City Councilmen Ponder A Hilarious Future Where Cops Spend All Their Time Pulling Over Bicyclists
One of the most baffling things we’ve noticed on this site over the last year or so is just how much of hot-button issue anything to do with bicyclists in Philadelphia is. On one hand, the amount of bike-positive progress we’ve seen over the last few years in Philly has been something to behold; as lifelong bicyclists, we feel pretty good about that. On the other, sometimes it feels that bike issues in Philly are a lot like the casino issue — they’re a dark cave where class warfare sneaks in to do its foul bidding when no one is looking. Two new pieces of legislation, to be introduced into City Council tomorrow, certainly feel like they belong more to the latter than the former. First up, Councilman Jim Kenney has a bill that would increase the fine for riding on the sidewalk from $10 to $300, increase the fine for riding with headphones from $3 to $300 and require that people on bicycles without brakes face a $1,000 fine or confiscation. It is, perhaps, the most hilariously-unintended-but-squarely-aimed-at-hipsters pieces of legislation that this city has ever seen. (It is also God’s ultimate, sweet revenge on the fixed-gear crowd, and we cannot tell a lie: They kinda had it coming.) Next up, there’s a bill from Councilman Frank DiCicco, who’s been making political hay out of polarizing class-warfare issues since you were riding on training wheels, son. DiCicco wants to require registration of all bicycles owned by persons 12 and older. It’d cost $20, and would be handled by the Police Department. Will they pass? Hard to say, but since DiCicco’s bill was spurred on by a tragic death in a recent bike accident, his bill in particular comes on strong. But given the almost-legendary antipathy between bicyclists and non-bicyclists in Philly, there is sure to be a debate. Here’s where you come in; play nice in the comments, please. U-lock justice isn’t the only kind, you know.
November 18th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
WHAT I can’t exercise with my headphones on when I spin around the Drives?
November 18th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
I don’t see what’s classist about this legislation. There’s no right to be an asshole, riding on the sidewalk, without brakes, with headphones on. In fact, it’s dangerous to do any of those things. Can’t do it with cars. Shouldn’t do it with bicycles.
November 18th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
In fact, this legislation is a logical accompaniment to the new bike lanes being painted throughout the city. Here: we’ve made room for you on the roads. Now it’s your turn to uphold the social compact and be a responsible bipedal commuter.
November 18th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
not sure what the problems are that will be solved with registering bicycles, except maybe filling of some small budget holes.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
I’m totally on board with the sidewalk and one-way street complaints. Riding with headphones seems pretty foolish too. I can get behind stiffer penalties for those infractions.
But who’s to say fixies don’t have brakes? If you can stop it without dragging your feet, it has brakes. Anyone who rides a bike with a freewheel cog and no brakes deserves a $1,000 fine.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
I’m thinking 1 reason to make us register bikes is so they can ticket bikes who aren’t parked “properly”.. Also, I have no problem with being ticketed for disobeying traffic laws, but the proposed are fines completely unreasonable.
I do agree.. “If you can stop it without dragging your feet, it has brakes.”
November 18th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
I don’t think $300 is unreasonable for riding on the sidewalk. At all.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Oh, and I predict a lot of people in skinnyjeans at the next city council meeting.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
kneejerk legislation. no shot the brakeless / registration stuff goes through if the city has any sense. ok, so it’ll probably all go through. fuck.
the sidewalk idea makes sense. as does the headphone rule. unless you’re on a wide road with NO traffic (like West River in the summer) you should not have headphones on. where is the opposite way on a one-way street clause?
November 18th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Since when can cars ride on sidewalks to avoid traffic? I sure as hell can’t drive with earphones on. Would anybody want me on the road without brakes on my car?
You seriously think you should be allowed to do all of these things AND have your own bike lane on the roads you’re sharing with cars? All the while flagrantly disobeying traffic laws by not signaling or stopping at red lights.
And anybody who has a problem with this is classist.
STFU. With rights come responsibilities. You want your own bike lane on the roads, start obeying the rules of the road. Anybody in a car that did half the crazy shit I’ve seen people on bikes do would be in jail, not fined.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
I feel that this is a knee jerk reaction by our City Council to a tragic accident. It is horrible that a person died after he was hit by a bike. But to slap together some legislation is not the correct the response.
The City needs to be proactive about protecting cyclists on the roads first before it starts implementing fines for riding on the sidewalk. Although abhorrent, sometimes new bikers use the sidewalks when drivers on the road are aggressive or trucks are unloading in the bike lane. I know that I never want to be riding on sidewalks. But I also know that the City has not provided enough safe options for bikers to get around.
Philly should look into some of the improvements made in New York for bikers such as lanes with cement barriers so cars don’t cut you off.
And I wonder if Councilmen Kenney and DiCicco have thought about reinvesting these fines and registration fees into improving/ creating bike lanes and providing ample bike parking? That would be a way to overcome objections by the biking community.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Ridiculous. Of all the ills that befall our fair city, the solution is to vilify bicyclists? Sure, there are jerks out there who behave badly on bikes (and I’ll say it, headphones on a bike is a dumb idea), but this reeks of proposing banning foie gras to single out and punish a relatively small segment of the population. It’s happened TWICE, people (and the so. philly guy owned up)- how many motor vehicular deaths have occurred in the same period? How about more aggressively pursuing errant motorists, or jaywalkers, or delinquent tax dodgers, or gun traffickers? Increased fines? Bicyclists should be given a tax break. Registration’s a great idea if you’re going to use it go after the person who stole my bike, otherwise it’s another boneheaded council proposal to waste already scant resources. SHAME. And the social “contract” goes both ways- if you mean it, then motorists AND pedestrians need to respect bikes as part of the traffic, because as far as my experience has borne out, you DON’T.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Also? Can you guys stop wearing those spandex shorts? You’re not in the Tour de France. There are probably more painful things than being stuck behin some guy in spandex going 10 miles an hour down the middle of the road, but I can’t think of any offhand.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Come on, the bike lane argument is kind of ridiculous, especially considering they’ve become glorified load/unload lanes. I’m all for the sidewalk and headphones fines, but, like bmurray said, unless registration means the city will help find my stolen bike, that bill is absurd.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
feliatrix:
Better than being stuck behind your tailpipe. Anybody who thinks these proposals are a good idea are morons. Riding on the sidewalk and with headphones are a dick move, but that fine is fucking dumb. Who rides bikes without the ability to stop? Fixies stop under the cyclists power by not pedaling. Registering bikes? Never going to happen. Lawsuits gallore.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
bmurray:
I agree with you 100% although I don’t mind increasing the tickets amounts for riding on sidewalks and using headphones. Both of those things are very dangerous. Also, you can get a tax break for riding your bike everyday but your employer has to agree to it.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
“Who rides bikes without the ability to stop?”
