Biker ticketed for not riding on bike lane

[Ilie Pandia]

This is a very serious story presented in a funny way :)

Enjoy:


http://vimeo.com/25037336

[Flash]

Quite good video, he is right, ticket the people blocking the bike lane.

I must say though that in my city, it is a complete zoo. Bikes and pedestrian and often cars do not respect: red lights, bike lanes, turning or not on the right, no parking signs, name it. The worst offenders are often bikes, they respect no laws at all, they have not been trained and often plainly do not care. If we tell or yell, they shrudder and go. They are in fact very dangerous to pedestrian because their speed is often faster, slipping between cars from all sides (left, right, behind) than the cars who have to follow trafic.

So please bikes, do respect the bike lane and road laws,

Please everyone, don't put anything in the bike lane.

[stegosaur]

I bike everyday to work.

I've had numerous close calls, and not a single time was it my fault.

People are so quick to blame the cyclists.

Cyclists don't know the rules? Please.

In a bike on car collision, the car wins every time.

Of course there are terrible bikers out there but tell me this: If you commute everyday to work in a car and drive defensively you're not very likely to have an accident and in the event you do you're protected from seatbelts, airbags, and the structure to absorb any impact. I ride my bike to work everyday, defensively and have almost been killed 4 times in the last 3 months. I have a helmet, that's it.

Bikes have the right to take the whole lane if they so choose and it is illegal to pass a biker with less than 3 feet between the care and bike.

And going through traffic control devices is completely different on a bike and in sensible places legislation reflects this. See idaho stop.

A biker can see oncoming traffic and hear it much better than the caged animals having their senses cauterized by their car.

I print this out and hand it out to misinformed drivers all the time, might as well start here too.


This page is inspired by a horrible woman I met in Ellicott City, Maryland. Pulling into a coffee shop, she made a right turn right in front of me, forcing me to skid on both wheels and one foot, still tapping into her bumper as I came to a stop. When I politely confronted her in the parking lot, she spouted various anti-cycling garbage, such as "you should ride on the sidewalk" and "I hope they make you pay taxes". I couldn't even get it through to her that she nearly landed me in the hospital and herself in jail, so I thought of making this little sheet with some rules and statements on it. Maybe she was angry and rushed at the time, but if I had put this in her hand there's a chance she would have read it later. From now on, I'll bring a couple copies of this in my pocket when I ride, and I'll put it in the hands or under the windshield wiper of motorists who offend or endanger me, when it doesn't look like they're ready to talk to listen. Maybe we'll make another version to leave around in public plates. It works for Jehovah's Witnesses, right?

DO NOT USE THIS FLIER IF YOU WERE IN THE WRONG
Cyclists have to obey the rules, too. You have no right to be angry if you were the one that created the dangerous situation. If you were going the wrong way on a one way street, holding a cup of coffee in the dark, and someone honked at you, you deserved it. Stop making the rest of us look bad.

