Too Cold For Nude Protest, Anti-Satmar Williamsburg Bikers Switch Gears

Bicyclists who planned to go topless to protest the removal of a Brooklyn bike lane switched gears Saturday, pinning plastic breasts to their jackets as they rolled into a snowstorm.

Too cold for nude protest, NYC bikers switch gears
After bike lane closed in Orthodox New York neighborhood, Williamsburg, because of Satmar distaste for cyclists' attire, bikers plan to go topless through neighborhood in protest. Snowstorm keeps their clothes on as bikers opt to pin plastic breasts to their coats instead
Associated Press

Bicyclists who planned to go topless to protest the removal of a Brooklyn bike lane switched gears Saturday, pinning plastic breasts to their jackets as they rolled into a snowstorm.

Dozens of bikers joined a protest called the "Freedom Ride" to oppose the removal of a bike path in Williamsburg, an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood.

But the fierce snowstorm in New York kept them from pedaling topless as planned.

The cyclists blame Mayor Michael Bloomberg for the loss of the lane because Williamsburg's Hasidic Jewish residents "can't handle scantily clad women" on wheels, said bike messenger Heather Loop, who organized the action.

The bikers' tactics did not amuse some faithful Hasids leaving synagogue services with their families on the Sabbath. They rushed home.

Bloomberg had removed the bike path because members of the Satmar branch of Judaism "don't want to see women in shorts," said Baruch Herzfeld, who runs a bike-sharing program in a community where Jewish women wear hefty skirts and long-sleeved blouses and men wear heavy coats and hats, even in summer.

"The rabbis want to keep their people in the 18th century, and they don't want the world to intrude into their enclave," Herzfeld said.

But Leo Moskowitz, a Williamsburg resident with five children, insists the main issue is safety.

"Kids can be knocked over because school buses are not allowed to stop in the bike lane. It's dangerous," said Moskowitz, who acknowledges he feels "very uncomfortable" seeing women bare their legs in public.

It was too cold to do that Saturday.

Still, the riders made their point, obeying traffic signals as police watched.

They had gathered earlier Saturday at a Williamsburg bar called the Wrecked Door.

Lyla Durden took a last puff from her cigarette on the street before rolling off into the flake-filled night with other protesters who believe the Bedford Avenue bike path should be restored.

Marc LaVorgna, a Bloomberg spokesman, said the city wants riders to use a much safer lane nearby a two-way path separated from car traffic. That bike lane also drew the wrath of some Satmars last year, but it stayed.

The now-vanished bike lane on Bedford Avenue has been the subject of two recent protests, including one during which activists painted back the lane stripe. City workers quickly scraped it off.

Sam Paul uses her bicycle to deliver food and alcohol in Brooklyn for a service company called Snap.
The 23-year-old native New Yorker said it was snowy and cold, "but we're used to riding in this kind of weather."

Despite the hundreds of miles of bike lanes the city has created in recent years, "we need more," Paul said. Bedford Avenue "is congested that's why a bike lane is necessary."

Comments

[critical_minyan]

lyla durden any relation to tyler durden?
obviously a fake name based off of fight club character.

[R]

i say they should have arranged it for the summer.

[harold]

Not quite the same. I was so looking forward to some nice pictures here at FM.

[Sam]

Rockland County, NY - Manhattan DA Clears Monsey Man Of All Charges
Published on: December 21st, 2009 at 12:20 PM
News Source: VIN News Staff

Rockland County, NY - Zalman Silber, a well-known philanthropist from Monsey, NY who was accused a year ago with pretending to be a doctor, had all charges dismissed today by Manhattan DA. no charges remain. VIN News has learned.

Attorney Jacob Laufer who is representing Mr. Silber released the following statement to VIN News:

We are grateful that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has done the right thing in dismissing the remaining charges against Zalman Silber, and ending a year and a half nightmare for him.

Mr. Silber has continuously maintained his innocence of these charges.

The charges were instigated by his disgruntled ex-wife, and resulted in charges filed against him in Rockland County and in Manhattan. In Rockland County, the D.A. dismissed the charges in September. The District Attorney’s Office explained that it would not go forward with his ex-wife’s accusations, because she was discredited as a witness.

The Manhattan case, which was case was brought, again, at Mr. Silber’s ex-wife’s instigation, relied upon ambiguous identifications by two out of four witnesses. The identifications – which drew heavily upon Mr. Silber’s appearance as an Orthodox Jew, an appearance that he shares with many thousands of other people – were obviously mistaken. One witness reported that the perpetrator had buck teeth, which Mr. Silber obviously did not have, and does not have. Another witness’ description of the perpetrator was of someone about 20 years older than Mr. Silber. In September, the Court in Manhattan determined that the District Attorney’s Office did not conduct a reasonably diligent investigation, which resulted in the dismissal of most of the Manhattan charges. The remaining charges in Manhattan have now thankfully been dismissed.

