Northeast - NYC ticket for riding on sidewalk

So I got a little lazy this morning and didn't take my bike for a ride as I usually do. Around 4 pm I look out my window and the day was so beautiful that I decided to ride to Orchard Beach (I live in the South Bronx). I come out of my building and get on my bike. My building has an entrance that connects to the sidewalk in front of it, so I ride about 40 meters from the lobby door to the ramp on the corner (my speed was probably less than 3 m/h), and when I'm about to the get off the sidewalk this cop pulls up right next to the sidewalk ramp, he's driving a scooter. He's making a signal with his hand, and I'm thinking that he's giving me the right-of-way. I got off the sidewalk and ride next pass the scooter very slowly, making eye contact with him (you never want an NYC cop to think that we're fleeing, specially if you're a minority, and you have dreadlocks, and you don't want to get beaten up), and just when I'm about to ride across the streets he tells me "Can I have your ID please?".

At that point I wasn't even realizing why he stopped me, since I'm just coming out of my building, riding slower than a turtle and ready to get on the street. Then he proceeds to tell me that what I was doing was illegal, and asked me the typical w-t-f-do-you-care questions like "where do you work", "do you live around here' blah blah blah.

Apparently this guy (who was black, I'm Hispanic) thought I was a crackhead with dreadlocks riding a bike, but then when I looked at him in the eye, and spoke in clear English, and told him that I work in the technology field he immediately changed his demeanor. All of a sudden he was polite, all nice, and gave me the typical "I wouldn't had stopped you if I knew you were a nice guy" speech. Thanking me for the fact that I'm the only cyclist in the area whom wears a helmet, to which I replied that I'm probably the only person around here that does a lot of things, and that's why I'm moving to Queens. Then he tells that he "has" to give me the ticket, especially because this happened in the projects and NYC Housing Authority really cares about this stuff (Of course they often ignore failing elevators) and and even calling me by my first name. He was almost apologizing to me, "you know, I didn't put you in the system, and you can actually get this ticket cleared if you just tell them that you're a hard-working guy and blah blah blah".

I don't know how true that is. I'm pleading not-guilty and we'll see what happens.

I'm not one of those cyclists that rides on the sidewalk all the time. I prefer the streets. I ride in almost all the major streets in the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens and I don't have a problem with this, and maybe that's why this really made me angry. It's just one of those things, you know, this city doesn't give a f*** about cyclists, and I'll still take the sidewalk on some dangerous places like sections of Queens Boulevard ( A.K.A. The Boulevard of Death). Ironically, this wasn't even one of those situations.
I wanted to tell this guy so many things like where yellow cabs force you out of the lane on purpose, or when people block bike lanes, or why do we allow our maniac cab drivers to always be on the phone, but I just chose to give him short answers.

Anyway, the only thing left for me is hope that someday, somehow, things do get better for us in this city.

Go to court and contest the ticket, explaining the circumstances might get you off. Usually they come down harder on people who were riding unsafely than someone just trying to get to the street.

So I got a little lazy this morning and didn't take my bike for a ride as I usually do. Around 4 pm I look out my window and the day was so beautiful that I decided to ride to Orchard Beach (I live in the South Bronx). I come out of my building and get on my bike. My building has an entrance that connects to the sidewalk in front of it, so I ride about 40 meters from the lobby door to the ramp on the corner (my speed was probably less than 3 m/h), and when I'm about to the get off the sidewalk this cop pulls up right next to the sidewalk ramp, he's driving a scooter. He's making a signal with his hand, and I'm thinking that he's giving me the right-of-way. I got off the sidewalk and ride next pass the scooter very slowly, making eye contact with him (you never want an NYC cop to think that we're fleeing, specially if you're a minority, and you have dreadlocks, and you don't want to get beaten up), and just when I'm about to ride across the streets he tells me "Can I have your ID please?".

