Mayor Joe Ganim and city police, following “numerous resident complaints,” announced seizure of dirt bikes “driving recklessly on city streets, disobeying traffic signals, disobeying stops signs and boxing in vehicles.”
Young riders were issued $500 fines for violating city ordinance.
Former school board member and social justice advocate Kate Rivera has a different take on how the city should address this issue. From her Facebook page:
So Bpt PD created a “task force” for bike & dirt bike riders and confiscated a few the other day. The kids and young adults are being called thugs (we know what that dog whistle means) and hoodlums (what year is it? 1952?). Imagine this is happening in Easton. Would the kids be thugs then?? Would there be a heavy police response? An entire “task force”? Definitely NOT. What if instead of over policing we invested the task force $ into paying insurance for a park for the young ppl to ride in! That’s what happens in white communities–I mean, Easton.
Sure Kate, we’ll build it next to your home.
Kate, I apologize for my previous comment. It was juvenile. What I should have asked is where do propose we do build it? It will have to be insured and probably staffed. How much of an investment (tax dollars)? I revealed my true sentiments in Lennie’s original posting May 12. These are not idle youth but adults who are not interested in sport but in terrorizing our neighborhoods.
You look all white to me! These kids aren’t some BMX riders dog passive recreation. They are thugs intimidating law abiding citizens on their streets. Stay in your own lane!
doing
Two weeks ago, had to jam on the brakes as -15-20 dirt bikes and quads blew through the stop sign on both sides of the street. Let them go past and saw them blow through a red light on Fairfield Ave. I don’t care if they are white, black, latino, under 18 or over 21. They were assholes.
Can’t understand if under 18, parents would allow them to have a dirt bike in Bpt. They’re obviously lacking as well.
You want to ride dirt bikes, go live on a farm or drive there.
Having the city build a dirt bike park given everything else the City lacks is moronic.
Very glad she is no longer on the BOE.
Without a doubt the City needs to invest in parks for young dirt-bike riders all around the City.
“Pay me now or pay me later”
https://youtu.be/OHug0AIhVoQ
Kate’ this would be fun to build!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljeoEkUDrvQ
Kate Rivera is off the mark in her comment and suggestion. These are not dirt bikers. These are thugs trying to disrupt travel on streets. Past news reports have noted that these vehicles are often stolen, unregistered and uninsured and the thugs operating them are unlicensed and some even have arrest warrants.
About six years ago, there was a situation involving BPD where they received information that a “regional” “street-raid” type of event was being planned by an organized Bridgeport group of “street-disruption” “enthusiasts” and that a large freight truck had actually been used by an “allied” collection of regional, street-disruption enthusiasts to transport dozens of ATV’s and dirt-bikes to BPT so that the allied “street disrupters” could join BPT “enthusiasts” in a massive, planned, Sunday-afternoon, street disruption “event.” BPD intervened in the street activities and confiscated a lot of vehicles and imposed a lot of fines. It was a messy, violent situation that led to traffic accidents and injuries… (See Connecticut Post, November 11, 2014; “Dirt bike/quad pack storms Bridgeport”). Similar events have been organized and inflicted upon many regional communities, including Waterbury and New Haven over the past several years, to the present.
Sure. Sometimes the isolated, reckless, dangerous, illegal ATV and dirt-bike use on Bridgeport streets is attributable to bored, local kids, but that doesn’t make it something that is tolerable or that should be encouraged. It’s a very real danger to everyone in the community that is anywhere near the street or otherwise navigable terrain — especially young children and older pedestrians/drivers… And it is these “bored kids” that ultimately comprise the aforementioned “street raiders.”
Dirt bikes and quads are meant for use in remote, road-less areas. We have no such areas in Bridgeport that would be fair regions for use by dirt-bikes and ATV’s… We can’t have dirt-bike/quad parks in our densely-populated, open-space challenged city. If adults feel that there should be an outlet for Bridgeport “kids” that want to ride dirt bikes or quads, they should start an organization that would train kids for safe usage and that would provide transportation to places where such vehicles could be used safely and legally…
Jeff, Bridgeport has had these type of event for years with cars, motorcycles and pickup trucks, especially at different restaurants.
