Readers Cameraphone: Philly Cops Unleash “Shock And Awe” Policing Of, Er, Dudes Riding Bikes On The Sidewalk
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42 Responses to “Readers Cameraphone: Philly Cops Unleash “Shock And Awe” Policing Of, Er, Dudes Riding Bikes On The Sidewalk”
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November 20th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
What a great frickin’ use of city resources…using the cops to stop and ticket all the Center City kitchen help riding in from South and North Philly.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Wow, I was there when they first rode up to him at 16th and Locust. I’m surprised they ticketed him. He wasn’t even riding it – he was just sitting on it.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Well, I feel safer now.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Ha, ha, ha, ha! It’s about freakin’ time! It’s the law folks. Get used to it.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Moments later, four more cops rode up and ticketed the first two cops… ridiculous.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
I wonder if they’ll be a stake-out and subsequent all out raid on the sidewalks of JBs and North Bowl tonight….
November 20th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Do be careful folks. There were a whole orgy of bike cops sitting at 15th and Locust, watching me like hawks as I rolled to a stop at the light.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Uno
November 20th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
you’d think everyone would get off with a warning for a couple weeks while the public was becoming informed…
November 20th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
great job philadelphia. does it make you proud that he won’t be able to make rent now? kitchen staff don’t make 100k a year ya know.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
Ride your bikes like you’re driving an Escalade people. Take up the whole lane.
I agree people shouldn’t be riding on sidewalks, but if cyclists can’t have the slack to do rolling stops anymore, then you have the right to ride right down the middle of Market Street at 7 mph.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
The mexi riders will def tiddy up their cycling skills or risk perhaps getting sent back to motherland, I predict seeing hordes of so Philly mexi riders ridding in the same direction as me on the same street i’m cycling on. Wow this could be the start of something, the chinese food guys will be excused because the fattys in cityhall want Chinese pronto. Anyways imma still try to run every damn light come my way, unless po po happens to be right there. Still waiting to see my first bikie vs po po bikie chase!!
November 20th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
I’m with hallpass. If they want to treat me like a car, I’ll behave like one.
That being said, I can’t help but to wonder about the immigration law impact of stopping the sidewalk bikers. In my experience (as a resident of the dirty south Philly), a majority of the sidewalk bikers appear to be of Mexican and/or South American decent. I can’t help but to imagine that a significant portion of these folks aren’t here on completely legal terms. What happens to people without ID’s or legal residency?
November 20th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
If we ride in the middle of the street can we be given a ticket for going to slow? Will we have to obey all the rules of the road and still ride on the right so cars can get passed? It just seems like there wasn’t a lot of thought put into this new legislation.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
there’s no law for driving too slow in cities. it’s only on expressways where you have to drive over a certain speed.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
RE hallpass & groundlifter
Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, Chapter 35, Subchapter A, Section 3505:
(c) Slower than prevailing speeds.– A pedalcycle operated at slower than prevailing speed shall be operated in accordance with the provisions of Section 3301(b), unless it is unsafe to do so.
[3301(b). Vehicle proceeding at less than normal speed.
Upon all roadways, any vehicles proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place under the conditions than existing shall be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic, or as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway, except when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction or when preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into an alley, private road or driveway. This subsection does not apply to a driver who must necessarily drive in a lane other than the right-hand lane to continue on his intended route.]
Comment: Taken together, 3505 (c) and 3301 (b) state that slower vehicles should keep to the right, which is the normal expectation of all road users, while permitting bicyclists to make movements consistent with their intended route.
There is also a generally accepted guideline stating that you can move as far into the lane as necessary if you don’t feel like you’re safely able to ride on or next to the shoulder. I dont know about you, but as a cyclist, i dont feel all that safe next to those potentially randomly opening car doors. For what its worth, riding in the middle of the road is completely legal.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
So when I ride home today, in the middle of the road, how do you think the guy behind me in his car is going to react? I’m honestly frightened that I may get hurt trying to obey these new rules by drivers who see us as in their way. I’ve lived in Philly long enough to know that an angry driver is a dangerous driver.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
get their plate number and call the cops. reckless endangerment.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Hard to do when you’re on the ground after being hit and they’ve driven away. It’s kind of the most common complaint you get from cyclists. You know, hit and run. Just like what happen to those poor pedestrians.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
haha all i said is that its legal, not advisable. I wonder how many drivers will still yell at us to get on the sidewalks, even while this crap is going on
November 20th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
@garrison
Many. To re-emphasize my point. How many cyclists will get hurt while trying to obey these new rules?
November 20th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
@ lightonfire
Good luck with that: http://www.philebrity.com/2007/05/10/philly-bike-mafia-alert-man-down/
November 20th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Let’s clarify a few things here. First no new laws are on the books, the PPD are only enforcing existing laws. The proposed bills were only introduced and sent to a committeee. They have to have public hearings, voted out of committee and sent back to the full council and signed by the Mayor to become law.
Councilman DiCicco’s office stated in Today’s Inquirer that no hearings will be held until after the New Year and they have until June (when the current session ends) to get the bills passed or they die.
Second – The enforcement campaign was planned last week before word of these bills became public. The Parallel paths but they are not directly tied to each other.