At that point I wasn't even realizing why he stopped me, since I'm just coming out of my building, riding slower than a turtle and ready to get on the street. Then he proceeds to tell me that what I was doing was illegal, and asked me the typical w-t-f-do-you-care questions like "where do you work", "do you live around here' blah blah blah.

Apparently this guy (who was black, I'm Hispanic) thought I was a crackhead with dreadlocks riding a bike, but then when I looked at him in the eye, and spoke in clear English, and told him that I work in the technology field he immediately changed his demeanor. All of a sudden he was polite, all nice, and gave me the typical "I wouldn't had stopped you if I knew you were a nice guy" speech. Thanking me for the fact that I'm the only cyclist in the area whom wears a helmet, to which I replied that I'm probably the only person around here that does a lot of things, and that's why I'm moving to Queens. Then he tells that he "has" to give me the ticket, especially because this happened in the projects and NYC Housing Authority really cares about this stuff (Of course they often ignore failing elevators) and and even calling me by my first name. He was almost apologizing to me, "you know, I didn't put you in the system, and you can actually get this ticket cleared if you just tell them that you're a hard-working guy and blah blah blah".

I don't know how true that is. I'm pleading not-guilty and we'll see what happens.

I'm not one of those cyclists that rides on the sidewalk all the time. I prefer the streets. I ride in almost all the major streets in the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens and I don't have a problem with this, and maybe that's why this really made me angry. It's just one of those things, you know, this city doesn't give a f*** about cyclists, and I'll still take the sidewalk on some dangerous places like sections of Queens Boulevard ( A.K.A. The Boulevard of Death). Ironically, this wasn't even one of those situations.
I wanted to tell this guy so many things like where yellow cabs force you out of the lane on purpose, or when people block bike lanes, or why do we allow our maniac cab drivers to always be on the phone, but I just chose to give him short answers.

Anyway, the only thing left for me is hope that someday, somehow, things do get better for us in this city.

On what are you basing your assertion of what the officer thought you were? Could you elaborate what you mean by his having said he wouldn't have stopped you if he'd known you're a "nice guy"? I think you're posting this message in the immediate wake of a situation that upset you, which is why I feel a bit critical of your characterization of events.

Anyway, if your description of for what you were ticketed is accurate, I believe, indubitable, it's a garbage fine, and I feel you should fight it (which, it seems, you will — I expect you'll win). Good luck.

I feel you,
I had one of those nypd cops who was all friendly and understanding while writing out a summons.
I bet you were with him at least half an hour shooting the breeze talking like you're old friends.
but then you get that pink copy.
and, my cop did show up to court and I was nervous and was just stammering and the judge didn't like it.
of course, I lost.

The sidewalk ticket laws were designed to permit police to run warrants on people riding bicycles. It is very annoying that you have to go to court, you cannot just mail the fine. They give tickets to all races, I am white, and got one. The racial part is that I have only seen them give tickets in poor areas.

you might beat it. Do a search for sidewalk(s) in thread titles, Many of us have gotten nabbed for this here. I beat mine, though I had to take a half sick day to do so.

....Then he tells that he "has" to give me the ticket, especially because this happened in the projects and NYC Housing Authority really cares about this stuff (Of course they often ignore failing elevators) and and even calling me by my first name. He was almost apologizing to me, "you know, I didn't put you in the system, and you can actually get this ticket cleared if you just tell them that you're a hard-working guy and blah blah blah".

I don't know how true that is. I'm pleading not-guilty and we'll see what happens.



About 3 or 4 years ago, I was riding the sidewalk on Flatbush Ave between Eastern Parkway & Empire Blvd. Anyway, I got a ticket and had to appear in a sort of criminal court a little north of Chambers Street. There wasn't a judge but an administrative hearing officer or something like that. I figured I'd get hit with a $50 or $100 fine, but I was wrong. They called about 3 or 4 of us, who were all given riding on sidewalk tickets. The hearing officer told us that it's illegal to ride on the sidewalk and that we should ride in the street in the future. Then he threw out all the tickets. It worked out neater than I thought.

