Farmers ask for ordinance against bicycling on roads

[silver]

I rather like the idea of responding to the "cyclists never obey the law" with asking "oh, so can you tell me how many more tickets they get? Then... perhaps it is a perception because we don't even notice automobile drivers disobeying laws?"

Yes, I specifically discussed this with the president of the County commissioners. He emphasized that he has now authorized the sheriff to begin ticketing the bicyclists for their offenses. I pointed out to him that they had the authority to do that priviously and that no one (apparently....I asked and no one knew of any bicyclists being ticketed) had been. He agreed that the law should be applied to both motor vehicles and bicycles equally.

I've found that as I talk to them they tend to neutralize their opinion. I'm trying to give a face to the nameless cyclist.

I asked each person that I talked to if they had actually seen any cyclist break the law while cycling or if it was only heresay. The Deputy that I talked to said that the only bicyclists that he had seen break the law were kids. He said that what he considered a much worse problem were the kids on scooters/mopeds and the 4-wheelers. Posey county just recently passed an ordinance to ALLOW 4 wheelers on the county roads. None of the surrounding counties allow them. Hmmmmm.....don't think those thingies are licensed....do you?

I rode 64.5 miles today giving extra attention to obeying every law. I think that maybe I slow rolled two stop signs out of 20-25. And they were practically track stands. Car infractions that I saw: 2 cars cut corners in turns. One car passed me doing at least 50 miles above the 40 mph speed limit. An SUV passed me going up a hill where oncoming traffic was hidden. I could hear the oncoming vehicle but the Suv could not apparently. He (and another SUV) did not give me 3 feet of passing clearance. At least 10 motor vehicles "blew" through stop signs and I was practically attacked by two dogs. It was a good ride, I'd say!

Oh and then...taking the lane at stop signs. I was riding up to a stop sign. I was on the right side of the lane. I saw that there were cars approaching from behind, but a ways back. I signaled a quick left to indicate that I was moving to the left to more fully take the lane, so that I could "hold" my place in line and wouldn't be to the right side of the stopped traffic. And I began to more leftward. So, what did two cars do? The moved to the left and pulled up around me, cutting me off!

*rant over*

[Duck on Wheels]

Hmmmm. How about riding with a helmet-cam some days to document this kind of thing? Edit it down to a video to present for the commissioners ...? Just a thought.

[silver]

Hmmmm. How about riding with a helmet-cam some days to document this kind of thing? Edit it down to a video to present for the commissioners ...? Just a thought.

I've honestly thought of that!

Oh...I really should say that I really do respect the needs of the farmers. I personally do give them a lot respect and courtesy. I seen the corn and corncobs on the road and wondered how much money they are losing for leaving so much behind, but I've never really considered it a huge hazard. I'm aware to watch for it and for the farm equipment during the havest season. I watch for the equipement. I even come to a full stop and wait for them if I see that they are needing the road. I know that they work long hours to get the havest in as quikly as possible. They are usually very friendly to me and wave me by when they can.

[Deborajen]

you're right PP, but we have bike lanes and they ARE on the right!

We have bike lanes on the right, too. Some are separated from the road and are only on one side of the road so for one direction, bikes are actually "on the left." I avoid those as much as I can. Don't like them at all - too many safety issues.

When I am using those, though, at intersections I usually (and especially when I'm "on the left") cross like a pedestrian and walk the bike across. I hate doing that as much as any other cyclist, but cars just don't see the bikes in those situations - I've noticed that both as a cyclist and when I'm driving. Cars don't always see pedestrians either, but it's a better bet that a pedestrian will be anticipated. As far as I know, the proper way to cross isn't specified in our laws. It's a designated bike lane - although it's also a sidewalk. I e-mailed the contact person for our city's bikeways program and he said "You should probably ride across since you're a vehicle, but you could walk as well . . . "

Deb

[Geonz]

Our "bike lane" system is also inherently unsafe. Much of that is, I believe, because since they were put in, roads have been changed withouth a thought given to the effect on bicycle traffic. Some of it's just lousy design - nice path ... oops, it ends. Where I'd have to go across a busy road, against traffic... or the place where the bicycle lane goes right between a bus stop and the shelter for it... a very *busy* bus stop where the shelter is generally overflowing... onto the bike path... even when nobody is loading and unloading which is frequent because it's a busy bus stop.

[youflygirl]

I spent much of my life in Minneapolis which is very nice for the biker: bike paths and wide roads with shoulders practically everywhere.

Now I live in York County, Virginia and it pretty much sucks. All the towns and cities around here are designed for motorists - not pedestrians or cycists. Narrow roads, no shoulders to speak of, very few sidewalks and only on the main drag, ...buses run once an hour, so if you don't have a car you're SOL...

