Last week, the New York cycling community was righteously and rightly pissed off at the NYPD. As reported in Gothamist and elsewhere, the NYPD unceremoniously cut the locks of hundreds of bikes on Houston Street and piled the cycles into a flatbed truck, citing concerns about potential pipe bombs along President Obama’s motorcade route. There was apparently no prior notice to people parking their bikes.
Courtesy Anthony Rebholz/Thisisfyf
Later it was reported that the bikes were awaiting their owners at a police precinct. According to Gothamist, “Cyclists will be asked to describe their bikes, but the cop who spoke with us said you should also bring a photo of you with the bike.” So, bingo! There’s an excellent reason to email me and get your #BikeNYC portrait taken ASAP! Because you never know when the NYPD will steal your bike and demand proof of ownership.