religious wars; bike lanes removed and repainted

[Biciclista]

Hipsters repaint bike lanes in brush off to Hasids


By JEREMY OLSHAN and JAMIE SCHRAM

Last Updated: 10:48 AM, December 9, 2009

Posted: 2:52 AM, December 8, 2009
Groups of bicycle-riding vigilantes have been repainting 14 blocks of Williamsburg roadways ever since the city sandblasted their bike lanes away last week at the request of the Hasidic community.
The Hasids, who have long had a huge enclave in the now-artist-haven neighborhood, had complained that the Bedford Avenue bike paths posed both a safety and religious hazard.
Scantily clad hipster cyclists attracted to the Brooklyn neighborhood made it difficult, the Hasids said, to obey religious laws forbidding them from staring at members of the opposite sex in various states of undress. These riders also were disobeying the traffic laws, they complained
Two cycling advocates were apprehended by the Shomrim Patrol, a Hasidic neighborhood watch group, as they repainted a section of bike lane at 3:30 a.m. yesterday, but when cops arrived, no one was arrested and no summonses were issued, police said.
"These people should apply for a job at the DOT," neighborhood activist Isaac Abraham said of the repainting. "You put it on, they take it off -- and they will probably do this again."
A Department of Transportation spokesman said: "We will continue to work with any community on ways we can make changes to our streets without compromising safety."
A source close to Mayor Bloomberg said removing the lanes was an effort to appease the Hasidic community just before last month's election.
Abraham contends the bike lanes put children at risk of getting hit by cars or bicycles as they exited school buses.
But Baruch Herzfeld, who has tried to bridge the gap between hipsters and Hasids with a bike-rental program, said safety is not the issue so much as xenophobia.
"They don't want the hipsters in their neighborhood," he said. "It's like in Howard Beach back in the day when they didn't want black people in the neighborhood."
The cycling advocacy group Transportation Alternatives has not taken sides in the dispute.
But bike lane or not, "cyclists have a right to be on Bedford Avenue," said Wiley Norvell, a group spokesman.

Additional reporting by Maggie Haberman and John Doyle




Groups of bicycle-riding vigilantes have been repainting 14 blocks of Williamsburg roadways ever since the city sandblasted their bike lanes away last week at the request of the Hasidic community.

The Hasids, who have long had a huge enclave in the now-artist-haven neighborhood, had complained that the Bedford Avenue bike paths posed both a safety and religious hazard.

Scantily clad hipster cyclists attracted to the Brooklyn neighborhood made it difficult, the Hasids said, to obey religious laws forbidding them from staring at members of the opposite sex in various states of undress. These riders also were disobeying the traffic laws, they complained

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/b...#ixzz0ZOrUCJFE

[shootingstar]

How unfortunate this matter has been dragging on for awhile. I don't agree how some hipsters/bike lane advocates simply painting bike lanes without the authority of the N.Y. Dept. of Transportation, is helpful for resolving the current conflict in near future.

[PamNY]

Here's a more irreverent take on the situation from Heeb Magazine:

If I had a clown outfit I might join in with the Time's Up festivities.

Pam

[Biciclista]

can someone explain to this old lady what the heck is a hipster??

[Crankin]

This is too funny...
I love Heeb Magazine.
I don't love fundamentalists, even in my own religion.

[Kalidurga]

can someone explain to this old lady what the heck is a hipster??

Someone who is chronically hip. These days, that means riding a fixie and/or living in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn.

[ny biker]

Scantily clad hipster cyclists attracted to the Brooklyn neighborhood made it difficult, the Hasids said, to obey religious laws forbidding them from staring at members of the opposite sex in various states of undress. These riders also were disobeying the traffic laws, they complained

Um, yeah. If you're not allowed to stare at someone, then it's up to you to not stare. You can't legislate everyone else out of your view.

If they're disobeying laws, then enforce the laws.

[Biciclista]

thank you Kali

[Kalidurga]

Um, yeah. If you're not allowed to stare at someone, then it's up to you to not stare. You can't legislate everyone else out of your view.

If they're disobeying laws, then enforce the laws.

Y'know, there's always the chance that God sent those hipsters in various states of undress to Williamsburg as a test for the Hasids.





I know, I'm going to burn in hell for irreverence

[PamNY]

One thing I don't understand: would hipsters be any less scantily clad if they were walking?

Why exactly are the bike lanes a problem?

Perhaps I can find this out.

Pam

[Trek420]

I know, I'm going to burn in hell for irreverence

Good, then I'll see ya there!

Speaking as I do for us not terribly observent Jews I was under the impression that we do not believe in/have a He]] (unless perhaps you count Walmart)

[Tri Girl]

Um, yeah. If you're not allowed to stare at someone, then it's up to you to not stare. You can't legislate everyone else out of your view.

If they're disobeying laws, then enforce the laws.

++1

[Eden]

Personally I'm not even sure they are using "hipster" the right way.....
If by scantily clad they are referring to the wearing of spandex whilst riding a bike, then its unlikely that its hipsters that they are seeing. Hipsters think spandex is rather uncool and would not usually be caught dead wearing it, well at least not where anyone can see - I did hear one guy confess to wearing cycling shorts under his uber cool hand converted thrift store wool pant knickers....

[7rider]

Personally I'm not even sure they are using "hipster" the right way.....
If by scantily clad they are referring to the wearing of spandex whilst riding a bike, then its unlikely that its hipsters that they are seeing. Hipsters think spandex is rather uncool and would not usually be caught dead wearing it, well at least not where anyone can see - I did hear one guy confess to wearing cycling shorts under his uber cool hand converted thrift store wool pant knickers....

Yeah, hipsters would be wearing skinny jeans!

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/5684963/

[HillSlugger]

Um, yeah. If you're not allowed to stare at someone, then it's up to you to not stare. You can't legislate everyone else out of your view.

It's this same thinking that has women in the middle east wearing burkahs so the men won't be tempted: if you can't control your own reaction, punish the target of your attention.