Cyclists getting ticketed in DC

[Possegal]

i was riding on tuesday and i went by a montgomery county cop sitting on the sidelines quietly hiding, i assume to monitor car's speed. he waved at me, i waved back. but i really wanted to yell at him - are you going to use the gun on me? how fast am i going?

last year during the livestrong ride, my sister and i were 'slowski-ing' along and there was one of those signs that monitors speed. at first, nothing was registering. and we broke up laughing. then, it flashed 11 mph, and at first, i looked behind us. then i realized there was no one but us, and we cheered - we're going 11 mph!!!

[sgtiger]

The thing I would like to know is...does it go on your license? Does a ticket that you get on a bike effect (or affect? hmmm) your driving record and subsequently your insurance bill? Just curious.

I know that it can in Washington state. A husband of one of the women I occasionally used to ride with received a speeding ticket on one of the trails just north of Seattle. Two weeks after the ticket, they received a letter from their insurance company that informed them their premiums were raised due to his moving violation.

[blueskies]

There's one particular cop who's been ticketing bikes in North Plains (near Hillsboro), Oregon. He tickets anyone who doesn't come to a complete foot-to-the-ground stop. $300+. Not just the ones who blast through, even the people who slow to a near stop, see that it's clear, & go. (On West Union, where it enters North Plains, if you ride in the area...)

[TahoeDirtGirl]

It's almost like virtual reality becomes reality...I was riding this wknd when a tandem bike ran a stop sign and I almost hit them. I could not believe it. No "sorry" or even a "whoops"...and then I had to pass them (hauling squash, corn on the cob and peaches )?! I hit my LBS on the way home and they knew who they were, so I told them to pass on a nice word of advice. Obey the signs and keep pedaling if you are going to pull out dagnabit! Like I said, nothing I would of ever even thought of...but there's a stop sign there for a reason!!

[SadieKate]

There's one particular cop who's been ticketing bikes in North Plains (near Hillsboro), Oregon. He tickets anyone who doesn't come to a complete foot-to-the-ground stop. $300+. Not just the ones who blast through, even the people who slow to a near stop, see that it's clear, & go. (On West Union, where it enters North Plains, if you ride in the area...)

Hmm, I just read through three different official Oregon driver and bike manuals again plus I remembered a Bob Mionske article (love, love, love him). I hope that cop gets himself a little larnin'.

A "near stop" is a gray area and could be open for opinion, but a track stand sure isn't. Where does it say in Oregon law that a foot must be placed on the ground?

http://www.velonews.com/article/3834
http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/BIKEPED/
http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/BIKEPED/laws_regs.shtml

Mionske article.
http://www.velonews.com/article/3834

[madscot13]

Agreed as long as treatment is equal. Within the state, a cyclist got doored. While in the ER, the police stopped by to deliver her ticket for failing to yield 3 feet when passing a parked vehicle.

While I agree, she probably violated the 3-foot passing rule, the car driver that opened the door was not also ticketed for obstructing traffic--the ticket that is supposed to be issued to any car that opens a door into traffic.

Yep, ticket for violating traffic laws, but ticket equally. Oh, and disclaimer--I never run stop lights, but I will roll stop signs if there are no cars and I have full visibility when approaching the intersection. Should I be ticketed for those? Yes, by the letter of the law, but so should the cars that go through faster than I and, due to the nature of their vehicle don't have the same visibility.

that ticks me off. sorry. but it is a damned if you do, damned if you don't. if you ride in the lane, everyone gets ticked off at you, cabs brush against you, and you are in danger of obstructing traffic in that sense also. If you go as far to the right as possible, which in DC makes you practically a curb rider- our lanes get so narrow, you get doored and blamed for it. Also, what is with the cars that have to drive 2 feet more to the right of everyone else? you aren't passing, you aren't turning. What are you doing? I know what the legal rules are for riding in DC, but I would like a little space and respect as a bicyclist/ person.

