Mayor’s spinning our wheels

To The Editor:

Mayor Bloomberg’s admonishing city cyclists to “pay attention to cars” (“Wheel deal,” Scoopy’s Notebook, Dec. 27) is like Joe Torre telling Yankee batters to pay attention to the guy on the pitcher’s mound with the ball. Duh, we’re already doing it.

Unfortunately, the subject of the mayor’s off-key advice wasn’ta game, but the real-life (or death) matter of getting around New York City by bicycle.

Car and truck drivers killed 14 bike riders in New York City in 2006, including two on the Hudson River greenway --­ the supposedly car-free venue where Bloomberg dispensed his advice. Though the mayor didn’t say so, most fatal bike crashes involve errors by car or truck drivers, such as drivers’ failing to yield or aggressive passing.

I bicycled some 3,000 miles last year, including 250 miles carrying my 8-year-old on his little seat bolted in front of mine. We cyclists don’t need to be reminded to concentrate on the traffic jungle. What cyclists and all New Yorkers need is for the mayor to concentrate on his job and enforce laws against driver speeding, tailgating and bullying.

Charles Komanoff

If you choose to walk or bicycle watch out we don't care because you're a lightwieght.

As far as the vans that accompanied the ride, I tend to think they were there for two reasons--first, as an escort to help prevent any abuse from, or fights with, motorists/peds. Second, to do what they used to do for Critical Mass before 8/2004, and what they were still doing for Brooklyn Mass the one time I rode in it: help "cork" traffic *in order to get the cycling event over with and out of the way as quickly as possible*--which, to my mind, has always been the thing that makes Critical Mass kind of pointless. And yet lots of CM riders act like that's exactly what the cops SHOULD do. I don't know... (Well, I DO; I'm just tired of arguing about CM (which I used to incessantly before I started reading Streetsblog).

It was unclear if the parade of police vans was meant as a sign of respect, a sign of intimidation, or a completely unnecessary safety measure. Even as a Critical Mass skeptic, it's a shame that the relationship between cyclists and the NYPD is so frayed that I had no idea of their intentions.

I'm not some anti-copper, but those crazy displays have always caused me a little, uh, cognitive dissonance let's call it.

Yesterday's memorial ride was a wonderful, affirming event. It is up to us -- the activists, writers, and engaged citizens -- to make the change we want to see in this city. Bloomberg's obviously not going to do it for us.

Do the Yankees (to pick a team) or Yankees fans get a parade permit for the organized takeover of streets surrounding the Stadium?

This isn't where people "accidentally" show up and put thousands of cars on the streets.

I also believe we should get rid of sidewalks, crosswalks, and walk/don't walk signals. Pedestrians should take some personal responsibility when they go out on the streets. They're the little guys and they need to watch out for themselves.

Me, I'm safe in my car!