The court is a high security building, so they have you empty your pockets, put your bags through an x-ray device and scan you. So leave home any knives, guns or small thermonuclear devices and you'll be fine.

I would ride East on the wide sidewalk one block up to the 59th street bridge entrance on the Queens side but I've since started doing the more dangerous thing and gone against traffic in the street there because I know one day I'll get stopped there. You've got to love NYC!

I give the cops here less grief than on Long Island though - those guys and gals get paid way too much to sit around and hassle people for dangerous actions like being on a beach past sundown or walking down the street after dark (ask me how I know).

Bad timing for you. He saw you riding on the sidewalk. You get a ticket. At least he was nice, right?

I know that they gave a 65-year old retired Puerto Rican guy a $65 ticket for riding a bike on the sidewalk in the Bronx and he told them he's never even heard there was this kind of ticket (and neither did I). They said only kids 14 and younger can ride on the sidewalk.

Well, on one hand we don't want any pedestrians run into by bikes, but easily there must also be an unofficial NYPD "revenue enhancement" push for the City to actually enforce this kind of thing with fines. :notamused:

Interestingly enough, I ride a tandem sometimes with little kids, so I wonder what the sidewalk rule is on that... :lol:

.

I think it is a great law. I wish it was enforced in Japan. People on bikes riding on the sidewalk are dangerous no matter how careful you are. I think giving a warning first should be done instead of having to pay for first time offenses.

Interestingly enough, I ride a tandem sometimes with little kids, so I wonder what the sidewalk rule is on that... :lol:

.

I think the law specifies wheel size as well as age. Kids 12 and under riding bikes with wheels that are less than 26 inches can ride on the sidewalk. Of course they have to wear helmets too.

http://nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bicyclists/biketips.shtml

But what's to stop the cop from ticketing you and letting the kid off with a warning?

I think the law specifies wheel size as well as age. Kids 12 and under riding bikes with wheels that are less than 26 inches can ride on the sidewalk. Of course they have to wear helmets too.

http://nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bicyclists/biketips.shtml

But what's to stop the cop from ticketing you and letting the kid off with a warning?

26 inches?
For my seventh birthday I got a bike with 26 inch wheels.
The 26 inch threshold seems way out of sync with 12 years.

Yeah I thought the law was 24 inch wheels max when I checked the DOT website that's what I found. Maybe the idea is to keep teenagers on BMX bikes off the sidewalk?

I think the law specifies wheel size as well as age. Kids 12 and under riding bikes with wheels that are less than 26 inches can ride on the sidewalk. Of course they have to wear helmets too.

http://nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bicyclists/biketips.shtml

But what's to stop the cop from ticketing you and letting the kid off with a warning?


I'll just have to keep the front part of the tandem in the street....:D


:lol:



.

The sidewalk ticket laws were designed to permit police to run warrants on people riding bicycles.

WRONG!!!

They are for safety. If this was the true reason, they would come up with some silly law to apply whether on the street or sidewalk.

Many states have varying sidewalk laws. For example, in PA, it is only stated that you can't ride on the sidewalks in a business district. I am sure this is so that they don't have to ticket kids in the suburbs... or force young kids to ride on the street before they are ready.

I wish they would enforce it better, but it depends on your locality. My guess, based on the people racing down the sidewalks downtown is that Wilkes-Barre police have never written a ticket for this offense.

the bottom line is don't ride on sidewalks, ever, if you can help it. It's good to share these experiences here, because when it happens to most of us, it's a bit of a shock.

Once you know, you can avoid it.

