Cyclists getting ticketed in DC

[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

[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.

[Tuckervill]

Holy cow, what a waste of resources! Couldn't he just have looked it up on the internet?

Karen

[Eden]

Holy cow, what a waste of resources! Couldn't he just have looked it up on the internet?

Karen

I'm guessing what took a judge wasn't reading the law, but interpreting it. The cop's understanding (well at least the way he wanted to understand it) was that a cyclist could not stop (like the law says) without putting a foot down. The judge in the end disagreed. After all that is what judges are for. Police officers can only enforce the laws - judges get to interpret them.

[Grog]

I seldom put a foot down at intersections, unless I have to wait for more than 15 seconds to cross, but I am certainly more "stopped" than any of the cars who also "stop" at the same intersection. At any given moment my speed as I cross the stop line is definitely a lot slower than theirs. I very seldom see a car driver that actually stops at a stop sign.