gthomson

A local story around here about police officers using video on their shifts catching a cyclist going through a stop sign in a small community, probably early in the morning. Needless to say it got quite a bit of a attention from those on social media who are pro bike and those against . I get the concern but wonder if it has to be taken in consideration based on the circumstance? empty 4 way stop sign, no traffic (road or pedestrian) or maybe a warning issued?

https://cyclingmagazine.ca/video/sho...eing-ticketed/

cb400bill

No 50+ content. Thread moved to A&S.

gear64

I typically slow down, often stop, but I'm not perfect. Sometimes I cheat, especially if clear line of sight. If I got caught it would be no flack, pay the fine. I knew the rules when I hopped on the bike. If one doesn't like it, lobby the ordinance to be changed.

indyfabz

Iride01 

Seems like a no brainer. I don't break any laws driving or cycling when there are police around.

I certainly don't know what the laws are where the incident occurred.

Daniel4

If the police is enforcing the letter of the law, then I would abide by it. However, I would challenge their enforcement if they appear to be lenient on motorists who do the same thing by rolling through stop signs without a full-stop.

Russ Roth

Leave a nasty note about the kind of people who give the ticket on the "for" line; been known to do that in the past. In this case I would, legal or not this was a waste of time, energy and the police need to find something better to do.

rydabent

When the cyclist goes to court, he should use that video to make a citizens arrest against the cop. He DID NOT come to a full stop at the stop sign.

tomato coupe

Ummmmm ... police are allowed to do that when they're pursuing someone.

Leisesturm

Police are allowed to do anything they want. Period.

downhillmaster

Moe Zhoost

The intent of the law is to prevent collisions. If there is no possibility of a collision due to no other vehicles being present, then the law is irrelevant and should not be enforced.

rossiny

So, who was he a danger to,?
I think its silly.. I wonder if he would have done a rolling stop, would they still have ticketed him?

Koyote

It looks to be a fairly blind intersection, which is the perfect place for a four-way stop.

But your post raises an interesting issue: some traffic laws are designed to reduce motor vehicle collisions, but put cyclists in more danger. For example, forcing a cyclist to stop at a sign or light -- which makes the cyclist a sitting duck without a 4,000 metallic cocoon for protection -- even though the cyclist could safely pass through without stopping. And even though a cyclist's mistake would physically harm no one but the cyclist.

Take marijuana laws as an analog: for many decades, many tens of millions (maybe more?) of people smoked pot, even though it was illegal. They smoked it because it harmed no one -- generally, not even the smoker, unless it was combined with driving a car or something similar. Now that more and more states are making pot legal, and even expunging minor criminal convictions, the idea that you had to obey that law simply because it was a law seems quaintly naive.

pdlamb

Price you pay for living in a quiet place with no crime and bored cops.

mcours2006

The law is the law, I suppose. The guy was unlucky that the cop decided to enforce it where 99.9% of the time it is not. I'm guilty of running stop signs multiple times during my daily commute, and on more than a few occasions there'd been cops sitting by watching for motorists that do the same thing. Once the cop did mutter something to me about stopping, to which I gave him puzzled look and just rode on. Lucky, I guess.

Rick

The bicyclist didn't even bother to look. Even though there appeared to be no traffic. The bicyclists didn't see the Police. I bet he looks from now on. You should consider it to be hard times and obey the law, or the tax collector may come calling on you.

Paul Barnard

I am guessing he assumed the cross traffic would stop since it's a 4 way stop. That's a dangerous practice.

genec

Indeed, poor practice.

Perhaps however the cyclist could hear that there were no sounds of engines or approaching rolling tires... difficult to do in a busy city, but easy enough in a rural area... and not likely to be done by a motorist who has to deal with motor noise, tire noise, rolled up windows and entertainment systems.

Of course try to explain that to a cop...

Rick

I was riding with a group of twenty plus riders my last year in the army. It was in Germany and we had the light. An idiot ran the light. I was the only one that was hit. I look always even if I am in a group. You can't always count on your ears alone. Using your eyes is better.

gthomson

Although I may not follow the law to the definition, I do approach all stop signs by slowing down, looking all ways for pedestrians and cars and then make a judgement call. If there is neither car nor pedestrian I carry on, so a rolling stop. I wouldn't do this at an intersection with lights and I never blow through. I honestly dislike seeing riders or groups blatantly run a set of lights or stop sign and always think they are giving each of us cyclists a bad name.

I would think a warning from the cop would have been significant but the story indicates he was fined $115.

rydabent

Once again considering the time and no traffic a warning should have been in order. The fine $110 is obscene. It just fills the city B'crats coffers.

OBoile

This is my position exactly. I'm not going to complain if I break a rule, get caught and as a result, have to pay a fine.

OBoile

Actually, in Ontario they aren't (I checked with Mrs. OBoile, a cop in Ontario, about this).

But, unless the cop actually hits someone, complaining isn't going to do anything, and you certainly can't put someone under citizens arrest for a traffic violation.

blue192

I do not see the issue here. The bicyclist did not stop at the sign, did not even slow down going by the sign, and he did not even bother to look to see if traffic was clear. If it were a car going through the intersection without stopping and hitting a bike would we still have the same opinion that it is OK to go through a stop sign without stopping?