...my cop did show up to court and I was nervous and was just stammering and the judge didn't like it.
of course, I lost.

wow...a cop has nothing better to do on that date and show up in court for a stupid summon he wrote on u. and how much was ur fine?

i will ride my bike on the sidewalk again if it is dangerous on the road or steps from my home. and if i get a summon again, and if the cop do show up in court, i will tell the judge a piece of my mind.

the fine was either $50 or $55 in 1984
I was summonsed for bringing a "bulky article" in the columbus circle station.
that item was my bicycle.
I'm sure you guys have better luck than me.
I still made it through numerous background checks, though an army recruiter did ask if I gotten any tickets.
my friend got the same summons, I think he ignored it because I didn't see him on the appearance date.

There was a lot more enforcement after an incident a few years ago when a take-out food delivery guy, riding on the sidewalk, clocked some 80 year old man coming out of a restaurant (if memory serves). The 80 year old died of his injuries. That and a need to send a message to the messengers to get off the sidewalk. It's a good law in my opinion, especially in Manhattan.

Steve B.

my friend got the same summons, I think he ignored it because I didn't see him on the appearance date.

Ignoring it can be worse than the summons.
There was a recent story about a guy who was busted in Brooklyn for riding on the sidewalk. Cops brought him down to the precinct, did a background check and then ran him through the system. Apparently he was a serial sidewalk rider.

http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/32/18/32_18_mm_bike_scofflaw.html

And then there's this guy who got held overnight because he was riding on the sidewalk and wasn't carrying any ID.
http://mobile.gothamist.com/2009/06/05/husband_wasnt_missing_just_jailed_f.php

I think what tricky is determining what, exactly, counts as "riding on the sidewalk." Most of us likely "start up" on the sidewalk, and even more ride from the street onto the sidewalk for at least several feet, when ready to dismount our bikes. I, for one, would not consider this to be a problem, but, admittedly, I'm not typically upset, either, by a cautious, slow-moving bicyclist's presence on the concrete, generally.

I think what tricky is determining what, exactly, counts as "riding on the sidewalk." Most of us likely "start up" on the sidewalk, and even more ride from the street onto the sidewalk for at least several feet, when ready to dismount our bikes. I, for one, would not consider this to be a problem, but, admittedly, I'm not typically upset, either, by a cautious, slow-moving bicyclist's presence on the concrete, generally.

In some ways, the bottom line is that we shouldn't be riding on the sidewalk. When I got my ticket, I had ridden about 1/2 mile along Flatbush between Eastern Parkway and Empire Blvd. The officer who wrote the ticket told me that there had been complaints to the precinct about bikes on the sidewalk endangering people. As I explained in my previous post, the tickets were thrown out with an admonition not to ride on the sidewalk. I've often ridden that section of Flatbush on the sidewalk after that.

I'm reminded of a Three Stooges routine (they were one of my great teachers about human nature). Moe either slaps Larry in the face or gives him two fingers in the eyes. Larry complains that he didn't do anything and didn't deserve to be abused. Moe justifies his actions by saying it was meant to cover anything that Larry did in the past or will do in the future that Moe wasn't aware of. (I'm sure there's a simpler way of saying that)

Along the same twisted lines. I was riding up in the Fort Washington area of Manhattan on the day of some bike event. I came to a stop at a red light facing me on Fort Washington Ave. A nice older woman complimented me for stopping at the red light, which she explained most bike riders don't do. I couldn't let her shower me with kind words and explained to her that I stopped because there was a patrol car sitting at the intersection.

i was rolling onto the sidewalk in front of my house. just a few feet as every day when i come home from work. got a ticket for $50. sucked it up and paid. well, first i waited until it became $80. $50 plus $30 stupidity fee in all.

i broke the rules. i got caught. i paid up. big whoop.

My boss got the same ticket the other day near LES. There was a patrol car parked and theyre specifically assigned to ticket bicyclists on the sidewalk. What a load of crap.

"In some ways, the bottom line is that we shouldn't be riding on the sidewalk."

