For the past week I've been harping about the consistant idiocy of various protestor groups, seemingly ad nausium I know. Just to be fair, it's only because after so many years of living in New York, I've become accustomed to the general lack of intelligence by the local government on pretty much everything that they do. Last night, thanks to President Bush, I got to see firsthand the sheer stupidity of the police. First of all, it was partly my own fault. I knew that 34th street would be pretty clear, despite what you might think from the news, until convention time. Which of course meant that I forgot about the clock and stuck around until 9:30pm doing shopping, and then got all penned in until after the presidental motorcade passed. Penned in meaning that they closed of the street at the corners, so you can go from one corner to the other, but you can't leave that side of the street. I couldn't even turn the corner to get into the subway station, which is where I really wanted to go, and I was getting pissed off as all get out. So the president passes through, I even get to give him the finger (for impeding my God given right as a New Yorker to jaywalk at will). And they still keep us all penned in. Because from 2 blocks away a small group of maybe 100 pedestrians might be able to possibly threaten national security? Whatever. (Now here comes the stupidity.) 10 minutes later, they open the streets ... to VEHICULAR TRAFFIC. Even guys on bicycles. Bicycles going against traffic even. But not pedestrians. Think about it for just half a second. Let's say you are a terrorist or even an anarchist. Let's say you want to disrupt the convention with violent force. Which would you rather use? Pedestrian strapped with explosives locked in pen and only able to travel 10-12 mph at top speed, OR gasoline laden van/car filled with explosives capable of breaking through baracade and mowing down ineffectual police officers in riot gear at a speeds up to 70 mph? And BICYCLISTS?! They're letting bicyclists pass through the streets?! As anyone who has spent some time walking the midtown streets will tell you, after livory cabs, drivers from Jersey, Yellow cabs, and Lizzie Grubman, the greatest menace to public safety is bicyclists. But we pedestrians are trapped like rats while empty cabs roll by? Idiots.