35 votes

I Don't Care If It's The Law.

The law says I'm supposed to ride my bicycle on the street, along with the motorized traffic, as opposed to using the sidewalk.

Well, guess what? Riding my bike on the street is dangerous. It's dangerous at night because of all the drunks, but also during the day, because people drive with so many distractions like text messaging and cellphones that even a 'sober' person could run me over.

I've already been ticketed and jailed for riding on the sidewalk but these inconveniences will not deter me. I'd rather live another day in jail than die in an emergency room cot.

The logic behind the law says that I on my bike could do physical harm to a pedestrian on the walk. I guess that's a risk I'll have to take. Better to risk that than an encounter with a truck driven by a drunk.

Sure, I could go to the city council and try to get the law changed. But the chances of this succeeding are extremely low, as the same argument was presented previously and defeated. Also, in the last two years the city has painted big pictures of a bicycle in the middle of the street indicating to drivers that they are to share the road with bicycles. Rather than helping I believe these signs hurt as they are only painted on certain residential streets, hinting to drivers that if they don't see a bicycle painted on a road then bikes don't belong there. This causes many drivers to honk their horns at bicyclers and yell 'get off the road!'

There are also 'bike lanes' on certain roads which start and end sporatically, leading to the confused but logical conclusion that bikes belong on some roads but not others.

Regardless, I care not what the law says. It is a dangerous law which I would no more follow than a law that said I had to inject a chemical or vaccination into my body. When it is dark, or when traffic is heavy, or for any other reason I choose, I will ride on the sidewalk. The law be damned.

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Crowd angered as student on bike on sidewalk beaten by



D’Paris Charles “DJ” Williams, 20, was arrested after apparently riding his bicycle on the sidewalk around 3:40 p.m. Friday at the complex near Rosa Parks Lane and Maxwell Court.

The home video begins with DJ Williams face down on the sidewalk as officers and a crowd of onlookers circles. Williams can be heard crying out in pain.

When word spread in the neighboring apartment complex, residents rushed out to help Williams. That’s when things went from bad to worse. The arrest spurred an altercation between other people at the complex and prompted three more arrests, police said.



"Home is where it's hardest."


Dictators will dictate

The law of the Jungle. They are biger than you. You will be eaten.

You must change you stratigy. Move. Do not ride you bicycle in areas of danger that are controled by dictators.

Good luck and best wishes. Use comon sense, you will do no good to yourself your family freinds and neighbors in prison.

Enlightened disengagement from a superior force.

You are responsible for your own safety and have a golden rule responsiblility to care to not harm others. Thats it. You are free. Ride you bicycle as you determine. Just remember you are not the alpha preditor in this jungle.
Eat or be eaten.


Excellent segue into this article from Activist Post:


"Home is where it's hardest."


This best illustrates...

This best illustrates the problems that bicyclist have when they ride. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2c2_1381467425


for myself

i hate the law of riding with the traffic

I want to see who's gonna hit me and maybe I can avoid it

how many people swerve,,,, drop a cigarette, food, kid in the back, drop the phone, texting etc

me riding my bike,,, I am paying attention and it's my job to make sure I don't get hit,,,, so I ride facing traffic,,,, tickets be damned

better alive than paralyzed

the problem with this post

is that it doesn't translate libertarian theory well into the real world.

A serious cyclist will see this different from a recreational cyclist. A recreational cyclist will see this better than a big fat oaf that rides a couch.

And because there are legal issues, there will always be the mommy
s basement babblers that favor everyone ignoring the rule of law (quite anti-libertarian, that) and coming up with their own impromptu laws as they ride along. Presumably, there are very few such cyclists left who would follow this theory.

Any serious cyclist knows that it is actually safer to ride on the street. yes, you may be more likely to be hit by a car from behind. But also less likely to not be seen by a car as you ride on the sidewalk across a driveway, into an intersection etc. And certainly less likely to hit an obstruction or pedestrian or wiener dog on the sidewalk. It's a little hard to conceive of that until one has actually done it a few times.

To the uninitiated, when a cyclist sees another cyclist riding on the sidewalk, the first thought that comes to mind is that it is some doofus that doesn't know better and barely knows how to pedal.


I agree - as a serious cyclist I feel safer on the street.

Most of the time. Except for when I feel safer on the sidewalk.

"Home is where it's hardest."


Yes, exactly

and there are times when as a cyclist you have to decide to break the law because it is better to be safe than to abide by a statute which is written for generalities and probabilities, but not for your particular immediate circumstance.

Man's laws are inherently arbitrary.

I'll take, and fight, a traffic ticket before I put myself in danger on a bike.

