Impounded Because . . . They’re Just Silly

“Party Bikes” — those big circular multi-player cycling contraptions in Times Square — have been impounded by police:

Is the party over for PartyBike? The owner of Peddle Pushers Limited, which runs a fleet of red, seven-seated giant tricycles often seen traversing Times Square, faces a bumpy ride after the Police Department impounded 14 of its 15 vehicles in the city.

Donald Domite says his company is being singled out by police. “We follow the vehicle laws. We stop at lights. No one was ever injured,” said Mr. Domite, 52, of Sayville, L.I., whose company started about two and a half years ago.

Mr. Domite said police have been issuing “ECB tickets” — a reference to the city’s Environmental Control Board — which allow them to impound the vehicles for violating the city’s vending laws. Published reports have said that Mr. Domite’s PartyBikes were drawing complaints of noise on Eighth Avenue.

Mr. Domite said the ECB violations fall under the charge of “vending without a license.” Previous summons of “disorderly conduct” have been dismissed in court, he said.

Although PartyBike has received about 250 disorderly conduct tickets, Mr. Domite said, a bicycle is allowed anywhere in New York City unless there is a sign saying “No Bicycles.” When asked if his vehicles have impeded traffic, he said, “You cannot impede traffic if you’re part of it.”

. . .

The vehicles were at first well received, Mr. Domite said, until one of his drivers had a verbal dispute with a police officer in September 2004. Tickets and impoundment since followed, he said. Mr. Domite said the police have singled him out, arresting him for loitering six months ago in Times Square. He said he spent three days in jail but the city, he said, declined prosecution at the arraignment. In October, he filed a civil action against the police and is seeking a civil rights attorney.