Having said that, I live in a large residential area with lots of kids who consistently bike down the wrong side of the road, don't wear helmets, wear dark clothing when biking at night, etc. And you can't point out to them what they're doing wrong because you're 30 years older than they are and they pay no attention...

But the real loons are a handful of skateboarding teens who seem to like to play chicken in the middle of the road with oncoming cars...that's gonna end in tears one of these days, I'm sure...

[Aggie_Ama]

I've honestly thought of that!

Oh...I really should say that I really do respect the needs of the farmers. I personally do give them a lot respect and courtesy. I seen the corn and corncobs on the road and wondered how much money they are losing for leaving so much behind, but I've never really considered it a huge hazard. I'm aware to watch for it and for the farm equipment during the havest season. I watch for the equipement. I even come to a full stop and wait for them if I see that they are needing the road. I know that they work long hours to get the havest in as quikly as possible. They are usually very friendly to me and wave me by when they can.

The sad thing like always is they probably have one or two disrespectful cyclists making an impression. Out where my husband's Oma lives they have open range ranches, as in no fences. Cattle are typically in the road and my husband's mother said they have problems with cyclists disrespecting the cattle (who legally have the right of way in open range). This is the TX Hill Country with lots of cyclo-touring.

Hope your situation works out. It sounds like a sheriff with a chip on his shoulder and a poor farmer who is stuck in a sticky situation. He (the farmer) probably didn't care for the longest time about cyclists but something has changed.

[Tuckervill]

How would cyclists disrespect the cattle? Those cyclists just don't realize how they could get hurt, do they?

Karen

[PscyclePath]

How would cyclists disrespect the cattle? Those cyclists just don't realize how they could get hurt, do they?

Sort of like a dog chasing cars... it's all the greatest of fun until that one day when he actually catches one (or vice versa).



Tom

[Aggie_Ama]

How would cyclists disrespect the cattle? Those cyclists just don't realize how they could get hurt, do they?

Karen

I think they have thrown things at them? You know I really didn't ask her what she meant. I already thought that not letting the cows be on the way was stupid. Cattle startle so easily, I usually just let them have the road and stand there in amusement. Back to Silver's thread....

[silver]

update:
Monday I attended the posey county commissioners meeting. There were about 8 cyclists there. The cyclists were given the opportunity to speak for the right to share the roads. It went OK. I still have issues with the club's attitude towards the crash and that people in the area seem to group bad cycling behaviors with the crash (in which the cyclist was obeying the law and the motorists wasn't). But overall it seemed to be the attitude that we should all try to live together and be curteous to one another.

Here's the news story. I'm not in it.

http://tristatehomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=3301

[Deborajen]

I looked at the news clip. I must have missed some of the details of the story in earlier posts, but the widow of the cyclist is suing the bike club? It's sad what she's been through, but how can that kind of iffy blame game possibly make her feel better? My heart goes out to her, but I know my husband would prefer that I do something a little more positive to make things safer for the future than blame a group he was probably friends with.

It was good to hear the commissioner saying that the plan is to help make it possible for cyclists to come to the area and ride safely. Aside from "this person's rights" and "that person's rights" and which one prevails, a better general attitude of everyone getting along is much better - more fair to everyone, and more likely to keep the peace.

Deb

[PscyclePath]

Silver:

One of the points of contention being the farm vehicles strewing corncobs along the road, you may want to check Indiana's roadway and litter laws and see if the state has a statute like this one:

27-51-1405. Throwing destructive or injurious materials on highway prohibited.

(a) No person shall throw or deposit upon any highway any glass bottle, glass, nails, tacks, wire, cans, or any other substance likely to injure any person, animal, or vehicle upon the highway.

(b) Any person who drops, or permits to be dropped or thrown, upon any highway any destructive or injurious material shall immediately remove it or cause it to be removed.

(c) Any person removing a wrecked or damaged vehicle from a public highway, as defined by § 27-51-101, shall remove any glass or other injurious substance dropped upon the public highway from the vehicle.

I'm sure the laws in the Corn Belt are as protective of farmers as they are here in the Cotton Belt... but this is a good statute to keep in mind for this issue as well as those retread tire casings that truckers keep scattering everywhere...

Tom

[silver]

Thanks Tom, Mr. had mentioned that too. I need to educate myself more on the laws.

I'm still interested in pursuing my LCI, but right now it seems that all doors have closed.

I went to the following meeting last Monday. There was nothing scheduled concerning Cycling but I felt that I needed to go just in case anything came up. I was asking myself did I really need to go. I answered myself, yes, I did need to go, because that's what a cycling advocate does. And that's what I am.....a cycling advocate!

Cycling wasn't mentioned. I'll be at the next meeting and the next.