Dear Motorist,
You have this sheet because you did something in traffic that put a cyclist in danger. We understand it was probably an accident, and we mean no offense, but please take a minute to read these points of laws, etiquette, and common misconceptions, to prevent future issues.
1. When you are preparing to make a right turn, watch for cyclists who may pull up alongside your vehicle. Remember to check your blind spots over your shoulders.
2. When you are about to make a right turn, do not pull up beside a cyclist or in front of them and then turn and cut them off. Just wait the extra couple of seconds for the cyclist to pass, and make your turn when it's clear. This is the biggest cause of bicycle-motor vehicle collisions.
3. When passing a cyclist, go around them like you would any other vehicle. Leave lots of room: at least three feet.
4. A cyclist riding their bicycle is considered by law to be a vehicle. It’s actually illegal for cyclists to ride on the sidewalk, which is reserved for pedestrians.
5. Always check for cyclists before pulling off the curb to avoid a dangerous collision.
6. Cyclists are required to ride as close to the curb as possible. However, they may need to ride further out when they have to steer away from drainage grates, pot holes, debris, loose gravel or sand, wet or slippery surfaces, rutted or grooved pavement and even dogs. Be aware of the roadway conditions that may affect a cyclist. If we are in your way, please understand we’re not slowing you down on purpose. If there was a bike lane or a shoulder, we’d be riding there instead. We do not mean to slow traffic.
7. The law does permit cyclists to ride side-by-side. We do our best to move single-file if we’re holding up traffic. A slight tap on the horn is a reasonable reminder if we don't notice you.
8. Do not sound your horn unnecessarily when you are overtaking a cyclist. It may startle them and cause them to lose control. We get it all day, usually from people who are angry. Even if your motivation is friendly, we can’t tell the difference.
9. Do not follow too close behind cyclists. They do not have brake lights to warn you when they are stopping.
10. When parked at the curb, always check for cyclists before you open your vehicle door. It is the driver's responsibility not to open the vehicle door into traffic.
11. Cyclists do pay taxes, just like you. Most cyclists also have cars, and pay all the appropriate fees, but that road tax is actually only spent on freeways and highways. Local roads where cyclists ride are paid for through local, property, and sales taxes.
12. All cyclists have families and loved ones. Many cyclists are injured or killed every year by motorists, leaving tragedy behind them.
Thanks for reading.

This letter brought to you by SharetheDamnRoad.com, cycling advocacy and apparel.

[jc71]

Brilliant Ilie, Thanks :-)

Like you say - a good fable for what is happening in many areas of control...

J


This is a very serious story presented in a funny way :)

Enjoy:


http://vimeo.com/25037336

[sunnyrap]

I'm not arguing at all with what's been said here, but I have noticed as both a long time biker and driver, that a car driver doesn't 'see' bikes nearly as readily as another motor vehicle simply by way of conditioning.

Even though I do my best to watch out for both bikes and motorcycles, and I'm very sensitive to the position of the unprotected biker, I have more than once narrowly avoided a calamity with a rider when I was in my car because my attention was on the other vehicles in traffic and just did not focus on a rider gliding through the scene. I believe riding a bike in heavy traffic is highly dangerous just to begin with; I believe bikers would be well advised to plot their routes with lowest traffic in mind and when they can't, to have one of those arials with a flag or fox tail or other attention getting device so that you're certain you will be noticed. Like a driver who cannot operate on the idea that all other drivers are not necessarily good drivers or paying attention, a biker must just assume from the get-go the drivers are bad and aren't if they want to continue unscathed....

[Charlie Pecos]

It takes a great deal of arrogance to be a bicyclist- I should know, I was one. I placed myself and other users of the road in great danger many, many times because I "had the right". I had many close calls- even ones that weren't my fault. Through time and reflection I can recognize the error of my ways. Cyclist's must take responsibility for their own actions and quit hiding behind the "I pay taxes too and I have a right" excuse. We all pay taxes, just because you feel it is your right to ride on a narrow, heavily traveled two lane road, does not mean it is safe for you to do so. In a car on bicycle accident, you lose, period, end of story. Simple.

Please take a moment and consider that not only are you placing yourself in a position of extreme danger, but you are also placing many motorists in an unfortunate predicament as well. If a motorist must swerve to avoid you, that motorist is in danger of being in a head-on collision just because you "have the right".

Please, pick routes with wide shoulders that can be safely navigated and by all means avoid the routes that are dangerous for you and your fellow motorists. You have just as much responsibility to look out for them as they do for you. Just because you can ride on these roads doesn't mean you should. Personal responsibility is the key.

[Flash]

I bike everyday to work.

I've had numerous close calls, and not a single time was it my fault.

People are so quick to blame the cyclists.

Cyclists don't know the rules? Please.

In a bike on car collision, the car wins every time.

Of course there are terrible bikers out there but tell me this: If you commute everyday to work in a car and drive defensively you're not very likely to have an accident and in the event you do you're protected from seatbelts, airbags, and the structure to absorb any impact. I ride my bike to work everyday, defensively and have almost been killed 4 times in the last 3 months. I have a helmet, that's it.

Bikes have the right to take the whole lane if they so choose and it is illegal to pass a biker with less than 3 feet between the care and bike.

