BYOBW UPDATE: Tom Price has left an update in the comments saying that everything has been sorted out with the SFPD and that the race will proceed as scheduled. As a reminder, after the race make sure to take home everything you brought with you and help clean up the area so that the race will be able to continue in the future.
The San Francisco Police Department has contacted the organizers of the annual Bring Your Own Big Wheel event saying that they will need to get a permit for this Sunday’s event or else they will start ticketing participants. BYOBW is a big wheel race that takes place on Vermont Street, San Francisco’s most crooked street. Previously the race ran down Lombard Street, but last year moved to Vermont Street.
Here’s an update from BYOBW website:
RIDE or PARTICIPATE AT YOUR OWN RISK!
SF POLICE HAVE PROMISED TO SHOW UP AND TICKET EVERYONE RIDING OR RACING
SFPD TACTICAL vs BYOBW? yes – this could be the case!
Tickets could be for anything like jaywalking, obstruction of traffic or other things (?!) and could be for as much as $100 or so
More Coverage: San Francisco Chronicle and SFBG.
Here are photos and video from BYOBW 2008.
See Previously: San Francisco Might Try to Shut Down Pillow Fight & Other Events
UPDATE: Tom Price posted the following update on Twitter:
SFPD called: Said if BYOBW applies tomorrow for NEXT years permit, then we can ride this week w/out a permit. It’s ON people.
photos by Scott Beale
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
It’s interesting. Whereas we’d like to find a way to work with them, they seem hell-bent on making sure we keep doing events in rogue fashion. Seems counter productive on their part, to my mind anyway.
who’s the Supervisor for the Vermont Street district? is is Sophie Maxwell? I remember one year, on Bernal Hill Tom Ammiano came out and gave his blessing in front of the SFPD to the Soapbox Derby. if it’s her, I think Maxwell should be called into focus on this: BYOBW is a positive community event.
I believe I am willing to pay the $100 fine for “jaywalking on a bigwheel”.
Capt. Loftus from Bayview pd is the person who’s contacted them
Great photo Scott! I’ve found photographing race cars at Laguna Seca is a lot easier than trying to capture these BWers.
BTW, this event seems less obtrusive than the city sanctioned ski jump that was constructed on Fillmore St. in ‘05.
Call the Mayor: (415) 554-6141
I just did. Apparently, not a lot of people have.
Do it like the old SC & SFCS days. Keep it a secret (until the last day or so) never repeat (too many times) & never in the same place. Always throw out a decoy to throw off those that would want to shut it down…
I don’t know if it’s been said before, but last years race seemed to be the perfect ratio of participants vs spectators. If you got there early you could take pictures and still get a good spot to watch the races. It was by far one of the more rewarding renegade type events of 2008.
Also, not sure if anyone else has commented on it, but SFPD was super fucking cool during last weeks Saint Stupid’s Day Parade. I have no idea if that was a permitted event or not, but (from what I saw) the cops blocked traffic and let us walk through red lights and didn’t seem that bent out of shape with people getting naked.
I don’t see why they can’t get a permit. Isn’t the whole point of the permit to let the city know what’s going on, so they can organize appropriate police, traffic, trash pick-up, etc.? Don’t quite get the whole point of the “fuck you, we’re going to do our event anyway” attitude.
>>>I don’t see why they can’t get a permit.
Who is “they” and @ what cost is this permt?
Right, just to confirm, it’s been sorted with the federales, and we can now ride without having to navigate under police barricades, which would have been fun but would have made things very tricky indeed for those wearing large hats.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/cityinsider/detail?entry_id=38325
So, come if you like, although it will probably be crowded. Bring a picnic for the lovely park right there. Ride the 53, will drop you almost on top of the race course. Chiotras Grocery on Rhode Island b/t 20/21st is very BW friendly. Stuff some money in the tip jar to cover the potties someone is bringing so you don’t have to go doodie in the bushes.
And then, when you leave, take EVERYTHING home with you, so we can do it again next year, and prove that in San Francisco we don’t have to outlaw people’s right to be stupid in public.
It’s pleasing to see that both the cops and the event organizers were willing to soften their stances and agree on a reasonable compromise. Kudos to everyone involved.
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