Mr. Silber has suffered horribly in his personal and professional relationships. He has been reviled and mocked in press accounts that wrongfully assumed his guilt. He has had a deserved reputation as a decent man, and as a benefactor to his community, which has been damaged by these unjust accusations. He looks forward to the restoration of his reputation.

Editors note: VIN News is publishing this story with the approval of Mr. Silber to rectify the original story that we first republished from the NY Post.

[Nigritude Ultramarine]

The law allows one to go topless in NYC. How about getting some cholent at Gottleibs? Maybe visit a snood and Shabbos robe shop?

[danny]

How come I never get Critical Mass w/ boobies in my neighborhood?

[Dr. Dave]

Wimps!!!

[just sayin]

link for sam

http://www.vosizneias.com/45304/2009/12/21/rockland-county-ny-manhattan-da-clears-monsey-man-of-all-charges

[Yochanan Lavie]

This is Pythonesque.

[Yochanan Lavie]

Bicycle Lane
Apologies to Queen:

Chorus:
Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it with plastic breasts

You say black I say hat
You say mar I say Sat
You say shtark I say hey man
"Schindler" was not my scene
And I don't like "Basterds."
You say oy I say vey
You say God give me a way
You say Lord I say Yahweh
I don't believe in Teitelbaum,
Schneersohn or Elyashiv
All I wanna do is...

chorus

Bicycle lanes are coming your way
So forget all your tzniyut, oy vey!
Bare breasted girls they'll be riding today
So look out for those zoinehs, oh yeah
On your marks get set go
Bicycle lane bicycle lane bicycle lane
Bicycle bicycle bicy...I want to ride my bicycle
Bicycle bicycle bicycle
Bicycle lane

You say coke I say chrayn
You say Yoel I say pain
Kishka, I say Glatt Mart, man
I don't wanna be the Admor of Satmar
You say smile, I say B&H
Cameras, I say hate
Income tax, for suckers
I don't wanna be a candidate
For mayor or borough delegate
'Cos all I want to do is...

chorus

[Hometown Postville]

What twisted logic! Grown men wearing "boobs" to protest having to look at "real" ones! Are they that weak willed that they can't bring themselves to look away when a trim, athletic female passes on a bike?

[GOMEZ]

I hoped that in the end his innocence will become known. Zalman is a big baal tzedakkah, he helped many organizations and charity causes, and it is sad to see how it is the good people always get bashed with false accusations. I am so happy that he won!

[Cloudwell]

I can not imagine what it must be like to have to defend yourself when you are innocent of such a disgusting scenario. I hope he has peace of mine this new year and a fresh start.

[Stew]

He was so obviously innocent! I have an ex-wife who does wacky things all the time, I hope she wouldn't try to put me in jail but then again I am not a millionaire! she was probably after his money and cooked up this horrible scheme-what a freak.

[Joshua]

Soon this will be old news that no one remembers, if he was guilty though-it would be the talk of the town, just like when the story first broke. Now that he is determined innocent, people will move on, hopefully he will too and this won't haunt him.

[Elyse]

It is good to hear is innocent and that he didn't do those terrible things. I read up on his accomplishments and he seems like a smart and capable man, he doesn't seem like someone who would do something so horrible. I hope he can put all of this behind him.

[Dr. J]

crazy story, all that drama-im not sure i would get over that. what a crazy lie to make up and actually think you will get away with it.

[ES52]

This case is obnoxious, I feel sorry for Mr. Silber. But now that everyone knows it was a lie he should be able to move on.

[Sandy]

I am appalled this story took a year to disprove when there were no facts to begin with.

[n.rimes]

Yeah it's a strange story but I think if he did do it, there would be more evidence, they say he didn't and I believe it.

[CCS]

Nothing came out to show he did do it, he has tons of money it has to do with the money. I don't believe it for a second --And he was dismissed of all charges

[L.L.]

Wow that is a crazy lie, I have heard of revenge but this is too much!

[Mr. Levine]

I cant believe either of these stories, framing someone to be gyno in one and boobs as a costume in the other
Ridiculous!

[Sharon]

My boyfriend lives in Monsey so I wanted to read this about the Silber Story, I just think it is sad and nutty, but I have heard worse, he will be OK! After all it is a new year. Out with the old, in with the new Mr. Silber.

[GoldStein]

I just researched this guy, he seems awesome! What an amazing man,no wonder someone is trying to ruin his life! People by nature are greedy and jealous.

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[Judah]

When I read articles like this my mind boggles at the almost uncontrollable libido of the Satmar male. A naked ankle, a flagrantly exposed wrist, a wisp of lascivious hair flying free, and (G-d help us) an exposed, heck, almost anything can unleash the yetzer hora and take over their eyes, their minds, their very souls and make them think of one thing, and one thing only.

Their women must be exceptionally pleased to have that raw untrammeled male passion on tap to be unleashed with the flip of their wrist into their 50s, 60s, even 80s!