REPORT FROM RADIOACTIVE MAN AND DISCUSSION OF POLICE
ABUSES OF A TREELOVE BICYCLIST AT BERKELEY CRITICAL MASS
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2001 21:28:54 -0800 (PST)
From: matt d.
Reply-To: van-l@tao.ca
To: van-l@tao.ca
Subject: [VAN] "Articles" of repression
The trees are STILL revolting
%&%&%&%& OR %&%&%&%&
THE FURTHER ADVENTURES of VIDEO-ACTIVE MAN!!
%*$#&(&%)(%E&(&(%)*)*_&%)*^)*)^E%#^$%^%#&%#%^&^&***(%WW
This is the city. Berzerkeley, California. The city that will
never fall into the ocean if the "big one" hits because there's a
wingnut on every corner. The city where, on the evening of January 12,
Y2K+1, tree velorution again reared its fresh-scented head. Proclaiming
that trees, bikes, and their human custodians must stick together like
fresh, sticky buds on a fine spring morning, the aforementined trees,
bikes, and humans set out on a mission (Critical Mass) to liberate the
world from its "car"-nal obsessions. Love and joy bloomed forth like
shrubbery amped up on Super-Gro.
But the autocracy was not to be denied. When your humble narrator
stopped to retrieve one of our coniferous comrades which had become separ-
ated from its previous bike and was securing it into the loving bosom of
his full metal basket, some of Berzerkeley's finest servants and protect-
ors of the "car"-tel seized the moment. Surging forth like too many
humvees,
SUV's, and Mercedes with too much Viagra in the gas tank, they surrounded
yours truly and ordered me to pull over. Officer Kassebaum (BPD
#112) stated
for the record that, "in our opinion, you cannot ride your bike with a
christmas tree". A pretty sappy Xcuse if you ask me.
Officers Kassebaum and Singh (BPD #10) then demonstrated their
absolute lack of awareness of shameful waste of tree products by writing
me a ticket. The 4 violations, each as unbeleafable as the others, are as
follows: CVC 21205 (carrying articles), CVC 21201.5 (no headlight), CVC
39002(a) (no license), and CVC 21209 (not in bicycle lane).
But even more unbeleavable than all of the above: Showing deep-
rooted fear and loathing of the treevolution and the budding alliance be-
tween trees and bikes--or maybe because of a "fir"-tive "pine"-ing for
some
hot tree-love action and wanting to eliminate the competition--they then
de-
cided to confiscate my bike. The stated reason was "that I couldn't
provide
proof of ownership, i.e., registration, receipt, etc." so my two-wheeled
partner in sedition against the autocracy/oily-garchy would have to be ab-
ducted "for safekeeping" and would be held until I could supply proof of
ownership.
So, as of this writing, even though my two-wheeled compadre is
still in the klink, fortunately, I am not bikeless, thanx to the good
graces of a good friend. But I want MINE back, goddamit. PRC complaints
maybe a lawsuit are forthcoming. By the way, I'm sure that my having very
recently filed complaints against various BPD cops re their actions @ both
RTS/S26 (one of whom was the above-mentioned Officer Kassebaum) and at
November Critical Mass had nothing to do with this episode.
I've done enough barking and beeching for now. R.U. syc-a-mor-onic
"car"rapitalism and all its toxic submission? Don't be stumped by the
autocracy. Get off yr asps! Branch out! Pollinate the world with the REAL
alder-native, TREE-VELORUTION! Yr leafs are at stake!
Vegetatingly yours,
-matt d.
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2001 11:50:02 -0800 (PST)
From: Jason Meggs
To: matt d.
Cc: VAN List
Subject: Re: [VAN] "Articles" of repression
Matt,
EXCELLENT funny article.
Request your permission to forward it to Critical Mass
lists.
I must see your video of this! It's complaint time baybee.
Also, fyi, the "not in bicycle lane" law is about cars
abusing bicycle lanes...gee did they think you were
a motor vehicle???
Here it is, from the
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html
website:
21209. (a) No person shall drive a motor vehicle in a bicycle lane
established on a roadway pursuant to Section 21207 except as follows:
(1) To park where parking is permitted.
(2) To enter or leave the roadway.
(3) To prepare for a turn within a distance of 200 feet from the
intersection.
(b) This section does not prohibit the use of a motorized bicycle
in a bicycle lane, pursuant to Section 21207.5, at a speed no greater
than is reasonable or prudent, having due regard for visibility,
traffic conditions, and the condition of the roadway surface of the
bicycle lane, and in a manner which does not endanger the safety of
bicyclists.
I won't go into why the rest of these charges are barkin' up
tha wrong tree, so as not to tip off the chainsaw crew.
--Jason
On Wed, 17 Jan 2001, matt d. wrote:
> The trees are STILL revolting
> %&%&%&%& OR %&%&%&%&
> THE FURTHER ADVENTURES of VIDEO-ACTIVE MAN!!
>
> %*$#&(&%)(%E&(&(%)*)*_&%)*^)*)^E%#^$%^%#&%#%^&^&***(%WW
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2001 16:58:13 -0800 (PST)
From: matt d.
Reply-To: van-l@tao.ca
To: van-l@tao.ca
Subject: Re: [VAN] "Articles" of repression (fwd)
On Thu, 18 Jan 2001, Jason Meggs wrote:
> Matt,
>
> EXCELLENT funny article.
>
> Request your permission to forward it to Critical Mass
> lists.
==> go for it, dude
> I must see your video of this! It's complaint time baybee.
==> Unfortunately, I didn't get the whole thing, but I did get sum really
outstanding moments. As I said to Ryan, it's too bad that "Revolt of the
Christmas Trees" has already been finished, because some of my footage
wood fit right in.
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==> Question--if the Berkeley police can declare that a tree is an "art"-
icle, does that mean they're really "art-official"??
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> Also, fyi, the "not in bicycle lane" law is about cars
> abusing bicycle lanes...gee did they think you were
> a motor vehicle???
==> I don't know. Perhaps their faculties were impaired by carpool tunnel
syndrome.
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>
> Here it is, from the
> http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html website:
>
> 21209. (a) No person shall drive a motor vehicle in a bicycle lane
> established on a roadway pursuant to Section 21207 except as follows:
>
> (1) To park where parking is permitted.
> (2) To enter or leave the roadway.
> (3) To prepare for a turn within a distance of 200 feet from the
> intersection.
> (b) This section does not prohibit the use of a motorized bicycle
> in a bicycle lane, pursuant to Section 21207.5, at a speed no greater
> than is reasonable or prudent, having due regard for visibility,
> traffic conditions, and the condition of the roadway surface of the
> bicycle lane, and in a manner which does not endanger the safety of
> bicyclists.
>
> I won't go into why the rest of these charges are barkin' up
> tha wrong tree, so as not to tip off the chainsaw crew.
>
> --Jason
==> Thanx much for the info & the URL! I've just logged off that site,
having copied 'n' pasted the pertinent info into a text file and hard copy
of same will soon be manifest. I'm thoroughly stumped. I don't know what
the boys in blue were thinking, but this is a clear-cut case of them being
WAY outta their tree. This whole mess is beginning to smell like an
incredibly stupid, capricious move made by these two RANK-and-file patrol
officers which possibly wasn't even sanctioned by anybody in command.
Sort of like the "friendly fire" incident in Oak-town.
> On Wed, 17 Jan 2001, matt d. wrote:
>
> > The trees are STILL revolting
> > %&%&%&%& OR %&%&%&%&
> > THE FURTHER ADVENTURES of VIDEO-ACTIVE MAN!!