Direct action is possible
Hey @NYPDTransit: stop parking BEHIND THE SAFETY BARRIER in the Columbus Circle bike infrastructure like it’s the Employee of the Month space. We’re not going to stop until this ends. pic.twitter.com/dUsBd6oSrr
— Rich Mintz (@richmintz) February 6, 2020
Update July 2020: This post was originally written in early February 2020, just before — well, you know. It still holds up. And, for at least a while, it worked — that space was left clear.
Well, this got some attention, didn’t it!
If you’d like to try this yourself, you might want to print these.
Polite version (“this driver is rude“):
- NYPD in a bike lane (rude)
- Regular driver in a bike lane (rude)
- NYPD on the sidewalk (rude)
- Regular driver on the sidewalk (rude)
Medium-spicy version (“this driver is a jerk“):
- NYPD in a bike lane (jerk)
- Regular driver in a bike lane (jerk)
- NYPD on the sidewalk (jerk)
- Regular driver on the sidewalk (jerk)
Extra-spicy version (“this driver is an asshole“):
- NYPD in a bike lane (asshole)
- Regular driver in a bike lane (asshole)
- NYPD on the sidewalk (asshole)
- Regular driver on the sidewalk (asshole)
WARNING: TOUCHING POLICE VEHICLES OR PRIVATE VEHICLES IS DANGEROUS. BE CAREFUL.
- DO NOT PERMANENTLY AFFIX ANYTHING TO A POLICE VEHICLE OR PRIVATELY OWNED VEHICLE, DAMAGE OR MAR A VEHICLE, OR TAKE ANY ACTION THAT MIGHT BE REASONABLY INTERPRETED AS VANDALISM.
- Our police are generally hostile as are civilian drivers when their vehicles are approached, touched, photographed, or even looked at. Avoid occupied vehicles. Protect yourself.
It is my (non-professional; I am not a lawyer) opinion that it is legal to touch a police car for this purpose, legal to place a flyer on a police car, and legal to call a police officer an impolite word. It is also reasonably safe for me to do so, given my appearance. But do not take any risks you are not comfortable with!