You mean you guys stop? I usually just see you cruise right through red lights and stop signs on your way to your next near death experience, which you’re likely blissfully unaware of since you’re clearly too superior to notice.
I support these measures 110% and think the fines should be doubled each time you jackasses are caught disobeying them. My only regret is that we can’t seem to enforce traffic laws on you as well since you’ve doubtless ruined countless front grills with your woefully misinformed sense of entitlement.
And I don’t know what a “fixie” is, but get that shit off the road too.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Registering bikes is stupid for anything other than recovering stolen bikes.
And, like others, I don’t understand the brake rule.
But not riding on the sidewalk and headphones sounds reasonable to me. However, I also think it’s reasonable to use those fines to create safer road options for bikers.
I like the idea that the road to safety for the good bikers would be paid for by the bikers who annoy the hell out of everyone.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Also, I ride a bike in the city as well. I just seem to be the only one who doesn’t think it’s a good idea to shoot through red lights while going the wrong way down a one way street. And this isn’t an anomaly, its the norm.
I have respect for the law because I realize I’m sharing the road, I don’t own it. If these new measures knock the rest of you down off your high horse it’ll make this city a much better place.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
@ goldsounds – seriously. they put bike lanes on TWO streets and, just like that, we’re on an even playing field with cars?
pine has become load and unload for rittenhousers and the condition of spruce street makes cycling on it seriously dangerous.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Who whole car / bike comparison is really no fair at all. Yes, there are some similarities but if a bike and a car collide, who ends up more harmed? Not the dude in the ‘95 civic listening to his iPod with half corroded break pads. I hate to play the slippery slope card but where do you draw the line? If this passes I would hope that pedestrians wear tags so that they are easily identified (and fined) and that they only be allowed one (1) headphone in, and must MUST wear some sort of athletic shoe while walking to or from work during rush hour times M-Th (no Friday).
All kidding aside I would hope that Philadelphia, as well as ANY city, would work harder to enforce laws already in place (ridding on the sidewalk, which is how those two tragic deaths occurred, right?) then to introduce new legislation. But whatever happens will be very telling about Philadelphia’s priorities, both for its governing body and it’s citizens.
bike at your own risk.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
it’s really funny that we have all these people trashing on people who ride brakeless when i doubt you’ve ever actually tried it. everybody i know (including myself) who ride brakeless know how to fucking stop. i had a cab pull a no-look u-turn in front of me the other night on market st and i managed to stop within 5-10 feet. most people wouldn’t even be able to stop that fast WITH brakes.
this will not go down quietly.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
hilarious is bmurrays self-righteous, ALL CAP indignation…
really, what ever could be the problem with auto and bike drivers both abiding the laws of the road and holding them accountable when they don’t ?
November 18th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
I ride my bike on the sidewalk around Logan Circle. There are bike lanes, but they’re really dangerous there. The auto traffic crosses the bike lane around the Academy of Natural Sciences, the cathedral and near the library; I have see so many near-accidents, and the cars are going fast.
The Four Seasons staff seems to think the bike lane next to them is for parking. There’s always a bus or something sitting there, and when I’ve asked the drivers about it they always say the hotel people tell them to park there.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
“it’s really funny that we have all these people trashing on people who ride brakeless when i doubt you’ve ever actually tried it”
Not as funny as that sentence actually…..
November 18th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
This is fucking ridiculous: $300 fines seem a bit draconian. I’m peeved by sidewalk bikers like most of us, but a $50-$75 should suffice. I would wager that a good 70% of the sidewalk bikers are poor minorities so this legislation smacks of racism as well. If you want people to ride on the road, your need to start taking steps towards improving safety for cyclists first – then punish people who do not adapt.
$300 for freaking headphones?!? Who’s listening to music so loudly that they can’t hear a car beep? Why am I supposed to hear alerts that any motorist with music on and the windows up are incapable of hearing?!? Unless you ban headphones for pedestrians as well, this legislation is fucking ridiculous and unfair. Though headphones may prevent me from hearing a bike bell or a head’s up from another cyclist, I’m willing to take that risk to enjoy music while traveling like any other fucking commuter/pedestrian in the city. It hasn’t failed me yet.
Regarding registration, I am also skeptical. How will this help for anything other than parking violations which will be rampant considering the lack of legal bike parking in the city? Unless bikes are required to have very large license plates, I fail to see how this will help investigations more than 1% of the time. Instead, you are creating a large disincentive for biking in the city and wasting police resources for the sake of reactionary bullshit legislation.
Daisy raises a great point. If these fines/fees are spent on anything other than bike lane/parking infrastructure I may seriously consider this as the final nail in the coffin for this fucking piece of shit city. The ‘burbs or even Baltimore are starting to look good.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
what feliatrix’s really meant to say:
“omg teehee a hipster made a post on here! i bet he’s wearing tight jeans right now lolol. fuck i think my blackberry just vibrated my balls.”
November 18th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
feliatrix: If you ride a bike, where’s your us/them mentality coming from? “You guys? You jackasses? The rest of you?” You’ve got some woefully misinformed sense of entitlement issues yourself.
georgemichael: I think that’s goldsounds’ point. I can only hope the bike lane initiative was to allow for some redirecting of stimulus funds to pave the damn roads- easily the two worst routes in center city.
emmkay: Well put- if only we could find a way to nail the “evil” bikers.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
“Unless you ban headphones for pedestrians as well, this legislation is fucking ridiculous and unfair.”