Ron: You’re talking about car/truck shows and biker clubs… These are legal vehicles and are not used for traffic disruption/motorist intimidation at such events… While I have seen the outlaw biker clubs behave in this way at times, it is not tolerated by the police and often leads to arrests… I recall a situation many years ago when the Hell’s Angels played such a game on Park Avenue and were busted by BPD for it…. The late Captain David Chapman, one-time Community Policing Division commander, was a patrol officer involved in the famous brawl in which several of the bikers were arrested… Such behavior never occurred again in BPT by the Hell’s Angels…
ATV’s and dirt-bikes are not meant for city streets or limited access roads. And there is certainly no excuse for allowing reckless behavior on the roads with such — especially by underage, (many times) unlicensed operators…
Feel sorry for bored Bridgeport kids (and we all should!…); step up and get involved with them in legal, “safe” activities…
Jeff, very good, times changed so now we a place for dirt bikes
LOL @ Kate Rivera “ invest task force money in insurance for a park that young people can ride in”
Holy cow, how out of touch is poor Kate??… A few weeks ago, I was driving down East Main st, around Ogden st ,when about 5 or 6 of these” young people”( more like 20 something ur olds), came out of nowhere,taking up the road,while riding “wheelies” and hollering expletives to the cars in front of them to “move the F**k out of the way”, cars literally pulled to the curb to let them pass, while they held their middle fingers high in the air… Yes Kate, let’s invest some $ into a nice park so they can enjoy riding.Maybe they would like 90 acres?, we can put some picnic tables up, build a refreshment center in case these fine young men wanted to take a break and have a hot dog & cola also. Maybe some bathrooms and a changing room?.. It would be wonderful!
Yeah sure! Build a special park for them. That’ll keep them off the streets, I’m absolutely sure of it. Ha Ha ha ha ha!
First problem is where are you going to build it. Second issue is the cities liability for those who are hurt or seriously injured, or killed on that city built property. Etc etc.
And maybe the city can provide the flatbed trucks so that these kids can transport their recreational vehicles to and from this city built park. Ha ha ha ha!!!
Cheers.
I think people are missing the main point to Kate’s message. First, anyone who knows Kate, knows she is a fighter for her community and a fearless advocate against racisim. Kate’s point was that in Bridgeport bikers are getting tickets, bikes confiscated and now a task force that will improve nothing. All the while in other, predominantly white communities, if you come accross kids on dirt bikes, atv’s etc… we just cuss at them to get out of they way and keep driving without formal complaint. The laws are the laws weather here or Easton. Kate’s message really is not even about the bikes, it’s about inequality and racial judgement. You would have to have your eyes wide shut if your missing her message or maybe just a racist who cant see period.
BINGO!!!!!!
Mary Filo, it couldn’t have been said better than you articulated. It’s amazing how these kids are portrayed as THUGS when these bigots know nothing about those that ride these vehicles on city streets. Mary Filo, can you hear those Dog Whistles?
Don, that’s Joe Ganim culture from Easton, CT.
Mary, people see what the want to see, or trained to see, but a lie is a lie no matter how it’s implemented.
No one can really deny racism or racial bias. Tom White is borderline racist. I came to that conclusion after reading a second comment of his. He commented against a mostly black organization that was holding an online forum with the Superintendent for the need of phone service to help its distance learning program because of the Covid19 shutdown, and it was about single mothers raising kids as the reason for their poor performance. Be it as it may, kids who are raised by a single mother or their Meemaw, (Big Bang Theory, look it up) have its disadvantages but he forgot a very important element to it, being impoverished, poor. Because if you are a single mother raising kids while their father is in jail or divorced is not quite the same. Is it Tom? I don’t want to get into the reason behind that, don’t want to get Jeff’s feathers all riled up at the Gold Coast. 🙂 (P.S Jeff that new street limps are a good start to your surveillance plan to cure police precise if they were capable of tagging solen car plates, ect)
I don’t even have a problem with Day and Ron calling Tom out. It’s how they do it, “Tom White being White, insinuates all white people are like Tom. That is their racial bias tendencies. “Tom White being racist” is more politically current, and fair to those whites who are to the left and right of him. But the difference in Tom”s comments and Kate’s on the bikes is Tom’s seems to come for within, not knowing Kate and my eyes wide shut, hers seems politically motivated.
She attacked the police for doing their job and we know all about the racial tension in the department. Joe, being for Easton, because when you think of dirt bikes and ATV’s on the streets, Monroe, the valley areas fit the bill more than an Easton problem. I won’t go as far as to say it was to justify adolescent behavior. However, few people driving them on the streets be it the Port or Easton is reckless behavior in itself but when you get crew of 25, 50, 100 it’s mayhem, and I doubt Easton has that problem. 🙂
P.S JML I don’t know what would tame their “animal spirits.” I guess it all depends on the animal and how they are treated. But don’t underestimate a concert venue to tame one’s animal spirit. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgT1AidzRWM
Yeah!!!! I must have just missed her point completely!!!!!! And when are those large groups of young white boys, in their white communities, interfering with all those white automobile drivers, and violating those laws enacted by white people,and endangering all those white people in their respective white communities,…….. going to get theirs?
