Shaking my head...Costco wades into mandatory bicycle registration debate
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Yes it does except there is no jurisdiction that does not require registration/insurance for motor vehicles. If I was to drive around anywhere with no valid plates I'd be stopped and my car would be impounded. If I had plates from another jurisdiction that would be accepted.
Your car is registered in one place. The only way that car registration can work is if all jurisdictions register cars.
If you did not have a registration for your car in your state of residence, you wouldn't register it in another state (you would not be allowed).
Last edited by njkayaker; 09-08-15 at 02:08 PM.
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Yes - car registrations do work that way. If I drive an unregistered car (no plates or out of date sticker) then I would expect to be pulled over. A car is registered in its home jurisdiction and the registration is recognized by all or most other jurisdictions that you could reasonably drive to. If you live in a non-mandatory-bicycle registration jurisdiction and ride to a mandatory-bicycle-registration jurisdiction, will they stop and ticket you for not having your bicycle registered?
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Nobody said it had to be registered in multiple places - just that if you go from a place where registration is not mandatory to a place where it is, your bike will be non compliant... a cycle tourist riding across the state, for instance, would be breaking the law the instant he crossed into the registration-required state.
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That's not correct.
You are also suggesting that it would have to be registered in multiple places (to be "compliant").
Bicycle registration is an idea that falls apart really quickly for many reasons. The likelihood of it being implemented is next to impossible.
Where, exactly, would you put the sticker or plates on a bicycle? Do you really think that cops are going to pull you over to look at a little sticker on your seat tube?
The only way that car registrations work is because car registration is universal. Given that, it would seem to be a near-requirement to implement bicycle registration in the same way.
Nobody said it had to be registered in multiple places - just that if you go from a place where registration is not mandatory to a place where it is, your bike will be non compliant... a cycle tourist riding across the state, for instance, would be breaking the law the instant he crossed into the registration-required state.
Bicycle registration is an idea that falls apart really quickly for many reasons. The likelihood of it being implemented is next to impossible.
The only way that car registrations work is because car registration is universal. Given that, it would seem to be a near-requirement to implement bicycle registration in the same way.
Last edited by njkayaker; 09-08-15 at 02:21 PM.
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Although you seem to be lumping the two arguments together - 'you'd have to register it in every jurisdiction you visit' (which seems unlikely, although an example was given where this is the case for off-road vehicles)and 'non-registering and registering jurisdictions would cause confusion'
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Although you seem to be lumping the two arguments together - 'you'd have to register it in every jurisdiction you visit' (which seems unlikely, although an example was given where this is the case for off-road vehicles)and 'non-registering and registering jurisdictions would cause confusion'
The only way bicycle registration would be enforceable is if it was universal (like it is for cars). The notion that individual cities would provide and enforce registrations is too silly to image it as a possiblity. Cities did/do have registrations but it's an anti-theft measure and, I suspect, very few people register their bikes anyway (this example is also pretty-much irrelevant).
Last edited by njkayaker; 09-08-15 at 02:29 PM.
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We can't say for sure if it is irrelevant or not - we are talking hypothetically about some government deciding to impose non-standard registration requirements on a particular subset of road users, and we cannot know what bizarre or nonsensical system they might come up with.
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We can't say for sure if it is irrelevant or not - we are talking hypothetically about some government deciding to impose non-standard registration requirements on a particular subset of road users, and we cannot know what bizarre or nonsensical system they might come up with.
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Where, exactly, would you put the sticker or plates on a bicycle? Do you really think that cops are going to pull you over to look at a little sticker on your seat tube?
The only way that car registrations work is because car registration is universal. Given that, it would seem to be a near-requirement to implement bicycle registration in the same way.
The only way that car registrations work is because car registration is universal. Given that, it would seem to be a near-requirement to implement bicycle registration in the same way.
Yes... bike registration would have to be universal and that's another reason that it's a ludicrous idea.
I'm not sure what the argument is -- we seem to agree that registration is a bad idea.
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The following is an example of a bad argument. Since it's highly unrealistic, it isn't really a reason that registration would be a bad idea.
Last edited by njkayaker; 09-08-15 at 04:20 PM.
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Here are some samples of bike licenses. The round hole let you bolt it on to your axle. Coincidentally, Fort Garry was my home town:
Last edited by asmac; 09-08-15 at 04:46 PM.
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Link doesn't appear to work.
Last edited by njkayaker; 09-08-15 at 06:12 PM.
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We has stickers where I lived, but I recall seeing actual metal plates in other jurisdictions. I recall registering bikes only when quite young (in the 60s). I don't know if the city abandoned the program or if the citizens just stopped participating, but by the time we had graduated to ten speeds I don't remember ever seeing a registration sticker.
