Description
On my way home from work yesterday I came across this!
5 off road (2 dirt bikes and 3 quads) barreling down East Street at top speed.
They blew through the light, causing oncoming traffic to screech to a stop as they continued to tear down the street at top speed.
I managed to take a picture as fast as I could.
What can be done about this???
307 Comments
Tom (Guest)
Marty (Guest)
np (Guest)
DEZ (Guest)
mike (Guest)
Resident (Guest)
They mus t be stopped!
DEZ (Guest)
Resident (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
DEZ (Guest)
DEZ (Guest)
juli (Registered User)
i regularly see dirt bikes and atvs when i'm going running in the area, especially on willow st. and mitchell dr. there is most likely one still at this location, previously reported: http://www.seeclickfix.com/issues/2957
(link changed to point to the referenced issue -SCF Editor)
Laine (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
tony (Guest)
Another similar issue is bikes on sidewalks. Bike are considered, by law, as vehicles, and should not be on the sidewalk. They have to follow the same laws as other vehicles. I have been hit by a cyclist on the sidewalk, and he screamed at ME to watch where I was going. Can you imagine? He was the one not following the law.
Traffic laws should be enforced, both, in repsect to these bikes/quads which are not streetlegal and speed through school zones and residential areas, as well as cyclists on the sidewalk running people down and not following traffic signals, etc.
pleasefixit (Guest)
l (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
Resident (Guest)
Tony, bicycles on the sidewalk are highly unlikely to kill anyone, though I agree that particularly aggressive cyclists on the sidewalk in downtown need to be stopped (they can cause bad injuries).
But these vehicles, as well as aggressive drivers, a small minority of whom are actually just as bad as the ATVs, need to be stopped since they can easily cause multiple deaths. They are also causing a lot of noise which in some ways is just as bad.
The NHPD clearly needs to prioritize... I'd have them catch the kamikazes / neighborhood pollutants before they go after elderly cyclists on the sidewalk.
Sands (Guest)
Resident (Guest)
ec (Guest)
tony (Guest)
I was hit by a bicycle on Elm St. I had to step in front of my daughter to stop the cyclist from hitting her. She is only 10, and could have been seriously hurt. It IS an important issue. Bicycles need to follow the same rules/laws as other VEHICLEs, driving on the road, minding traffic signals, etc., both for their own safety AND for pedestrians on the walks, etc. Clearly not as high profile or dangerous as the dirt bikes and ATVs, but no less important. Besides, my guess is that stopping these hoods with their pants hanging off cycling on the sidewalks and running down pedestrians would have an impact on drug trafficking. Many of these kids on bikes are just starting out in their drug trafficking activities, so they can make enough money to buy an ATV (how else did you suppose they can afford such things? Flipping burgers at Mc. D's?).
DEZ (Guest)
Erin Pascale (Guest)
Resident (Guest)
Jacki (Guest)
Rob Rocke (Registered User)
Resident (Guest)
mike (Guest)
Resident (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
streever (Guest)
East Rockette (Guest)
Sounds like we need a dragnet on the East Rock roads next Sunday, eh? This needs addressing immediately. We regularly bike that road with kids on the weekend and have run into these guys at least once. Please stop them before they run into us!
Streever, are you talking about the traffic safety hotline? Can we find out if any of the messages left here have ever been followed up? Because otherwise, what's the point?
Sands (Guest)
New Haven Safe Streets (Guest)
Sands: According to the NH Police, about 150 postcards have been sent out in response to citizen calls to the traffic safety hotline. These postcards warn drivers and have a brief description of the violation.
NHPD has also been doing limited enforcement stings. They have the goal of 20,000 MV tickets this year, versus 10,000 in 2007 and about 15,000 in 2008.
I am not sure how they are following up otherwise. New Haven Safe Streets Coalition has requested a detailed quarterly report on all enforcement (ticket and otherwise) and traffic collision data, broken down by neighborhood and type of incident/violation, so that citizens can advocate for improved traffic safety within their neighborhoods.
NHSS Coalition coordinators have received numerous complaints of ATVs in the East Rock Park, Cedar Hill and State Street/Hamden areas. One woman in Hamden was nearly run over by the group as they were barreling down a sidewalk. Please post more information here, as it can be useful in developing leads. To the person who posted above, I am glad you escaped unharmed! I hope this activity can be put to an end soon.
David Streever (Registered User)
FYI, for anyone following, you can usually find them on the small stretch of Henry, just after the triangle where it's munson/henry. They ride around & around that same block, and they stop to tune up/put gas in the vehicles.
Why don't they just sit an officer out there, in plainclothes, with backup a minute away? The kids come roaring by, just watch them. Eventually they pull over & do something else. Then the officer calls in his backup & you go get them while they are in the corner store or using the bathrooms--at their houses--where they've just parked the ATVs.
Maybe I just don't look like an officer, but I've seen them every time I've ridden Henry for the last 2 weeks. (I've ridden it 3 times)
I mean, it's not like they are hiding or stealthy.
Anonymous (Guest)
David Streever (Registered User)
Ian C (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
Eva (Guest)
mike (Guest)
mike (Guest)
Jeffb (Registered User)
Anonymous (Guest)
Rob Rocke (Registered User)
ec (Guest)
ben (Guest)
AE (Guest)
nfjanette (Guest)
David Streever (Registered User)
Resident (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
Daniel (Registered User)
DMcCullough (Guest)
mike (Guest)
mike (Guest)
Marlene (Guest)
J. Hart (Guest)
Maggie (Guest)
DEZ (Guest)
George Page (Guest)
Denise (Guest)
David Streever (Registered User)
Denise: Imagine how much more understanding we'd be, if the dispatch people at the NHPD were not so rude, and so dismissive when we call in things like this. Being told "That's not important" when you've (for instance) called in an attempted robbery (with attempted assault) or reckless, insane ATVers leads you to feel like the NHPD aren't doing much.
