When the bans and chumras start affecting me they have gone too far. While reading Vos Iz Neias this morning I cam across an article on this issue and I am in pain. Because now they are starting to ban things that mean something to me. I wash my own spinach, don’t listen to Jewish music anyways and would never attend a Lipa concert unless someone else paid. But I am a cyclist, its what I do, mountain biking, road riding and everything in between is a way of life for me.
The bike lanes aren’t tznius because they bring scantly clad biker chicks into the neighborhood. If I recall correctly, these scantly clad women and hipster men are swarming over Williamsburg like a bunch of yeshiva guys onto a pot of cholent. Either way, I think that the madness of Israeli Charedim will hit America sooner or later.
I also think that if you want to be a real Chassid in America you need to move into a shtetle, like New Square or Kiryas Yoel. Then you can make your own rules. Its just not shayich to complain about every little tznius infraction when you live in Brooklyn.
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Dude, the comments over there are a great read! Thanks. ((bike lanes))
“Its just not shayich to complain about every little tznius infraction when you live in Brooklyn.”
That pretty much sums it up.
This kind of thing really ticks me off.
Speaking of Vos is Neias…did anyone read Rabbi Ben Tzion Twerski’s letter in there?
Well, they already banned bikes for adults because goyim do it. Apparently goyim don’t drive cars though.
moshe, or wear clothes. [/facetious]
marooned, did you see profk’s post? lion of zion links to it (you can link to lion of zion in hesh’s blogroll). Totally worth the read (comments, too).
Thanks, s(b). Wow, profk rocks. I will need to read her stuff again.
On another note, I am now suffering the unfortunate mental image of chassidim on bikes…sans clothing.
At least on a bike they pass other pedestrians by more quickly than when skimpy clad women are walking or jogging.
Another point is that if they have a bike lane they can drive past the women – but without a bike lane they are going to stop up traffic and really have a chance to view their hot bods.
After I read the article you referred to I can only conclude that all of the frum men in Williamsburg have no choice but to move to live elsewhere in an area that has no bike lanes and no untznius women anywhere to be found. They certainly have no right to impose any religious laws on the others who use public roads.
you were on the internet on shabbos?
BUSTED!
Mendel, women must be banned. banning is the only answer. they can be kept on farms and impregnated like cattle. (if anyone is taking me seriously, I will sell you the streets of Williamsburg, too)
Moo.
and for anyone busting hesh for being on the internet on shabbos (I personally don’t care if he was, and will mind my own mitzvos), please note that the story was posted to VIN at (copied/pasted): Published on: 09-12-08 at 08:52 AM, so for all anyone knows, he could’ve written that later on Friday and not posted it until tonight. What, Hesh not edit? :faints:
Hey, Midwest, I hope you stay dry, if you’re in Ike’s path. There’s a ton of rain headed that way.
By the way- this article was written yesterday and edited today. But my times on the blog are completely out of whack.
I wrote the post on Friday- published it while I was in Baltimore- at about 9pm or so.
This is democracy. Anybody is allowed to lobby for whatever the hell he wants. People even lobby for anti-constitutional things (like banning guns). You can lobby against them — or just sit on your ass, bitch in your blog and hope they will lose.
For instance, I can start lobbying to make bad grammar illegal. Then you will be really screwed. (After that: banning the morons who vacuum-clean the streets and then cut freaking grass every bloody day, not allowing decent hard-working people to have a nap at 11 a.m.)
“I also think that if you want to be a real Chassid in America you need to move into a shtetle, like New Square or Kiryas Yoel.”
No. To be a real Chossid in America you need to keep all the mitzvos and minhogim of your group, listen to your Rebbe, have ahavas yisroel, know that “Ein od milvado” and know that Mashiach is coming. (Sorry, the last two are for Lubavitchers only… actually, make it the last three.) But, yeah, that’s about all there is to being a Chossid.
Living in a shtettle is actually not so good, because it doesn’t allow you to maximize dira b’tachtoinim. What’re you going to make into G-d’s dwelling place? Trees, mountains and rednecks? Living in a city and getting into everybody’s face to make the world more halachically proper is more like it — even if it pisses off some fried-out shmucks (present company excepted).
Look, if these people believe they can protest against whatever, which would allow them to bring Hashem’s light with greater strength into this world, I say, more power to them. At least it will keep them from stupid politics and chillul Hashem.
(By the way: what, you can’t ride a bike without a bike lane?)
I personally like riding on the sidewalk better- it scares the shit out of everyone and makes for a trail like experience in the city.
Bike lanes promote biking to people who are normally scared to ride in the streets for the drivers are nuts. Look at Portland, or even Amsterdam- super bike friendly cities that make it worthwhile to commute by bike rather then cars and mass transit.
I think its great that people can lobby for anything and I think its great that bike lanes are untznius- it makes for great articles like this.
