Painisgood

On the commute home this evening I was being followed by a cop in an unmarked car. I didn't know he was there. I mean I knew a car was there, but not that it was a cop. I was riding down a hill on a main thoroughfare. There are cars parked on the side and I'm keeping my eye on this car hoping he will time his pass so it will be where there aren't any cars parked. I was coming up on a parked car when he made the move. I had to brake hard. When he got up right next to me I heard the PA come on. (squawk) "You know you're supposed to stop for stop signs right?" If I'd had a PA I'd have said: "Why? Nobody stops for them anymore." (Including cops often.)

Camel

I don't understand.

You're complaining that you were not given a ticket?

-OR-

You justify violating traffic law because you've seen others doing so?

Accept responsibilty for YOUR actions.

Painisgood

Let him give me a ticket. I half wished he would have stopped me. I'm still not stopping for stop signs when I'm on my bike. Unless another vehicle is approaching from another direction of course.

My comment was not meant to justify my actions. It was merely a commentary on the general lawlessness I witness every day in my travels. I'm a truck driver and spend many hours on the road. When I'm in a motor vehicle I come to a complete stop every time wether there are any other vehicles around or not.

CPcyclist

So are you saying the cop that swauked you with his PA did not so either? As a rule I slow down to do a rolling stop and if there is traffic, I stop and do a track stand.

I will say cars not coming to a stop a far worse consequences and I see them not stop as much as cyclists.

Eggplant Jeff

Why do you wish he would have stopped you? So you could be really pissed instead of merely irritated? Dude, you blew a stop sign in front of a cop. I'd be thrilled if all I got was yelled at on the PA.

jharte

I don't have much of a comment. I stop a stop signs. Sometimes a trackstand. Sometimes a foot down. It takes only a second. Traffic or not, you never know who's watching!

JohnBrooking

I figure it's good enough if I slow down enough to see what's coming and be able to stop if I have to. If there are cars, I observe the right-of-way rules, although sometimes drivers who were stopped first will wave me through anyway. But if I slow down and see that there are no cars, I roll through. Maybe someday I'll pay for it in the form of a traffic ticket, but it doesn't seem likely.

womble

On a bike, you have the responsibility to stop at a stop sign (in most places, at least). You didn't stop. Cop gave you a light warning. If he didn't he wouldn't be doing his job.

And you're complaining?

If there is no at all traffic, I slow down and but ride through. However, I will stop if there is any other traffic on the road, just because I think that being seen to do otherwise gives cyclists a bad name.

MtbVA

You’re an IDIOT!!

You have as much legal right to the road as a car ONLY if you obey the laws!
I hope you have your own insurance. A car could hit you with NO legal liability!!

Cyclaholic

+1

gear

Usually when I'm being stupid, I want as few people to be aware of it as possible. You on the otherhand, post your examples of stupidity on the internet. GO FOR IT!

I-Like-To-Bike

Oh good. Another would-be Johnny Cochran/Clarence Darrow wizard dispensing conjured legal interpretations on this forum.

oboeguy

I'm with JB here, and I think the bashing of the OP is lame. The OP merely was mentioning something bike traffic related from a commute, BFD. I didn't register a complaint when reading it.

kb0tnv

picture my little fingers rubbing and making violen sounds. you get no sympathy from me!

Keep Cycling,

Bekologist

I got a ticket for blowing a stop in front of a police cruiser. It put a point on my drivers license. I still roll thru stops if its not interfering with the right of way.

PaulH

Why not while on a bike?


Paul

shokhead

So you run the stops and hit somebody. Well its ok,everybody else runs them.

Sigurdd50

what he said. Another voice for obeying the rules of the road.
I hear too many bikers complain about being harassed by motorists. Perhaps it's because they have to sit in their cars, obeying the rules (like... not running stoplights or stopsigns), while cyclists are ignoring them.

you are either part of the problem or part of the solution.
Perhaps if you rode like vehicles and obeyed traffic bylaws, you'd get more respect from drivers -- and the law.

jstream

Why not stop at stop signs, sprint away from them in a big gear, and call it interval training?

Sigurdd50

'zactly
stopping gives me a chance to work my bar-end's up and down

bostontrevor

The operating characteristics of a bicycle and a automobile are quite different. Bikes in general move slower than cars and have no blind spots. Visibility into the intersection is much better for a cyclist. On that basis, I think it's perfectly acceptable to roll through a stop if the cyclist can clearly see that nobody is coming.

Do I think the law should be changed to allow this? Nah. There are some stops where even a cyclist needs to come to a complete stop before proceeding. At the same time, I wouldn't support creating additional signage to indicate whether this particular stop is mandatory for all road users or just some.

So exercise your judgement. If the way is clear and you feel confident that you're not going to get busted, go ahead and proceed. If you're concerned about getting nabbed, don't do it.

As for how motorists may or may not feel about: so what? I'm not riding for their benefit, I'm riding for my own. If they take it as some sort of personal affront even though I'm not impeding them in any way, then they need to grow up and move on. I've heard this one before and I just don't buy it.

nitroRoo

If I'm on a main thoroughfair, I'll stop. Especially if cars are travelling quickly on the cross street. They can just come into view much too quickly for comfort. Plus the chances of getting busted are much higher.

A good portion of my commute is through backstreets and neighborhoods with a lot of dead ends. In there I'm not worried about traffic or cops, so I just ride through were I have good visibility. The cars I do see in that neighborhood are usually only going about 15mph anyway.

DataJunkie

I always stop on busy streets. A good portion of the time I am riding with the traffic. I am a bit erratic in residential areas. Sometimes I stop. Sometime I do not. I really should stop 100% of the time. My patience is somewhat lacking at times.

oboeguy

QFT. Well said!!!

truman

I'll only add: Frequently, my decision to roll a stop sign is at least partly based on based on consideration for the drivers who want to get through the intersection quickly, safely and smoothly, just like I do. If I see a car coming up, and judge that he'll have to wait longer, if I come to a complete stop, than if I roll, then I roll - unless he's signaling a turn into my path, then I'll let him go first and save us both the whole "passing" turmoil.