(sorry for the aggression/ cursing in this post)

Last weekend, I spoke with a park ranger about ticketing on the capital crescent because of aggressive bikers that are biking dangerously as well as inciting violence (i believe this goes both ways with runners, according to the story she told). Currently the city is giving warnings to bikers on the Mt. Vernon trail. If we don't watch our act, the same thing will happen to there. I would like to be able to bike without being endangered, so please mind your biking manners everyone!

ps I was biking downtown today. don't tell my mother

[madscot13]

i was riding on tuesday and i went by a montgomery county cop sitting on the sidelines quietly hiding, i assume to monitor car's speed. he waved at me, i waved back. but i really wanted to yell at him - are you going to use the gun on me? how fast am i going?

a few weekends ago, a cop was sitting at an unlikely speed trap (isn't that the way it always is?). When we biked by, he gave us our speed! I am happy to say, I was going 30 miles below the speed limit.

[jsdilks]

A young lady who works with my husband, and who rides with us occasionally (our other daughter...) was hit by a car at Thomas circle yesterday on her way to work.

We suggested a different route for her to try - a little out of the way, but over on Calvert and down Rock Creek Parkway and on in through the monuments that way. She tried it the other day and said it was a lot less stressful. Now I need to work on her paying closer attention...I expect she will for awhile.

[Eden]

I know that it can in Washington state. A husband of one of the women I occasionally used to ride with received a speeding ticket on one of the trails just north of Seattle. Two weeks after the ticket, they received a letter from their insurance company that informed them their premiums were raised due to his moving violation.

He should have fought that one.... I think with the way the laws are written in Washington his ticket never should have counted for points.... (though I did hear of a guy who got 2 tickets in one day over on MI, both for speeding, maybe in a school zone, and his insurance premiums were raised too....) Since you don't need a driving license or driving insurance to ride a bike, I'd say it's a bit sketchy to check that box on the ticket. What would they do with someone who had no car and only an ID.... and remember you don't actually have to hand over ID to a cop ever (unless you are driving a car - you give up lots of rights when you drive) - you just cannot lie about your name.

[7rider]

If you go as far to the right as possible, which in DC makes you practically a curb rider- our lanes get so narrow, you get doored and blamed for it. Also, what is with the cars that have to drive 2 feet more to the right of everyone else? you aren't passing, you aren't turning. What are you doing? I know what the legal rules are for riding in DC, but I would like a little space and respect as a bicyclist/ person.

According to the summary of laws WABA posts - http://www.waba.org/areabiking/bikelaws.php - it is illegal to "door" in DC and MD (VA is silent on the issue). WABA doesn't cite the section of the code, but I'm sure it's there if you looked.

[Geonz]

I went by a radar cop in a school zone and he shouted out with faux-military sharpness "That's 12 miles per hour, Ma'm!!" and grinned. Next day I got it to 14

[Eden]

According to the summary of laws WABA posts - http://www.waba.org/areabiking/bikelaws.php - it is illegal to "door" in DC and MD (VA is silent on the issue). WABA doesn't cite the section of the code, but I'm sure it's there if you looked.

It is also illegal to door (or more precisely negligently open your door into traffic) here in WA state. If the rider had been here it would have been the driver who was cited not the cyclist. I still *never* ride in the door zone - I won't even ride in a bike lane if it is within the door zone. WA state law says we are not required to use bike lanes and only to ride as far right as is safe....

[madscot13]

may I say that it is a lot easier to watch for traffic/ bikes coming from behind before you open your door then for a bicyclist to see when a car might open its door. Sometimes I have no idea that there is a person in a car until I pass it. this is most likely in SUVs. there are a lot of SUV's in DC.

[Flur]

I've been looking and can't figure out if it's illegal to door here in MN. It definitely was illegal in 2003, but I can't find anything in the newer versions of the statues. I can't imagine they decided to do away with that statute and make it legal here, but then, you never know...

Oops. nevermind. I found it, it's still there.

[Eden]

There's one particular cop who's been ticketing bikes in North Plains (near Hillsboro), Oregon. He tickets anyone who doesn't come to a complete foot-to-the-ground stop. $300+. Not just the ones who blast through, even the people who slow to a near stop, see that it's clear, & go. (On West Union, where it enters North Plains, if you ride in the area...)

Looks like this fellow has been put straight about what the law actually says and stopped from his ticketing ways.... (found this on the Cascade board)


A small Oregon town's cop (little berg=North Plains) was really zealous a year or so back. He found it necessary to ticket all riders who didn't put a foot down insisting that it was required. It took a judge to point out that in Oregon law there is no requirement that a foot be placed on the ground, either by cyclists or auto drivers.
The cop is still over zealous, but has stopped issuing tickets to cyclists for not placing a foot on the ground.