Last Night’s Tuesday Night Bike Ride, and the cops
I predicted that there might be more police presence on last night’s ride owing to a particularly vocal person who had been injured by the ride the previous week (his dog was also hurt) along with the safety money the Tucson Police Department has recently received for the purpose of ticketing cyclists.
It isn’t clear that either of those things were the cause, but in any event, there were an awful lot of police around last night — I lost track of how many squad cars I saw, some of them chasing cyclists, some angling them into the curb, some barking contradictory messages through their loudspeakers, and some just driving around.
Mike over at tucsonvelo.com has a full report. I’ll just say that as obnoxious as it at times was, the police actually showed a lot of restraint compared to what they did two years ago, when they raced menacingly and repeatedly through the crowd on motorcycles and followed the ride with a paddy-wagon.
It appears that they do want to find a way to make this thing work instead of just destroy it (no doubt, the political capital required to destroy it is daunting) because they have evidently contacted Perimeter Bicycling Association of America to help them “assure the safety” of the riders. I’m not sure how well that is going to go over, (I hope the designated PGAA route leaders keep their expectations low as to being liked, appreciated, or followed) but hopefully there will be some way to temper this ride’s more hazardous elements and make it an enjoyable and safe outing for all.
I will say I was struck by the bizarre route and the lack of interest among the ride leaders in waiting up for those stuck at red lights behind. The route included Congress west of the I-10, Grande, and 6th Street — some of the worst streets in Tucson for riding a bicycle. Over time the ride became extremely strung out because of so many people left behind at red lights. I wish the leaders would wait at lights so all can cross as a group, as in the “old days” of the ride.
–Erik Ryberg
August 18th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
Red Star wasn’t there, but according to media reports there was counter-productive, dysfunctional, clumsy, and illegal (misdemeanor) behavior all around.
So what is the objective of TNBR? How does TNBR move Tucson closer to “Platinum” status? How does TNBR improve the efforts of bike commuters in Tucson (many of whom –not all– are poor)?
The problem Red Star has with TNBR is that doesn’t seem to go anywhere useful, or larger than itself. It just looks like self-absorbed, juvenile and attitudinal picking on dumb cops.
August 18th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
Why does the TNBR have to move Tucson closer to Platinum status or “improve the efforts of bike commuters”? Why does it have to have an objective at all, or go “anywhere useful, or larger than itself”?
Why can’t it just be about getting together and sharing a fun bicycle ride? It is what it is, and the beauty of it is that it can be whatever people want it to be.
August 18th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
@Sneaks
You would have to ask TNBR about all those contradictory questions/statements of yours…
August 18th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
C’mon Red Star, don’t you ever just want to go have some fun? I don’t think the TNBR was ever designed for the purposes you are requiring of it. And those picking on the “dumb cops” last night were definitely in the extreme minority.
EBR
August 18th, 2010 at 4:34 pm
@Red Star
I would guess that if you were to ask 50 different participants in the TNBR those questions you would get 50 different answers. TNBR is whatever the participants want it to be on a particular night. I can’t very well ask TNBR those questions because there is no single TNBR.
Personally, I think that’s the beauty of TNBR. It may be frustrating at times, individuals may certainly behave badly at times, but it’s an event that is built anew moment to moment every Tuesday. There’s magic that happens on those rides, and it’s precisely because it doesn’t fit some preconceived notion of what it, or its goals, should be.
August 18th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
http://www.tucsonbikelawyer.com/category/fatality/
August 18th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
I missed the TNBR on 8/17, and didn’t complete the ride on 8/10 (a member in our group got a flat tire), but on 8/3 (188 riders) & 7/28 (147 riders) there was absolutely *ZERO* group leadership on the ride. A group of young BMX riders were at the head of the group both weeks, jumping curbs, knocking over construction signs (westbound on Congress at the State Bldg), and basically gawking at the rest of the group for maintaining a leisurely pace. This is not blame-shifting, it’s simply recognizing & identifying that the former ‘organization’ which we all, as riders, respected has terribly diminished.
I’m eager to participate in the forum which Sheila Foraker, Education Director of Perimeter Bicycle Association, has been quoted on Tucson Velo’s website as saying that the Tucson Police Department wishes to sponsor this Monday. She’s also quoted as saying TPD would like 8 to 10 ‘ambassadors’ to participate.
I, for one, wish to be included, and am eager for more contact/meeting information to be disbursed.
~lou g.
August 18th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
@Red Star: TNBR has never been a formal institution with a mission. As Sneaks says, that’s the beauty of it. It’s a loose group of riders who wish to share their biking experience with other riders. When you go hiking, it’s not with intention to “improve the efforts” of hiking or to make hiking “more useful & larger than itself.” It’s about having fun. (Well, for fun people it is.)
Now, TNBR will have be about having fun with increased respect for civil order & traffic laws.
If TNBR becomes a formal organization with a mission statement, a charter, & registered members, I fear it will cease to be the free-flowing, fun-loving casual group open to *all* riders of *all* ages/demographics that it now is & will morph into a politicized, commercialized, platinum-craving, status-seeking, elite-wannabe club for bourgeoisie.
