NYPD Caught Painting Over Bike Lanes So Lazy Cops Don’t Have To Walk

When a cop doesn’t like something, say a law that designates a bike lane in NYC, they simply ignore it by parking in the bike lane.

Not only does this break the law they are supposed to uphold, it creates a dangerous situation for bikers. By parking in the designated bike lane, it forces bikers to swerve into traffic to avoid the lawbreakers – and if they’re caught driving outside the designated bike lane, cyclists are ticketed for it.

In the escalating ‘war’ between the NYPD and cyclists, police have stooped to a new low. On October 14, NYPD officers were caught painting over the lawfully designated bike lane. Why? It seems the NYPD officers are either too fat or too lazy to park in legal parking spots.

Though this isn’t your typical article about the violence committed by police, it is a perfect example of ‘cop logic’.

1. If a cop doesn’t like a law, they can just ignore it.
2. If a cop doesn’t like that you break the same law, they will ticket you.
3. If a cop wants to remove a citizens lawful right to ride in a bike lane, they can just remove that right.
4. It’s okay for a cop to ‘vandalize’ a public highway with permanent paint, but will ticket or arrest people for chalking public property.

Take Cop Block Journalist Kelly Patterson, for example. He was arrested and charged for vandalism for chalking the sidewalk outside of police station.  Though Kelly used washable chalk, chalk that will disappear when it rains, he was  accused of two counts of “graffiti/defacing property”causing damage between $250-5000 and two counts of “conspiracy.”

More recently, Brian Sumner was arrested for the unthinkable crime of free speech by chalking a police memorial in Fresno. He was charged with vandalism of less than $400. If there is one thing police do not like, is someone who expresses their frustration with police like Brian did, under their 1st Amendment right to free speech.

Another example of the police’s double standards is the arrest and conviction of Ademo Freeman. Along with several other CopBlocker’s, he was arrested for chalking a police station – again, with non-permanent, washable chalk. Ademo was sentenced to 60 days in jail for freedom of speech.

In closing, I’ll ask just one question: How is it that officers from the NYPD can illegally paint a public road, so they can illegally park in a bike lane, which illegally removes a cyclists right to ride in a bike lane, then arrest anyone who dares chalk a sidewalk with a message that’s critical to the police? Maybe someone out there understands cop logic better than I do (JC)?

Update: On a lighter note, the law-breaking NYPD officers were reportedly butthurt after being forced to remove their illegal markings. Unfortunately, the ‘holier-than-thou’ officers are still illegally parking/blocking the bike lane.

NYPD Caught Painting Over Bike Lanes So Lazy Cops Don’t Have To Walk is a post from Cop Block – Badges Don’t Grant Extra Rights