Bike Items That Have Little to Nothing to do With DC (11/01/09)

A police officer in Dallas, responding to a call, was going 70 mph in a 40 mph zone without lights or sirens. He hit and killed a 10 year old boy on a darkened stretch of road. The officer was cleared by a grand jury and received a one-day suspension "for violating the emergency vehicle operations policy". (Via GGW)

Very, very bad cyclist behavior. A cyclist, riding the wrong way, hit and killed a pedestrian (Andre Steed) in Philadelphia

people in the area heard a loud noise, then saw two men on the ground, one of whom had been riding a bicycle and apparently crashed into Steed. The cyclist then fled the scene, witnesses said. Steed died early Saturday morning

The law firm Steed worked for is offering a $10,000 reward for anyone who can provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of the cyclist. (thanks to Mike for the tip)

A New Haven cyclist goes to court to recover damages to her bike after a dooring incident. She was invited to have her case on the People's Court - which might have been a good teaching opportunity - but the defendant declined. She later won in small claims court and was paid.

Boulder, CO has a bike parking shortage.

The count found that of the 4,088 bicycles that were tallied during a four-day period in August, the number of bikes left unattended downtown ranged from a low of 825 on a Thursday morning to a high of 1,315 on a Friday evening.

About three-quarters were parked on permanent bicycle racks, while the rest were tied to parking meters, trees, railings or fences. About 6 percent of the bikes were left standing without locks.

The number of people locking up bikes to objects other than designated racks has increased 76 percent in the last two years -- which city officials say is the best indicator of a shortage of permanent bike racks.

I'm confident a count in DC wouldn't even show 75% were parking at bike racks (though other structures work too).

An 84-year-old woman rides New Jersey's 150 mile MS ride - in a dress and high heels.

Eiko, as she's known to friends and family, is an institution at the annual City to Shore event.

And why the nice dress and high heels? Tsai says that's just her normal biking outfit.

"I went to church, so I always dressed up and would ride my bicycle," she says. "So that's why I do it that way -- I do it that way naturally. That's the way I ride my bike."

California cracks down on drunk cycling

CHP officers last week charged seven bicyclists with riding under the influence during a one-night crackdown in Sacramento.

drunken riding is considered so significant that the highway patrol received a state-federal grant to enforce traffic laws for bicyclists in the Sacramento area.

In California, riding while under the influence is punishable by up to a $250 fine, according to the highway patrol. But the money is only part of the punishment. A rider caught drunk is arrested and must remain in a jail cell until he sobers up. The arrest becomes part of a criminal record, though it does not affect one's driving record or insurance. A rider may dispute the assessment by asking for a breath, blood or urine test.

I don't believe the law in DC treats a drunk cyclist any different than a drunk driver, so besides it being a bad idea, it's also illegal. 

2201.05 - No person shall operate or be in physical control of any vehicle in the District when the person's alcohol concentration at the time of testing is 0.08 grams or more either per 100 milliliters of blood or per 210 liters of breath or is 0.10 grams or more per 100 milliliters of urine;

The penalty for a first offense is $300 and up to 90 days in jail.

Comments

[w]

what a great way to encourage people to DRIVE A CAR drunk instead of a bicycle.

These laws go too far. Lay off the cyclists- who basically do no damage except to ourselves when plastered.

There are way too many bored lawyers in this damn country.

[Washcycle]

I don't think anyone dissuaded from biking drunk by the law or safety concerns is then going to end up driving drunk. But yes, if you must operate a vehicle drunk, a bicycle is a better choice than a car. Better still is getting a taxi home and leaving your bike overnight or waking your bike onto Metro. We're lucky to live some place with so many good choices.

[JeffB]

I don't think we should treat driving and biking the same here.

First, 0.08 isn't really drunk driving but, rather, driving under the influence. And why do we care that someone may be slightly impaired while driving? Because of the threat that person imposes on themselves and others.

But a cyclist at 0.08 is pretty much just a threat to themselves. How much of one I can't say as I don't think I've ever biked after drinking.

I think we should apply the same standard to drunk (and here I mean drunk) cyclists as we do pedestrians. If they are weaving all over the place and falling down then deal with them.

[Washcycle]

I'd agree that drunk cycling should probably be a lesser crime than drunk driving, but that may be what the "up to 90 days" is for. Also, where drunk driving really gets penalized is when a drunk driving hurts or kills someone, so the different levels are king of inherent in the system. And a drunk cyclist who kills someone is just as bad as a drunk driver who does so.