August 18th, 2010 at 6:54 pm
Lots of fear expressed by louie gutierrez in #8…
August 18th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
To me the TNBR has just been about getting together with a whole lot of people and having a fun bike ride. Its amazing beig with 100+ other riders. I also think it is useful to cross/ride the occasional major street to show motorists what fun they are missing. Almost every ride someone in a car asks us where we meet up.
The problem has become a lack of ride leaders and the aggressiveness of the BMXers. We need people actually choosing fun safe routes. We need people to wait for the ride to compact so people don’t get left behind. We need people to cork the intersections so we can safely pass if we are in a tight enough group. We need everyone to be friendly and wave to the cars to try and improve relations between the groups. Drivers are usually in awe when everyone is waving at them.
So yeah some sort of marking for a ride leader would be good. I remember back in the day accidentally hijacking a ride with other people because we all though the each other were leading the ride.
August 18th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Lots of fear expressed by Red Star in #6… Individual accidents are going to continue to happen to pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists, regardless of what the ride does. Sure, keeping the ride safe is a good goal; but it’s one of many. It would be safest if we all just stayed home! Not going to happen.
I was on the ride, and the one last week. The routes felt similar; both ill-advised. The problem lies in the fact that while we all like the idea of going on a ride, very few of us are interested in the responsibility of leading it. No matter what route we take, there are always some complaints; maybe having some people willing to take on ride planning as a formal responsibility isn’t such a bad thing? It’s not like we can’t veto their plans in real time if enough of us want to go a different way… I don’t think the organic nature of the ride will be threatened; we only stand to gain.
The BMX kids will continue to ride on, over, and through anything they can, regardless of any damage they cause (remember “Skateboarding is not a crime”? Same issue.) I know it reflects poorly on us as an “organization”, but I seriously doubt they care the least about what we think; the only people that can really stop them are the cops.
Unfortunately a constant police presence brings the element of law for the law’s sake, of enforcement of the letter of the letter of the law without regard for the spirit. Cops yelling at us to get to the right and ride two abreast when there are multiple available lanes and no traffic. Cops ticketing people for going through red lights on the tail end of a large group when there’s no chance of them not being seen by cross traffic, and no emergency vehicles being held up. Cops ticketing people for lack of lights when they’re in a huge of mass of others’ headlights and taillights. Cops ticketing people for alcohol (and other substances)? (Haven’t seen it, fully expect it) In the end, the only results are to engender a lack of respect for the law, and to discourage people from cycling.
In the end, unless we can get the police to give us an escort, allowing us to proceed as one group across intersections, but while getting off their high horse about the little stuff, we are in a no-win situation.
Background: I’m not one of the ride’s founding crew, but I’ve been attending the ride almost religiously for the last year and a half. I’ve seen it when it’s huge like right now, and I’ve seen the 15 diehards who show up for the early January rides.
August 18th, 2010 at 10:25 pm
I think the problem is, the Tuesday ride is now noticed (and yeah. the cops knew about it before and it has died and been revived etc…), but it is being noticed right now.
You can say, this is just a fun ride and we just meet, and there’s no leader – but, at a certain point in the life of a lot of events that previously had no serious meaning, they suddenly have weight and meaning. Does it have meaning right now? I don’t know. I don’t participate in that ride anymore.
So, does someone need to educate, advocate, and keep watch over the flock of riders on Tuesday? Does someone need to take advantage of the cops caring about bikes in any capacity for once and try to win them over and educate them as well?
Is it surprising that cops keep an eye on a mass of cyclists? … They keep an eye on kids who ‘cruise’ speedway, ride motorcycles in groups, gather en mass in parks…
All I’m saying is it may be a good time to take what may seem like a bad or scary situation and use it to your advantage. And that could look like a lot of different things.
August 18th, 2010 at 10:56 pm
@ Ellen
I wouldn’t make the mistake of associating, in any way whatsoever, BMXers with skateboarders. Bicyclists AND skateboarders alike hate BMXers. It’s also a flawed comparison factually as skateboarders couldn’t possibly hope to achieve the speed of a BMXer nor would they inflict the amount of damage onto a dog/pedestrian/bicyclist/black bear/elephant should they collide (not being as tall and with a lower center of gravity leads to an actual collision versus trampling).
As far as bicyclists respecting the law less due to TPD involvement in the bike ride… are you kidding me? Is it possible for bicyclists to respect the law any less? Come on, man. Don’t pull that card. TPD’s wrong if they don’t bother paying attention to cyclists, TPD’s wrong if they do, TPD’s wrong if they try and help and wrong if they don’t. What do you want from these people?
What I’m about to say won’t be popular, especially not from an outsider that none of you have met or know or ridden with, but if the problem riders have been identified – and it seems to me they have – then it might be time for those in the community to do something about it. Whether that’s inform the cops so they can keep an eye on the REAL troublemakers or read the BMXers the riot act and take TNBR back from them, it sounds to me like it’s time to act.
August 19th, 2010 at 5:52 am
As it has been noted many times here this ride has no leaders, no goal, no planed route.