Why? When a car needs to enter the owners driveway, it crosses the sidewalk. You are trying to substitute rules for common sense. The Sidewalk tickets exist for one purpose, enforcing drugs and perhaps gun laws. Otherwise the police would not be interested. It is not a safety, or traffic, or even a revenue issue.

It's wrong, I believe, to make a simple blanket-statement like, "Bicycles shouldn't be on the sidewalk." In many instances — as I'd hoped I'd stated in my previous post — the line is grayer than to allow this interpretation. As I'm leaving my building, it isn't in any way wrong for me to mount my bicycle before getting onto the street, especially if there's no one else around me on the concrete but cars are periodically zipping by on the asphalt — it's much safer if I have a little bit of speed and handling ready by the time I'm in traffic. Likewise, pulling out of traffic, it's often better to find an unoccupied spot on the sidewalk, then ride up onto it (slowly and carefully, of course), than it is to abruptly stop at the edge of the street, then drag a bike onto the sidewalk.

Now, if a cop "catches you" doing either of these things, and sees it as an opportunity to write a ticket, rather than considers the situation a little more wholly, you certainly shouldn't "accept" the fine because you "got caught"; you did nothing wrong, and you ought to fight.

today i got off the subway station and mount bike on the sidewalk and got on the street. and i saw a cop car in front of me and i still did it. those cops didn't gave me any tix. i guess they got common sense.

I just want to say that I'm more careful now when I'm "coming out of my house". I just walk the bike to the street, and then ride. However, there are two things that I want to clarify.

#1 I wouldn't mind the ticket so much if the NYPD was actually there when I needed them, when I need to be protected from drivers, which they don't. So many times I've been riding behind a patrol and I just see them complete ignore cars, trucks and commercial vehicles that are blocking the bike lane, they don't care, they look at it and don't even stop to tell the driver to move. And how about cops blocking the bike lane? That's even worse. They do it all the time, and the worst part is that most time they're just sitting inside the car, and had plenty of space not to block it. Every time that I have to swerve into traffic because cops are blocking my lane I just remember the ticket they gave me and it burns me inside. I was also almost hit by a patrol, I had the green light, and they ran the red light WITH NO SIREN OR LIGHTS ON, I was force to stop, luckily there was nobody behind me, and they just looked at me like I wasn't suppose to be there, like I was the one at fault. I'm overall a happy person and I'm not obsessed with the NYPD or anything, and I try to respect them, trust me, I really do, but they just make it so very hard for me to do so.

#2 Just because I got a ticket it doesn't mean that I won't ride on the sidewalk anymore. As I said before, I'm on the street maybe 99% if the time, but in a city that is so unfriendly to cyclist I'm often forced to take the sidewalk. Like when I have cab drivers overtake me leaving only a few inches of distance and I have to jump the curb not to get hit, even though I'm taking the lane by staying right in the middle of it. I know many pedestrians are scared of cyclists, and don't want them on the sidewalk. I never go fast when I'm on the sidewalk, I always yield to peds and the only time I've been close to hitting one is when they jaywalk mindlessly. We need a appropriate biking infrastructure NYC, and we need more dedicated space for cyclist and peds.

it is what it is. profiling isn't perfect. this is a good place to vent. I'm sure you'll beat it. I wonder what he meant by "I didn't put it into the system" It might be helpful to you to know exactly what that means

Speaking of riding on the sidewalk, check out this photo I snapped on my way to work last week (cropped from a cell phone camera image, hence the blurriness).

http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/7778/motorcycle.png

Yes, that is a motorcycle. I didn't want to believe it when she got on the SIDEWALK riding up toward the bridge, but when she actually got on the bridge pedestrian path I just had to snap a photo. The next day, someone on an electric scooter passed me on the Pulaski bridge.

At the risk of my safety I bike salmon up the street for a block to get on the bridge on the Queens side rather than using the very wide sidewalk, and this person had the gall to ride up on it on a motorcycle. People never cease to amaze me.