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Likely, these programs were started to demonstrate that police were "doing something" about local bicycle thefts after residents complained.
It doesn't seem the anti-theft program would be useful. These programs were mostly theatre.
Last edited by njkayaker; 09-08-15 at 09:17 PM.
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What's the worst that could happen if bicycle registration became compulsory?
I'm sure in texas they would make you pay somebody $20 to check that you had a reflector on the back. But I can't imagine it being more of a hassle in other states.
I'm sure in texas they would make you pay somebody $20 to check that you had a reflector on the back. But I can't imagine it being more of a hassle in other states.
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I think Costco is wasting their time and pandering to sensationalism and not really creating any meaningful discussion.
If you get caught riding your bike "Impaired" = Under the Influence / Driving While Intoxicated / Driving Under the Influence in California then you are in for as much trouble as a motorist. It is not a good idea to drink and ride!
If you get caught riding your bike "Impaired" = Under the Influence / Driving While Intoxicated / Driving Under the Influence in California then you are in for as much trouble as a motorist. It is not a good idea to drink and ride!
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"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving."
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
F Thomas
"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving."
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
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I think Costco is wasting their time and pandering to sensationalism and not really creating any meaningful discussion.
If you get caught riding your bike "Impaired" = Under the Influence / Driving While Intoxicated / Driving Under the Influence in California then you are in for as much trouble as a motorist. It is not a good idea to drink and ride!
If you get caught riding your bike "Impaired" = Under the Influence / Driving While Intoxicated / Driving Under the Influence in California then you are in for as much trouble as a motorist. It is not a good idea to drink and ride!
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Vaccinations are at least a thing. Bicycle registration doesn't appear to be.
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I don't know why the pic didn't display. It appears to upload correctly. Here's a link to the source of the photo.
Dave Moulton's Blog - Dave Moulton's Bike Blog - Should bicycles have number plates?*
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I wouldn't see much of the infrastructure I would be paying for where I ride.
True.
I don't know why the pic didn't display. It appears to upload correctly. Here's a link to the source of the photo.
Dave Moulton's Blog - Dave Moulton's Bike Blog - Should bicycles have number plates?*
I don't know why the pic didn't display. It appears to upload correctly. Here's a link to the source of the photo.
Dave Moulton's Blog - Dave Moulton's Bike Blog - Should bicycles have number plates?*
It's not the government making noise about registrating bicycles. It's a few dopey civilian motorists.
Last edited by njkayaker; 09-08-15 at 09:41 PM.
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Thanks
More weird paranoia.
The "greedy b'crats" have no interest in bicycle registration (there's no real money in it). It's a few dopey civilian motorists. If "b'crats' have any interest, it's to pander to these few dopey motorists.
Sorry you are confused. I load up my bike, drive to a city with bike registration, park my car, unload my bike and go for a bike ride. If the police stop me and look for a registration sticker would he arrest me? Just think an unlicensed cyclist running amok!!!!!! Save your women and children from the cyclist that dont pay tribute to the greedy b'crats!!!!!
This one point is why bike registration is stupid. With all the crap going on in our cities do we really need the police chasing down cyclist?
This one point is why bike registration is stupid. With all the crap going on in our cities do we really need the police chasing down cyclist?
The "greedy b'crats" have no interest in bicycle registration (there's no real money in it). It's a few dopey civilian motorists. If "b'crats' have any interest, it's to pander to these few dopey motorists.
Last edited by njkayaker; 09-08-15 at 09:44 PM.
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A majority of dopey motorists actually and that's, why its a dangerous situation. Look at all the other things we never thought would be challenged. In our lifetime we could see a return to a Civil and Legal landscape more reminiscent of turn of the Century America, rather than 21st Century post Millenium America. Every day more Americans drop out of the Middle Class and into poverty than enter into it. In fact, no Americans leave poverty for the middle class, they leave the Middle Class for the Top 20% class. Bicycling as a means of transportation is exploding among the lower Middle Class who can no longer afford cars or even mass transit, which in most cities runs around $1.5K - $2K/yr. There is more hue and cry to bring cyclists under the heel of Government Oversight, than there is recognition of the fact that an increase in transportation cycling is overall good for infrastructure, air/water, and quality of life in all cities where the increase is taking place. Sadly the most visible sector of increased interest in transportation cycling are, ahem, affluent hipsters. That's you guys. Unless I way miss my guess, busboys don't have a lot of time to post on BF. Most of you won't consider $20/yr up to even $50/yr all that much to pay to "contribute" to society but someone with a negative net worth might. My contention is that even with that revenue stream coming, cyclists will still be unable to make left turns in most parts of the country. They still will not trip traffic sensors. They still will be barred from using the best streets. They (we) will still be second class road users despite paying a fair share, probably more than fair share of the costs of having these roads available.