Hypno Toad

Ugh ... I find it stressful to call the police to report a traffic violation. More often than not, I end up educating the officer about laws for riding a bike on the roads. Sometimes I have a receptive officer other times they are openly dismissive. I have no expectation of a citation for the driver, I do ask the PD to call the owner of the vehicle and inform them that a bike is a legal vehicle on the road and that 3 feet is the minimum required space while passing. Today's officer was receptive but I needed to have statutes in front of me, since he was unaware of them. .... just needed to vent it out a little.

Since this is BF ... I know this could get into a few rabbitholes, so I'll share additional information: Statute 169.18, Subdivision 3: (3) the operator of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle or individual proceeding in the same direction on the roadway shall leave a safe distance, but in no case less than three feet clearance, when passing the bicycle or individual and shall maintain clearance until safely past the overtaken bicycle or individual.

Bicyclists are considered traffic based on Minnesota Statute 169.011, Subdivision 84 and have the same rights and responsibilities applicable to the driver of a vehicle according to Minnesota Statute 169.222, Subdivision 1.
Minnesota Statute 169.011 states: "Traffic" means pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using any highway for purposes of travel.
Reference: https://www.bikemn.org/education/min...20a%20roadway.

GoPro video of the pass that got me to call the police:


Postscript: just talked to the officer again. He contacted the driver, who claimed I was weaving unpredictably. Sadly the officer had no interest in the video which clearly shows no weaving. The only good take away from this effort is two more people are aware that 3 feet are required when passing a person using a bike on the road.

Moe Zhoost

Definitely a close pass when it was clear that the driver could have moved over. My experience calling the police is that, although it may be a way for me to vent, it never results in satisfaction. 1) They decline to view the video, 2) they tell me that they cannot cite if they do not witness, and 3) I usually get a lecture about how cyclists don't follow the traffic rules.

flangehead

Thanks for making the effort to make the call. You are right; two more people informed.

This is not as effective, but reporting on www.closecalldatabase.com may have some value for repeat offenders.

Hypno Toad

I've posted here before and tried today, but I get an error "502 Bad Gateway"

Notso_fastLane

I think the closecalldatabase is offline, unfortunately.

Cyliq has their site, but I don't know if they allow non-cycliq video to be uploaded.

The other good thing about making that call is that the driver now knows people are watching. As common as they are these days, lots of drivers still don't seem to realize they are being filmed quite regularly.

I run a front/rear motorcycle camera on my velo, but if drivers are being...troublesome....I will still pick my phone up and aim it at them just to make the point. It's funny how they react (usually drive off quickly) when that happens, even though 1) I've already got them on my video cameras, and 2) I'm not actually using my phone to record them.

mr_bill

OK, I usually hate to do this, but really.

A 13 wide curb lane at a the top of a T intersection is wide enough to share with a Honda Accord.

Don't lead with your chin and then complain about the boxing referee.

There ought to be THREE people learning from this, but sadly, I suspect ZERO have.

-mr. bill

Hypno Toad

You remind me of something that happened 6-8 years ago. An unmarked police car (ironically the same city as the officer I talked with today) made a dumb/illegal pass, I shouted something and made a shrug gesture (nothing vulgar). The officer turns on the lights and stops in front of me, he's clearly wants to assert authority. I lean down far enough for him to see my helmet mounted GoPro ... and that made for a very quick conversation with him wanting GTFO quickly. The best part, my GoPro flaked out on me and wasn't working that day. LOL

Unca_Sam

The typical problem with shared video. BTW, welcome to the inquisition.

Why were you stopped where you were in the roadway?

What had happened immediately before the clip starts? Is that the first time turning the camera on?

I understand the anger you felt as someone chose to risk your life rather than move their steering wheel another 8 degrees counter-clockwise; did you expect a different outcome?

It's unclear to me, did you catch the driver and both of you wait for police?

Shimagnolo

I have shared video, and filed complaints with 3 different PDs here in CO, and all of them have taken it seriously and cited offending drivers. (Some while cycling, others while motorcycling.)
BTW I also learned that every time you share a video here on BF, there are always nimrods who want to blame the cyclist, no matter how blatant the offense committed by the cager.

mr_bill

There are three people in this story, the cager, the cop, and the person on the bicycle. From what I see NONE of them have learned ANYTHING.

p.s. There is a whole subforum dedicated to all lanes are substandard.

p.p.s. I don't live in a FRAP state. (See sig.) OP does.

-mr. bill

Hypno Toad

I doubt the 'cager' learned anything, the officer learned a thing that I don't he'll ever put into practice or share again, not sure what the person on the bike needed to learn ... If I need to learn that police aren't great at advocating for people using bikes on the road ... I knew that. I also know that the road is full of people that feel entitled to use a car to intimate others. I could learn to take a different route, but I've been biking that road for ~40 years, so I'd say it not likely that I'd learn to change my route. I guess I learned I really like my GoPro, my Garmin radar, and my years of biking the roads to keep me safe around hateful people driving cars.

Funny enough, the officer made a point about asking if I was as far right as possible, I corrected him, it's "practical" not possible ... there's a difference. He really didn't like the lesson, and the length answer about not riding in the gutter since it's not safe and this road is not wide enough to pass within the lane and leave 3-ft between the bike and car.

I have enjoyed the rabbithole of lane position ...

Shimagnolo

He was stopped at the traffic light. There are no crosswalk markings on his side of the intersection:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ho...!4d-93.4044187

Unca_Sam

Thank you for that, I'm used to well marked intersections, and the T intersection throws me off.

mr_bill

If I've learned anything at all from the other subform it is:

• ALL LANES ARE SUBSTANDARD
• NO MATTER WHERE IN THE LANE YOU RIDE YOU RODE IN THE WRONG POSITION

(That Honda Accord is 6' 1" wide. The lane is 13' wide. Do the math.)

-mr. bill

Hypno Toad

Good point - this ^^^, that is exactly what I've learned from the lane position forums here.

livedarklions

Yeah, but you live in a Frappe state, whatever the hell a frappe is.

It's a milk shake, dammit!

livedarklions

Actually, it's "practicable", but I think the difference between practical and practicable is that saying practicable makes you sound drunk.

mr_bill

As I quickly learned here, a milkshake is milk and a syrup, whipped in a blender. It is - underwhelming.
A frappe is the above with ice cream.

Why? I think so locals can laugh at tourists, but I don't know.

-mr. bill

Hypno Toad

Thanks for the reminder, I've know this, but kinda forget since nobody knows the word 'practicable'.

FWIW - we have 10 to 12 foot wide lanes. This road on the narrow side, but I don't have the exact measure.

Iride01 

There appears to be no reason the car should not have moved over to the other lane to pass. While some people might think you should have been elsewhere...... you weren't. You were where you had a legal right to be. Whether others think you shouldn't have been there, it makes no difference. The law says you can be there.

You were there, the car should not have been that close..

Hypno Toad

THIS ^^^^

Thanks!

downhillmaster

Outstanding takeaway.
At that rate you might get 18% of your town informed by the year 3039

Notso_fastLane

Exactly. The drivers around here get constantly reminded of that, particularly in the city of Layton. There are "Bikes may use full lane" signs all over the place to keep reminding them.

Iride01 

We have a few of those signs too. There need to be more of them.

Cyclist need to learn the rules of the road too. It only takes a few that are oblivious of everything but themselves to P.O. motorist's towards all.

Mr. 66

Why do you have to swear in your video? very immature