Bike lanes removed to please religious patrols

How disengaged has America become from the First Amendment's establishment clause?

In one Brooklyn neighborhood, several members of the Hasidic community wanted the city of New York to remove the bike lanes on an important public road. They claimed the bike lanes were attracting "hipsters" who dressed "immodestly."

The "hipsters" were actually commuters and other New Yorkers traveling to work or other activities.

If you think certain clothing items are immodest, don't wear them. You can't just expect the city to impose your personal standards (religious or otherwise) on the public in a public place. I'm not saying a person can't practice their religion. I'm saying you can't impose it on everyone else.

Unfortunately, this concept seems to be lost on the city-sponsored religious patrols that wanted the bike lanes removed.

Early this month, the incompetent administration of right-wing Mayor Michael Bloomberg pleased these patrols by removing the bike lanes - thus making the street less safe. City crews sandblasted the paint that delineated the bike lanes.

Later, bicycling advocates painted the bike lanes back onto the street. The religious patrols promptly called the cops on them and pressured police into filing charges (even though police had initially authorized cyclists to repaint the path).

On the other hand, some of these patrols have been praised for their record of protecting the citizenry from crime. I'm not against someone calling the cops on actual criminals. But bicycling is not a crime - and I don't take it very kindly when a city disrespects the establishment clause by removing a public bike lane to satisfy religious patrols.

To protest the loss of the bike lanes, cycling advocates planned a nude bike ride along the road. But because of cold weather, they instead wore plastic breasts outside their jackets.

In the meantime, someone needs to sue the city for interfering where the Bill of Rights says it doesn't belong.

(Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-19794-Boston-Triathlon-Examiner~y2009m12d10-Removing-bike-lanes-an-act-of-xenophobia;
http://www.kentucky.com/513/story/1065580.html)