And going through traffic control devices is completely different on a bike and in sensible places legislation reflects this. See idaho stop.

A biker can see oncoming traffic and hear it much better than the caged animals having their senses cauterized by their car.

I print this out and hand it out to misinformed drivers all the time, might as well start here too.


This page is inspired by a horrible woman I met in Ellicott City, Maryland. Pulling into a coffee shop, she made a right turn right in front of me, forcing me to skid on both wheels and one foot, still tapping into her bumper as I came to a stop. When I politely confronted her in the parking lot, she spouted various anti-cycling garbage, such as "you should ride on the sidewalk" and "I hope they make you pay taxes". I couldn't even get it through to her that she nearly landed me in the hospital and herself in jail, so I thought of making this little sheet with some rules and statements on it. Maybe she was angry and rushed at the time, but if I had put this in her hand there's a chance she would have read it later. From now on, I'll bring a couple copies of this in my pocket when I ride, and I'll put it in the hands or under the windshield wiper of motorists who offend or endanger me, when it doesn't look like they're ready to talk to listen. Maybe we'll make another version to leave around in public plates. It works for Jehovah's Witnesses, right?

DO NOT USE THIS FLIER IF YOU WERE IN THE WRONG
Cyclists have to obey the rules, too. You have no right to be angry if you were the one that created the dangerous situation. If you were going the wrong way on a one way street, holding a cup of coffee in the dark, and someone honked at you, you deserved it. Stop making the rest of us look bad.

Dear Motorist,
You have this sheet because you did something in traffic that put a cyclist in danger. We understand it was probably an accident, and we mean no offense, but please take a minute to read these points of laws, etiquette, and common misconceptions, to prevent future issues.
1. When you are preparing to make a right turn, watch for cyclists who may pull up alongside your vehicle. Remember to check your blind spots over your shoulders.
2. When you are about to make a right turn, do not pull up beside a cyclist or in front of them and then turn and cut them off. Just wait the extra couple of seconds for the cyclist to pass, and make your turn when it's clear. This is the biggest cause of bicycle-motor vehicle collisions.
3. When passing a cyclist, go around them like you would any other vehicle. Leave lots of room: at least three feet.
4. A cyclist riding their bicycle is considered by law to be a vehicle. It’s actually illegal for cyclists to ride on the sidewalk, which is reserved for pedestrians.
5. Always check for cyclists before pulling off the curb to avoid a dangerous collision.
6. Cyclists are required to ride as close to the curb as possible. However, they may need to ride further out when they have to steer away from drainage grates, pot holes, debris, loose gravel or sand, wet or slippery surfaces, rutted or grooved pavement and even dogs. Be aware of the roadway conditions that may affect a cyclist. If we are in your way, please understand we’re not slowing you down on purpose. If there was a bike lane or a shoulder, we’d be riding there instead. We do not mean to slow traffic.
7. The law does permit cyclists to ride side-by-side. We do our best to move single-file if we’re holding up traffic. A slight tap on the horn is a reasonable reminder if we don't notice you.
8. Do not sound your horn unnecessarily when you are overtaking a cyclist. It may startle them and cause them to lose control. We get it all day, usually from people who are angry. Even if your motivation is friendly, we can’t tell the difference.
9. Do not follow too close behind cyclists. They do not have brake lights to warn you when they are stopping.
10. When parked at the curb, always check for cyclists before you open your vehicle door. It is the driver's responsibility not to open the vehicle door into traffic.
11. Cyclists do pay taxes, just like you. Most cyclists also have cars, and pay all the appropriate fees, but that road tax is actually only spent on freeways and highways. Local roads where cyclists ride are paid for through local, property, and sales taxes.
12. All cyclists have families and loved ones. Many cyclists are injured or killed every year by motorists, leaving tragedy behind them.
Thanks for reading.

This letter brought to you by SharetheDamnRoad.com, cycling advocacy and apparel.

Do not forget Stegosaur that Avalon forum IS NOT for US citizens ONLY. There is absolutely no comparison between most cities in Maryland or Idaho or the city of Toronto's driving and Montreal, and still less with Istanbul for example.