I'll also tell other cyclists when they're being unsafe - which sometimes means riding on sidewalks or wrong sides of the road. They are usually surprised since the big honking bike rack gives it away that I am "one of them."

I had such an encounter once at the entrance to the Joshua Tree National Forest. Turns out the cyclist was a Ron Paul fan, and when he saw my t-shirt, he said "it's cool." LOL



are whatever the ruling gang of thugs says they are. Doesn't mean they are moral, fair or just. A moral person does what is right whether or not it is 'legal' or not.


You, sir, are an idiot! Sidewalks are the most dangerous place to ride a bicycle. Second most dangerous place, bike paths. Do the research. Speed doesn't kill, speed differential kills. A good cyclist can keep up with traffic on all but arterials in most cities. A cyclist travelling 15 mph is going 5-7 times as fast as a pedestrian on a sidewalk, who is likely either texting, or listening to his music, or both!
Sidewalks are a useful out for those times when traffic has caused a dangerous situation, but only to come to either a stop, or a slow crawl.
And, yes I commute by bike, probably since before you were born, and possibly since before your father was born. Been doing it for over 50 years. bikes DO NOT belong on sidewalks.

Malo Periculosam Libertatem Quam Quietum Servitium
On y soit qui mal y pense

How could you be riding for fifty years...

when your profile says you are seven?

"Home is where it's hardest."



He's broken the space time continuum on his big wheel!


I agree with your assessment.

I agree with your assessment. Add the problem of a city that shovels snow ONTO sidewalks during the winter since they refuse to use front-end loaders and dump trucks to haul the snow away. During the winter, both pedestrians AND bicyclists must share slick roads with sicko drivers and thereby increase the probability of being hit or travel over MOUNDS of snow on the sidewalks. Imagine asking taxpayers to fund bike lanes all over town. ;) Sure, in the latter case the politicians would likely try to force registration of bicycles, but they'll have to contend with kids and their irate parents who'll rightfully demand the registration of pedestrians as well. Ah, the registration of pedestrians for walking ... Let 'em try ... LoL

Forgot all about the snowbanks.

Thanks for reminding me.


"Home is where it's hardest."


Stupid Law

Forcing cyclists to only ride in the street with autos is ignorant.
Especially where there are few pedestrians and relatively high speed traffic.
I can understand in an urban environment with lots of foot traffic,
and slower auto traffic, but some laws seem passed on whims and enforced out of boredom.

Florida gets a win on this one!

Here, if you want to ride your bicycle on the road, you have the legal status of a vehicle. If you want to ride on the sidewalks, you have the legal status of a pedestrian.

Also, no state income tax!

Florida has it's problems, but this is not among them! Good job Florida!


Personally, I usually prefer the street, unless it's busy with no bicycle lane. I can get further faster on the street, and there is no constant bumping between sidewalk squares.

(1 Peter 2:15-16)

An alternative law suggestion...

I think the main reason for that law if for the pedestrians on the narrow sidewalks. If you're flying down the sidewalk, you might be a danger to pedestrians, and at the very least may force them to get off of the walkway at times - especially if you're riding with others. But, seriously, how many people walk on sidewalks anyway! Maybe just a law that gives pedestrians on foot the right of way on sidewalks at all times, and puts the legal burden of getting out of the way on bicycles. Curious how that sounds to y'all.

(1 Peter 2:15-16)

far to logical a solution for

far to logical a solution for government to implement...very nice try though.


"One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws."

MLK Jr. said that. In light of the severe lack of moral authority in our time and the overwhelming amount of unjust laws available one finds the self reviewing what to do and what not to. For instance I enjoy riding on the left side of the road rather than the right as the stupid law states. Fuck that! If a driver mows me down from behind because they failed to observe a law where does that leave me? The law sure as hell didn't protect me. So break the law and give yourself a chance at saving yourself by riding on the left side into oncoming traffic. At least there you can see and identify coming threatening situations to give yourself a chance at saving this life. If you obey the law you have given yourself no such chance.

But remember that all laws and policies today reflect the depopulation agenda so nothing will make any sense from the perspective of "protecting people." Laws of today are meant to destroy people. That much is self-evident.

I've gotta say I agree with all of your sentiments...

but for your own sake please stop riding against traffic.

You say you can see them coming which allows you a chance to react. Sorry - you'll only have about 2 seconds to get out of the way of something 6 or 8 feet wide coming at you while you're going towards it.

It is in fact not even necessary to look back to know how close to a shoulder a vehicle is. Riding on the right side, and having seen that a car is approaching you from the rear, you can hear the engine and tires and judge how far to the right they are in the lane. You can also hear if they are changing lanes, accelerating, a large truck, a manual transmission, or a cop car, if you listen closely enough...