Most of us know that isn't true, but as long as they have rude & unreachable dispatch, we're going to be mad & we're going to complain. The minute that they teach their dispatch how to speak to civilians who call in legitimate problems is the minute that we'll stop.
Look at an example of how New Haven, Indiana handles dispatch:
http://www.newhavenin.org/egov/docs/117029709682.htm
all calls are public
imagine if we did that here?
we'd get some insight into why a dispatcher was so rude, wouldn't we....
Resident (Guest)
Sands (Guest)
You mean with useless placation and inaction? Maybe you have something there. At least they'd be pleasant about doing nothing.
Beaver Hill Watcher (Guest)
David Streever (Registered User)
Sands: Check the link I posted. The City of New Haven, Indiana, has ALL dispatch calls logged on a website, the day they are made.
It's no extra work. You simply have the software that the dispatchers use output to web.
I wonder what our city would be like if we had good technical people working on things.
Beaver Hill: I sure hope so. That's exactly what they promised last year. Does anyone know how many arrests were madE?
I hate how reactive we are. I hate that we see the same problems each year, & respond after a critical mass complains.
I hope the DM also promised to you that they'd improve Dispatchers & train them to be polite to the community.
Sands (Guest)
That was sarcasm. Resident stated his desire that a system like that would cause dispatchers to "respond in the same way that public officials respond on sites like this one." My response, much like your statement above, was meant to convey my feeling that our public officials respond to criticism and public pressure, not problems. Most of what we get from the city is placation and not real action. I'll lay off the commentary. This should be a functional site for reporting issues and tracking their resolution, not aimless complaining. That's why we have the Independent!
Marlene (Guest)
Resident (Guest)
Marlene, if we want to have a pedestrian friendly city, people shouldn't have to cross with the light. Streets should be shared spaces where people are respectful and yield to each other.
Obviously there would be exceptions for the big arteries like Whalley, but those should have more frequent and better-designed (i.e. raised) crosswalks.
Streets that are shared don't have to be as wide, because people would have to drive slower in order to be able to safely navigate them.
David Streever (Registered User)
I agree with you on your thoughts re: how they respond, but I always push for more data. If we can build in this type of data reporting for the police--with no extra work on their part--I think it could let us make sure that things are going well in this City.
Melissa Bailey (Guest)
Sands (Guest)
David Streever (Registered User)
You are right: it doesn't have any transcripts. The bonus though is that we do have (at last!) verified data for what is going on to some degree: so if I call in something at noon, and the dispatcher says, "What are you, crazy? There are REAL CRIMES in this city!" I can look at that later and go, "Huh. That's funny. Doesn't look like it." and file a complaint.
Right now there is no way to have any context on why the dispatcher was rude/etc because crime log stats in New Haven are slower than the glaciers. This would give us some daily accounting on at least calls for service, which is a start I think!
David Streever (Registered User)
Legislative Fix:
Require all ATVs to be registered. Owned ATVs--in operation or not--can be confiscated if the owner does not get proper registration.
?
mike (Guest)
Resident (Guest)
Denise (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
David Streever (Registered User)
DEZ (Guest)
DMcCullough (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
Pedro (Guest)
I have no idea that this report would get as much traction and comments as it has! This really is a problem all of the city that I think we citizens want to see fixed PERMANENTLY. Hopefully the NHI article will get a little more publicity. What I really hope happens at some point soon is a statement from the police outlining the problem, what they are doing about it, and what we can do. Let's keep the pressure and visibility up. Post pictures, locations times etc as you see them!
Anonymous (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
Brian Tang (Guest)
It's a bit of a drive, but if you have a pick-up you can legally ride dirt bikes at the Thomaston Dam park in Thomaston (north of Waterbury): http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/recreati/tmd/tmdrec.htm
Unfortunately, no state parks are open to ATVs at this time.
There are private trails for dirt bikes and ATVs, but they cost money. If you don't want to pay or drive all the way to Waterbury, your best bet is probably to find a friend who has a bunch of land somewhere out in the middle of nowhere and no neighbors.
Brian Tang (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
David Streever (Registered User)
Chill. My address is pretty public, as I use my real name & identity. I even have a watch area for my neighborhood.
No one is threatening you. But if you're going to threaten people on a site that logs your info, then people may want you reported to the police. Does it make sense now?
I'm glad you have a BA. I don't, but I manage to reason & speak like an adult. Please try similar. Thank you.
per (Guest)
Sands (Guest)
Apparently they don't teach punctuation, spelling, or proper grammar at Quinnipiac. If I had graduate form there I would be embarrassed. The argument that these little hoods have nothing else to do and, therefore, should be allowed to break the law is ridiculous. Am I stereotyping? Hell no. Anybody who rides through the streets with complete disregard for the safety of others simply to entertain themselves is a hood. Plain and simple.
Every time an issue like this comes up some idiot bleat outs "we don't have anything else to do. Give us things!" No. Sorry. You don't get to bargain. You don't get rewarded for agreeing not to beak the law. Nobody owes you a damned thing. There are places where it's legal to ride. Go there. If you can't afford it you find another hobby that is legal and doesn't endanger other people. The only solace I take in this is that these worthless little hoodlums will likely crack their heads open and will no longer be a drain on society. Of course the last time that happened you all dragged some innocent guy out of his car and beat him half to death while the "community" looked on and blamed society for giving you nothing to do.
Anonymous (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
who cares about spelling or punctuation on this lame issue *truncated threat*
Please keep on topic.
-SCF Editor
nfjanette (Guest)
"are you racist ?"
It's a sad commentary on our society when people react to a call to enforce laws by pulling out the race card, whether the issue is roving gangs on ATVs or unlicensed, uninsured illegal immigrants. If there was enough demand for it for a business to make money, someone would open a paid area to drive ATVs. Their use on the streets is dangerous and illegal.
