Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Ticket for riding...on the street in NYC?!

I was riding home from work today when an undercover cop pulls up next to me and tells me (in a pleasant tone of course, and without showing me ID until i asked who the hell he was) he is going to ticket me, because I was not on a street with a designated bike route (I didnt get the ticket but it sure did piss me off).

Thinking this was BS, I looked it up and to my surprise there is a law stating that cyclists can "Not ride on expressways, drives, highways, interstate routes and thruways unless authorized by signs." In 10 years of biking in nyc I have never been threatened by a cop with this law.

Anyone ever get a ticket for this?

Why does your location say Evanston, Illinois?

To get The Man off his trail, brah.

Sorry to hear this, and it may just get worse: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/08/nyregion/08bike.html?ref=nyregion

How did you talk your way out of the ticket?

I think a lot of outdated laws get left on the books just because no one bothers to get rid of them. There's a bylaw in my town stating we aren't allowed to wash our horse on the street on a Sunday (bloody fascists).

Why does your location say Evanston, Illinois?
LOL, what does that have to do with anything?
That's like answering "why do you spell crapes with a "K"?" in a post when you ask something..

"Not ride on expressways, drives, highways, interstate routes and thruways unless authorized by signs."

I don't know NY laws, but none of these sound like "regular" streets.. which I'm going to assume you were riding. More like the freeways here.

where exactly were you pulled over? i ride through manhattan all the time and have never been pulled over...yet.

LOL, what does that have to do with anything?
That's like answering "why do you spell crapes with a "K"?" in a post when you ask something..

Yes that's true, but I still want an answer!

Since we're on the topic, I don't know whether you were asking a rhetorical question or not, but the reason I write krapes instead of crepes is because I'm trying to be cool (or should I say kool?).

How did you talk your way out of the ticket?

I think a lot of outdated laws get left on the books just because no one bothers to get rid of them. There's a bylaw in my town stating we aren't allowed to wash our horse on the street on a Sunday (bloody fascists).

Here in MA there's a law that prohibits a man from eating more than three sandwiches while attending a wake.

Since we're on the topic, I don't know whether you were asking a rhetorical question or not, but the reason I write krapes instead of crepes is because I'm trying to be cool (or should I say kool?).
Hahaha, rhetorical.. but kool, brah...?

NYC cops are getting anal about ticketing cyclists. I had to go to court last month because I was standing over my bike on the sidewalk. The cop insisted I was riding it (my feet were on the ground). I ended up just paying the 75 dollar fine because it's cheaper and easier than fighting it.

I am not sure that the streets in Manhattan fulfill the definition in the law as stated. The only thing I am unsure of would be weather or not a street counts as a drive. I don't believe it does.

Sounds like the city is attempting to corral cyclists strictly to the new bicycle facilities. Intimidation tactics with the tickets.

I was riding home from work today when an undercover cop pulls up next to me and tells me (in a pleasant tone of course, and without showing me ID until i asked who the hell he was) he is going to ticket me, because I was not on a street with a designated bike route (I didnt get the ticket but it sure did piss me off).

Thinking this was BS, I looked it up and to my surprise there is a law stating that cyclists can "Not ride on expressways, drives, highways, interstate routes and thruways unless authorized by signs." In 10 years of biking in nyc I have never been threatened by a cop with this law.

Anyone ever get a ticket for this?

Just for your FYI:

If hes undercover hes on assignment and isnt interested in a cyclist. Trust me.
If a plain clothes cop stops you and says he is a cop, you have every single right to ask for a badge and if he doesnt produce one you have every single right to leave.
If he is a cop, ask him am I being arrested or otherwise detained? If the answer is no, you are free to go. If he holds you, it is considered legal kidnapping.


Sounds like to me you got hit by a traffic cop probably in an unmarked car. I mean, its his job to know traffic laws and piss people off by stealing their paycheck.

Ok but really, its his job to enforce these things. From what I read, I dont think the cop threatened you. Maybe he did. I wasnt there. But I do know that in NYC if you would have just kept pedaling, he probably would have gotten caught in traffic eventually.

Why does your location say Evanston, Illinois?
I lived in IL for about 4 months last year, I just never got around to changing it back.

As I learned in Drivers Ed (so long ago) any regular street is considered a "highway" what we consider highways (such as the BQE) are actually called "expressways."

I didnt get a ticket because he drove off (of course exceeding the speed limit) after he flashed his badge and "ordered" me to go a few blocks over to a bike lane. But seriously, that was the most ridiculous reason for a ticket, I can understand riding on a sidewalk or the wrong way down a one way street. I'm not sure how people in places like east new york and Bensonhurst are supposed to get around, there are very few bike lanes

Im going back to Illinois...

i'm in NYC (and a lawyer)

where did this happen? what street?

Im going back to Illinois...

If you go a few miles south of where you were, you'll have a lot more fun.

i'm in NYC (and a lawyer)

where did this happen? what street?

it happened on Classon ave btwn park and Flushing, then he gave me a hard time when I got onto Kent (getting ready to cross to the bike lane)

I just looked up dumb laws in CA and found this: "No vehicle without a driver may exceed 60 miles per hour."

it happened on Classon ave btwn park and Flushing, then he gave me a hard time when I got onto Kent (getting ready to cross to the bike lane)

that's like two blocks from where I got my ticket

I just looked up dumb laws in CA and found this: "No vehicle without a driver may exceed 60 miles per hour."Considering the autonomous Priuses that Google has had stalking I280 for the last year or so, that law has more relevance than you'd think.