In Montreal, drivers are a rare breed for how bad they are, and cyclists are worst. THEY DON'T KNOW THE RULE and if they do, they often don't respect it. I am driving a lot in the city for work, not to go to work, but for working in daytime, I know the city by heart, I am a good driver, complying with all your recommendations above, and what do I see:


Cyclist passing on the red light
Cyclist not signaling when turning
Cyclist showing up on my left (drivers are at the left in US Canada), in between cars, by surrpise and cutting me when the light turns green, from my left please
Cyclist getting into pedestrian and harming them so much they end up in hospital (in Montreal, probably 7-10 times occurence a day)
Cyclist killing pedestrians,
Cyclists getting killed by bad drivers yes as well.

But here, nor cyclists nor pedestrian respect the road code. Any Canadian would tell you about Montreal. Still had to stop today in mid road for a pedestrian that showed up unexpectedly from nowhere it seems (probably from in between cars, like a child, but it was an adult). This is daily occurence with only one driver, me. Imagine 1 million of us, with 700,000 cyclists.

In Istanbul, I would have to run to cross on a green light as a pedestrian, because drivers did not respect their red light, nor cyclists, nor anybody (in fact there is few cyclists there, it is too dangerous). Nobody was respecting the road codes, a 3 lane highway would become a 5 lanes for example. Different experiences in different cities or countries.

So when you give comments, you are here on an international forum, do not forget. Your comment and mostly JUDGMENTS may be inappropriate for other life experiences on this planet. Why not instead try to share and understand others experiences in other parts of the world. Or even, should I say, the drivers' experience.

Now, I do agree however that cycling in a city iin North America is not easy and that drivers are often not conscious of the dangers for the cyclists. But here, in my city, cyclists really have to share the blame. If I hit them, I go to jail and my insurance climbs up substantially, even if they were to blame. We don't want to hit them as drivers, but sometimes they did all they can to be hit - I never hit a cyclist nor a pedestrian and hope I never will, but God do I have to be forever careful with cyclists - they do not follow any rule here, I am always on my guard for the unexpected action of the "stu... yes I bitch in my car... cyclist" No judgement here, just plain drivers' bitching.

[Ilie Pandia]

Hello,

Let's not argue about cyclist and motorists :). I sure know they all come in different flavors. So let's not generalize and accept that there bad ones and good ones. I agree with you Flash that some cyclist are totally nuts, but I also agree with Stegosaur and I understand his frustration... I am now too scared to cycle in the city. Too young to die! ;)

So let's agree with that (or not) and get back to the point of this clip that in my opinion is yet another form of tip-toeing towards a totalitarian regime.

[Davidallany]

Awesome haiduc :)

[norman]

So let's agree with that (or not) and get back to the point of this clip that in my opinion is yet another form of tip-toeing towards a totalitarian regime.






I think you are right, but as an ex racing cyclist, club cyclist and general "do everything on a bike" person, I have to agree very much with the posts that criticise modern bike riders.

For some nutty reason I don't fully understand, there are a LOT of transport anarchists on these new trendy fashion accessories called bicycles.

The point I'm making is that the whole cycling scene is ripe for manipulation. And manipulation we'll surely get.

They won't attempt to launch a new compression of liberties by picking on a sector that has it's feet firmly on the ground and has a good case to be left to the jury to decide.

No. that's not how it works. They first 'spike' a sector and wait for it to get wild and develope a popular resistance to it's antics.

There IS a popular resistance to the antics of bike riders who can't make up their minds if they are road users, pavement users, pedestrians on wheels, motorists on peddals or whatever a particulars trip's ambience invites.

THAT is RIPE for manipulation.

So much so, that they probably have put policemen back on bikes as a build up to actually running 'agents' on bikes too.

Watch this space! ( hehe )

[Flash]

Love this. Yes, the police state is obviously there and the vidoe shows it quite well. And yes, as Norman says


They won't attempt to launch a new compression of liberties by picking on a sector that has it's feet firmly on the ground and has a good case to be left to the jury to decide.

