The cop was doing his job, and what if a car was barreling right at you and you didn't see it coming?

that is a huge ticket, and yes you broke the law but who here hasn't blown through a red light? and would it not suck to get that large of a ticket for it? yea if you can't do the time don't do the crime, but hell, everybody does this, it's like jaywalking, the punnishment does not fit the crime. like many other punnishments for many other crimes.

...

dunno if you'll be this lucky, but...

my friend ran a red light and got pulled over, got a ticket, went to court, cop showed up, blah blah. my friend said that he had "extenuating circumstances" that warranted his crime. those circumstances were that he was "on a bike." he got off. lucky b*stard? maybe. i dunno. maybe the judge thought he was cute.

i got a ticket the other day for making a left hand turn from the middle lane--but i had to do it to avoid crashing into this drunk guy who was flailing around. there were no cars in any direction. the cop was just being a supercilious a*shole. i made sure to tell the cop that someone being drunk in public and running around on the streets was a bigger threat to public safety than me trying to avoid a collision.

In philly, I can pull up next to a cop at the front spot at a red light, check the intersection, then go through without ever thinking twice about it. I guess they just don't care here. Knock on wood...

Lets see - the time I was sitting in a car at a red light and a drunk driver didnt "see" me, and rear ended me going 60 mph, and then tried to take off.

The time i got out of the shower and stood naked in my bedroom, only to look up at the backyard window and see a man peering in my window.

And even the time I was 16, smokin a spliff and driving 85 mph down a city street and he pulled me over and gave me a speeding ticket (probably saved my stupid young ass from killing someone).

All of those times, I was lucky to have a cop around.

I run stop signs/lights all the time only to look up and have a cop wag a finger at me. never pulled over yet (knock on wood). so i also consider myself lucky (not deserving) that they didnt pull me over then.

there is so much ******baggery in this thread, i don't even know how to start, so i won't. seriously, kids, seriously.

OK, I looked it up.

Idaho.

In Idaho, bicycle riders can treat stop signs as yield signs and can treat stop lights like stop signs: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...06#post1508106

Is anyone else aware of such laws where they live?

Makes good sense to me. It's much easier to see the whole intersection on a bike than it is in a car. Also, a bike is much less likely to cause serious injury than a car is.

Besides, don't most of us already behave this way? It seems to me that having laws on the books that are routinely ignored (because the laws don't fit real life) encourage a general attitude of disrespect for the law and a general disrespect for law enforcemment. Which in my opinion, are Very Bad Things.

I was going to respond, but I can't seem to muster up a response without being mean. I'll try again

If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.
If you think you don't need the police, don't get hit, 'cuz insurance companies don't give out ***** without a police report.

I'm not going to argue whether or not what he did was wrong. But it does seem like an excessive punishment for a bicycle running a red light. I don't know about the laws in other states, but in Florida if a car is caught running a red light it is treated as a non-speeding moving violation. Such a violation is a $45 ticket or at least it used to be, I think now it's a $90. It seems to me like (although probably not this individual officers fault) the punishment is not fitting of the crime and a bicycle running a red light should have an equal if not lesser punishment than a car committing the same offence.

The relevant Oregon Revised Statute:

"Sub Chapter: BICYCLES
Statute: ORS 814.400
Title: Application of vehicle laws to bicycles
Text: (1) Every person riding a bicycle upon a public way is subject to the provisions applicable to and has the same rights and duties as the driver of any other vehicle concerning operating on highways, vehicle equipment and abandoned vehicles, except:
(a) Those provisions which by their very nature can have no application.
(b) When otherwise specifically provided under the vehicle code.
(2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section:
(a) A bicycle is a vehicle for purposes of the vehicle code; and
(b) When the term "vehicle" is used the term shall be deemed to be applicable to bicycles.
(3) The provisions of the vehicle code relating to the operation of bicycles do not relieve a bicyclist or motorist from the duty to exercise due care."

The current fine for ignoring a red light is $237.00...... whether you are driving a Geo Metro, Hummer, bicycle or Freightliner makes no difference.

fine print:
"Nothing in this post should be construed as approval of or agreement with the dollar amount noted above. This post is for informational purposes only and is specifically NOT legal advice."

My own personal view is that if we want the same rights as motor vehicles, we have to acept the same responsibilities. Who knows, maybe in the future, we will have a more enlightened set of rules, such as Idaho has. I don't think that disobeying the current law is a positive move in that direction.

Dogbait

oh wow that's a big fine for a red light... eh that's a red state for ya. Still gotta love beer in gas stations 'till 4am and drive through liquor barns.