Advocacy & Safety - cyclist fined $1,000

Cyclist gets four-digit abusive rider fee for traffic infraction

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) -- Kajuan Cornish didn't know he was such a danger on his bicycle, and now he's facing hefty fees that could have paid for him to have a car.

One day after Gov. Timothy M. Kaine admitted the state's so-called abusive driver fees had failed and called for them to be repealed, Cornish was ordered to pay a fee of $1,050 for recklessly operating his 18-speed Huffy in an intersection during rush hour.

"A bike with pedals -- a 4-year-old can ride a bike," Cornish said Thursday. "I could see it happen if I'm riding the wrong way down the expressway -- that's dumb."

Cornish, 19, doesn't drive and was convicted of reckless driving in Newport News traffic court for a ticket he received after riding his bike across Warwick Boulevard.

Cornish was returning to work when he received the summons.

Officer George Evans said drivers had to slow down to avoid hitting Cornish when he crossed the intersection and that he would have written a warning if not the ticket.

"If he gets hit, then we have a mess," Evans said, adding that as a citizen, he thinks the abusive driver fees are too high, but also out of his control.

The fees were instituted last year against drivers with egregious traffic offenses.

Cornish is due back in court to appeal in February.

"I'm stuck," he said. "I'm trying to be Christian about it, but it's frustrating."

I'd just about bet money he was crossing the intersection illegally, instead of riding vehicularly.

I'd bet your right.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Ha! I get to be the first one to speculate whether he was wearing a helmet or not! :D

I say not!

Nyaa Nyaa! I got it in first! ;):p

Yeah, it's ok to blow intersections if you are wearing a helmet. Everybody knows that!

Not knowing the full story, I wll just comment on the cop
concerned that drivers had to slow down for Cornish, like that
concept is just too outragious for consideration..........There are
ad campaigns to slow down for cops and construction workers
but to slow for a bike rider is just too ridiculous a concept to
entertain. :rolleyes:

No word on whether he was running a red or not... anyone know the full story?

what would be the fun in knowing the whole story?

I don't know any further details on this, but having lived down there I can say that if he did cross illegally pretty much anywhere on Warwick during rush hour, he was certainly putting himself in serious danger. It's a very heavily traveled road with numerous very busy intersections.

For what it's worth, the current Virginia Senate has passed it's first bill, which includes a repeal of the abusive driver fees and payback to anyone that has paid them, with interest.

Not knowing the full story, I wll just comment on the cop
concerned that drivers had to slow down for Cornish, like that
concept is just too outragious for consideration..........There are
ad campaigns to slow down for cops and construction workers
but to slow for a bike rider is just too ridiculous a concept to
entertain. :rolleyes:
I imagine he probably ran the red, forcing drivers to brake hard, and that's what earned him the ticket. That sort of thing can cause accidents. I don't think it should get the kid pegged with anything other than a warning, but when drivers have the right of way, cyclists shouldn't be pulling out in front of them.

On the other hand, it's possible that the cop was simply being an ******* and the kid wasn't doing anything illegal. There's no way to know from that story.

Team 1065! A ZooBomb record! I went by as the cop was giving this one out.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1206/1354951448_f01135ae85.jpg

yeah i got this ticket tonight, for one thousand and sixty five dollars!
five offenses, as follows, two for running stop signs, one for failure to ride on the right, one for no lights, and one for riding in the opposing lane.

http://www.zoobomb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6412

Will a mod combine this with the other thread in Road Cycling?

There's one in commuting too.

Team 1065! A ZooBomb record! I went by as the cop was giving this one out.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1206/1354951448_f01135ae85.jpg
yeah i got this ticket tonight, for one thousand and sixty five dollars!
five offenses, as follows, two for running stop signs, one for failure to ride on the right, one for no lights, and one for riding in the opposing lane.

http://www.zoobomb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6412

What exactly is zoobombing?

What exactly is zoobombing?

Late Sunday night event. ride the train / elevator and hike to the top of the hill in the park at the zoo, party for a while, bomb the hill on little kids bikes, catch the train and repeat two to five times.


Zoobomb is a weekly bike event that meets every Sunday around 8:30PM across from Rocco's Pizza (949 SW Oak) in Portland OR. Bring a bike if you have one, MAX fare ($1.75), bike lights, and any safety gear you want to wear. You are welcome to bring snacks and drinks but you MUST clean up everything you bring with you. Leave no trace. Its a good time and you WILL have fun!
HELMETS ARE ENCOURAGED
* RIDE AT YOUR OWN RISK *
http://www.zoobomb.net/

What exactly is zoobombing?


Zoobombing, AFAIK, is a tradition in San Diego, California, where the participants take their bikes aboard the Light Rail Train (LRT, or trolley) and go to the stop at the San Diego Zoo. From there it is a downhill ride for like , two miles or so.

