he lives! On the Les we respect and look up to someone that deserves it, like the gedolim that live here….I guess in Williamsburgh the bulletr proof stockings and long coats are an act, put on just for show!
to #21 : Your lack of respect for the Anshei Chassidim is not the way for a Torah true Jew to behave. A Torah true Jew is a refined mentsch- not a coarse human being who denigrates others. Might I suggest reading some books of Mussar (they are in translation in case Ivrit is not your strong suit) such as Mesillat Yesharim- a classice of Italian Jewry.
To # 21, since you believe that you have so much respect for the Gadol Rav Dovid Feinstein, then how come you are not following his rulings? The Rosh Hayeshiva signed a sheet years back with other gedolim which forbids the Internet. The letter with all the signatures from the gedolim was posted on the front window of the LES Kosher Grocery Store during that time. My point is that if you are such a big fan of the Rosh Hayeshiva, which you claim to be, then why are you posting comments on the Internet, when the Rosh Hayeshiva signed a letter with other gedolim forbidding the Internet? Therefore, before you say or write anything negative about Baruch Herzfeld, you should first look at yourself to see what you are doing wrong before you claim that others are not doing right when they are really not, and you with your false opinions, facts and your ideologies have made you look bad.
number 23 you need to get a clue. just because some respects and defends a gadol doesnt mean that person follows theri every ruling. the issue is not whether or not people here follow reb dovid the issue is that reb dovid was being disrespected by someone who has no right to do it.
LESer i wouldnt blame the chassidim about this. just because people on here say hes so respected in williamsberg doesnt mean its true. i know plenty of chassidim that think hes terrible because of the whole bike lane issue in williamsberg. just because a couple of chassidim like to hang out with him and be brought down by him doesnt mean they all do.
#24 you have disrespected the ruling of the Rosh Hayeshiva so therefore you should not be saying that others disrespect the Gadol, when you do yourself. #25 Baruch has brought stability, calm and peace to the residents of williamsburg between the Chasidim and the yuppies and we need his help in the Lower East Side as the yuppies are taking over the surrounding blocks near the Yeshiva where Rav Dovid Feinstein Shlita is the Rosh Hayeshiva.
ok #26 whatever helps you sleep at night. i assume your name is baruch and youre just surprised that people caught what you were saying on facebook and now youre being called out for being trying the tarnish the name of a holy man.
#27 I am an honest friend of Baruch Herzfeld, unlike yourself who only is friends of him on facebook because you want to see his posts and make fun of him when the days of atonement for sins are approaching and you should be ashamed of yourself for the way you are speaking of people when we are reaching the time for when the Jewish people are supposed to do teshuva for our sins and not just keep on sinning like you are doing by saying all this Richilus, Lashon Hara and Motzei Shem Ra about such a great person like Baruch.
number 28 you are out of your mind. you tell me about the days of atonement and in the same breath say that the man who berates a talmid chacham is a great person. im glad im his friend on facebook so i can bring to light his true acts which are clearly not the acts of an ish shalom.
#29 you have no legitimate proof that Baruch disrespects the Rosh Hayeshiva. You are saying that those comments on facebook was his when clearly they were not and even if you think that he wrote the comments because you claim they were next to his name, then how do you know it was him and not someone else. I know of many people who let others use their facebook account and do or write things thats not actually the person who wrote it. I know personally that Baruch Herzfeld has nothing against the Rosh Hayeshiva, maybe if you actually met or spoke to him you would know that. Baruch Herzfeld loves every Jew and every non Jew. He is the true example of what a yid is supposed to be. He looks beyond the outside and always sees an image of Hashem amongst every person he meets. I recommend that people should meet and speak with him because once you will meet and speak to him you will see the face and personality of a true, honest, nice, caring individual, who is out to do the will of Hashem and he like everyone including the Rosh Hayeshiva. He might have some differences in opinion with the Rosh Hayeshiva regarding Halachik decisions but so do many others including other Rosh Hayeshivas. Baruch Herzfeld is a blessing in disguise.
anyone who allows others to use their account on facebook needs to be ready to take responsibility for what those people say. if what you say is true and he doesnt have those feelings then he should get on his facebook account and post an apology or at least say on facebook that someone else posted those things about the rosh yeshiva and not him. until i see one of those things my opinion of him will remain the same and i will assume that he was the one who said those things.
If Baruch Herzfeld has to apologize of what he is thought to have said about the Rosh Hayeshiva, then all the people in the Lower East Side who have made up things that the Rosh Hayeshiva has said, which was not true, they should all apologize as well. If you do not hear it from the words of the Rosh Hayeshiva, but you heard someone else said that the Rosh Hayeshiva said it, then its not always true. The Rosh Hayeshiva short bodyguard has put words in the mouth of the Rosh Hayeshiva and is going around the LES making up things that the Rosh Hayeshiva, when what he claims the Rosh Hayeshiva says is simply not true. The Rosh Hayeshiva knows about this unfortunate situation. The bodyguard should apologize and he should apologize to everyone else for not being nice to them and only being nice to the Rosh Hayeshiva.
Everyone in the Yeshiva knows that this short bodyguard is making up false statements about what the Rosh Hayeshiva said, when the Rosh Hayeshiva never said it. An individual needs to hear it from the mouth and words of Rav Dovid and not from anyone else and most certainly not from the short bodyguard.