Kam Lasater (Registered User)
This group rode by me as I was driving west bound on Canner between Foster and Anderson, this past sunday at about 3:30pm. I've encountered other ATV/Dirt Bike riders in East Rock or Rice field.
I'm unclear what I'm suppose to do when I next encounter people breaking the law in this way. Do I call 911? Is that would NHPD would want?
-Kam
Jen (Guest)
jackie (Guest)
David Streever (Registered User)
He may be generalizing--or even being a little pejorative--but it's safe to assume "you all" refers to ATV riders. I didn't see any mention of race.
As for us "minding our own business", this is our business. it's our neighborhoods, our community, and our public safety.
Most of us responding are active, engaged, and hard-working citizens who volunteer & do a lot of community building. Telling us to just go mind our own is pretty lame.
Brian Tang (Guest)
I would to offer a general appology for the vitriolic exchanges that have taken place here. I think both sides got carried away.
Yes, breaking the law is bad; endangering others by speeding or riding through East Rock is not OK. That said, the dirt biker who commented here at least made an effort to offer a constructive solution, which I believe is what seeclickfix is all about. (I'm going to continue in a second comment for technical reasons).
Brian Tang (Guest)
(continuation of my last comment) As I was saying, I would tend to agree with the commenter above who suggested that the state should charge a fee for dirtbike use on state lands in designated areas. If we put our minds to it, I think we can work out a solution that will benefit everyone.
There is quite a bit of underused indutrial land in the floodplanes along the rivers surrounding New Haven. Much of this land (a) is not suitable for intensive development because it is in a floodplane, (b) all of it would make prime wildlife habitat if it could be acquired and restored, and (c) because the land I am refering to is currently or formerly used for industry, it has been more or less ravaged to such an extent that even with dirt bike trails the restored land would be a tremendous improvement.
I don't know if ATV/dirt bike fees could cover the entire cost of acquiring and restoring one of these industrial floodplane properties, but (depending on demand) they could make an otherwise financially infeasible project viable.
That said, there could be major legal or administrative hurdles (it will take a while to convince your state congressmen that it's OK to condone the use of dirt bikes on public land, even in the context of a dedicated park). I think it's doable, but you'd need a group of dedicated, persistent volunteers. If the state isn't open to the idea, a non-profit group might get the job done. I've seen it work in the case of dog owners banding together to found an off-lease dog park on land they acquired with donated funds. I can imagine a dedicated group of dirt bike enthousiasts embarking on a similar project.
Brian Tang (Guest)
See Sands? We all make typos. It's not anything worth insulting anyone over.
Brian Tang (Guest)
Brian Tang (Guest)
To sum up my argument, I would just like to point out that Motocross is a legitimate American sport. Yes, it is dangerous, noisy, and not appropriate for urban areas, but driving to work--an even more popular American pastime--is just as noisy, even more dangerous, and no more appropriate in urban areas.
(Yes, my argument is non sequiteur, but I couldn't help myself and just had to go there.) ;)
Brian Tang (Guest)
Excuse me, Wikionary tells me that the correct spelling for my logical fallacy of choice is in fact "non sequtur." A "non-sequiteur" would have to be an illogical, non-conformist Frenchman.
Adieu!
Sands (Guest)
First off, yes, I most certainly meant the wild and reckless ATV crew when I said "you all." Second, I'm a black man, so your cry of racism falls just a bit short. If me being educated, able to write well, and express my opinion makes me "white," well, that just points to the core of the problem with your generation.
Brian, it's great that you're being constructive but what you are suggesting is that once again we have a community of responsible, law-abiding citizens who should bend over backwards to find a solution for a group of people who make no effort to solve their own problems. I have no interest in spending what little time and resources I have trying to set up an ATV park for a group who believes that the correct solution is to just keep doing what they're doing at the expense of the citizenry. Plenty of people all over the country manage to partake in this perfectly legitimate sport legally. If it's an issue let them make the effort. If they want help, let them ask for it. They've already proven that they have nothing to do with their time, so they shoudl have plenty of opportunity to speak with their aldermen and state representatives. And yes, if they can behave themselves like actual members of society and want the help of the community they shoudl have it. In the meantime I won't be terrorized into doing their work for them. While there may be a long-term solution the short-term solution is for the police to start doing their jobs, enforcing the law, and protecting the citizenry. Not coddling young hoodlums. These kids are endangering other people's lives for their own amusement and it needs to be stopped NOW.
David Streever (Registered User)
It's admirable to try and find places for people to ATV Brian, but I wonder if it addresses the root problems. To reduce it to something so simplistic ("We have no where to ATV!") is probably not adressing root problems & causes. (Some people like showing off their ATV & being a little reckless!)
This whole issue illustrates a host of our problems in our community. I don't think giving a dirt bike park is going to change those issues. The other problem with building something close by, is how will people get there? It isn't unreasonable--considering current behavior--to assume that they may choose to ride there on city streets.
The only solution I can think of is some form of registration. It's common in many other states, and even in other nations, like the Dominican Republic. This let's police make an instant decision when they see one without plates.
After we have some legal framework in place for ownership & riding (in private places) we can start to look to the other solutions.
And don't be too tough on Sands or the other people who attacked our friend who is rightfully proud of his BA: he started by attacking me & demanding my street address & belittling me. That he chose to do so with poor grammar & spelling, I think, opens him up to at least a little teasing :). That he chose to respond to that with "RACISMS!" also opens him to a little more legitimate teasing. Hopefully he'll stick around & report issues in his neighborhood, see the fixes, and most importantly, relax!
Sands (Guest)
David Streever (Registered User)
Sands, I am totally with you! I don't think it's the Chief's fault in that he's inherited a lot of problems--I see him (hopefully) as an architect for our future policing, setting priorities & strategies. He's done a very good job as far as I've seen...
but I don't expect him to change the mind set of the officers who aren't worried about this stuff. I think that's a community wide job. There are officers who just don't view this stuff as important, & we need to win them over. This stuff matters, & it's part of a working city that you deal with this.