Yeah because pedestrians are constantly springing out in front of moving cars in the middle of intersections and causing accidents while listening to their headphones. Its a chronic problem.
You’re in a moving vehicle and on the road with cars, quit whining. If you can’t handle the minimal rules that exist when you’re being granted this privelage, then say hello to the crew from The Wire for me after you leave.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
feliatrix: If you ride a bike, where’s your us/them mentality coming from?
I’m the one cyclist who seems to be waiting at red lights. Often between two cars. Meanwhile some skinny white dude desperately tryinig to grow a beard with dreads is riding the wrong way down the sidewalk next to me. Its extremely annoying. This city is very bike friendly. Not the best in the country, but better than most.
And you people shit all over it. You shit on it with your blatant disregard for the rules. You shit on it with your childish whining. You shit on it inability to accept even a minimal amount of responsibility. I’ll never be “one of you”. I don’t care about these fines because I never ride on the sidewalk. I never ride with headphone. I obey traffic laws. I’m not suicidal, I’m not on the road with a bike that doesn’t function properly. All of this seems like common sense, until you look at this thread.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Actually, feliatrix, I do see a lot of pedestrians who are *really* careless because they’re staring at their phones or iPods. For example, the other day I was turning at an intersection in my car; a pedestrian was running across it while looking down at his phone instead of where he was going. I don’t see how anyone could legislate against this, but it’s pretty dumb and it happens a lot.
I have both a bike and a car; it’s definitely something I notice more when I’m in the car.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
cobdesign: hilarious is the magical wonderland where there are “auto and bike drivers both abiding the laws of the road.” When you find it, let me know, I’ll ride my bike over there to meet you.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
As a biker, I’m all for a crackdown on sidewalk riding, which anyone who reads the comments here or on philly.com on bike related articles can quickly see gives the rest of us bikers a bad name. Riding with headphones is dangerous too. But does anyone else think it’s really weird that the city already has a fine in place for headphone riding, but that it’s only $3? Has such a fine ever been issued in the history of the city? If I were a cop I’d feel pretty sheepish handing over a citation to someone for three bucks.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
maybe they should give tickets to drivers who go full speed through “orange” lights…or just full out reds. yellow lights do not mean “hurry up! its turning red!!” they mean “stop if you can”.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
“maybe they should give tickets to drivers who go full speed through “orange” lights…or just full out reds. yellow lights do not mean “hurry up! its turning red!!” they mean “stop if you can”.”
Uh….they do. I don’t think anybody is advocating that only bikers should obey the traffic laws. Just that they should actually START.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
you tell me the last time you saw a car get pulled over for blazing through a red light in this city. not saying it doesnt happen, but i’ve never seen it.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
@ Felatiotrix:
“Yeah because pedestrians are constantly springing out in front of moving cars in the middle of intersections and causing accidents while listening to their headphones. Its a chronic problem.”
How does wearing headphone contribute to that? Who are these bikers wearing headphones so large that they lose peripheral vision and all of a sudden jut out in front of a car that they would otherwise be aware of had they HEARD them coming? Who are these bikers that listen to music so loud that they can’t hear car horn coming from within 20ft? Your leap in logic is astounding.
I can cite numerous (though, admittedly, anecdotal) instances where jay walking pedestrians were oblivious to bikers (cause after all, they just have to worry about cars, right?) because they had headphones on or were talking on the phone. It’s not hard to imagine accidents occurring when bikers have to veer out of the way of an oblivious, jay-walking pedestrian. And again, why should I (assuming I am following the rules of the road and not biking on the sidewalk and blowing through red lights / stop signs) be required to hear alerts that any motorist listening to music with their windows up or any pedestrian with headphones would be unable to hear?
November 18th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
“And again, why should I (assuming I am following the rules of the road and not biking on the sidewalk and blowing through red lights / stop signs) be required to hear alerts that any motorist listening to music with their windows up or any pedestrian with headphones would be unable to hear?”
Because you want to live?
November 18th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
You know, as a biker I completely agree with the majority of these things. Riding with headphones on is ridiculously unsafe, especially because I rely on my ears just as much as my eyes when it comes to biking during the day. I also avoid the sidewalks as much as I possibly can, and I would be happy to follow traffic laws, but there has to be some give on the city’s part.
For instance, take Old City. I bike 5th street to Temple from South Philly every day, and there is a one block stretch where I HAVE to ride on the sidewalk because of the cobblestones. If you want us to stay off the sidewalks and focus on safety, maybe take the focus off making Old City aesthetically pleasing because frankly, those roads piss off both bikers AND motorists.
As for us weaving in and out traffic, well give us bike lanes that buses don’t go in, that aren’t covered with pot holes (that’s a nod to the Spruce and Pine street lanes), and ENFORCE keeping cars out of them.
Also, the fines are ridiculous and I refuse to register my bike. That’s just out of fucking line.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/20091115_As_bicycle_ridership_grows__Phila__tells_scofflaws__Stop_.html
You think this lady cares about any dickhurt whining on headphones? Or sidewalk riding?
November 18th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
@feliatrix, most bikers don’t hit and run just like most drivers. It’s a small but visible minority that does.
Your generalizations about careless and dangerous bikers are grating. Some people bike that way, but not most.
Do you think you deserve an award or accolades for stopping at red lights and not riding on the sidewalk? Congratulations. You’re doing the minimum.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
@Daisy Steiner:
exactly.
do i go through red lights? yes. do i weave through traffic? yes. am i a careless or dangerous rider? no. i am HIGHLY aware of my surroundings at all times. which is more than i can say for most drivers texting or talking on their phones. i’m thinking blocks ahead with what i’m going to be doing rather than just a couple car lengths ahead like drivers.
this all comes down to drivers/riders/pedestrians/everyone being fucking accountable and aware of what they’re doing at all times.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
“It’s a small but visible minority that does”
Yeah right. A fun drinking game this past summer was to drink every time we saw a biker shoot through a red light while having brunch on the sidewalk on Passyunk. We never left brunch without being w-a-s-t-e-d. Large and blatantly obvious to all with eyes is more like it.
