Litespeed

I'm riding with my girlfriend and we come up to a three way signal light (a T). The lane on our right is for vehicles to turn right, to the left of that is our bicycle lane, which we are in. Then there is a left hand turn to our left for vehicles to turn left.

Our light is red, I'm behind my girlfriend. There is a Sheriff here *T at the T who is stopped at the light. She rolls on through the red light and I'm thinking "she just ran a red light in front of that Sheriff". She gets to the other side of the street and he rolls down his window and yells at her (I didn't hear it, she told me later)telling her that he had waved us through but I didn't follow. I continue to wait for the light to turn green and finally dismount and go over to the pedestrian button to make the light change. Well here comes the sheriff and stops and tells me he waved me through the red light. I told him I didn't see him do that and I was just trying to do the right thing. Then he tells me that "that magnet will never change the light for you!"

I always wait for a light to turn green and after I see it won't change, I dismount and hit the ped button to make it change.

I understand that if a Sheriff waves you through you should follow his instructions, but when I didn't see it I can't be expected to go against my better instincts. Was I right or wrong? I certainly don't think I should have been yelled at for that.

Artkansas 

In this case, the Sheriff was right. Your only other option besides running the red was waiting for a long, long time or pressing the walk button on the sidewalk.

Artkansas 

Since moving to Little Rock, I've been ordered off the road and onto the sidewalk by 3 different Little Rock Police Department officers. Always "for my own good". All three times in areas where Little Rock municipal code prohibits bicycles on the sidewalk.

One time I fought it and got the officer talked to. Another time, the officer and I had a good long discussion. The third time, I just pulled off into a driveway, waited for the officer to leave and got back on the street.

NOS88

I don't thnk this is an issue of right or wrong. You both were doing what you thought was correct.

What I can't discern from your post was attitude present (from all parties) at the time.

groth

Not answering your question, but commenting on traffic lights with sensors. If I can see where the metal detector wires are buried, I put my front wheel on top a side of the loop. This usually gets the light to change. If I can't see where the detector is buried, or if the method just described does not work, then I regard it as a broken light. It failed to detect a vehicle! For broken lights, you're supposed to perform the action of a stop sign. Stop, wait for traffic to clear, and proceed.

You are not a pedestrian and should not be required to dismount and walk over to the button. In fact, there are some buttons in my area that are overgrown with weeds and you can't get to them!

- Ed

Dudelsack 

Be glad you weren't tased, bro.

blt

Just from reading this, I don't feel like you were chewed out. The only thing you quote him as saying is, "that magnet will never change the light for you!" He didn't tell you that you did the wrong thing. Since you weren't blocking any traffic, I don't think there is any provision of the California Vehicle Code you violated, so he can't chew you out for disobeying the law.

Although the California legislature has failed to pass a law that would clearly allow a vehicle to proceed when a bicycle fails to trigger the sensor, I think there is a good argument that a combination of Vehicle Code section 21800(d)(1) and 21450.5 means that if the bike doesn't trigger the sensor, the traffic control signal is "inoperative" for your purposes, and you may "proceed with caution when it is safe to do so." Some California law enforcement officers think this is the law. Others think it is a violation if you proceed. Others don't have a clue.

Maybe if you were there, it felt like you were getting chewed out, but all I read is a law enforcement officer trying to help you out. Next time you are stuck at a red light and there is a law enforcement officer there, make eye contact while he is sitting there, see if he waives you on.

Litespeed

Tell me about it. A few weeks ago a bicyclist was shot by a policeman. Police in El Cajon shot a man they said was unlawfully riding his bicycle on a sidewalk Friday morning.

The shooting happened at about 9:30 a.m. on Walter Way and the 1300 block of East Main Street, according to the El Cajon Police Department.

Police said a man – now identified as El Cajon resident Raymond Lee Goodlow -- was riding his bike on the sidewalk, which is against municipal code. An officer attempted to pull him over, and Goodlow appeared to be evading officers by pulling into the parking lot of a car dealership.

When police caught up with him, police said Goodlow put his hands in his waistband. He was told to show his hands but allegedly didn't comply with police orders.

Believing the man was arming himself, an officer fired several rounds at Goodlow. At least one bullet appeared to have hit his face, according to a spokesperson with the El Cajon Police Department.