There aren't many major cities that have issues with quads & ATVs--at least, I can't find any.
I think the nice thing about the registration is it makes it easier. The officers right now have a great excuse--"We can't chase one of those kids!" I'm thinking if the ATVs were registered, that excuse goes away, & then we can work on the next step....
We just need an Alder willing to promote the legislation.
Sands (Guest)
I'm not sure why we have to "win over" the police to get them to do their job. They are paid for and work for the taxpayers of this city. If they're unwilling to do their jobs they should be fired and replaced with officers that will.
As for registration, what makes you think that these kids will abide by registering their vehicles?
Lastly, you'd be hard pressed to find any urban areas with ATV problems because no other city in the nation would put up with this. It would have been ended the day it started.
anthias (Guest)
http://www.seeclickfix.com/issues/1233
Anonymous (Guest)
Admin (Guest)
J. Hart (Guest)
To those of you who feel that this is no big deal, I disagree. Given the speeds these ATV riders travel and their lack of respect for traffic and pedestrians it's only a matter of time before an innocent bystander is seriously injured or killed. Nobody expects off-road vehicles to be coming around the corner in a public park. Children play on the sidewalks these riders speed over. Of course this ignores the injuries and deaths and violence already perpetrated by a group of ATV riders this past summer. The city's failure to enforce this in full knowledge of the problem leaves them open to huge liability lawsuits when somebody is eventually get hurt or killed.
Lastly, I would suggest to those who type in all caps and hurl insults, you're not doing yourselves any favors. You're coming off as disrespectful and incapable of engaging in conversation. Nobody will ever listen to you or help you as long as that is how you're presenting yourself. Not here and not anywhere else.
East Rockette (Guest)
Ben, I hope you are logging and saving those incendiary comments. I almost wonder if it's worth leaving those comments up for public viewing - they give an indication of the size of the problem here. Calling people "morons" and saying "police don't care about dirtbikes"?
Not only are these people breaking the law, they're defiant about it, and they're all but holding the city to ransom with their demands for somewhere to ride. Not to mention failing to engage with any of Brian's constructive suggestions. I was hoping to be pleasantly surprised by an intelligent conversation, but alas, no.
Amen to J. Hart. This is a HUGE deal, with several near misses already. If it were happening unaddressed in NYC or any other sizeable city, it would be a scandal. And if it were happening in a different form in New Haven, it would still be a scandal -- if e.g. a phalanx of professors were to recklessly drive a parade of BMWs at high speed through the yards and streets and parks that these guys live and play in, narrowly missing their kids and grandmas, you can bet they'd be on the phone to the cops.
Any word from our police on this? Or the mayor?
DeeDee (Guest)
J. Hart (Guest)
Thanks for the input, DeeDee! For the record I don't believe that there are any local trails on which it is legal for them to ride. Those are walking and cycling trails and having motorized vehicles on them is pretty dangerous. More dangerous than the streets due to short lines of sight. ATV/motocross simply isn't a valid hobby in an urban setting. Same reason I don't go deer hunting in Edgewood Park or duck hunting at Beaver Hill Park. I'd like to! It's convenient. But I don't, because it's illegal and dangerous to do in a densely populated area. Not to mention that the noise would be an obnoxious imposition on the surrounding community. See how that works, kids? You don't get to do something that is illegal and puts others' lives at risk simply because it's convenient.
It's really upsetting to hear people talk about NHPD being in the area and not doing anything. It sounds @#$% if this home at 80 Clifton is pretty well known for this type of activity. Not chasing them is one thing. Knowing where they hang out and doing nothing about it is quite another. Hopefully Mellisa will write her story and get some police input. I'd really like to hear what they have to say.
J. Hart (Guest)
One more thing. A 3-second google search came up with the following legitimate and legal motocross venues.
TRACKS
Salmon River State Forest Colchester, CT 860-295-9523
Milford Riders Club Milford, CT 203-877-7580
Connecticut River Motocross Rocky Hill, CT 860-563-0352
Thomaston Dam Thomaston, CT 860-283-5540
Mototown USA Windsor, CT
860-688-5110
Central Cycle Club Central Village, CT
You really can't complain that there's no place to do it when you haven't even looked. You all obviously know how to use and have access to a computer. And you clearly have the cash if you're buying bikes and quads, keeping them running, and gassing them up. Plus a true MX course is going to be a hell of a lot more fun than city streets. Here's the site. I'm sure there are more out there. Google is your friend.
http://www.wheretomx.com/
keke (Guest)
keke (Guest)
Another Eva (Guest)
Hope that link works. If not, sorry. You can always just visit wtnh.com to find the story...
Resident (Guest)
TODD (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
East Rockette (Guest)
a. What makes you think that "real" crimes aren't also the subject of our concern? Believe me, they are.
b. You're saying we have to wait until someone dies from illegal ATV/dirtbike use before making an issue out of it? Oh wait, somebody did, last summer. So, it's an issue.
c. Frankly, given the frequency and location of this behaviour (as documented at length in this discussion), my kids and I are more likely to be knocked over by one of these vehicles on our way around town than we are to be mugged or shot. So yeah, it's a "real crime" in my book.
Anonymous (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
and so is your logic
'
Melissa Bailey (Guest)
Anyone see this?
m.bailey AT newhavenindependent.org
Man flees police on ATV
Updated: Thursday, 23 Apr 2009, 7:04 PM EDT
Published : Thursday, 23 Apr 2009, 3:51 PM EDT
New Haven (WTNH) - A New Haven man is under arrest after fleeing from
police while driving an ATV.
It started in the Fair Haven section of the city when 30-year old
Michael Fernandez ran a stop sign while on the ATV. Fernandez sped
away at high speeds away from New Haven's finest. From Fair Haven, he
eventually made his way to Quinnipiac Avenue. Going south in the wrong
lane at the 1400 block, he collided with a squad car, damaging the
driver side mirror. The ATV then struck a small tree.