And I don’t know where the “accolades” comment is coming from. I’m just saying if you are doing what you’re supposed to, these fines won’t be affect you in the slightest. I’m the guy obeying the traffic laws and not pissing the world off with my sense of entitlement. You must be the other guy.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
“do i go through red lights? yes. do i weave through traffic? yes. am i a careless or dangerous rider? no. i am HIGHLY aware of my surroundings at all times. which is more than i can say for most drivers texting or talking on their phones. i’m thinking blocks ahead with what i’m going to be doing rather than just a couple car lengths ahead like drivers.”
Take heed City Hall: “lightonfire” doesn’t need your stinking laws. He’s got the Jedi Mind trick working and is thinking three moves ahead of city traffic.
What a total drag “lightonfire”, that us mere mortals have to drag you down to our level. If we all just have the crazy precog skillz workin like you.
Is everybody posting on this 15 years old? That was a serious question.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
You are not going to get a ticket for riding in the sidewalk to avoid potholes or the torn up South Philly streets or cobblestones unless you are downtown where it is really really dangerous.
The cops are not stupid and are not going to enforce this stuff recklessly. The commissioner, when talking about renewed enforcement for sidewalk riding and running red lights, explicitly said they are going after people in high ped traffic areas and people running lights in a dangerous way (causing peds and cars to stop suddenly).
I mean, this is a town where you can park in the middle of the road and double park (South Philly).
This renewed enforcement is a positive step in recognizing the growing bike ridership in the city and treating bikes as first class citizens on the road.
Some states have laws allowing cyclists to treat red lights as stop signs and not have to come to complete stop at stop signs–assuming the rider is doing so safely. This might be a good idea.
And the registration thing is logical considering that it is not required to have an ID or license when riding. How can they enforce the tickets if they don’t know who they are issuing them to? That said, I don’t see it happening as it is really impractical and impossible to enforce.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Damn, Philebs. I imagine you could just post the word “BIKES!” and start a firestorm. Light that match and walk away.
@feliatrix: Are you angling to get deputized as a bike cop or something? You act as though you are the only law-abiding biker on god’s green earth. Not EVERY biker in this city is fixie-in’ through red lights flipping everyone the bird. I see plenty of good citizens out there, myself included, showing respect to motorists and pedestrians alike. I share some of your piss and vinegar, but hatin’ will just get you hate in return.
Anyhow, I think these bills are a knee-jerk reaction from old white men who don’t fully comprehend the legal gray-area bikes currently occupy. We would benefit from a comprehensive education and overhaul of traffic laws dealing with bikes.
And there’s a lot of slippery slopes in there too. You don’t want bikes on the sidewalk, yet all bike racks are on the sidewalk. Am I gonna get a $300 fine for riding up the wheelchair ramp and then a short jaunt to the bike rack? Doesn’t seem fair. The no-brakes bill also seems utterly unenforceable. As much as fixie hipsters annoy me, I don’t want their bikes confiscated.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
“Because you want to live?”
Let’s not make any assumptions here. Regardless, unless you can show me how headphones make me more of a danger – TO OTHERS – than a pedestrian with headphones or a driver with music and windows up, then the government can keep its fucking nose out of my business. Same goes for smoking pot and wearing a seatbelt: I call bullshit.
What is a ‘dickhurt whining’? Congratualtions: you can grammar! I read that piece the other day. It would behoove you to prove how headphones could have possibly contributed to that accident. “If only he could have heard my feet hitting the ground, then the blind biker would not have hit me from behind.” Also, that accident occurred on a public path where it completely legal bike, rollerblade, jog or whatever. The fact that you bust this lady as a poster child to support draconian/reactionary legislative bullshit like this just goes to show how intellectually lazy you really are. You would make a great politician and/or fox news journalist.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Fuck. We get it, you’re really good at riding bicycles.
But you’re useless on this wall. Saying it louder and more often does nothing on a blog wall but make you a fucking cunt.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
hey feliatrix:
it’s good to know youre the most law abiding citizen this country has ever known. seriously. i wish i was like you. i’d feel so good about myself knowing that everything i do brings me one step closer to sainthood. then i could ride up high on my completely safety-tricked out 18-speed bike’s saddle looking downmy nose on all the “15 year olds” riding past me through red lights. my smugness would keep me warm throughout the brutal winter…along with my insulated biker shorts and cadence jersey.
maybe these laws will help us be more like you, St. Feliatrix.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
@feliatrix #40
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/20091115_As_bicycle_ridership_grows__Phila__tells_scofflaws__Stop_.html
Kelly Drive is a completely different clusterfuck. It’s like I-95 without lanes or a median divider or any consensus whether traffic should keep left or right. And then throw some NASCAR racers and Amish buggies into the mix to dial the speed disparity up to 11 and let your three year old in her Easter Sunday dress wander into the middle of it to be creamed by an overweight bankruptcy attorney with a spandex fetish on rollerblades. Sounds like a fun afternoon in the park to me.
Seriously, the stretch of the Schuylkill trail between the art museum and the falls bridge must be the most dangerous stretch of recreational trail in America. And it’s not just because of the cyclists.
You have joggers, who always have headphones on and are oblivious to other traffic.
You have rollerbladers, who use the entire width of the trail.
You have cyclists, many of whom on that particular stretch of trail are not regular riders and are unsure which lever is the brake; and you have the Tour de France set, who are overly aggressive.
I’ve seen roller bladers and joggers trip each other. I’ve seen bikers rear-end roller bladers and I’ve seen toddlers wander out into the path and cause a “peloton” of lycra clad bankers all pile up on top of one another.
