Originally Posted by
punkinevil
I also have to point out that NYC has a "must-use" law regarding bike lanes, so it's not a case of a cyclist catching the vapors because he has to ride out of the bike lane. Cyclists in the city can and do get hefty fines, often regardless of obstructions. I applaud this guys initiative to track the problem in the bike and bus lanes.
The "must use" rules are not an impediment to cyclists going around obstructions. In fact, one can legally leave the bike lane for any number of reasons, including potholes, glass shards, or just about anything that renders them unsafe or otherwise, not suitable.
Not disputing that cops are citing cyclists for not using the lane provided, but that's on the cops, not the cyclists or anything that may be blocking it. I understand that some things claimed as "unsafe" may be debatable, such as how much broken glass is justification, but outright blockage by a parked vehicle is obvious and any citation issued under that condition is a serious abuse of police authority.
So, maybe instead of focusing on cars and trucks blocking the lane, maybe we should focus on identifying cops issuing citations on an "any port in a storm" basis, and have them or their commanders sanctioned and retrained.