But Fernandez was not done running. After the quad came to a stop, he
used his feet rather than a motor, running away from officers who
caught up to him and made the arrest
Fernandez complained of head and neck pain once he was placed into a
police car. He was taken to an area hospital. He is charged with
reckless driving, endangerment, interfering with a police officer and
criminal mischief.
DMcCullough (Guest)
Bill K NH Register (Guest)
Resident (Guest)
Resident (Guest)
If found guilty, I hope Mr. Michael Fernandez is locked up for at least 5 years without parole. He has caused serious and lasting damage to his neighbors, to the police, and to society at large. Not to mention putting at least several people at risk of death.
By the way If an officer had tripped and been killed trying to chase that idiot, Mr. Fernandez could have been locked up for life for murder.
J. Hart (Guest)
Eva (Guest)
todd (Guest)
Pedro (Guest)
Ben (Guest)
I'll try to get a pic.
np (Guest)
J. Hart (Guest)
DEZ (Guest)
todd (Guest)
J. Hart (Guest)
Resident (Guest)
J. Hart (Guest)
Erin (Guest)
David Streever (Registered User)
no-not mad. definetly concerned. want to sit down & talk about this? 203 843 1866. curious about what you think. maybe we all can rsolve this. thanks. david
Ray (Guest)
David Streever (Registered User)
ben (Guest)
Seems Like the Police Made 10 arrests this week.
Check out this article:
http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/04/27/news/new_haven/a1_--_neatv.txt
Also check out this great ride along that the New Haven independent did:
http://www.newhavenindependent.org/archives/2009/04/weekend_enforce.php
ben (Guest)
ben (Guest)
http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/elm-citys-quad-squad-hits-the-road.html
christopher schaefer (Guest)
the green mohawk kid (Guest)
David Streever (Registered User)
No one suggested they were, Green Mohawk Kid. What other fascinating tidbits do you care to share with us?
Why are you posting? We posted with a specific goal--fixing an issue that we view as a problem. Why are you here?
Do you want something from us?
I've put up my contact information. Let's talk.
dls@davidstreever.com
per (Guest)
Have these guys been playing too much "Mafia Driver 2" lately?
Game description: "Drive around and kill pedestrians walking in your way. Pass all levels to beat the game!"
dan the man (Guest)
dan the man (Guest)
Pedro (Guest)
You can't really go anywhere around New Haven any more since you don't know who is going to be tracking your movements all over town.
per (Guest)
News clip from Winnipeg:
Man charged after ATV kills pedestrian
An ATV driving at a high-rate of speed hit the man who was walking in the same direction on the side of the road.
dan the man (Guest)
bob (Guest)
Pedro (Guest)
per (Guest)
dan the amn (Guest)
dan the man (Guest)
TuringTest (Guest)
dan the man,
Let me try to summarize the points you've made so far:
1. you don't care that your riding endangers others; it's fun for you
2. those people who object to your riding are crazy, homosexual, old, boring, or all of the above
3. you dare the police to stop you; you don't believe they can
4. you will continue riding your illegal vehicle in any manner that amuses you until you're physically stopped
Is that pretty much it?
green mohawk kid (Guest)
dan the man (Guest)
green mohawk kid (Guest)
dan the man (Guest)
David Streever (Registered User)
Hey guys,
no need to keep sending me messages here. Send me a line & we'll sit down and talk about this ok? This is not a big deal. Let's meet & figure out what you guys want & what will make everyone happy.
No need to be antagonistic with me here--I'm not bashing you guys. I want us all to work this out.
dan the man (Guest)
dear turing test
1 ur missen tha other6 reason
2 yea im deain tha cops to get behind me i wish they will bc ill laugh at them an then i will be gone on tha cops tha cop dont but noe fear in my heart.... somif u wanna be a cop come chase us see wat will happen to ur car it will be in tha dust with tha cops so y u even talken to me ur nothing so juss get off my ****
TuringTest (Guest)
Dear dan the man,
Thanks for clarifying.
Best,
-TuringTest
green mohawk kid (Guest)
green mohawk kid (Guest)
christopher schaefer (Guest)
christopher schaefer (Guest)
christopher schaefer (Guest)
ctscoots (Guest)
Lovely comment on WTNH's website. Does Alex Rhodeen have a watch list?
Come to New Haven Motor cross.
Dirt Bike, Quads, Go Carts, all of terrain motor vehicles there is a legal place to ride. Let everyone know. Come to New Haven Motor cross. We always call him and he never answers. Our own 13-DWARD… Alexander Rhodes 469-2141. JUST rings and rings.
Come to: Fairmont Park
On Clifton St.
Fair Haven Heights, New Haven, CT
Dirt path made…Lawns all cut up for your convenience to follow the path… All are welcome. From small to old…. After riding for hours you can head down Clifton St. to Alling Memorial Golf Course
Don’t worry, Neighbors have called the police but NO ONE EVER shows up. We even have on video of police driving by and not doing anything. It’s Great.. SO, Come on down… We are waiting.. Have fun. Stay off the streets……….They never bother you there at Fairmont Park…. We love the Noise..
http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/news_wtnh_newhaven_quad_squad_200904272305_rev1#idc-ctools
dan the man (Guest)
green mohawk kid (Guest)
dan the man (Guest)
green mohawk kid (Guest)
dan the man (Guest)
ray (Guest)
David Streever (Registered User)
It's not a bad idea Ray: I'm concerned about the specific implementation, and that's why I want Dan & his friends to speak with some of us in person.
A. How do they get there? Chances are by riding their quad there, right? This could actually make it really easy to enforce the law.
B. What is a good spot in the city? This use will destroy the land whereever we put it.
C. How many users? The more users, the more destruction.
Other alternatives include continuing to crack down & going after the places that sell these, possibly to kids who then drive them home from there, We do have laws requiring these vehicles to be registered: if places selling them don't do this, that's another angle.
green mohawk kid (Guest)
kidthatknowswhatitslike (Guest)
dan the man (Guest)
Greg (Guest)
It seems to me that we all want a safe place for the dirtbikes and ATVs. A lot of us on here are concerned about safety - this whole conversation is about unsafe, illegal activity.