That was the point, it started as a birthday gift from some friends to another and has grown and shrank and survived for 3 years.
I haven’t been on this ride for a long while but have lead multiple times (sometimes with over 300 plus riders)and it was never easy, but it was fun.
Leadership doesn’t have to be set in a group be it TPD, gaba,PGAA. it needs to be just one person with a loud vocie, an idea of a fun route, patience, and selflessness.
As most of the original people have drifted away from the ride it seems that people still want the goal of the first ride (ie a fun mass bike ride) with out any of the work (however small it might have been) to make that happen for (most) everyone.
I myself will try to come out this week and see more for myself what i can do. Erick I’ll buy you a beer if you come too.
August 19th, 2010 at 9:38 am
Wow, I guess the one thing cyclists are good at is throwing each other under the bus. Last time I checked a bicycle was a human powered vehicle with two wheels and someone that rides such a contraption was considered a cyclist. @Bryce, maybe you hate BMX riders but I can’t say I’m aware of a general hate upon the genre in the cycling community as a whole.
That being said, if you are on a group ride and you see someone engaging in inappropriate and/or illegal behavior then step up and try to educate that person in the error of their ways, otherwise I’d say you are just as culpable. If you’ve tried that tact to no avail then simply don’t ride with that person or people.
August 19th, 2010 at 10:40 am
I’m very attached to the idea of functional anarchy and swarm intelligence. The ride works that way at its best.
I don’t want it to be forced by a handful of rogue riders into an organized ride.
What would the bees do?
UofA starts next week. The ride numbers will swell, as they always do when the students come back. It’s a great opportunity to reset the culture of the ride.
I have been on the ride since it’s early days, and have lead or co-lead it many times. The last few times I volunteered to lead the ride I have had a great route in mind, but been overtaken by the BMXers at the first stop light. Since nobody knows who’s leading, they’ve essentially hijacked the ride. It’s been frustrating.
Remember, Jason, the Biking Viking? That guy was an awesome leader. He wore a Viking helmet with horns, a fur vest, and had a HUGE voice. He was charismatic and cool.
The ride needs someone like him.
August 19th, 2010 at 10:45 am
PS What Bryce said:
“it might be time for those in the community to do something about it. Whether that’s inform the cops so they can keep an eye on the REAL troublemakers or read the BMXers the riot act and take TNBR back from them, it sounds to me like it’s time to act.”
I think that’s what the bees would do.
August 19th, 2010 at 11:29 am
Janet–
That Viking guy is still on the ride sometimes! But he never brings his horn anymore. Maybe he doesn’t feel that other people would support him. I sure would! He was hilarious and fun, and a great flag-bearer for the ride.
EBR
August 21st, 2010 at 7:34 pm
I remember the ride where someone brought a bunch of cookies and cupcakes while we played foot-down. It was awesome.
August 21st, 2010 at 9:32 pm
If all the scenesters would share their $400.00 an ounce kind bud, and smoke everybody out, things would be better, slower, and foot down wouldn’t be as AGRO!
August 22nd, 2010 at 8:10 pm
I love so many of your comments, especially Miguel’s and Ellen’s.
So here’s my two cents….There are plenty of f+ck-ups on that ride and I’m delighted to count myself among them. The lose knit combination of insanity and conformity of such a variety of bee populations (ages, sexes, ethnicity, socio-economic status, etc.), is exactly what makes it a primo experience to ride every Tuesday. You seldom see so many distinct types of people getting together and having a good time with each other. Truly priceless and all due to the organic and slightly unhinged nature of the group itself.
It’s a little embarrassing, but I hope you’ll all bare with listening to me warn people about the trolley tracks before each ride. I’ve watched so many “new bees” (:>)wipe out and hurt themselves when we go down on 4th Ave. and I hope it will just become a matter of course over time for someone to warn people before each ride even when I’m not there. I feel a little self conscious about harping on it to the group before each ride, but right after I made the warning last week, the guy next to me said that he had a fake tooth in place of the one the tracks took out. They are just soooooo dangerous! I can’t count how many people I’ve seen hurt themselves. If anyone has any better ways to educate the bees, let me know.
I just got the inspiration to start a Facebook fan page for the TNBR. As with the group, it will be fully open to whoever wants to participate (load photos, post comments, or whatever).
Also, Erik, you might want to post a link to “ghostbikes.org”. They keep a listing of ghostbikes around the world.
August 23rd, 2010 at 2:34 pm
You know there’s already a Facebook page for it?
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tucson-AZ/dtown/139061752072#!/group.php?gid=5833629539&ref=ts
August 23rd, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Well, not exactly, Colby. I wanted people to be able to look up the Tuesday Night Bike Ride by its name. The site you led me to gives no indication from an initial viewing that it has anything to do with it. Looks like a cool site though!
August 24th, 2010 at 8:46 am
My jaw. It’s dropped.
August 25th, 2010 at 8:31 am
Steph, try a FB search for “Tuesday Night Ride”. It should turn up.
August 29th, 2010 at 6:03 am
Okee dokey, Janet and Colby, I found it! Thanks! I’ll take down the page I put up.