whatsmyname

Seems like one of those laws that might be OK in an ideal world but ... just out of interest, and I'm not suggesting you deserved it or should feel obliged to give cops a nice time, but did you fail the "attitude test"? Did you get the ticket after a bit of mutual bickering, or was it obvious he was going to give it to you straight out the cage (or whatever the expression is)?

Buglady

Calgary requires bells too, and I've heard the police are checking people on the busier paths. I don't know what the fine is. I'm all in favour of bells - yelling never works, people step right in front of me EVERY time, but there seems to be somethign of a conditioned response to DING! where they don't have to think and thus do not get confused. I also hate it when faster cyclists pass me without warnign - bell or voice, I don't care, but let me know you are there!

Bklyn

BUY A BELL TODAY. Now!
New York does have the bell law, although I can't imagine it would do the same job at stopping a cab from cutting me off as a hoarsely barked "YO!" does. But the law stipulates (even if the ticketing officer neglects to mention it) that the ticket is dismissed if the offender shows up at the precinct within 24 hours of the violation and produces a bell. Don't wait 10 days to take care of this; call the precinct and find out what the law is. Or better, ask the Toronto version of Transportation Alternatives what the law is. $110 is a lot of money, even in Canadian dollars.

pedalMonger

How to operate a bell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLhoUMOCuyc

AGGRO

My time trial bike will look so *****en with front/rear reflectors AND a bell. Twing twing, on your left

Allen

1 Canadian dollar = 0.935454 U.S. dollars.
or
110 CAD = 103 USD

Flimflam

+1 on that, had a guy filter through on my right as I was moving over to filter through past cars myself - I was like "whoa, $hit sorry - use a bell or yell next time!" - can be scary.

Totally agree, I find the bell useless with motor vehicles and always yell if I have to.

lol (even though the USD is close right now )

AJRoberts

I've had the opposite reaction on MUPs with my bell. The DING gets ignored. I slow down and say "Good morning, do you mind if I squeeze by you?" It seems to do the trick.

Bklyn

Holy *****!
At least Anaheim won the Cup!*







*My Canadian comrades should know that I'm kidding and I love Canada. Particularly Sidney Crosby.

Goriot

yea, on paths I always slow down, and thank the people for moving. half the people respond kindly, half don't. what is MUP?

gbcb

MUP == Multi-use Path

accain

Stupid question, but where can you find bicycle laws in your state? I live in Florida.

pedalMonger

Use the google, Luke! I did it for you this time

https://www.dot.state.fl.us/Safety/pe...es_bicycle.htm

Maybe call your local cop shop, they might be able to tell you where you can pick up a brochure or something. Sometimes local laws can differ from State law.

littlewaywelt

Seems excessive, but if that's the law then so be it. Sorry.

After reading in detail the Maryland code, I noticed that I was required to have a bell as well. I promptly added one and registered my bike (free) with the county so there's no "broken tail light" issue for the police to hassle me with.

robtown

https://www.velo-orange.com/bellsdingding.html

Buglady

Yeah, we're almost at par these days!

SDRider

Better still, don't ride on the MUPs. I've had more close calls with pets and children on the MUP than I've had with cars on the road...at least there are bike lanes on the road and no children or people with pets. Parking lots rank up there on the list of places never to ride through.

Nicodemus

I think many would agree you can't fight it. Doesn't stop it being ridiculous though.

brew

I thought the same thing at first, witch is funny because i was just going to make a post about my recent run it with the police yesterday morning. I was test riding my friends older Allez because he just got a new one and is thinking about selling that one. While going down a long rather steep hill a cop decided it would be funny to pull me over for doing 36 in a 25. Well in the end, after explaining that i did not have a speedo and had no way of telling how fast i was going, he let me off with a warning, but said next time he will ticket me.
Im sure he can ticket me for speeding, but my question is how would that work? Would that be points on a license like if i was pulled over in my truck? Anyone know? Anyone else get pulled over for speeding?
I thought this was kinda funny and thought i would see if anyone else had similar expierences.

East Hill

Most of us would be pleased as punch to get a ticket for SPEEDING ON A BICYCLE.

Seriously, the laws vary from state to state. You'd want to take a look at your state laws to determine the points on a license status.

East Hill

ghettocruiser

Anyone can fight anything, and they often do. Motorists get thousands, or maybe tens of thousands of tickets tossed a year in this town.

I'd just spend $2 on a bell at MEC and bring the receipt to your court date. In the unlikely event the cop shows up, you have a backup plan.

If you're an anti-bell aesthetics-driven snob like myself, clip the bell on your pack or something for the gotta-have-it occasions.

cooker

Thanks for the heads up (actually I do have a bell). What path?

gbcb

Thanks to this thread, I bought a bell over lunch. And test-rode a Bianchi Volpe and an Urbanite

I_bRAD

In Ontario a "speeding ticket" is actually something along the lines of "operate motor vehicle in excess of posted limit" or some other legalese. Key words being motor vehicle

Same goes for drinking and riding for what it's worth.

whatsmyname

I think this thread may have been a footfall-generating ruse by a LBS owner!