I haven't seen anyone say that they are anit-ATVs, just that they are against the way that the ATVs are being used.
East Rockette (Guest)
OK, sure, but Dan: I "ain't trying to get hit" by an ATV or quad bike on the street or in the park, either. But you don't see me promising to keep breaking into your garage and slashing your tires until you find yourselves a legal place to ride. Because that would be exactly as criminal as your continued boasts about how you're going to keep riding on the roads and in the parks.
You're getting a remarkable amount of concession and dialogue here. If you want some respect and help from people who are in a position to help organize you guys a place to ride, maybe you and your buddies could show good faith by promising to abide by the law in the meantime.
Respect goes both ways, surely?
kidthatknowswhatitslike (Guest)
Greg (Guest)
Oh, sure, threats get through to people . . . but they get through in a bad way. Threatening people and riding in unsafe, illegal ways only turns people against you.
It's that simple.
If, on the other hand, ATV and dirtbike riders show themselves to be law-abiding citizens, and try to talk to people about getting their own space, they are more likely to be taken seriously.
Tom (Guest)
To all of you whining about having no place to ride, grow up. Your pleas for a place to ride make you sound like a bunch of babies crying to mommy for a candy bar.
No one's going to give you a place to ride, it's not their problem, it's yours. The taxpayers of this town aren't responsible for funding your pipe dreams of motocross glory, deal with it.
The city is closing a bunch of senior centers and laying off workers because of the budget crisis. If you think their going to spend money on a place for you to ride then you're all even dumber than your comments suggest.
-Tom
David Streever (Registered User)
kidthatknowswhatitslike,
what have you actually gotten done?
Some of us here are community members who have actually gotten a lot done. Breaking the law is pretty much a guarantee that you won't get what you want, though.
GreenMohawk: you only called once. I was busy at the time and it was from a private number. Why don't you drop me an e-mail letting me know what time you'll call, and I'll be ready for you.
Resident (Guest)
kidthatknowswhatitslike (Guest)
The funny thing is you will never catch the.....if they are any good.
1. Dirt bikes and quads are way faster the cop cars. Take off speed
2. Dirt bikes and quads can go through feilds and inbetween cars and in way smaller places the cars
3. Some of the bigger bikes have the same top speed of a car if not more.
So I guess what im trying to say is that the cops have no chance unless they crash witch if they are good they won't.
David Streever (Registered User)
David Streever (Registered User)
green mohawk kid (Guest)
David Streever (Registered User)
Aren't you nervous that the police have issued 12 tickets? Clearly they managed to catch 12 already. Is that what you want for your kids someday, or would you rather work on developing a motocross park nearby?
Dan (Guest)
doinitmyself (Guest)
Dan (Guest)
David Streever (Registered User)
This is still an ongoing issue: an ER nurse I know told me about a man who was brought into the hospital Friday night after being severely beaten by a gang of ATV riders.
Apparently they surrounded his car, and he got out in anger.
I know the rhetoric goes on & on here, people, but PLEASE do not attempt to confront a gang of law-breakers. Sitting down & talking about ways to get the bikes off the streets == good. Violent confrontations == bad. I really hope the man who was beaten is ok and the police can catch the specific people who did this. It's a level of lawlessness none of us can tolerate.
IF you know who the individuals are please contact the police. You know you don't want your neighborhood to never get better.
doinitmyself (Guest)
per (Guest)
good to hear about more ATV stops ths wekend
whats with ATV riders beating people up?
Old dirt bike rider (Guest)
David Streever (Registered User)
Old Dirt Bike Rider: these kids aren't willing to talk or express themselves. They've resorted to violence. It's hard to serve that community.
If some people who enjoy dirt bike riding, and are not violent, step up, they may be able to do it themselves, and receive support.
As a cyclist, I didn't ask others to do the hard work for us--I got involved & did research & made specific requests & pushed & pushed for years. As did the rest of us. We have in exchange a city that keeps improving in bike & walk-ability.
I don't think anyone is opposed to the creation of something for dirt bike riding, but the people who really want it have to step up & do some of the work. Propose sites, etc.
I can't imagine the city is going to create a "director of dirt bike & atv use" any time soon, and it's definitely easier to arrest/ticket violent people than sit down & talk to them.
J. Hart (Guest)
@Old Dirty Bike Rider (ODB, funny)
A while back I posted about five places where you can ride legally. It took me all of 3 seconds to type "dirt tracks" into Google. Some of those may be private clubs. I don't know. But the only response we got was along the lines of "you're crazy if you think we're going out to Colchester." Aside from ignoring the fact that there are closer tracks these kids have made it pretty clear that they're just going to do whatever the hell they want to do regardless of who they put in danger. Any good will they might have had was quickly squandered when they started taunting the people that offered to help them. Oh, and beating decent, law-abiding folks.
Streever, I am opposed to the creation of a track or similar if public funds are involved. First, there are state parks where you can ride so we've already paid for those through state and Federal taxes. There are also private tracks and clubs where you can pay to use the facilities. Second, these kids have made it clear that they won't be inconvenienced by having to go somewhere proper. Third I'm quite tired of seeing my tax dollars used for the benefit of everybody but those who pay in. At some point we have to draw the line at where it is appropriate and beneficial to spend public funds. I'm certainly not going to support a track for thugs at the expense of a reading program or a sports league. This is not to mention the need for better infrastructure, more police, better schools, ad all of the things that New Haven needs to improve before worrying about a dirt track.
Lastly, before anybody starts crying about how they can't afford the price of a club or how are they going to get all the way to Colchester, you had enough money to buy the bike or quad. You can pick up an old junker of a pickup for less than $2k. You can pay for some track time. You just don't want to. You'd rather ride in the streets because it's free and you don't care.
