Volume 78 - Number 42 / March 25 -31, 2009
West and East Village, Chelsea, Soho, Noho, Little Italy, Chinatown and Lower East Side, Since 1933
Above, after their pie fight, “police” and cyclists stood in solidarity against vehicles blocking bike lanes, from left, Monica Hunken, Laurie Mittelmann (obscured, in rabbit ears), “Police Officer” Gaylen Hamilton, Ben Shepard and Barbara Ross. Below “Officer” Liane Nikitovich pieing and getting pied by Laurie Mittelmann.
Beware Pies of March — don’t block lanes, bikers warn
By Jefferson Siegel
Cyclists are reveling in the addition of new bike lanes throughout the city. However, they are less than thrilled with the Police Department’s lack of enforcement to keep motor vehicles out of the lanes.
On March 14, Time’s Up! held their annual Beware the Pies of March bike clown ride and pie fight. Intended to raise awareness of cars blocking the bike lanes, the ride began in Tompkins Square Park, with cyclists dressed in their best clown finery being “pursued” by Keystone Cops-style “police.”
Several times on the ride through the Lower East Side and the Village, when they encountered cars blocking bike lanes, the clowns would “collapse” in the lane while the “police” would advise the motorists to “beware the Ides of March” since they were risking a $115 fine for blocking the lane.
The ride ended at the Astor Place Cube, where all involved took part in a pie-throwing free-for-all — the Pies of March.