It’d be funny if it wasn’t so dangerous.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
@barryg: you’re thinking of the Idaho Stop law. It was proposed and failed in Portland of all places. Only currently in place in Idaho that I know of. It’s a little more complicated than I originally thought. Anyhow, here’s a good, well-balanced article about the legal gray-area bikers occupy: http://www.slate.com/id/2232555/
It goes into depth about the Idaho Stop and distinguishes between Vehicularists (e.g. felatiotrix) and Facilitators (most Philly bikers). Good read for anyone out there feeling “entitled.” :-)
November 18th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
@hallpass: you’re forgetting the Segway tourist groups, which I regularly run past. Seriously, what’s the point if you’re not going faster than a brisk walk?
November 18th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
@rainbow, I’m sorry that you can’t bike with your headphones on anymore but YES it is dangerous. Given that most bikes don’t have mirrors and whatnot, your ears are really important for being an observant and safe rider. And just because when a car hits you the fact that you will be way more fucked up than the car does not mean you have a right to do it. Motorists and auto insurers have a right to be concerned that an accident with a reckless cyclist may end up in a lawsuit against the motorist.
Just because it is legal for peds to do it doesn’t mean that it should be legal for cyclists.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
“Riding with headphones on is ridiculously unsafe, especially because I rely on my ears just as much as my eyes when it comes to biking during the day” … and to all you folks who take this matter-of-fact stance that headphones on a bike is mortally stupid justifiably illegal:
What, do you use echolocation/biosonar? Why do you need to hear more during the day than at night when vision is diminished? Would you support a ban on deaf bikers? Again, who are these people that are listening to music so loud that they wouldn’t hear a car horn or an emergency vehicle siren?
November 18th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Wow, such ignorance. First if headphones are bad then ban bluetooth headsets for drivers as well..conversations require more concentration and are just as loud…oh and what about loud music? Second bikes without brakes CAN BE STOPPED JUST AS EASILY, they are fixed gear…they have stopping mechanisms beyond traditional brakes. Third, so a few people were hurt by bikes…thats tragic but hundreds if not thousands are hit by cars every year…I haven’t seen someone stop at a stop sign in years, try enforcing that because its 300x more likely to hurt someone then a biker is.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
@ schmoe
By running or cycling, you’re depriving future generations of the opportunity to evolve into legless Pepsi recepticles that experience life through a low grade matrix programmed by the Food Network and the Discovery Channel.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Wow, such ignorance. First if headphones are bad then ban bluetooth headsets for drivers as well..conversations require more concentration and are just as loud…oh and what about loud music, can we get a fine for drivers with their radios blaring? Second bikes without brakes CAN BE STOPPED JUST AS EASILY, they are fixed gear…they have stopping mechanisms beyond traditional brakes. Third, so a few people were hurt by bikes…thats tragic but hundreds if not thousands are hit by cars every year…I haven’t seen someone stop at a stop sign in years, try enforcing that because its 300x more likely to hurt someone then a biker is. I was hit by a car that fled and had my neck broken earlier this year..wheres the outrage over that?
November 18th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
@rainbow, dude, you must be an unsafe rider. Listening for coming motors is important to being a safe cyclist (and pedestrian). This is commonly accepted by anyone who doesn’t do figures eights on their fixie at the intersect of 15th & Walnut. This is why many electric and hybrid vehicles are adding artificial engine noise and that will likely be law sooner than later.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
why do i sense there being 50x more bike-vehicle, vehicle-bike road rage in the near future?
November 18th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
HOLY SHIT!
I was thinking just the same thing this morning on the way to work! BRILLIANT! Fine the idiots breaking the law, raise the fines… I’m all for it.
All I ask if that they remove the headphones thing… I didn’t even know that was a law.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Actually, these fines are right on par with those in other bike-friendly cities.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
I have an idea…. ban all cars from using the road!! PROBLEM SOLVED! EARTH SAVED!!! (except vintage muscle cars…those things are sickk)
November 18th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
@barry
“Motorists and auto insurers have a right to be concerned that an accident with a reckless cyclist may end up in a lawsuit against the motorist.”
This is a bit of strawman, wouldn’t you admit? OK: you could be anticipating arguments on my part. Still, if they can prove that I was being reckless, then they have nothing to worry about. However, if the car hits me because they blew a stop light/sign or were drunkenly swerving (which I don’t know how I could “hear” them swerve nor could I necessarily distinguish, by ear, the revving of an engine traveling perpendicular – as opposed to parallel – to my path. But maybe I’m just not gifted with biosonar like others in this thread) then this bullshit law would give them credence for arguing that I was inattentively biking and therefore do not deserve and medical/punitive damages. If I do not look where I’m going while wearing headphones then I possibly deserve to be hit. However, I do look where I’m going very carefully. Wearing headphones makes me even more vigilant.
I ask you then, do you think it should be illegal for the deaf to bike (yes, I know, I wasn’t born with headphones on nor am I forced to wear them – indulge me)? I would also like hypothetical/anecdotal situation where hearing is necessary for visually vigilant biker.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Everyone’s being too serious. Watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn29DvMITu4
November 18th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
“maybe these laws will help us be more like you, St. Feliatrix.”
So you’re basically down to personal insults right? I mean you have no logical reason for riding on the sidewalk and running lights in your bike, you’ll admit this right?
November 18th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
i think Philebrity comment sections bring out the worst in everyone. i’m gonna go back to reading my new copy of “Going Rogue” starring http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/files/palintology_378×540.jpg
November 18th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
“The fact that you bust this lady as a poster child to support draconian/reactionary legislative bullshit like this just goes to show how intellectually lazy you really are. You would make a great politician and/or fox news journalist.”
And the guy who died at 15th and Locust? The 78 year old man who died crossing the street in South Philly?
November 18th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
i never ride my bike on the sidewalk. and i go through red lights (when it’s safe) because it kinda defeats the purpose of riding in the city if you sit at lights. it would take me an hour to get across town some days if i were to follow every traffic law. might as well be driving a car.
are you telling me that when you ride in the city, you never go around slow/stopped cars when there’s not a bike lane?