Third – Motorists are being looked at too, there are patrol cars on Spruce and Pine Streets and bike patrols seem to be watching for motorists too. A car was ticketed at Rittenhouse Square shortly after the 1PM press conference.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
haha yeah…. what good is a bike license plate gonna do “when you’re on the ground after being hit and they’ve driven away.”
November 20th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
*ridden
November 20th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
While riding down Christian last spring a woman opened her car door to scream at me to “get on the sidewalk” because “a bicycle has no place being on the road.” This would be in front of Sabrina’s where there were, you know, pedestrians, and tables and people eating their brunch. I can’t tell how many times I’ve been yelled to get into the bike lane while for waiting at a light in the left hand lane when going to take a left turn. I think people strongly underestimate how ill-informed drivers are about what bicyclists should be doing. As evident by the comments in any bicycle debate.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
So if I get “stopped,” can I just give tell them I don’t have any ID on me and give them my girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend’s name and address?
November 20th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
The law clearly states, no bikes on the sidewalk – they have a bike path the size of a car lane – let them use that
November 20th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
I have a problem with bicyclists who ride next to busses. My daughter got knocked on her ass when she tried to exit the rear door of a bus, a bike came by just as she stepped out, both were knocked to the ground. Cyclists should obey the same laws as cars
November 20th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Anyone have thoughts on the logistics of just riding away? I’m a long-time bicycle commuter and certainly advocate responsible cycling, which does include rolling stops, occasional sidewalk riding, etc. I think many other people have made fine arguments for situations in which following the laws now being enforced is just not feasible. THAT SAID…I highly doubt there is a cop in the city that could outride me, and I really don’t make enough money right now to pay these fines. Do they carry cameras/call for bike backup…? Can I feign deafness?
November 20th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
On the flip side, I was walking on the 1700 block of Walnut and a guy on a bike was riding at high speed down the sidewalk and bumped into a pedestrian (she didn’t get knocked over). A bike cop saw him started a pursuit. I don’t think he caught him though. I think actually catching the unsafe riders is going to be a major challenge.
Hopefully when things die down a bit the laws will continue to be enforced but in a more reasonable way. Ignore the dishwasher on the sidewalk in an alley and nab the asshole pummeling down a busy sidewalk. But more likely, enforcement will just cease in a few weeks.
November 20th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
groundlifter and lightonfire clearly just want to push the system till one of them actually instigates some agit shit resulting in Philebrity blogging about them as “Bicycle Mumia”. There can only be one, boys. Settle it tonight.
November 20th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
A Mexican riding his bike on a Philadelphia sidewalk?!? My eyes must be deceiving me!
November 20th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
@blackjack
we will have a red-light-drag race. city hall to washington street. tho if you accrue over $500 in tickets during the race, you win out of sympathy.
November 21st, 2009 at 4:38 pm
For the record, I take the lane most of the time riding around. Yes, some people will give you a hard time by honking or being aggressive, but when that happens, it’s easy to pull over to the side of the road at a light or stop sign and let them go past (I’d rather take a little more time to get somewhere than get hit by a reckless driver). And if some streets are worse than others, it’s often easy to pick a new route.
In general, I’ve been surprised, and perhaps lucky, at the amount of drivers who are respectful of me. And anyways, there’s no reason to feel bad if you slow someone down for 30 seconds or so.
November 21st, 2009 at 7:33 pm
You guys are fucking idiots.
First things first – its a good law, the fines are reasonable, nobody should ride on the sidewalk anyway.
Second thing – Riding 7mph in the middle of the lane is against the law also. You need to ride as close to the prevailing speed limit as possible and if you’re going slower you need to keep to the right and near the curb.
Third – No this doesn’t mean you have to ride close enough to get doored. I’ve been riding in this city for six years. I’ve never been doored and I’ve never blocked a car from passing me. There is a safe middle distance.
Fourth – stop acting like this is a car vs bike thing. Its not. Its about not being dicks to pedestrians.
Fifth, quit complaining. You sound like a bunch of whiney cheap ass hipsters who can’t handle that some rules that were always on the books might actually be enforced.
Sixth – you all suck. Arguing on the internet is the lowest form of communication.
November 23rd, 2009 at 10:01 am
Anyone else find it odd that when people see a Latino on a bike, they assume he must work for a restaurant? Racism… stay classy, folks!
November 23rd, 2009 at 10:58 am
Looks pretty obvious he’s wearing kitchen whites. I think this was more of a sympathetic observation.
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Ah, my bad. It was kinda hard to tell.
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:55 pm
I for one am ok with people getting tickets for riding on the sidewalk. I have been in MANY near accidents because of this not to mention the THREE separate times said sidewalk riders have found it entertaining to play “Chicken” with me which resulted in me diving to safety and them riding off laughing. So instead of “clothes-lining” them, a preventative ticket measure is acceptable to me.
That being said I would much rather a crackdown on the Driving and Texting combination issue which has nearly killed me twice and threatened to destroy my GF’s car numerous times. But…Good job Philly for making it difficult for your citizens to reduce emissions and save precious parking room! Glad to see a city with more murders than days in a year has its priorities in order.
November 23rd, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Jughead,
Are you suggesting that when there are lots of murders in a city that the police shouldn’t bother enforcing other laws?
November 23rd, 2009 at 2:43 pm
“Sixth – you all suck. Arguing on the internet is the lowest form of communication.”
And yet, here you are.