rumrunn6

A social media post is going viral after a parked car was found in the bike lane in Roxbury, adorned with a note reading, “I don’t care that I’m in the bike lane. Just go around me!!” and was swiftly reported in the BOS311 app.
https://www.boston.com/news/local-ne...p_featurestack

work4bike

I don't mind when people park in the bike lane, because I like taking the lane

Troul 

some folks beg for bar dings, while others want a side order of parking tickets with it.

Iride01 

They might or might not get a ticket. Probably depends on how the laws and regulations describe where parking a vehicle is allowed or not allowed in that jurisdiction. Or maybe how they describe what a bike lane cannot be used for. As well as other nit picks that might provide a argument to make it a waste of court time to give a ticket as the loop hole will just let the perpetrator get away with no fines or other penalty.

spclark 

Wondering what illegal parker's liability would be if a hapless cycler should 'take the lane' adjacent only to be struck by a passing motor vehicle?

Do those motorists guilty of 'dooring' cyclists ever get sued?

Questions I've never had reason to pursue until I read this thread.

Rick

I was sued by a motorist that doored me in the early eighties. I was able to slow some before hitting the opening door. The door would no longer shut and my Stumpjumper was unharmed.

JoeyBike

That rear glass looks expensive.

PeteHski

The note might as well have read:-

”I invite all you bike suckers to key my car”

jadmt

I bet a cyclist put the note on the car.

PeteHski

Bingo! I bet you are spot on there.

Kontact

I don't get it. People sometimes illegally park in regular traffic lanes, blocking sidewalks, in front of hydrants, etc. Is there something special and different about parking in a bike lane?

I-Like-To-Bike

It is driven by the moral outrage from holy rollers who NEVER violate any traffic regulations.

tomato coupe

It’s sacred ground.

jon c. 

I would make a moral distinction between traffic violations and parking violations. The latter are more anti-social.

JoeyBike

An Irish Pub called "Magoo's" just off the LSU Baton Rouge campus had a sign on their dumpster that stated:

"If you block this dumpster your car will be vandalized and towed."

I never saw the dumpster blocked and that sign sure stuck in my head since the late 1970s.

Eric F 

Years ago, I saw a sign that said, "PURPATRATORS WILL BE VIOLATED". That's a pretty serious warning.

JoeyBike

Oh, that is excellent!

MattTheHat 

Curious how that turned out for the motorist.

Steve B.

If this had been NYC no ticket would likely been issued. For one, only Parking Enforcement Agents dole out parking tickets in the Big Apple. There are rarely such agents where you need them, they patrol Manhattan and shopping districts and are mostly scarce elsewhere. As well the patrol cops NEVER write parking tickets, which baffles me.

Rick

I was served with a court date. A went to the hearing was questioned by the judge and the judge made it clear it wasn't my fault. I didn't Have any out of pocket expense because the judge made the suing party pay for court costs. My boss also paid me for the missing hours at court.

50PlusCycling

I remember some years ago about a vehicle which had parked in a dedicated bicycle lane in South Florida. A cyclist somehow managed to rear-end the vehicle, and was killed. The owner of the vehicle was sued by the man’s family, and were awarded a 7 figure payment by the court.

indyfabz

Here in Philly, a lot of bike lanes prohibit "parking." According to the Philadelphia Parking Authority, "parking" is different than "stopping" or "standing." An enforcement officer once told me that parking begins after about 15 min. As such, a motorist who leaves his or her car in a bike lane is not necessarily committing a violation.

I-Like-To-Bike

For those who have access to The Philadelphia Inquirer online there is an interesting article about this subject today.
I know that even where cyclists have dedicated bike lanes, they’re often obstructed by vehicles that are unlawfully blocking bike lanes.

indyfabz

Every year our list serve gets a few people complaining about cars not moving in bike lanes. And every year I remind people that they have to look at the signs carefully. Do they read "no parking" or "no stopping"? As mentioned, the latter is often permitted.

Steve B.

As I was told by a parking enforcement agent - "Parking" is a vehicle not running with no driver, "Standing" has a driver in the vehicle, might not be running, "stopped" has the the vehicle running. The signage I see locally usually will state "No standing or stopping".