I just looked up dumb laws in CA and found this: "No vehicle without a driver may exceed 60 miles per hour."


that is mainly for people flat towing vehicles...

Wow, I don't recall a law like this in ca.

I think the undercover cop pulled that BS law out to get you off that street. They were probably about to do a huge bust and were expecting a shootout.

I got a ticket earlier this winter. It was one of the coldest days all winter. The cop pulled me over for "failure to keep right" as I was entering the williamsburg bridge. He actually drove his car up the commuter side of the bridge and pulled me over on the bridge. I have a picture of it. I go to court may 20th.

So, you were all the way to the left in the left lane on Delancey, straddling the island / divider?

Here in MA there's a law that prohibits a man from eating more than three sandwiches while attending a wake.

My hometown in Oklahoma has a law stating you can't walk backwards down the street while eating a hamburger. MotherF$%*er.

According to Pennsylvania law, any motorist driving along a country road at night must stop every mile, send up a "rocket signal", and wait 10 minutes for the road to be cleared of livestock before continuing. It is also illegal to sing in the bathtub, and it is illegal for more than 16 women to live in one house.

Here in Indiana, there's a law still on the books that all drivers of automobiles are required to stop at all intersections and wave a red lantern after dark to warn any horse drawn traffic of their presence. Needless to say, it's not enforced.

You probably didn't get a ticket because you weren't breaking an f'ing law. Buy yourself a beer, intimidation virgin, because you've just been deflowered by the NYPD!

Unless he thought you were getting on the BQE...via the offramp, opposing traffic.

5 of my friends each got a $275 sidewalk ticket while leaving NY on a 4200 mile ride to LA.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/The%20Real%2042%20South%20Ride/19074_704946908696_11511875_4022929.jpg

Buy yourself a beer, intimidation virgin, because you've just been deflowered by the NYPD!

OMG I just had to

5 of my friends each got a $275 sidewalk ticket while leaving NY on a 4200 mile ride to LA.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/The%20Real%2042%20South%20Ride/19074_704946908696_11511875_4022929.jpg


That's ridiculous. The riders aren't harassing pedestrians or posing a danger in the photo. They appear to be staging and getting ready to ride.

Well in Ohio there is a law on the books that it is illegal to get a fish drunk.

God help us all if anyone in government decides they can raise needed revenue by enforcing outdated laws.

NYC cops are getting anal about ticketing cyclists. I had to go to court last month because I was standing over my bike on the sidewalk. The cop insisted I was riding it (my feet were on the ground). I ended up just paying the 75 dollar fine because it's cheaper and easier than fighting it.

actually the police do not have the authority to cite cyclists for riding on the sidewalk and your summons would have been thrown out on lack of jurisdiction. Same ish happened to me a few months back.


AC 19-176 - Riding bicycles on sidewalks is prohibited. Bicycles may be confiscated.
NOTE: Tickets for riding on the sidewalk fall under the jurisdiction of the Environmental Control Board (ECB). If you are given a ticket or summons that requires you to appear in criminal court instead, you should be able to get the ticket thrown out for lack of jurisdiction.


http://www.bicycledefensefund.org/bikelaw.html

these stupid corny outdated laws bore the piss out of me.
you guys sum up pretty much every chain email i get from my outdated ****** family members...

i'm just waiting for someone to post the "charlie bit my finger" youtube video....

Here's another good one for California: Animals are banned from mating publicly within 1,500 feet of a tavern, school, or place of worship.

That's ridiculous. The riders aren't harassing pedestrians or posing a danger in the photo. They appear to be staging and getting ready to ride.

They had been riding about 45 minute when they were stopped by Two New Cops.
The cops wrote the tickets without asking what they were doing.
Three had Out of State Id's.
After the tickets were given out, they were allowed to tell what they were doing.
The cops said we are sorry.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/577805-The-42-Ride-Ends-in-LA

In Mobile, AL where I grew up it is legal to drive the wrong way down a one way street if a lantern is mounted on the front of your conveyance. Found this out after I moved so it never got tried. Others I remember from Mobile was high heels being illegal on Sundays, and something about a designated day of the month where a husband is allowed to beat his wife on the courthouse steps after airing his grievance. Here in New Orleans something is illegal if the NOPD says so, and if you argue they'll break your nose. Or just shoot you, the feds are trying to take over the police dept its so bad.

Here in New Orleans something is illegal if the NOPD says so, and if you argue they'll break your nose. Or just shoot you, the feds are trying to take over the police dept its so bad.

:( NOPD was so cool when I was there. NOPD!!!!

This is what happens when you live in a city filled with peaceful law abiding citizens. The cops have to find something to do.

i got a ticket for turning right on red in manhattan last week, the cop said the chief had told them they had to target cyclist but that he was really sorry, i asked about the cab that made the turn with me, he apologized but said "like i said, we're told to go after cyclists, one of you got hit and killed at houston and a the other day" i mean i guess it's nice they're noticing when we get killed but total BS on the ticket, i tried to plead not guilty online but the system can't find the ticket so i mailed it in