No. that's not how it works. They first 'spike' a sector and wait for it to get wild and develope a popular resistance to it's antics.


And guess what, I am the first guilty one about popular resistance, as you can see in my post. Ok, minute awakening here. I was unconsciously playing the PTB game it seems.

[Snowbird]

Can someone explain to me why bicyclists are allowed to go through red lights and vehicle drivers get ticketed for this? It happens constantly in this city.

[stegosaur]

Can someone explain to me why bicyclists are allowed to go through red lights and vehicle drivers get ticketed for this? It happens constantly in this city.

It's technically not allowed in any US state (except for Idaho)

[DNA]

Oh my god,,,,,hilarious, that dude has some balls. Those were some pretty painfull looking spills. The one into the back of the produce truck,,,,I laughed out loud,,,good stuff.

I don't live in NYC,,,I live in Phoenix,,,,and I cannot for the life of me understand bicyles on the road.
I don't care if the law says you CAN do it,,,,,,your an idiot if you ride on the roads out here.
I see the Lance Armstrong wannabees out in force, and they practice the whole takiing up a whole driving lane thing.

I just scratch my head. These folks may think they are exercising, or helping pollutions problems,,but bottom line,,,they are gonna get ran over.
On top of that, no one walks in Phoenix. No one.
They could ride on the side walks all freaking day.
I ride my bike now and then, minus the gay skin tight wonder bread shirt and the capri pant tights.
And when I ride my bike,,,I ride on the dang sidewalks.
Bicyclists who ride on the streets of Phoenix have a death wish.

[Mad Hatter]

Thanks for the post Ilie. I'm a bit torn over this issue. I do not want further errosion of rights by TPTB but unless the bike riding community pick their game up that is what will happen.
The clip actually demonstrates a lot of what could be done to improve things.

1) The most glaring example is the fact that the idiot riding the bike was not wearing a helmet!!
2) Where I live pedestrians have absolute right of way so if they are in the bike lane the cyclist has a duty of care. (may not be the case for the clip)
Of course the cost in energy of stopping 2000kg of car vs 80kg of person/bike is another entire argument...
3) Technology is available in the form of brake lights / headlights / indicators / visibility flags so why not utilise it. (NOTE the smartest lights to fit would be flashing blue and red!!)
4) No you cannot expect 3 foot clearance if you insist on riding the white line next to the car lane simply because 9 times out of 10 it is not available to give it to you so get real and ride next to the gutter!!
5) LEARN and OBEY the number one worldwide unwritten rule of the road : GIVE WAY TO WHATEVER IS BIGGEST.
6) Start a campaign to make sure bike lanes are not put between footpath and any parking lane. This would have to be one of the more moronic layouts I've seen. As a driver I cannot see any bike riders for parked cars and the poor bike rider has no hope of seeing my indicators.
7) It may be legal for a pair of bike riders to ride side by side and take up an entire lane but in peak hour traffic I find that sort of behaviour arrogant in the extreme.

As has been pointed out so often the price of freedom is personal responsibility and failure to act in that manner will simply speed up the further errosion of said freedom so more respect all round will not go astray.

cheers

[leavesoftrees]

1) The most glaring example is the fact that the idiot riding the bike was not wearing a helmet!!

It's not a given that helmets are particularly effective. Where mandatory bike helmet laws have been introduced, the major result is that there is an immediate drop in the number of cyclists

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_helmet

[sshenry]

Thanks Ilie.

You know, for just a moment there when I read the title of the thread, I thought it said "Biker TICKLED for not riding on bike lane" :)

[Hughe]

Beware the graphic violence!
7sJg9PuXMRk

Each year over one million people get killed by car accidents.

It seems the traffic laws dehumanize all drivers. We literally kill each other on the street. The problem is people don't care about this issue. Why? That's one of big questions. Few years ago, I started thinking about car accidents. I had myself witnessed heart-breaking traffic accidents few times. One accident I was a superman and my motorcycle totalled at the spot by a careless driver. I walked away with a minor scratch. I still have the riding jacket I was wearing.