LAPD saved LACM

Thread started by
alec at 11.17.13 - 2:01 pm

LAPD saved LACM. Just previous to the takeover we had several large monthly rides in LA. They had themes, they were parties, tours, they were art. LACM was a blank ride. People didn’t hold signs or pass out fliers, and often just said something joke-y when asked what was going on. Did we need it? Was it inspiring? I for one was spending my energy on other rides. Now it’s our last big monthly ride. Now it has my attention again. Not just because of its size but because it raises so many questions. What would happen if Midnight Ridazz returned to LACM? Could the police handle a doubling or tripling of the turnout? Would they try to shut the ride down? Could they? Would it birth a new ride the way the police shutdown of SMCM birthed CRANK Mob? Or should it be left as is and maybe even looked after by activists so that the police are part of the bicycle community. Does that help us on other rides? Personally I’m going on as many LACM’s as I can. I still find it fun to ride with a thousand cyclists. The routes are better than ever. The pace is great. The chance of being ticketed has dropped to near zero. Ride on!
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slightly off topic but could someone find out or does anyone have a way of finding out how much the city spends on police escorting the ride every month?
hey Alec, our second Friday ride can barely get 200 people to come out anymore so I really think that's a non issue with the police being able to handle more riders. I do know that critical mass brings out upwords of two to three thousand every month and I will conclude that with those many people coming out they enjoy the police escort. Personally I stopped giving a shit about this ride about a year and a half ago.
barleye11.17.13 - 6:07 pm
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I stopped caring about LACM even before the pigs took over, but that was cuz it wasn't being handled very well, and The People's Ride had a lil to do with it too, for better or for worse. The LAPD has not only brought it back from near death, but given it a personal trainer and steroids. I mean that in a good way. This ride is unbelievably huuuge, and you will ride some miles on it too, with almost no stops at lights. I've talked to some of the current organizers and they are tryina make it family, and first-time friendly. They have definitely succeeded in that. With all the corked lights, it's actually a brisk paced ride. In the few months I have rode it since the LAPD has taken over, I've thoroughly enjoyed LACM, and used it successfully as a gateway ride to indoctrinate several other Ridazz into our cult...
tallcans4tallbikes11.17.13 - 8:14 pm
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Now that they'll have more time, we should get the LAPD to escort the Midnight Ridazz Bicycle Forum for a couple years, see if things pick up around here.
Just you watch - it'll be magical!
nathansnider02.4.14 - 7:01 pm
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I remember an alternate LACM taking place at the same time but somehow didn't seem to draw very many people. Is it still going on?
mk452402.4.14 - 11:52 pm
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Worked late in DTLA and went to The last CM . I also had lost interest in CM even before the cops came along. I had gone to a few of the LAPDCM and found the cops to be aggressive and loud with their sirens and revving their motorcycles alongside. I tired to chat with some of the bicycle cops but they couldnt care less and most seemed bummed to have to pedal with us. The later rides were as described above with a good pace, and good route. It was nice to have the cops control the riders that go against traffic, or go on the sidewalk, the cops corked the intersections and no one fucked with us with a heavy cop presence. This last CM was a bit of a throwback,(no more cops for the last couple of months) riders all over the road, on the sidewalk, splitting lanes on oncoming traffic (yes, not only on the opposing side, but splititng the lanes of the other side! ) Twice I saw pedestrians so pissed off they were yelling "fuck you guys!" Riders totally rude to people stuck in crosswalk and on the sidewalk. Before the first stop, we have about 1000 riders spread over a few blocks and some knucklehead in a silver Honda Accord with Texas plates comes up thru the pack revving his engine right behind me! I pulled over as he passed so many people were yelling at him. He went riding the yellow lines along the middle of the road up to the front of the pack and then blew thru the red light the front of the ride had stopped at. Within 2 minutes, he is now coming up the road on our side, against traffic and going slowly thru the pack and as he came towards me, he had to slow down a bit due to the mass of people at the middle of the pack. he was so close to me I am pretty sure the spit that came out of me as i yelled at him probalbly hit him. since he slowed down right next me, I saw a rider chuck his bike at the car rear window and trunk. big noise, driver stopped and was promptly attacked. several riders were kicking parts off the car while one rider applied a rat-tat-tat of jabs at the driver face and head. I was worried the driver would gas it in his panic to flee, and would have plowed thru about 40 riders in front of him. Luckily he crawled his car out of the pack and went away. All this before the first stop. the rest of the ride was less eventful, but a lot of crazy and rude riding. the ride also slowed consideralby thru downtown. I thought it was not allowed to cork as I have been personally hassled by cops when corking before. But all you need is a groovy orange vest with yellow stripes and you can cork! At least that is how CM does it. the ride is changing again, but with the chaos of new young riders feeling the ether of being free for the first time, along with the diverse masses of people, this ride just doesnt have much character. It gave me a greater apprecaition of our MR rides for sure. Just sharin',,,
marleydog06.8.14 - 11:41 am
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Miss, what is ACAB? I'm out of touch.
&& ya'll should see what happened in Brazil. Driver just cracked under w.e shit he was under.
http://youtu.be/GnR2ysyaoH4?t=52s
&&& haven't ya'll noticed more attacks in the US?
I believe there is a manhunt in LA right now | Las Vegas | Washington*SPU* | Maine/Canada
then again violence has always been around.
the ebb & flow of societies n' shit.
<3 ya'll! B safe. watch out for doors n' idiots. ^___^)
Alfredo responding to a
comment by brittany
06.9.14 - 1:34 pm
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It seems we are forgetting that time when that cop on LACM brake checked a crowd of riders at UCLA and a kid veered off and hit a brick wall. That kid Died.
stillline06.9.14 - 4:25 pm
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