I can't say I wouldn't be inclined to do the same thing. These new vehicles are probably facing some very dangerous situations while riding with cars. Of course this idiot isn't even wearing a helmet so she is probably just a giant ignoramus. But I like her boots!

that can't be a legal motorcycle...if it is legal, it should have a license plate on the back. that look like one of those illegal electric bikes...if cops see them...they will definately be getting a tix for both riding on the sidewalk and operating an illegal vehicle (electric bike is ban in nyc).

Agree with vincentnyc. If it was a legal motorcycle not only would she have a license plate and a helmet, she'd also know she's not allowed on the pedestrian/bike path. Most likely it's one of those illegal mopeds or electric bikes that doesn't have the horsepower to keep up with traffic.

The boots are cool but anyone who's ever laid down a motorcycle at 55+ mph would never ride in a strappy dress.

It wasn't electric, and it certainly couldn't keep up with traffic - it had quite a loud motor. I beat it from a light without trying, right after she had run another red light. It is the principle!

Moped. Very narrow tire. May have had pedals too.

Update


Well, I finally went to court 2 days ago. After waiting for over an hour to get my name called I went before the judge. There was this lady that was 2 places ahead of me on the line, she was there because she was "driving too close to the sidewalk", and the judge looked at her and said "don't do it again, let her go". At that moment I thought to myself that there was a chance he was going to do the same thing with me, but then the guy that came after her was there for the same reason as me; riding on the sidewalk. The judge looked at him and said "pay $20, and of course I got the same treatment when it was my turn.

They asked me if I plead guilty or if I want it to fight it. I plead guilty because even though it was all bs I know that there's very little I can do legally, plus I have a job and I start school in September.

Wasn't the person who issued the ticket there? Don't they have to be? I thought there had to be a complainant (the cop) for you to be judged guilty...

26 inches?
For my seventh birthday I got a bike with 26 inch wheels.
The 26 inch threshold seems way out of sync with 12 years.

You must have been huge for your age. No way I could have ridden a 26" at 7. I was still on a 20" at 12.

Jeff

So let me understand this.... it's the Cop and the Citys fault that you were lazy. Amazing ...simply amazing. Be a man ...Stand up and take responsibility for your actions...it's not always someone else's fault.

Wasn't the person who issued the ticket there? Don't they have to be? I thought there had to be a complainant (the cop) for you to be judged guilty...


No. Only if you plead "not guilty". Then they bring the cop, and you have to come back at a later date. In my case, I just pled guilty and paid the $20 bucks.

So let me understand this.... it's the Cop and the Citys fault that you were lazy. Amazing ...simply amazing. Be a man ...Stand up and take responsibility for your actions...it's not always someone else's fault.


Who is this supposed to be addressed to?

You must have been huge for your age. No way I could have ridden a 26" at 7. I was still on a 20" at 12.

Jeff

There were times I was big for my age, other times I was small-Can't recall my height then, but I weighed 60 lbs. That bike was a Monarch Cruiser so it was smaller in stature than a road bike. It was oversized form me as I couldn't reach the ground when standing over the top tube till I was about 9, so I raised one leg up to reach the top tube whenever I put the opposite foot down. For my 12th birthday I got a 27 inch tire/19 inch frame road bike-the 19 inch frame road bike was a taller bike than the cruiser.

About 3 or 4 years ago, I was riding the sidewalk on Flatbush Ave between Eastern Parkway & Empire Blvd.

They gave you a ticket? That's insane! :wtf:That stretch of Flatbush is incredibly dangerous; I can't believe they wouldn't cut any cyclist some slack using the sidewalks. Secondly, they're usually underutilized, since it's such a long walk from Eastern Parkway to Empire Blvd for most people. That's not to say that at the zoo, park, library and garden entrances the sidewalks aren't full of pedestrians, but that large sections of those sidewalks are often empty and rarely have more than 2 to 3 people on them.

Oh, well. Guess I'm gonna have to risk getting a ticket now.