I didnt know what forum to put this in so I'm trying here. On friday I was coming home from work on my bike. I came to a red light with no cars in sight, so I did what I usually do, just go. I guess a motorcycle cop in a parking lot saw me and followed me and pulled me over. He ended up giving me a ticket (21453a) and lectured me on the basics of bicycle safety. WTF?!?! I think that this is a bull**** ticket, but everyone I've talked to really doesnt know how much this will be (cop didnt know either), if it will affect my driving record, etc... etc. Has this happened to anyone else? I plan on fighting it, any ideas?
Bike Tickets?!?!?!
- Thread starter 916dave
- Start date
I don't think it will have any effect on your driving record since its not a motor vehicle. Its probably more on the lines of J-walking.
Ok I dont know ware you are so I cant say for shore. But here in PA you can get points on your driving record if the cop wants to be a dick and write you a ticket for a moving violation on a bicycle.
uh....you admittedly broke a traffic law.
yeah admittedly I did "break a law". However it just seems stupid to treat all fines the same if on a bike on in a car. I cant see stopping at all stop signs, although when there is traffic you should. If no one is around do all of you guys stop and obey all rules?
I dont think you know if they're treating all fines the same, do you? Or is that what half of this thread is about?
And regardless of what I do or dont do, If i ran a stoplight and someone saw me do it, I wouldnt think im exempt from the rules just because Im on a bike. Id be accountable for my actions.
The cop was "Being a dick" because you just ignored the law and rode through a clearly marked signal. Duh!
And regardless of what I do or dont do, If i ran a stoplight and someone saw me do it, I wouldnt think im exempt from the rules just because Im on a bike. Id be accountable for my actions.
The cop was "Being a dick" because you just ignored the law and rode through a clearly marked signal. Duh!
In many states, bicycles are allowed to go through red lights if there is no traffic, due to the fact that they can't trigger the sensors to change the light. Check into it, there's a chance the cop didn't know about that.
yeah, half my thread is what the fine will be and how it will be treated. The cop sure a hell didnt know anything other than to lecture me and to write a ticket. so I guess my question is, will I be treated the same as if I was in a car? I think the ticket for running a red in ca is somewhere around $351? And why should a bike be treated like a car than a person? People cross the street all the time, and unless drunk do they rarely get a ticket for that (j-walking).
this has always been a weird issue with me.
in washington state, you don't need a drivers license to ride a bicycle. but you can get tickets that will effect your license, if you have one, while riding a bike.
we don't have a point system here so I'm not sure of the full details but I know a friend blew through a stop sign, was pulled over/ticketed and he said it effected his license. not real sure how (it's been a long time, i forget) he may have gotten it taken from him...
yep. sucks.
in washington state, you don't need a drivers license to ride a bicycle. but you can get tickets that will effect your license, if you have one, while riding a bike.
we don't have a point system here so I'm not sure of the full details but I know a friend blew through a stop sign, was pulled over/ticketed and he said it effected his license. not real sure how (it's been a long time, i forget) he may have gotten it taken from him...
yep. sucks.
Why do some cyclists think they are exempt from traffic laws simply because they are on a bicycle? 
Traffic violations on a bicycle in Cali will go on your driving record.
Ask my buddy who was facing loss of his drivers license for getting a DUI on his bike in San Diego.
Ask my buddy who was facing loss of his drivers license for getting a DUI on his bike in San Diego.
don't know if this was directed towards me or not......I Are Baboon said:Why do some cyclists think they are exempt from traffic laws simply because they are on a bicycle?
I just think it's weird that you don't need a drivers license to ride a bike.
BUT, if you have one and commit a traffic offense, it can effect your license.
what if you DON'T have a license and commit a traffic offense? then you simply get a ticket..... just seems odd to me. they should make you get a drivers license to ride a bike.
FWY, I'm not a cyclists.....I'm just a fvcktard w/ a couple of bikes.
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No, not directed at you.pnj said:
I do roll thru lights sometimes(there is this one blinking red light on a back road where I live), but I do my best to stop or atleast come to a slow rolling stop at all major intersection.
However if bicyclist want to be treated fairly when riding on the side of the road well they need to obey traffic control devices, it's just my opinion and I'm not saying that the cop should have been such a jerk I think a warning would have been fine. To bad you didn't have your mtn bike you could have lost him in the woods.
