[*BCM*] Re: Bike Laws

[Clive Standley]

I couldn't agree more. When I'm riding I get annoyed at dumb motorists 
and dumber cyclists
who don't follow the law. I say bicyclists are dumber because we are the 
ones who suffer most if
an accident happens.

Yesterday, I was driving through a green light and turning left when a 
cyclist came towards
me from the right, he'd gone through a red light. I was shocked to see 
anything coming
from the direction and had to brake to avoid him. Why is it so hard for 
we cyclists to just
stop at a light and wait for it to turn green.

turtle wrote:

>FYI - The Bike Bill does NOT add any new restrictions for biclists.  I'm
>not sure why people believe it does.  The bill would also change the
>single file law to a double file law (which I'd say is better, but still
>would be problematic in a more sustainable future where lots of people
>bike, is clearly discriminatory, and is generally just illogical, but
>then, who wants logic in their laws? :-) 
>
>And so you don't get surprised when you get pulled over for violating
>current law, bicycles most definitely do have to follow all the same
>traffic laws as other vehicles, except that cyclists can pass on the
>right, can't drive on limited access highways where signs are posted
>prohibiting bicycling (other highways are ok), and can bike slowly on
>residental sidewalks unless prohibited (like in Boston).  That means no
>wrong way biking, no red light running, and generally avoiding biking on
>sidewalks, if you want to be a legitimate road user.
>
>If you don't like this current set of laws, please consider coming up
>with some better ones based on your priorities as a cyclist, pedestrian,
>motorist, citizen, human being, and/or whatever other category you want
>to identify as.
>
>Peace, Love, and Bicycles, 
>Turtle
>
>
>Boston Critical Mass <list at bostoncriticalmass.org> wrote:
>  
>
>>There IS an effort to create a new set of bike laws. The Bicycle
>>Safety Bill has been vetoed a half a dozen times, and there are
>>currently people trying to get it passed again, although it will still
>>be a couple of months before it makes it through the legislature.
>>
>>Having talked to messengers and cyclists about this, I've found a lot
>>of resistance to the bill because it would make things stricter for
>>cyclists. We wouldn't be able to get away with going the wrong way
>>down the street anymore or riding on the sidewalk. Now, not doing
>>these things is safer anyway, but it would actually be an enforced
>>law, for the same reason cars aren't allowed to drive the wrong way on
>>the road. Police would be better educated with how to deal with
>>cyclists and your rights would be well known to them.
>>
>>I don't know if this bill covers other screwed up bike laws like the
>>fact that we legally have to ride single file in MA, but I'll take
>>whatever progress I can get.
>>_______________________________________________
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>>
>>    
>>
>
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>
>~Albert Einstein
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>  
>