Personally, I spend a heck of a lot on my sport shooting hobby. You don't see me going shooting on the city streets just because I don't want to pay for range time.
Old Dirt Bike rider (Guest)
per (Guest)
J. Hart (Guest)
DEZ (Guest)
doinitmyself (Guest)
ODB (Guest)
Resident (Guest)
doinitmyself (Guest)
Kim (Guest)
egg (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
Pedro (Guest)
I can personally say that since the crackdown, I have not seen a single dirtbike or quad on East Street during the week, when I used to see 3-4 per day.
Resident (Guest)
I agree, Pedro. When this first started, massive gangs of bikes were flying around the New Haven Green and all over Fair Haven and Wooster Square. If they're still out now, at least they are being confined to certain parts of the city.
Or maybe the weather just hasn't been as nice...
jimbo (Guest)
Resident (Guest)
Wow, almost up to 6,000 page views on this. Great work to everyone who helped distribute the issue and attract attention... especially the local management teams.
I haven't seen as many bikes lately, but could be the weather.
jimbo (Guest)
np (Guest)
Resident (Guest)
Aidan (Guest)
Saw some idiot "drifting" his four wheel ATV on rice fields on sunday, while a pickup baseball and two pick up soccer games were being played. He weaved in and out of various bystanders for 5 minutes before roaring off. Hispanic fellow on a blue quad.
I was almost knocked down while taking a jog on the trails at East Rock park by the fellow with green mohawk. They cut down the trail between roads at the bottom near rice field, making me jump quickly out of the way as i didnt expect them down the trail.
So i'd like to see this dealt with too.
chickiebones (Guest)
Resident (Guest)
doinitmyself (Guest)
EAST SHORE TAXPAYERS (Guest)
Reckless, noisy clowns on Quads/ATV's (along with snowmobile's in the winter) have also been riding illegally, plaguing the East Shore section of New Haven for years. Blasting up & down Townsend Ave, tearing up Black Rock Fort area etc.
Advance warning for NHPD; they go crazy, blaring past the Townsend mansion just about EVERY evening after a snow storm, zig zagging like a drunken Santa on crack, sliding across the centerline towards oncoming traffic, dangerously passing and cutting off cars etc.
We want these uninsured deadly missiles stopped!
Re. dirt bikes, here's another local club that offers a legal place to ride offroad:
Meriden Motorcycle Club
Description: Meetings held every Thursday night at the club 8p.m. Stantack Road – Meriden , CT. 203-235-9669 (Main contact phone) Terry Byrnes, President & Trustee 203-776-2813 X:180 (Days) 203-795-7076 (Nights)
Contact Information: TERRY.BYRNES@RADIALL.COM
Bring your kids too:
http://itmsphotos.exposuremanager.com/g/meriden_motorcycle_club_-_pee_wee_10am_race_62009_
More clubs from the New England Trail Riders Association:
http://www.netra.org/clubs/list
Anonymous (Guest)
Marc (Guest)
joe (Guest)
np (Guest)
David Streever (Registered User)
No, I'd rather they rode them LEGALLY at the many parks around the state which allow it, instead of dangerously on the streets, where dirt bike riders have died & put people in the hospital.
Or they could do their homework instead. Or they could come plant trees with us. Or.... there are lots of options that don't include selling drugs for young people. I'm so tired of hearing there is nothing to do in New Haven. I don't get a single night free a week!
Resident (Guest)
letsgoplantsometrees (Guest)
juli (Registered User)
i guess we don't need to worry about the quality of new haven's schools with creativity such as this coming from the mouths of babes!
i mean, a strong point too about not having a life if you don't speed recklessly almost killing people on streets where you don't belong. i know i felt SO alive when i almost was run over on mitchell drive! why should i presume to be able to walk in my neighborhood, or any neighborhood, and not be run over? yay for scaring people so badly they move away or stop visiting and destroy new haven's economy!
doinitmyself (Guest)
Louann (Guest)
I know that once a child get hits, it will put the end (for a awhile) to this, and most likely the driver of the auto will be at fault.
There are plenty of woods in the area for the kids to ride ... PLEASE keep your children off the main roads and show them how to play in safe areas, before it is too late.
I too am an ATV owner, but I ride in appropriate areas -- not on public streets.
Resident (Guest)
http://www.newhavenindependent.org/archives/2009/07/reaching_out_in.php
Silly People (Guest)
Miles (Registered User)
littlerhody (Guest)
christopher schaefer (Guest)
Concerned Mom (Registered User)
Resident (Guest)
Concerned Mom (Registered User)
doinitmyself (Guest)
Contact Lt. Leo Bombalicki he is charge of the Quad Squad.call 946-6316 for his contact # and cell.
Concerned Mom (Registered User)
joe (Guest)
jonny (Guest)
your gona shoot at kids for riding?, like joe said get a life
I HATE PPL WHO COMPLAIN (Guest)
Resident (Guest)
Concerned Mom, would you be interested in speaking to reporters about this problem?
There was a front page NH Register article about this a few months ago and it would be important to show this is still a problem. Mary O'Leary wrote the earlier story, she's at .
J. Hart (Guest)
To Joe and I HATE PPL;
There's an awful lot I'd like to say to you, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter much since you seem to feel that it's OK to endanger people's lives and break the law. I'm not going to change your mind.
Here's my point. Every time you respond on this topic, you add to the post count, increasing the popularity and visibility of this topic. You then trigger an update email to all of the watchers on this list including the police, parks department, LCI, various alderpersons, etc. You then get a bunch of people responding to your ill-informed gibberish, which, in turn, generates even MORE emails to list watchers. This then puts pressure on the cops and the city to crack down.