"Home is where it's hardest."


Bike Only

You might be confusing my riding with recreational riding. If I rode only every now and then for kicks I might agree with you but dealing with traffic, lights, pedestrians and god knows what else is truly easier on the far left side of the road. The real thing of concern is that people making right turns will not likely look in your direction before pulling out which really forces you to be more alert. Riding against traffic versus with it might seem counterintuitive and troublesome and, trust me, it is not perfect. But given the number of variables present when traversing a city on bicycle is a far safer bet on the left for me. And even if you are right and I am unable to get out of the way of an oncoming vehicle before it strikes me at least I will know what hit me. The law would have my lights turn out unexpectedly and for unknown reasons.

Thank you for your concern. But I have spent years in this practice and put enormous amounts of thought and active analysis into this decision. You might try it sometime. Though the mental barrier is hell to break you might find it a more pleasant ride seeing where your dangers are. I cannot trust everyone in the traffic equation. My insurance is being able to see what's coming. I hope that it suffices.

Yeah I agree with this

Yeah I agree with this whole-heartedly. What I do is just make sure I'm in the lane far enough to force cars to get into the other lane at least slightly in order to pass. Once they have to cross the center line anyway, they will usually give you plenty of room. If you ride too close to the shoulder, they sometimes try to squeeze by and stay in the same lane you are.

Riding into traffic sounds horrifically perilous.

(1 Peter 2:15-16)

Bikes LEGAL on sidewalks in NY

First, I studied the legal aspects of Bikes on Sidewalks for 16 weeks doing research for three projects while a Grad student in NY state. I am a Certified Paralegal in Ohio (1978), and hold a Masters in Urban Planning (2011). That said, bikes in NY, 'when they operate in the carriage way (street) MUST OBEY all traffic laws as if they were a car. The only restrictions on bike travel on the pedestrian way (sidewalk) that can be enforced in NY state, are those passed in 'villages'. Villages ONLY. Cities, towns or any other type political subdivision CANNOT restrict bikes on any pedestrian way... because in NY bikes are NOT motor vehicles. NOBODY can force a pedestrian off the sidewalk and into the street here in NY. Bike 'paths' mean nothing under our current laws, except to restrict cars from them, Also, the exception for villages, must articulate where they cannot be on sidewalks in the village, and it must be posted, (like busy business districts) and CANNOT be 'a complete village ban'. I took this study very seriously, because I oppose bikes in streets, and don't think the world should be made safe for some progressive's Volvo. I don't know what the current law is in all 50 states, but the minutia in some places even defines the bike 'tire size' as the determining factor..(small bike -kids- here... other large adults there)which is better idea in some aspects. But, nobody can tell you where it is SAFE except you. STAY ON THE SIDEWALK AT ALL TIMES !! Vote Rand !!

Arbitrary and capricious, thy name is bicycle ordinances.

My friend just got a ticket for longboarding in a 'parking structure'. He fought the 'ticket' all the way and they ended up amending the 'ordinance'. They added another to the small list of streets downtown where riding is 'verboten' (including the ones that go past the police dept har har), and strangely enough didn't (unless he's mistaken) add 'longboard' to the 'code', even though he'd pursued that as a defense.

The logical conclusion I gathered from this is that any non-motorized vehicle with one or more wheels and with (like a Razr) or without (like a 'skitchboard) a handle is considered a skateboard. Which makes sense to anyone except a skateboarder.

Again, thanks.

"Home is where it's hardest."



Muchas gracias and vielen dank.

"Home is where it's hardest."


You Have Balls Chris!

I like that!

BOOM and kaBOOM!

You are on the right track of thinking

because laws are just threats of force. They have nothing to do with what is morally right/wrong.

I always ride my bike on the sidewalk whenever there is one available... and even that is not safe.. cars veer off the road all the time and can kill bikers or pedestrians on the sidewalk.

As for encountering people walking on the sidewalk, I usually go around them on the grass...

As for people riding their bikes in the street, that actually makes it worse for cars, as usually there is only enough safe room for a car, so the car either has to slow down or move over into the oncoming lane... all when the cyclist could be on the empty sidewalk.

I think driving on the left side of the road is safer too...

the right side convention i think a bunch of b.s...on the right side one can't see the traffic behind them..but on the left side one can see the oncoming traffic..thus higher safety i think

Without being inflamatory,

that is what mirrors are for. Thats how I keep up with what is going on behind me and around me, whether I am pedaling or motoring.

No, getting hit head on at a combined speed of 40 mph...

is not a safer option. Except for the fact that you'd die faster so there would be less pain.

"Home is where it's hardest."