November 18th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
oh by the way:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20091118_Police__Driver_texting_about_drug_deal_injures_biker.html
November 18th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
If you want to be considered road traffic, obey the rules of the road. It’s that simple. Because, seriously, fuck people who ride on the sidewalk. That’s for pedestrian traffic. I’m tired of douchebags coming up behind me and nearly running me over without even giving me any notice that they’re about to pass me at 15-20mph, usually within several inches of me. On Saturday night I was walking down Broad and was nearly hit by bikes THREE times between South and Washington. That’s ridiculous. Most of the sidewalk bikers I’ve seen are minorities, as #26 pointed out, but how does that make it okay for them to be reckless and endanger pedestrians? Even more so if they can’t speak English and therefore warn me that they’re about to ride by. If I wanted to dodge traffic, I’d walk in the street.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Right, I read all of these articles. Were these bikers a) on the sidewalk b) wearing headphones or c) biking the wrong way down a one way street. Did the pedestrians involve look both ways before crossing (not trying to blame the victims though, these bikers were in the wrong).
However, I think it’s funny that I call you out for an intellectually lazy argument and you counter my making the same argument times 3! Kudos!
November 18th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
“are you telling me that when you ride in the city, you never go around slow/stopped cars when there’s not a bike lane?”
I’m telling you I stop at every light, and if the intersection is a busy one I wait. If its 18th and Spruce at 2am I’ll stop and make sure there’s no traffic, THEN go through the light, similar to what another poster indicated above. This is a far cry from claiming psychic abilities as the reason why I can breeze through stop signs. I thought people biked in the city to be green, for the convenience of not having to park and for the exercise; not so they could speed across town while the suckers in cars have to wait in traffic.
And as far as your link goes, again nobody is saying cars don’t have to obey traffic laws, just that bikers need to start obeying them.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
is this a comments record?
November 18th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
“Right, I read all of these articles. Were these bikers a) on the sidewalk b) wearing headphones or c) biking the wrong way down a one way street.”
Well I guess your reading comprehension isn’t up to par because, in fact, YES the man killed at 15th and Locust was on the sidewalk. The man killed in South Philly WAS killed by a biker going the wrong way. And we scratch our heads and wonder why existing traffic laws are going to be given mroe teeth. Again – you guys are in high school right? I mean at least SOME of you.
And I’m the one who is intellectually lazy here? You’re claiming to have refuted an article you’re either too lazy to read or too stupid to understand.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
I didn’t read a lot of these comments after it got all name-cally, but here are my thoughts having read the articles on philly.com the last few days.
Fines for breaking the law while biking are fine, but should be equivalent to the fines for automobiles. You get a 50$ cellphone fine but a 300$ fine for riding a bike with headphones?
Fines for riding a vehicle that did not pass inspection (what I’d consider the no-brakes thing to be) are 25$ + a tow if that happens. Not 1000$ or confiscation. If your bike is confiscated can you get it back?
The bike reg thing raises issues. Who is paying to support this infrastructure and what benefit does it offer bike riders. Does this mean there will be a database and a way for police to track stolen bikes. They don’t seem to give a shit now so I’m doubting it.
Overall I’d imagine the fines are just high because this is city hall politics and they need to be knocked down before this passes but in reality I’m doubtful of what this will accomplish.
Riding a bike everyday I break laws, I also don’t take up a whole lane and let cars pass me, which I don’t have to do and will probably stop doing if I can no longer pass cars to go through a stagnant light. I’m also fairly aware of cars breaking laws, not signaling, going through a just turned red light, etc… Everyone does it, there is no pure form of transit just various people who feel entitled.
If all this is done to stop hit and runs (which there are a ton of) what good will it do? Why not increase efforts to capture people who hit and run and increase the punishment for those offenders. It may not be the easy answer but at least it’s a real one.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
i never said that i breeze through red lights bc of some JEDI MIND TRICKS or that I CAN PREDICT THE FUTURE. now you sound like a fox news anchor. i said im hyper aware of my surroundings. ive been riding in this city for the past 5 years…without a brake… and have never had an incident. when you do things long enough, you know what to expect and how to react to them. i know that when a car is moving slow and is 50 yards from an intersection, i can safely make it through.
i ride my bike as a necessity. it is my main mode of transportation. i don’t own a car and i’m not gonna take unreliable septa everywhere or pay for cabs. it’s a “green” mode of transit, it is exercise, but those aren’t my motives.
also, if you go through a red light (even if its not busy) it’s still breaking the law. stop being all high and mighty.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
my only question is what qualifies as “brakes”? i ride fixie with out brake levers, but i can still stop my bike as effectively as someone with decent brakes, and more effectively than someone with worn brakes…i think skidding is a viable brake system that should qualify as brakes.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
lightonfire, why do you ride without the brake? Is there a specific advantage? I’ve always been curious. A brake ads little weight and at least one on the front wheel affords you some extra control. If you really won’t ride a bike without a brake there has to be a solid reason right?
November 18th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
@jessem
my reason is that i am more comfortable, believe it or not, riding without one. i used to ride a bike with brakes several years ago and was fine with it. i then road my friend’s brakeless fixed gear and i was hooked. honestly, it’s just fun as shit. i picked up my roomate’s singlespeed with brakes a couple months ago from the bike shop and rode it across town back to our apartment and i felt lost on it. and really uncomfortable. slowing down and braking via my legs/skidding has become second nature and i don’t even really think about speed control/stopping anymore…it kinda just happens. as cliché as that might sound.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
“Well I guess your reading comprehension isn’t up to par because, in fact, YES the man killed at 15th and Locust was on the sidewalk. The man killed in South Philly WAS killed by a biker going the wrong way. And we scratch our heads and wonder why existing traffic laws are going to be given mroe teeth. Again – you guys are in high school right? I mean at least SOME of you.”
