Witness

Just remember things like this happen in threes. I wouldn't ride any planes if I were you.

I don't have much to add here, except that I liked the thread's title.
And that the moon was very, very bright on Monday night.

To add to Today's Mayhem:

A lady collapsed -- I mean, out cold for several minutes -- in the Popular Library section over at Central Library. They made everyone get off the computers (people complained, of course) to give the EMTs space to maneuver. At last count, she was okay and coming to...not sure what happened once they took her out.

Oh, and for those who care: They're making everyone switch to the new green library cards at Brooklyn Public Library. Expect a bit of a delay when you check items out over the next few weeks and bring your photo ID/proof of address with you, along with your existing card. Argh.

Ooooo- sorry sje! That sucks. What kind of lock was it? Just curious....

I was on the F to Brooklyn last week and someone DIED in another car.

I was on the 6 heading toward downtown and on to Brooklyn earlier this week an there was this enormous guy completely losing his shit on the car -- screaming, punching windows, etc. -- folks were seriously scared.

My favorite from last year was a crazy guy that got on the 6 uptown eating a cherry pie with his bare hands...about halfway through the pie, he hurled it across the car just missing some random seated woman, wiped his cherry hands on his pants and got off at the next stop swearing...

It was a wimpy cable lock, and Mike warned me it was a POS and easy to cut. But that easy? Live and learn. Now I have to get a chain that weighs half as much as the bike.

If I see someone riding my baby around, I'm tackling them, no questions asked. Just a heads up. [-X

brooklynleather wrote: I just found out you can break into those heavy duty kryptonite locks with a Bic pen. What options does a girl have now?! Stupid expensive bike locks....

We had a big discussion of this recently, but basically this is what you want to avoid getting your bike ripped:
1) A good square link chain with a decent lock.
2) A good U lock, the newer ones can't be defeated with a bic.
3) Secure or remove your seat.
Your bike should be locked through the frame and a wheel with the U lock to a immovable object, and then the other wheel should be locked through the frame with the square link to an immovable object.

Deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill began in the mid 1950s, with the majority of patients being released by 1975, well before Reagan's arrival (though his administration did little to help matters).

The idea was that with the advent of antipsychotic medication, patients could be treated in community-based mental health centers rather than state hospitals. The only problem was that funding for these centers has never been sufficient. Add to this a barrage of lawsuits by civil libertarians that have made it incredibly difficult to commit a person against his/her will in the absence of suicidal or homicidal ideation. Hence, you wind up with people who scream, curse, and hurl cherry pies at fellow commuters.

Anyone interested in this topic should check out E. Fuller Torrey's book "The Insanity Offense".

sje wrote: Mike showed me a krypotonite Ulock that had been pried open. Not a pretty sight. I'm getting one of those 40lb square chains with a heavy duty padlock. Bring it on, you thieving bastards!!

My husband was a bike messenger for 12 years and in the first 3 years he had 7 bikes stolen all during the day and in various parts of midtown. He finally bought one of those big thick square chains and it was never stolen again. He used to wear it around his waist when he rode.

Just a note on bicycle security etc, when I decided to get a new bike, I spent about 6 months studying the problem. I had just gotten back from working in Amsterdam and Copenhagen where everyone rides a bike and loved the old fashioned uprights.

I began to notice what bikes were sitting locked up outside unmolested. After a while it became clear that a vintage frame -- a little beat up doesn't hurt -- and old lady baskets all over it, would prevent the thieves from desiring the bike. I happened to want to be able to lug crap between Manhattan and Brooklyn on a daily basis - groceries, laptop etc so baskets were the way to go.

Sitting upright also, allows a better view of traffic -- and more importantly pedestrians, who seem to be the worst obstacle to biking in this town. You're more visible sitting up.

That said, I went to Mike over at Bicycle Station and asked him to build me a bike. He let me pick out a frame from the back and he put all the parts together. I've since added bells and lights. (PLEASE EVERYONE BIKING GET LIGHTS!)

For 8 years now, I have locked up all over Manhattan and Brooklyn and never gotten anything stolen. Get a nice used frame, beat it up and a good kryptonite and you're set!