I also think its great that you AF are a critic because I’m getting sick of all the peace on this blog- I wish it can be more like Dov Bear with everyone tearing each other apart- besides for bashing my poor spelling and grammar skills- which were bashed long ago- I have a disclaimer for that by the way.
you should try riding around the alleys of Meah Shearim and surroundings, they’ll actually run out of your way as if your driving a tank. and that’s even if they only notice you after you pass them, like they think one cyclist goes along with a whole gang. lot’s of wicked fun :4)
AF, I’ve never met a Lubavitcher who lacked ahavas yisroel; I realize your experience may be different.
I don’t think that living in a contemporary shtetl helps anyone “bring Hashem’s light with greater strength into this world.” Several candles placed around a room illuminate it better than a bunch lit next to each other in one corner or in the center.
And apparently creating and living in a contemporary shtetl doesn’t prevent stupid politics (like this bike lane drama) or chilluls Hashem (like a child abuse task force member’s relatives being threatened, or the abuse itself).
Careful what you wish for, Heshy. With 1,000+ views a day, your poor spelling and grammar comes dangerously close to slippery slope-walking, as far as chilluls Hashem goes (that’s exaggerating, but it could be argued that you should clean up your stuff to represent better). Not by me, and not now, though. (So nice, Suzy.)
I just want to say that I prefer riding against traffic, if I have to ride in the street. I’d rather see what I’m dealing with than have to trust someone I don’t know not to rear-end me.
On a side note, what is your grammar and spelling disclaimer exactly? Or rather, where can I read it? I’ve just started reading your blog, and it’s great, but I’m a grammar freak. I want to swoop in with my magic red pen and fix your mistakes!
Do these Chassidim actually own the streets of their American “shtelels” ? Surely there are limits on religious freedom, even in the US!
It makes me sick how some of these people can’t distinguish between public and private, no matter how much they rant and rave about tznius!
back when I lived in Manhattan I used to ride my bike in the streets to get to school every morning. The trick is to follow the paths of the bike messengers, cause they always find the best holes in traffic and the quickest route. Also it doesn’t hurt that on bike you are usually going faster than the cars (at least on the street I drove on)
Please don’t ride on the sidewalks hesh, that’s usually illegal (it is at least where I live now) and is a hazard to non-bikers (IE people who walk)
Maybe they Williamsburg Hasidem are going about this the wrong way. They need to find ways within the law to make the bikers not want to go through their town. Perhaps sending mobs of shluchim chasing after them, stopping them to sign various petitions, blasting kosher music at their faces using handheld loudspeakers, holding bike parades only in the bike lanes during the most popular times for bike traffic (with all the frum kids), staging fake muggings all around the block that are reinacted over and over in front of the bikers, (or staging fake accidents with cars smacking bikes – using hired stunt men, but to spread word of mouth of staying away).
I love you Borat
What about a human chain or even a peyos clothsline.
is isaac abraham ruunig for councilmember?
Abraham later said another major concern is the safety of children, noting that cyclists “aren’t obeying traffic laws. Green lights and red lights are the same
Borat’s right. I propose a nanach bicycle brigade, complete with boom boxes.
I like the shluchim idea. Bike-by tefillin brigade: “Excuse me, are you Jewish?”
I bike to work and then some as long as we don’t have snow on the ground, most of the routes don’t have bike lanes yet. I have no problem bobin and weaving through traffic, though I’ve come close to being hit many times.
These idiots will probably want to force pedestrians and drivers to wear blinfolds in Williamsburg, maybe then they will be more careful in addition to seeing anything they shouldn’t be looking at.
Hesh, when you let posts with the word “Jdews” go through, thats beyond excuse. The “d” key isnt even the same hand as the “j” or the same row as the “e”. Sometimes I’m laughing at you not with you.
Besides that, you have an indirect point. Anyone who wants to live with others yet hold them to their standards is confused. Best to make your own town if you want to impose your standards on others.
what will they think of next? they could just put a mechitzah in front of the bike lane!
Well there should be mechitzas on the sidewalk- in New Square they7 just have separate sides of the street.
Well the NY Post picked this up and someone promptly posted it to Fark complete with the Stupid tag:
“Religious sect upset that bike lanes bring scantily clad North Williamsburg hipsters – especially sexy women – through their neighgorho… oh my G-d, look at that naked ankle”
Personally I jog down Hewes St. in Williamsburg about once a week . (I’m a girl.) It tends to set off a frenzy of eye-shielding. Good times.
Oh and one more thing I too am a biker too and though I never bike in short skirts or shorts, let me tell you biking through the Satmar neighborhood is something of a near-death experience due to the driving styles that go on there. Perhaps it wouldn’t be the end of the world if they re-routed the bike lanes to Kent. Just saying.
I am soooo late to this story! ;-D
Accidentaly came across it while Googling ” Biking Rebbe” (Don’t ask!). ;-D
Very interesting and, thanks to your post, and many of the comments, very funny. ;-D