NYPD officers pulled over a Citi Biker for salmoning on Second Avenue. (Photo: Scott Lynch)
Thought Citi Bike would result in “total carnage”? WRONG. Unless you count some punny vandalism, the apocalypse on two wheels has yet to materialize. In the East Village, at least.
“Everyone thought Citi Bike was going to be way worse, with accidents all over the place, things getting stolen left and right,” a police source told Bedford + Bowery. Not quite: Citi Bike-related crime has been surprisingly low.
With one or two exceptions, of course: On June 2, around 4am, a 19-year-old man was riding his Citi Bike by Ninth Street and Astor Place when he was approached by four youths. He swerved to avoid them and fell off the bike, ripping his clothes on the pavement, according to the police report. The teenager started to fight with the group when someone shouted, “Yo, chill out, we have a knife,” adding, “Give us your money and your phone,” the victim reported.
The victim turned over the asked-for possessions and took off running. He abandoned the bike where it lay; it was later found near Mott Street.
Another incident occurred on the afternoon of May 27. A 39-year-old woman was taking out a bike near Tompkins Square Park when she placed the key card to her building on the Citi Bike rack. She turned her head to look at something, and when she turned back, the card was gone.
Within the Ninth Precinct, the bikes have yet to result in any fatal accidents, our source said — though a Citi Bike rider was among those struck when a car jumped a curb on Second Avenue last month.
Cops are working to prevent future accidents, if the photo above is any indicator. Scott Lynch uploaded it to Bedford + Bowery Flickr pool with the caption: “Two NYPD officers, lights flashing, siren whooping, pull over Citi Biker for salmoning on Second Avenue.”
So there you have it, folks — as long as you don’t ride upstream, it seems Citi Bikes are a way better option than getting a ride from some randoms in a white sedan.