However if bicyclist want to be treated fairly when riding on the side of the road well they need to obey traffic control devices, it's just my opinion and I'm not saying that the cop should have been such a jerk I think a warning would have been fine. To bad you didn't have your mtn bike you could have lost him in the woods.
I have heard that if show the cop a drivers license it will go on your driving record. But if you just give them an ID card it won't.pnj said:don't know if this was directed towards me or not......
I just think it's weird that you don't need a drivers license to ride a bike.
BUT, if you have one and commit a traffic offense, it can effect your license.
what if you DON'T have a license and commit a traffic offense? then you simply get a ticket..... just seems odd to me. they should make you get a drivers license to ride a bike.
FWY, I'm not a cyclists.....I'm just a fvcktard w/ a couple of bikes.
If it happens to mu I will just tell the cop I forgot my license, because I sure as hell don't need my insurnace going up anytime soon.
You knowingly broke the law and got. Remember, you are a member of an minority group, cyclist. Actions like this make more reason for people to "hate" us and/or give us a bad name. Here is the million dollar question... what have you learned from this ticket?
That is legal in TN if you are on a motorcycle or a bike....you just have to come to a complete stop first.
We once got yelled at in Denver for riding downtown & the dude said we were gonna get a ticket....I didnt know you could get ticketed on a bike.
We once got yelled at in Denver for riding downtown & the dude said we were gonna get a ticket....I didnt know you could get ticketed on a bike.
Mwahahahahahaha.... i never stop for cops on my bike....
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I saw a dude turn right and then just U behind me in front of a car so he wouldn't have to stop on a road bike. It is fuqtards like this that make it dangerous for us to ride on the road. If you can't follow the rules on a bike, you shouldn't ride one. It pisses me off to ride with folks on the road that cut cars off and run signals and stop signs. If you are one of these folks, here's a news flash. It's not your friggin world. We all share it. I also tend to notice the retards doing this don't wear helmets. Their choice, but that is an idicator that they think that they are above being injured even. There are some stupid people on the road.
I'm not scrolling back up to get the thread starter's name, but thanks for making my cycling experience on the road crappier than it would be without cyclists like you.
I'm not scrolling back up to get the thread starter's name, but thanks for making my cycling experience on the road crappier than it would be without cyclists like you.
pnj said:
Sheesh...you think EVERYTHING is about you? HA!
Maybe they assume that since you have a license that you have taken the driver safety course and should know the rules of the road?? Hence the points on your license for knowing better....jdcambpnj said:
What crawled up your butt and died?loco-gringo said:
first, did you read the guy's post... "I came to a red light with no cars in sight, so I did what I usually do, just go." How is that so wrong?
Second, all the crap that cyclists do comes no where fvcking close to what cagers do.
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html
select "Streets & Highway Code" and "Vehicle Code" and search for "bicycle".
select "Streets & Highway Code" and "Vehicle Code" and search for "bicycle".
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LordOpie said:
It's a law holmes. You don't just get to go in a car. I don't dispute that cyclists are not as bad as a lot of cars, but it just takes one inconsiderate prick to do something to a car and it gets taken out on someone else. Get over yourself if you can't follow the rules. I don't feel even remotely sorry for someone that gets called on breaking the law.
What crawled up my butt and died is that peeps drive like ass around cyclists here because some elitist arrogant prick that couldn't wait on a light pulled out in front of them or some crap. Be responsible and quit blaming other people when you do something stupid is really my point. Are we supposed to feel sorry for the dumb ass that got a ticket because we share a common interest? I'm not going to.
so what you're saying is, when you're on your bike and a car runs you off the road, it's not the drivers fault for hating you for being on a bike, but another cyclist who pissed him off?loco-gringo said:
How about this, bikes (around here anyway) are NOT allowed on the sidewalk -- where the button for pedestrians is to change the light -- it's against the law. My motorcycle often does NOT trip the wires to change the lights (around here), so a bicycle certainly will not. With your logic, the only "right" thing a cyclist should do would be to wait for a car to come along and trip the wire and change the light
No - people drive like asses around cyclists there because they're Rednecks.loco-gringo said:
-S.S.-
I dunno - on my side of town I can't tell the difference between a sidewalk and a bike path. I'd just claim ignorance!LordOpie said:<snip>
How about this, bikes (around here anyway) are NOT allowed on the sidewalk -- where the button for pedestrians is to change the light -- it's against the law. My motorcycle often does NOT trip the wires to change the lights (around here), so a bicycle certainly will not. With your logic, the only "right" thing a cyclist should do would be to wait for a car to come along and trip the wire and change the light
-S.S.-
Sacto? Is that in CA?916dave said:
Ladies and gentleman you have just read what is referred to, atleast around these parts, and a "California Stop"
I can say I don't always come to a complete stop in some situations....I just thought if you are in CA this makes more sense.