Well Mr/Ms reading comprehension, I challenge you to show ANY evidence that the Steed was killed by a biker riding on the sidewalk. “Steed was found on the street, bleeding from severe head injuries.” Maybe the biker knocked him off the sidewalk? And yes, I’m aware that the south Philly incident involved a biker going the wrong way down a one way street – HENCE my inclusion of the option (if you read the comments for the Steed incident articles, there is also speculation that the hit’n'run biker was doing the same). As you will note that the current post/legislation being debated says nothing about riding the wrong way on a one way street, I ask why the fuck do you think I included that? Reading comprehension also entails an understanding of this shit called ‘context.’ Maybe this context stuff is just more fresh in my 15 year old mind as I’m still learning this stuff in high school.
I nominate Jessem and Daisy and winners of the thread.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
@lightonfire, I can see that and my moto on bikes is “ride whatever is comfortable for you” but from a law standpoint I don’t see anything wrong with requiring a front brake on a fixed gear. You don’t have to use it, but having it there gives you an extra bit of control you may need in an “oh shit” moment. $1,000 fine is ridiculous though.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
@jessem
if they require it, i guess i’ll do it. i’d say make helmets mandatory before brakes tho. funny how they don’t put that in the proposed bill.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
@jessem
tho i’ll probably just put a piece of metal on my back axle and call it a “coaster brake”.
November 18th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Andre Steed was a good friend of mine who was killed a month ago while walking on the sidewalk at 16th and Locust. He was knocked to the ground after being hit by a bicyclist, who picked up his bike and biked away.
This incident does not make bicyclists bad, it just means there is someone out there who has complete disregard for human life. Plain and simple. There is no legislation that may or may not be enacted that will bring my friend back.
All I request is that anyone who operates any type of vehicle to be aware and conscious.
November 18th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
@lightonfire, I’d expect the law to require a braking device on both wheels. If the back wheel is fixed I think that’s an acceptable brake.
I think the helmet thing is not included because it does not affect anyone but the rider.
November 18th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
…and of course because this is political and does not necessarily have to make sense, just sound good quoted in the Metro.
November 18th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
@EP #84: Grace and peace to you, friend. I think you nailed it. My condolences on your loss.
November 18th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
@jessem
the person who writes this law probably doesn’t ride a bike them self (and i guarantee you they don’t know how a fixed gear operates) so they will require both wheels to have a brake…which is pretty pointless on a fixed gear to have a rear brake.
November 18th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Feculant rainbow,
I think you are overlooking some situations where it is dangerous to ride with headphones – it’s not about car horns and emergency sirens. Here are a few situations that I’ve noticed where I need my hearing as much as my vision.
- It’s possible for an experienced biker to gauge how close a car might come when it passes you from behind based on engine noise. This can help you avoid being sideswiped if it sounds to close. You wouldn’t get as good a read on that with headphones.
- When I’m biking, especially in a bike lane, and I hear another biker coming up behind me. I know to stay to give them room to pass. I probably wouldn’t be able to hear a biker without headphones (especially since most don’t give audible warnings when passing).
- There are tons of blind corners in Center City, many of which aren’t fourway stops, where it’s difficult to see whether oncoming traffic is coming. This is especially true when cars or delivery trucks are illegally parked on a crosswalk (I live on a very narrow street off of 4th, and it’s really difficult to see the traffic coming down 4th as I leave). I always try to inch out and see as much of the road as I can, but if a car is coming, the engine noise gives me an extra bit of warning that I’d miss with headphones.
I really don’t know why you’re so defensive about it (other than the fact that I assume you regularly bike with headphones). I used to do it myself, but then I realized how many close calls I had that I could probably avoid without the headphones, so I stopped wearing them.
November 18th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Estimated Prophet: Thank you for your voice of reason.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
The secret to tips millions? Posts about bike laws.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
AMC: yes, I almost always listen to music (ear buds and at a reasonable level) while riding and the idea of being fined $300 because the government is acting like an overprotective parent infuriates me (obviously). I can not argue against the claim that I am a bit safer without listening to music. However, the extent to which I’m safer is, in my experience, negligible in comparison to the substantial joy I derive from listening to music while biking.
RE example one: I beg to differ. I can not gauge, with all the other stimuli, how close the car will be when it passes by hearing until it is right beside me. Maybe I just have shit hearing – but I can not differentiate, without looking, between 10 feet back and 4 feet to my left versus 6 back and 6 feet to my left when processing all other stimuli. I simply remain in a single line if I need to deviate from that straight path, I look back before doing so.
RE example two: “especially since most don’t give audible warnings when passing” pretty much negates the bulk of this example. More and more bike no longer possess clicking rear derailleurs and I can not hear someone behind me (in light of wind noise and general city sound pollution) unless they say something. Again, straight line – and look if I intend on deviating.
RE example 3: if I can’t see, I slow/stop until I can.
It’s not like I don’t care if I get hurt, I am just confident that I can bike without hearing every little sound. Maybe I’ll change my mind if I have even a close call due to headphones (though so far / so good after decades of biking and with 5/6 days a week of biking numerous miles in Philly in the last 5 years). However, even if it becomes apparent that I am safer without headphones, that is a decision for me to make – not the government at any level. And for them to pose a staggering $300 fine when without assuming the cost of my medical bills (in the form of singer payer health care – looks like we won’t even get a decent public option) is downright insulting.
November 18th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Fair enough, Rainbow. I’m not saying I’m in favor of increasing the fine, I just definitely feel a lot safer without them on. And since I stopped wearing them, I really started to notice situations where I use auditory clues as extra warning.
However, with the first point, I think you might be surprised how much you can tell about how close a car might pass you by listening to it. I don’t have the best hearing (I can’t hear shit in bars, for instance), but when I’m cruising down a one-lane road, you can really tell a lot by the sound of the car whether you can relax and let it go by you or whether you need to tense up, tuck in your elbows, and see how close you can get to that line of parked cars on your right. It’s not foolproof, but just this morning I could hear a car coming up behind me and something subconscious in my brain flashed a warning and sure enough she just barely avoided clipping me as she went by (for what it’s worth, she also rolled down her window and apologized at the next traffic light much to my pleasant surprise).