Get it? No? OK, I'll make it simple. Each time you post, we all get a good laugh because you are actually helping those of us who want something done about the ATVs in the streets. Your responses have helped make this the number one topic on SCF. Not dealing, prostitution, or murder. This. Every time you respond you are reminding the police and city representatives that this is an issue. And you make it look far bigger than it is. Do you know how hard people have to work to get such a large, grass-roots following? It's a huge effort that we could have never done without your help. Thanks! If it wasn't for you, we'd probably have four or five people on this topic. You want the cops to leave you alone? Stop responding and this thread will probably only get one or two hits a month. Keep responding, and you keep the heat on yourself. *edited for content
doinitmyself (Guest)
To J. Hart
You are so correct. Very well said.
TuringTest (Guest)
jd (Guest)
doinitmyself (Guest)
jonny (Guest)
jack (Guest)
green mohawk kid (Guest)
Like a video game (Guest)
hondastar11 (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
leron (Guest)
joe (Guest)
Ben (Guest)
Joe and Green Mohawk,
Is there a place to ride in North Branford?
There used to be a track to ride on out there.
How much space do you need? Also, would you guys be willing to pay or would it have to be free?
If people worked with you to create a track would you be willing to help to encourage kids to ride there and get them off the street?
Glad you have a voice in this and appreciate you respecting the terms of the site.
Thanks,
Ben
green mohawk kid (Guest)
A (Guest)
A few weeks ago a dude on a blue 4wheeler blew down Grand Ave and right through a red light - the redlight was red for quite some time - he blew on the left hand side of 4 or 5 cars to pass us all and dgo through the light.
A) that kind of vehicle is illegal on road
B) this was not a mistaken blow-of-red, he knew exactly what he was doing
doinitmyself (Guest)
Use this site to make contacts with the ones who can give you the place to ride. City Mission in North Branford or the old trolley tracks were always cool. Water company around the lake if u were fast enough and knew the trails. Now theres a challenge. Guilford hills etc.. Don't judge someone until you've been around the block with em once.
NEW HAVENS PATHETIC (Guest)
SimpleSimon (Guest)
J. Hart (Guest)
Ben-
I appreciate your participation, but I've listed a number of places where these kids can ride legally. My findings were the result of a 30-second Google search, which is something any one of these kids could have done on their own at any point. They certain have access to computers and know how to use the internet. Their response was basically to laugh off our attempt to help them. "Too far away" and "you're crazy if you think I'm going all the way to North Branford." I'm paraphrasing, but you get the idea. I also think that there were some money concerns, which I can understand. But if you can afford to buy an ATV, you can afford to pay track fees. If you can't, you shouldn't have bought an ATV in the first place.
Secondly, they seem to enjoy the chase and the negative attention their activities generate. Green Mowhawk Kid (GMK), I'm looking in your direction. A couple of months will pass, and one of them will start complaining that if "we" just give them a place to ride, they'd get off the streets. Then we go through the same dance again, ending with them refusing to do anything differently. They're not going to get off the streets voluntarily. I can't think of how to help someone who doesn't want to be helped.
In short, both Streever and I (and I'm sure others) have offered to help and engage them in some form of discussion. We get taunts and tantrums in return. At the end of the day, they neither need nor want our help. These are not underprivileged kids without resources. These are kids riding around on $2,000+ toys and they want to ride them where they damn well please.
I think it would be great if these kids got into safe and competitive riding on a real track. It would be more fun for them, get them out in nature, and would be a hell of a good time. Competition is good for character building, and they could test their skills against others, learn some new tricks, etc. They don't seem to want that. So the next best solution is to continue to report them when they break the law and put others in danger. Have the cops confiscate their rides. What else can be done?
- J. Hart
Greg (Guest)
Corey,
Calling people idiots and yelling about this really doesn't help. In fact, it probably hurts your cause.
GREEN MOWHAWK KID (Guest)
J. Hart (Guest)
Doinitmyself (Guest)
Ben Berkowitz (Registered User)
I would be excited to join this meeting as well.
GMK, David will reach out to you today.
I think that he can be a big help as the leader of Elm City Cycling and someone who has bridged the gap between city policy and independent culture forced to act illegally.
David Streever (Registered User)
Hey Green Mohawk,
thanks--I will be calling you later today.
GREEN MOWHAWK KID (Guest)
GREEN MOWHAWK KID (Guest)
so much for this site (Guest)
Flag this messageRe: [SeeClickFix] Rejections: Check it out!Friday, September 4, 2009 1:22PM From: "Ben Berkowitz" Add To:Cc: "team"
Unfortunately,We can not stop anyone from using the same tag name.
If you want to use your facebook profile to post that might be a better way of keep a solid identity within SeeClickFix.
Thanks,
ben
the only smart one here (Guest)
Eddie (Guest)
Κλειστό Anonymous (Guest)
I think it is time to close this issue since, after the NHPD unit was set up and many arrests were made, I haven't seen ATVs out (at least during the day).
I hear them in my neighborhood at night, but have been reporting them as a separate issue and I think it is fairly specific to the public housing/illegal gambling in the area where I live.
If you see ATVs, definitely you should come back to this thread and post here. Please click above and "Reopen" the issue if you think that this is a major problem citywide.
Or if Pedro disagrees, he should reopen this immediately, since he created the issue.
I'll definitely keep an eye out the next time the weather gets warm -- if I see ATVs terrorizing our neighborhoods again, I will reopen this issue and send it to the press.
- Concerned Resident
John (Guest)
Ben (Guest)
Well done NHPD
Beaver Hill Resident (Guest)
resident (Guest)
atv payer (Guest)
I think bicycles should be registered to ride on the streets of CT.
Why should taxpayers pay for bikeways?
I think bicycles riders should buy their own places to ride.
Get the point?
green mowhak kid (Guest)
David Streever (Registered User)
BB (Registered User)
Maybe best to use one of the City Hall meeting rooms and invite Alex Rhodeen. I believe he is GMK's Alderman.
GMK, maybe you could bring others interested in tackling this problem.
Eddie (Guest)