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I've never had a light not change for me, but the dude didn't say he ran the light because it wouldn't change. He said he ran it because no one was coming. Apparently there was a cop he didn't see. What else didn't he see? I'm not saying that you get run off the road because cyclist are stupid. I am saying a lot of them fuel the fire. There is even a guy that rides here that is a a dick on the road bike and he is one of the board members for the Texas Bicycle Coalition. I am saying there are a lot of people in cycling that feel they are above any kind of law. I read threads almost daily about some poor saps injustice that was dealt to him. Run the lights if you like. I will continue to not do it and will continue to bitch at and about those that do. Don't be a light runner.LordOpie said:so what you're saying is, when you're on your bike and a car runs you off the road, it's not the drivers fault for hating you for being on a bike, but another cyclist who pissed him off?
How about this, bikes (around here anyway) are NOT allowed on the sidewalk -- where the button for pedestrians is to change the light -- it's against the law. My motorcycle often does NOT trip the wires to change the lights (around here), so a bicycle certainly will not. With your logic, the only "right" thing a cyclist should do would be to wait for a car to come along and trip the wire and change the light
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SkaredShtles said:No - people drive like asses around cyclists there because they're Rednecks.
-S.S.-
That too. :mumble:
You missed this one.loco-gringo said:I've never had a light not change for me, but the dude didn't say he ran the light because it wouldn't change. He said he ran it because no one was coming. Apparently there was a cop he didn't see. What else didn't he see? I'm not saying that you get run off the road because cyclist are stupid. I am saying a lot of them fuel the fire. There is even a guy that rides here that is a a dick on the road bike and he is one of the board members for the Texas Bicycle Coalition. I am saying there are a lot of people in cycling that feel they are above any kind of law. I read threads almost daily about some poor saps injustice that was dealt to him. Run the lights if you like. I will continue to not do it and will continue to bitch at and about those that do. Don't be a light runner.
so you would sit at a light and wait for a car to come by and trip the wires to change the light?loco-gringo said:I've never had a light not change for me, but the dude didn't say he ran the light because it wouldn't change. He said he ran it because no one was coming. Apparently there was a cop he didn't see. What else didn't he see? I'm not saying that you get run off the road because cyclist are stupid. I am saying a lot of them fuel the fire. There is even a guy that rides here that is a a dick on the road bike and he is one of the board members for the Texas Bicycle Coalition. I am saying there are a lot of people in cycling that feel they are above any kind of law. I read threads almost daily about some poor saps injustice that was dealt to him. Run the lights if you like. I will continue to not do it and will continue to bitch at and about those that do. Don't be a light runner.
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LordOpie said:
Quite likely yes, but like I said, it is not an issue in my town. I understand your point, but if you read the thread on mojo wumpus linked you will see some of the idiotic attitudes of a few. Those create problems for all of us. I am just pointing out really that the cat that got a ticket should've gotten a ticket. Do you dispute that? I am not trying to be an ass. I am just trying to heighten awareness. Good chance some folks will read this that never gave it consideration.
something evil to think about... if anyone ever gets pulled over on a bike, don't tell the cop your real name. tell him you ride a bike because you don't HAVE a driver's license. When he asks for your SS# just make one up and maybe try being really 'sorry' for the 'crime.' Then just tear it up when you get home and post the scanned remains of the ticket on RM
***on another note: always obey traffic laws. If you DO get stuck at a red light, get off the bike, walk it onto the side walk, and cross the street legally as a pedestrian.
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***on another note: always obey traffic laws. If you DO get stuck at a red light, get off the bike, walk it onto the side walk, and cross the street legally as a pedestrian.
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see my **note** aboveLordOpie said:
