About 3yrs. ago I was out cycling one weekend. Was at a light with no traffic around which turned green. I proceeded and just as I entered intersection a cyclist coming the other way came right at me (running the red) and I hit the ground hard swerving to miss him - he didn't even stop and yelled something like 'watch it'. I hope all cyclists who run reds like this get the full law applied - it is reckless and threatens the lives of others.
Some cyclists think it's their right to ride like nuts. Remember the Ringo's-Wife thread? Recently, someone else posted a thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=78600) about how he got in an accident while riding off of the sidewalk into a crosswalk. His question was how to collect insurance money from the driver. Talk about Chutzpah!

My point it that you can all decide when and where you chose to break the law. However that is your choice so if you get caught pay the price for your decision. Be responsible for your actions.

My point it that you can all decide when and where you chose to break the law. However that is your choice so if you get caught pay the price for your decision. Be responsible for your actions.
Nice summary. I'd only add that you should not "chose" to break the law in a way that endangers others.

Anthony King and coldcanuck...great rants.

My behavior may be a bit flexible when it comes to traffic laws. In general though, I am pleased that the laws themselves are inflexible. Imagine how long these rant threads would be if the laws were enforced based on subjective circumstancial judgement and the differing opinions of the enforcers and alleged violators.

Indeed, I ride so as to be prepared to stop at "green" lights and unmarked intersections. While I may legally have the "right" of way, I would prefer not to be "dead right."

Anthony King and coldcanuck...great rants.


Although I don't follow all the traffic laws to the letter myself, I like to remind myself that there are many in my area that feel the same about taking a human life as some do about running a stop sign. I try to keep that in perspective while disobeying the little laws, and not let it get any bigger, so I make no attempt to justify it, and accept whatever happens.

Although I don't follow all the traffic laws to the letter myself, I like to remind myself that there are many in my area that feel the same about taking a human life as some do about running a stop sign.

I would say that, considering the many lives not doing so has taken, that sentiment is an honourable one. With that in mind, it is dispicable that politicians litter the roads with stop signs in the indiscriminate manner that they do.

I used to live in a rural area and the stop signs were more often than not, useless except in corn season. Hardly any of the cars even stopped.
But when I moved into the city for college, I would be riding the shoulder and I would trackstand at intersections as needed, trying to keep feet up(clipped in). The cops in this town are especially bored and one day I happened to go across in front of one, on the crosswalk that said to walk. Oops. He wanted me to stop like a car in the lane next to a huge mall parking lot. I was able to persuade him to move to the parking lot since it was rush hour after all. He proceded to give me the talk about running lights and behaving like a car, not even mentioning about the fact i was on the sidewalk's crosswalk. He then asked for my licence and I said I was unaware that I could be ticketed for crosswalks since I had just moved there.
My liscence still said Guam.
He relented.
Then a year later we were coming out of a parking lot in the same area late night and the light in the 4 way intersection coming out of the parking lot was green but changing. He was on one of the other routes and proceded to charge us with running a red because we were in the lane when we crossed for the left turn. A totally bogus charge but I never argue with a person of power. He again asked for liscence and fortunately I had my new pennsylvania one, so he had no recollection of me but I knew him. In PA bike code we cant get more than 10 buck bike tickets, he wanted to give us 110. To add insult to injury, he then proceded to try to convince me that my freshly charged Cateye 300 LED light and brand new tail light were 'not up to the specifications' according to the code. He finally let us walk home with written warnings. Some cops take it a little too far.

I don't think I understand your second paragraph, but I think you deserved a ticket for the sidewalk/crosswalk riding. The cop was right, you belonged in the street, not in an area reserved for pedestrians.

Legal costs and court costs if the case goes against you.

This is not the case in California. You have an automatic retrial if you don't like the results of your Trial by Declaration.