Originally Posted by
cyclintom
John, while I agree with you that bicyclists should be required to drive as other road users I think that there is a great deal of difference between a double semi gravel hopper truck driving at 80 mph on Niles Canyon and a bicyclist riding through a four way stop in Palo Alto with no traffic in sight and yet the fines are liable to be identical.
I wouldn't have any idea of how to write laws that would give both the requirement for bicycles to act in a vehicular manner when around motorized traffic and yet be free to act as a much slower and man power device when traffic is not around but the fact is that not being able to ride through a stop sign or being required to touch a foot down does nothing but discourage cycling by greatly increasing travel times.
Your statements about "not being able to ride through a stop sign" and "being required to touch a foot down" are the superstitions propagated by those opposed to vehicular cycling rather than being anything required by those, like myself, who advocate vehicular cycling. I have always stated that the laws about stop signs should be enforced equally for motorists and cyclists. It has long been recognized by both motorists and by police that crawling through a stop sign, particularly where such is required to get to the position where approaching traffic can be observed, is the normal means of operation. Furthermore, there is nothing in the law about anybody having to put a foot on the road. The most important part of the stop-sign law is that it requires yielding to approaching traffic; the actual stop is only a minor part of it.