Let's encourage running Red Lights!
 

http://joey-bike.blogspot.com/2007/0...ights-101.html

entertaining writer. can't say I agree though. thoughts?

I agree 100% with him.

I never looked at riding on the yellow line like he does, but his thinking makes sense.

Other than that, I agree with what he's saying.

I agree with one thing he mentioned. If I am at a red light and the cross traffic is clear and I am the only one stopped there I will run it. Why you may ask. I feel very vulnerable sitting there particularly if I am making a left turn. I would rather run the light when there is a clearing then sit there and have the light turn green about the time there are cars approaching behind me. What is most drivers reaction when coming to a red light and it turns green before they get there? Most step back down on the gas harder. Possibly the worst time to be on a bike and the driver doesn't see you because they were too focused on that green light.

I've seen this guy's videos - he has skill. With skill you can do all those things he talks about.

Most people don't have skill. If all cyclists rode like he did then the list of people waiting for donor organs would disappear real quick.

I occasionally do some of the stuff he does because I'm ok on a bike, but I wouldn't do all of them or the sheer number of them that he does - one day the odds are not going to be in my favor.

Good Luck to him, but I couldn't agree with promoting his views to the average or new cyclist.

i run lights if I know I can make it. I do it constantly on my uphill commute home so i don't lose momentum, but I check both ways first

i say if you can do it and get away with it then fine, but please don't piss and moan when you get mauled by a truck. it's your fault for not doing it right.

I love it. Worrying about cars coming up behind me is something I always wanted to eliminate when motorcycling. I accomplished this by being the fastest vehicle on the road: life is much less easier to control when it is evolving in front of you and not from behind you. Since bikes can't be the fastest vehicle on the road all the time, running lights to keep ahead of the cars is a good strategy.

He makes good points. But as others have said it's all about doing it right. There is a fine line between riding recklessly and riding smart.

I couldn't agree more on every single one of his points. I too probably commit dozens of moving violations on my route home every day. I won't blindly shoot into traffic like MASH status (still amazes me, must be that whole movie magic shenanigans) but I definitely run a light if I can.

if i cant run a light, i usually make a right, flip a *****, make another right, and be on my merry way. ah, so much open pavement.

Those tips might work for his environment, did anyone see how narrow the streets are in his commute? its easier to see if the traffic has stopped or hasn't begun moving when the streets are that narrow. Although some of those tips don't apply to me I can see his point and if they work for him by all means I support him.

That's more or less how I ride my bike. I don't justify riding red lights as being safer, I just do it because if I can do it safely there's no reason not to.

The other stuff he says I agree with.

I totally agree with the article as well. That is why we ride bikes! We get to enjoy these great perks on the street.

i am fairly certain that there is a whole long debate thread when it comes to the actions of joey.
Some facts: it is illegal to run reds on a bike, and it makes motorists unhappy with us. It also is one of the things that you can get away with on a bike, makes your travel time faster, and is mostly harmless.

He just described my work day.

:D

I agree with just about everything he says. Bicycles should not be subjected to the same laws as multi-ton vehicles.

Don't forget that you need to have some pretty mad skills to do this...

I think if more drivers saw this article they'd have a little more insight to why we run reds and do things that are "illegal".

Now, I don't think the average commuter should run every light he sees. And yes, all that takes skill.

I liked it though. Again, it's all about understanding between drivers and cyclists, not a dominance of either.

anybody have a link to the video?!

http://www.vimeo.com/user455142

take your pick.

I agree with him for the most part, although some red lights are best left to wait at. It seems atleast to me in Portland that if you ride the same routes long enough to learn to time lights perfecto too.

I dont think he rides fixed, and he seems to have brakes
something to think about

I also agree with this guy. The sooner I get to my destination, the less likely some idiot is going to hit me. In a car vs. bike collision, the car wins every time.

It also has to be said that on further thought there is one major point I disagree with him on and that's running a light that just turned red (ie getting through before the other side turns green). That practice is something I'd never do or recommend anyone attempt just because of the frequency in which some bonehead in a sports car jumps the green.

But other than that, I personally find most of his suggestions to be the safest way to ride

I agree with almost everything.

Except "Am I in that big of a rush? No. I generally get to work one to three hours before I must be there. " Never been to work 1 hour early in my life, much less 3.

I agree with most of what he blogged.

Someone should post in Advocacy and Safety. This would turn into a HUGE flame fest.

I think this kind of thing goes over well in this forum because all of us ride relatively agile bikes, so we likely would tend to ride assertively. A strict vehicular cyclist is more likely to be on something like a touring frame so we don't deal with so many of them.

That's my theory anyway

Please don't. There have been plenty of extensive discussions of JoeyBike's videos in A&S and in the Commuting forum already.