Geez I wish something could be done about it!!!!! Where’s the task force there?
Cheers.
Mayor Joe or Chief A J, kindly tell us more about the “task force” for starters.
Many who have posted above have witnessed the loud groups of 2-3-4 wheeled gasoline powered vehicles pass by downtown or in resodemtoa; neighborhoods with no limit to the noise levels, disturbing rights of others. As they pass at speeds in excess of posted, perform wheelies that put their own crania at risk of meeting with the pavement, spread across the entire roadway blocking opposing traffic at times, and ignoring signage, lights,etc. they are looking to be noticed, but not necessarily respected. There is no cause they are supporting other than their right to be noticed and get names called at them. Teenagers to plus 30 years and more? Likely not a candidate for a social program.?
Because we ostensibly live in a democracy, when they are stopped, with equipment confiscated, and individuals fined, perhaps they might tell us what need they have that is not being met? That encourages them to display their animal spirits “in your face” in a way not appreciated by neighbors? Will the $4.5 Million bonding for the concert venue developing at the former Bluefish location light up their spirits when built? Perhaps it is not about the money or density but something else?
Kate thank you for being a caring and faithful observer and supporter in our community. With multiple city employees tasked with public communication, it is interesting that more of the story about the “task force” has not appeared. Ganim2 is not shy, is he? Time will tell.
P.S Sometime Pitbulls get a bad rap. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThlhSnRk21E
Kate Rivera and Mary Filo subscribe to the same school of thought. They seem to believe that these are young men and boys who enjoy riding dirt bikes and quads.
Jeff Kohut and I have provided a dose of reality. These are young thugs out to disrupt traffic and endanger the safety of others. They are violating laws and the police must take action to prevent them from injuring themselves and others.
These thugs enjoy being disruptive. Do ‘social justice advocate’ Kate Rivera and Mary Filo seriously think these thugs would comply with the rules of a city ‘park’? What they do is an act of defiance.
Will Kate Rivera promise a dirt bike park in her next run for elected office?
Now, if a white male in Easton was harassing drivers on his dirt bike or quad, they would be arrested and their machine impounded. (I checked with the Easton Police)
As for Mackey and Day, everything is racism. What would one expect them to say?
Being ignoramuses allows them to feel witty and wise.
As for whoever Robert Teixeira is, who cares?
P.S.
Bridgeport Police Department; keep up the good work.
Thank you for rounding up these thugs and addressing the safety of law abiding citizens.
Tom, are you asking who cares who I am or who cares you are a racist? BAM 🙂
Why did you refer to bike riders in the Port as thugs who enjoy being disruptive yet the riders in Easton as whites bike riders harassing drives, if any, casting doubt if there are any? But if so, wouldn’t they be thugs also? Forget about it. We know the answer to that, you are racist. 🙂
P.S Don’t put yourself in Jeff’s corner. You didn’t give a dose of the reality of the situation, well you did, a dose of the reality of your racism. Did you notice Jeff describes the Port riders as bored kids and not thugs? It’s hard for Jeff to be racist. We don’t even know the planet he’s from. He likes a Yada species of unknown origin 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91_G8iaokk8
P.S Day and Ron this is why I get upset with you calling out Tom’s racism as “Tom White being white” It refers to white people like Jeff as being racist like him. It was wrong for Tom in his last comment and is wrong for you. Jeff’s not even from this planet. Let’s hope he comes in peace because I see Independence Day and Men in Black. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjFG-4Ge668
P.S Tom, you can always buy a house in Easton and live there, or can you. Just remember while you enjoy using the term thugs you are considered white-trash in certain white class circles. BBBBBAM 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XCRLDUl6sM
It appears that Robert needs to take his medication.
Anyone who has witnessed these large groups of ATVs taking over streets, and then would say that they’re just out there having fun and not really creating any type of dangerous chaotic situation, is an asshole plain and simple. They do it on purpose and display exactly what they want to display : Look at us, see what we’re doing, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Anyone who sees it differently after witnessing these displays and continues to support any type of action such as this, is an asshole.
I repeat, your an asshole. If you think that what they do is even slightly ok, the you’re an asshole. Go and change the law then instead of saying what they do is ok. Allow them to continue this behavior with a change of a law that says it’s OK to do what they do, to operate unregistered vehicles on city streets, to not have proper insurance on any of these vehicles, and make sure that if they are sued for hurting or killing somebody that justice cannot prevail against them or their families. And again I say if you think it’s OK, you’re an asshole.
Plain and simple!
Cheers.