Officials said the officer involved in this shooting has been with the El Cajon Police Department for more than two years.

According to police, Goodlow’s injuries are not life-threatening, but he was taken to the hospital. On Friday evening, police said Goodlow was recovering in the hospital and was in stable condition.

osco53

You all can ride in the bike lane all you want,,I Stick to the side walks..

Was on the side walk one morning, right next to the bike lane, about one foot separation of curb and white edge line..

I was doing about 10 mph...

The jacked up 4X4 had wide mudd tires,,as wide as the bike lane,,how do I know this ??

They filled the bike lane line to line as he drove by doing 60 in a 45,, I would have been hamburger meat If I was in that bike lane,,,the driver was texting,,he rubbed the curb twice..

No,,, you all can have your bike lanes..I'll continue to ride like when I was a kid,,ALL over the place as I see fit..

az_cyclist

The rules of the road in at least some state say to obey traffic signs and lights unless directed by an officer of the law. in this case if the sheriff motioned you through, would that be an example of that.

chrismorg

my only rule of thumb is if I stop and look left and right and see no cars on some back county road ill walk across the street they want to stick a jaywalking ticket on me so be it

JanMM

If a waving arm can't be seen, is it really waving?

droy45

I don't understand this thing about magnets to make lights change. I always noticed lights changing on regular intervals even when there are no vehicles present. Then some of them go to blinking at night. Why would I see lights going red or green without a vehicle there to trigger anything?

NOS88

Not all traffic light systems are set up the same way. Most setups are determined by state code, often based on the volume of traffic on the various roads/streets that intersect.

BluesDawg

No bad guys in this story. "What we have here is a failure to communicate".

009jim

I think you just got lucky. Now henceforth forever, you can ride on the sidewalk, and if anyone should complain you can say that you were obeying a direction from a LEO.

Onfixiate

The traffic signals in my part of town have optical sensors that recognize a bicycle wheel, using a sophisticated algorithm. You roll up to a hold line, turn the wheel slightly and voila, the light changes. Traffic engineering has scanned in catalog images of the most common wheel designs, and the system can tell if you're on Campy, Shimano, Enve,etc. If you're riding a piece of crap bike, you will not trigger a light change. You can take your bike down to Traffic Engineering and they will calibrate their system to work even quicker, especially if you have a unique spoke design and pattern. They will issue you a UTCDP* that will also trigger the light. *(Uniform Traffic Control Device Passport)

This frees up our hard working LEOs to handle important public safety issues...

curly666

This is the law in Wisconsin, I carry a copy in my bike bag in case I get stopped by a cop who doesn't know the law.

[346.37(1)(c)4] allows a bicyclist facing a red signal at an intersection, after stopping as required, for not less than 45 seconds, to proceed cautiously through the intersection before the signal turns green if no other vehicles are present at the intersection to actuate the signal and the operator believes the signal is vehicle actuated. The bicyclist shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicular traffic when proceeding through the green signal at the intersection.

chrismorg

yes now there is a smart cyclist

curly666

Thank You

JanMM

We need that law in Indiana.

Mort Canard

We have basically the same law in Kansas for bicyclists and motorcyclists. It is called the "Dead Red Statute".

FMB42

Here my take on the issue:

The Sheriff tried to help you and your girlfriend by "waving" both of you through the intersection.

Your girlfriend noticed this while you did not.

The Sheriff then explained to you why he did what he did.

My thoughts are that maybe this Sheriff believed that you were endangering yourself while you went "over to the press pedestrian button."

If this was the case, then I could somewhat understand his gruff attitude.

I'd try to look at it this way:

1. The Sheriff did not really have to "help" you in the first place (he could have ignored you both entirely).

2. He was probably trying to protect you, which is what he's paid to do.

3. Imo, this isn't really a "who was right and who was wrong" kind of deal. The bottom line is that you both did what you thought was the right thing to do.

VNA

Cops are biased against cyclists, and ultimately will always fault them!

Useless to argue with the cops!

qcpmsame 

Pretty biased statement, I am sure the law enforcement officer members we have here appreciate your blanket statement that is wrong in its entirety. My brother is a retired law enforcement officer, his wife is an active duty deputy and they are bicyclists. Check on the various law enforcement charity rides and runs that are done every year then make your poorly thought out statement.

Bill