Tonight is the last Friday of the month and thus time for Critical Mass. Hundreds of New Yorkers will get on their bikes and go for a ride, as “a monthly celebration of bicycles and other nonpolluting means of transportation, exercising our right to the road. ” If you’d like to join, the starting place tonight is at Union Square Park North at 7pm.

Since the police have decided to crack down on this, I decided I’d share a tactic that a friend of mine used to keep from being arrested_ and it’s simplicity is brilliant. When the cops start blocking off the streets:

Chain up your bike and walk away.

This works best if you get on your phone and start looking confused. You can even ask the cops what’s going on. Maybe even throw on a jacket or hat that was in your backpack so you look different. Technically if your bike is legally chained up, the cops can’t touch it, so it should be ok, you can come back and get it later. I know there’s something to be said for taking a stand and letting the cops take you in, but let’s face it, you don’t always feel like being arrested.

But just in case, write this number on your arm: Legal Hotline (NLG and People’s Law): 212-679-6018