Late Sunday night event. ride the train / elevator and hike to the top of the hill in the park at the zoo, party for a while, bomb the hill on little kids bikes, catch the train and repeat two to five times.


http://www.zoobomb.net/

Thanks for that correction. It's Portland Oregon and not San Diego, CA.

That's why I said "AFAIK", which is an abbreviation for "as far as I know".

Although Portland is the epicenter and original location of ZooBombing, it has spread to other cities nationally and internationally

I checked it out, and immediately started looking around at my spare parts to see if I can make a zoobomb bike. Never heard of people doing this here, but there are some great long hills near my house I could do this on. Awesome. Though I will have to walk back up. :(

Yeah, it's ok to blow intersections if you are wearing a helmet. Everybody knows that!

Please! I've worn helmets before, and my styrofoam hat is not a helmet! :D

For what it's worth, the current Virginia Senate has passed it's first bill, which includes a repeal of the abusive driver fees and payback to anyone that has paid them, with interest.

Crap... I never was slapped with the abusive driver fees... oh well, there goes the interest money... :D

Oh yeah:

I can't be the first to say that he probably wasn't riding without a helmet, but I CAN be the first to say that he probably wasn't riding without lights! :p

Zoobombing, AFAIK, is a tradition in San Diego, California, where the participants take their bikes aboard the Light Rail Train (LRT, or trolley) and go to the stop at the San Diego Zoo. From there it is a downhill ride for like , two miles or so.

The Trolley doesn't go near the zoo... in San Diego. However, back in the day, I used to love riding down Park Blvd from University toward downtown. Now it seems like there were fewer stop lights on Park back then... but I could be wrong. Park Blvd is a gentle downhill past the zoo and Balboa park and I would often ride early in the morning, hands free while just cruising along...

I had this cool idea to have a friend video tape me doing that ride while I made a PB&J with ingredients from within my handle bar bag. It was that smooth a ride, and a perfect slope to keep up a good speed, easily.

I never did it... but it just seemed like the thing to do.

But no Trolley, so technically no "zoobombing," by definition.

BTW back in the day I was also a Pedicab driver in the park. I spent a lot of time in the saddle... riding to the park, driving a Pedicab, and being car free. :)

But I've just never heard of zoobombing... at least not around here.

dont ride across the roads or on the roads you only get abused or run over,the city should put up bike lanes like they are now doing here in sydney,these run along side bus only lanes,really fining a bike rider is diging the bottom of the barrell hell we even got the bike police out in force now haaaaaaaa

Hey, my current fine (that I'm appealing) is up to $187. I could have avoided it by going straight from a right turn only lane. Oddly enough, it exceeds any fine I've ever received in an automobile including when I got pulled over doing 110mph :eek:

Crap... I never was slapped with the abusive driver fees... oh well, there goes the interest money... :D

Oh yeah:

I can't be the first to say that he probably wasn't riding without a helmet, but I CAN be the first to say that he probably wasn't riding without lights! :p

logic police citation for your double negative :rolleyes: he either wasn't riding with lights, or he was riding without lights. But wasn't riding without lights means he did have lights!!

logic police citation for your double negative :rolleyes: he either wasn't riding with lights, or he was riding without lights. But wasn't riding without lights means he did have lights!!

Ah, dammit.... :o

cheaper just to pay fines then appealing man lol you will find that out, once they wack ya with a fine there usually is no way to get around those

I suspect that this is more about abolishing the new law that will affect motorists far more than cyclsits. I say keep up the law, it will probably mean safer roads for cyclists and more money for roads. Only thing that I would push for is to have the laws affect non Va drivers as well.

http://hamptonroads.com/2007/12/abusive-drivers-fees-withstand-challenge-portsmouth

The law calls for hefty fines against drivers committing criminal or misdemeanor acts while driving or having eight or more driving record demerits starting July 15.

Look at all the legal action here:
http://www.valawyersweekly.com/civilfees.cfm

This is the law, it looks like there are some things you could do on a bike that will get you a hefty ticket. Riding two or more abreast in the same lane for example.
http://www.courts.state.va.us/publications/hb_3202.pdf

http://www.hb3202.virginia.gov/fees.shtml

Driving on a suspended or revoked license - $250 each year for three years;
Reckless or aggressive driving - $350 each year for three years;
Driving while intoxicated - $750 each year for three years;
Other misdemeanor convictions for driving and/or motor vehicle-related offense -$300 each year for three years;
Any felony conviction for driving or motor vehicle-related offense - $1000 each year for three years.

Could you be guilty of Reckless driving if you are going too slow? Seems like yes you could.

§ 46.2-852. Reckless driving; general rule.

Irrespective of the maximum speeds permitted by law, any person who drives a vehicle on any highway recklessly or at a speed or in a manner so as to endanger the life, limb, or property of any person shall be guilty of reckless driving.

(Code 1950, § 46-208; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-189; 1983, c. 380; 1989, c. 727.)