November 18th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
@Rainbow, if you get smushed in the middle of the road, it affects other people. This isn’t like wearing a helmet–blocking out the sounds around increases the chance of an accident.
Deal with it and wait until you get onto the trails or in the park (where they are unlikely to enforce this law) to put on your headphones.
You called my point about auto insurance earlier a straw man but it is not at all–I am giving you a reason for why increasing the chance of an accident affects other users of the roads. Motorists are required to carry insurance so they can pay your medical bills if they smash into you. A biker is not required to carry insurance and as such if you seriously hurt a pedestrian and don’t have the assets to pay their bills, they are screwed. These safety laws make sense.
November 19th, 2009 at 1:25 am
ah, all the righteous indignation about errant cyclists. Yeah, because bicycles weigh 2000 lbs. and can go 0-40 in a few seconds. It makes complete sense to compare the two. When was the last time you saw a motorist come to a complete stop at a stop sign in this town? How often do you see people drive through intersections before the light turns green? Parking on the sidewalk? Parking in the bike lane? Pedestrians crossing mid-block? Crossing on the red? Yeah, now we’re gonna pass anti-cycling laws. And they’ll get enforced just like all the other laws. Right.
I already have registration on a car (anyone in the market for one?) and a scooter. If I have to pay to register a fucking bicycle I damn well better be getting services for it. Every douchebag who parks in a bike lane for even 2 seconds better get towed and better get a $300 fine. Same fine for anyone who drives in one. If you hit a cyclist with your car (or your car door) it should be automatic impoundment and a $1000 fine – i mean, if you can’t use your brakes or your mirrors you shouldn’t be driving a car. Oh, and i’m not riding 10 blocks out of my way on streets with no bike lanes just to get to a street with a bike lane. They should be every 4 or blocks all over town.
Yeah, let’s talk about backdoor taxes on cyclists – that’s gonna work out really well – friggin’ morons.
November 19th, 2009 at 9:52 am
It occurred to me last night that the fines should be scaled relative to how much damage you could inflict by errant riding/driving. For instance, as the tragedies in the past few weeks have shown, one person on a bike can indeed cause at least one death by riding in a dangerous manner. Cars on the other hand can kill or injure multiple people: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/06/03/article-0-0176954200000578-486_468×333_popup.jpg
Hummers, semis and other large vehicles should be charged even more for driving dangerously.
I can’t even begin to put a price tag on what the fines should be, but they should at least be doled out fairly.
November 19th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Here is the response from Frank DiCicco’s office when I commented on the ridiculous bill. It is from Brian Abernathy, Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Councilman Frank DiCicco’s Office.
“Thank you for your comments regarding Councilman DiCicco’s bicycle registration. Many of you have expressed support for the legislation. However, many of you are righfully (sic) concerned about the proposal, as well. Please remember that this is the beginning of a legislative process and we look forward to working with all of the concerned parties going forward. …We have every expectation that the proposal will change significantly prior to final passage and by working with these stakeholders. ”
This bill probably doesn’t have a leg to stand on. I have never seen such a response to a city council bill in quite some time and it deserves the attention it is getting. I wonder if this wasn’t a poor response to the creation of the bikes lanes on Spruce and Pine Streets and the politicos are using the two hit-and-run deaths as the reason to bring the bill to council.
I haven’t seen any comments (96 comments are a lot to get thru) as to why cyclists zip ahead of traffic. I do it so that traffic knows I am there. It is safer to be in front where drivers know I exist. I get ahead of lousy drivers before they turn into me because they are too lazy to put on their turn signals or have their hands too full with their cells phones to use their signals. I can’t read their minds. I have been hit once in a hit-and-run accident (I was saved by my helmet) because the driver had no regard for my life. I didn’t file a report because the cops don’t give a damn about cyclists. My friend who was on his bike and the victim of a hit-and-run was completely ignored by the cops when he reported his accident. We are on our on out there and have to do whatever it takes to survive and if that involves running the occasional light, then I will do so but at least I will be careful about it. It is more dangerous to be waiting with traffic, having the drivers do whatever they can to cut me off before they are stuck at the next light than for me to get ahead of them and avoid the whole scene all together.
Personally I think drivers hate so see us cyclists get ahead of them and get to where we are going more quickly and efficiently and are pissed that they are stuck in traffic. That’s what really burns their britches more than anything.
I scratch my head when drivers complain about cyclists but never give mention to the inconsiderate taxi drivers out there. Taxis are the menace and the ones that think they own the road. They will go out of their way to screw everybody over and have total disregard for everyone whether they are walking, on a bike or in a car. If city council wants to increase fines, do it to the banzai cab drivers.
November 19th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
@ AMC: Yar, you’re right and it would also be safer to wear a helmet, but I don’t. It’s just tough for me to keep my explosive diarrhea of the opinion at bay in the face of $300 fines. I would like to note that last night, biking to west philly via grays ferry, I could hear cars coming from at least 20 feet back over ‘What Burns Never Returns’ – maybe that would not be true for some of the viking metal with which I also enjoy biking. Maybe some levels are safe-ish and other levels are unsafe?
@ Barry: I am still waiting for you to give me an instance where my lack of hearing would cause a problem for someone who is, in fact, obeying the rules of the road. Again, you are setting up tangential, easy points with which I am not arguing. Yes, if I hit a pedestrian I should be liable for their medical damages. Yes the government is inclined to prevent accidents through the use of legislation. I am not arguing with that.
Rather than stating, as a matter of fact, how I am a danger to others with headphones, tell me how I (as an otherwise completely cautious biker) would hit one who was obeying the rules of traffic without hearing? Again, would you support legislation that would ban the deaf from biking? Finally, can you justify a $300 fine for headphone biking – is it that blatantly dangerous for other folks (compared to sidewalk biking and going against a one way street which, was, oddly, ommited from ther proposed legislation as far as I know)?
Thanks for being patient with me, folks. I know I’m a cranky bitch.