zacster

The cops are quick to write a ticket for riding on the sidewalk, but aren't ever there when someone is driving in a bike lane. And not just any bike lane. I witnessed a driver pull out from behind a garbage truck in Prospect Park on that short stretch by the skating rink where cars are allowed IN THE RIGHT LANE ONLY. She cut me off, sped up, and only pulled back over when she nearly ran someone over. This was on a Saturday afternoon, when the weather was somewhat nice, so the park was busy. I chased her down, pulled directly in front of her and prevented her from moving and gave her a good chewing out. Unfortunately, as usual, there were no police to be found. This was in the very spot where someone was killed on a bike by a car that ran them down going into the parking lot before the barrier was put up.

It is time to close the park to cars altogether. There is no reason to allow them in there.

rhm

Take a spin up 8th Ave sometime! Somewhere around 55th street there's a two-block long parking lot for police cars, marked with signs saying "bicycles only." I don't think I've ever been there when there weren't police cars parked there.

jyossarian

Whatever happened to all those photos that were being taken of police and city cars parked in bike lanes? Oh right, nothing happened because the city didn't care.

pgoat

nycwtorres

Yeah, I had to go around 3 cars in the bike lane today on my way in to work, but had to lie my way out of a ticket for rolling through a perfectly safe red light on the bowery (at prince). Other bikers,, not so fortunate got tickets.

Stacy

Last week I was riding east in the Grand Street Bike Lane when some unmarked police car decided he absolutely had to get through all that traffic fast. He had one of those portable red lights that cops put on the hood in these situations and a very very loud siren.

There isn't a whole lot of room in those protected lanes so when I saw this car headed straight towards me I thought about riding up onto the sidewalk but just as I was about to jump the curve I saw the car swerve to my right as if he had the same idea!!!

If we can't keep the police out of the bike lane, especially when they're going the wrong way, then how can we ever expect them to keep others out of the bike lane as well? And when did being a cop give them license to drive anywhere they please just because they're in hot pursuit?

jyossarian

Hot pursuit? Cops drive like that just to get back to the station when their shift is almost over. They drive like that because they can. No one's going to stop them. No one polices the cops for stuff like that.

vincentnyc

actually u can...u can called 311 and make a complaint on the officer. just remember their license plate and what time u see them. when i cop talk to me...i look at his face and then look at his badge number...if he said one thing i dont like...i will call 311 and make a complaint...this will stay on their record for awhile.

timmhaan

yep - there is so much conflict for so little benefit. and the potential for a serious accident is always there.

rekall

happened to me riding down allen street a couple of months ago... allen street now has a dedicated bike lane but this ******* in an suv drove right down it ahead of me for three whole blocks before stopping dead, double-parking an empty space, preventing my use of the bike lane, and prompted a chewing out of the driver by yours truly...

his excuse? "i'm picking something up in that shop right there."

yeah, awesome dude. so i'm supposed to risk my neck, create a traffic jam out of the four lanes of traffic to the left of you, all because you can't be bothered to ****ing park your land monster.

dick.

zacster

OTOH, one time I was on Plaza St by Prospect Park and there was an SUV that pulled up to the light in the bike lane. The cops appeared out of nowhere and wrote a ticket.

rekall

that's actually really encouraging...
anyone here adopt a no-tolerance policy yet? (by which i mean call 911 and parlay details including license plate # of what traffic danger you've just had to endure on account of an inconsiderate or downright murderous motorist?)
i have and i find it to be more productive than just yelling at people.
(who knows if it actually makes a difference, though.)

nycwtorres

I was actually thinking of printing this on big avery label stickers and putting it on the windshield in front of the driver's face. I understand, that it kind of defeats the purpose because the driver will have to get out and remove it before they actually leave the spot. But it also gives me time to haul ass in case they wanna run me down. And maybe it'll inconvenience them enough to think twice about parking in the bike lane.

FrankieV

How about a sticker like this:

v70cat

I ride in Queens and ride on the Side walk along Roosevelt Ave for about a block (over the grand Central Parkway) and then take the ramp into Flushing Meadow.

I also ride the side walk along Northern Blvd east for about one block to pick up the Bayside Path along the Parkway.

In both cases I ride slow and past cops and they bother me. I actually think the Bike Map tells you to use the side walk on that stretch of Northern.

rekall

the subtlety would be lost on most people, but i like it!

another thought is a combination of the simple reproduction of the no-parking signage in addition to the pertinent law in the driver's and bicyclist's manual of your local department of transportation.

v70cat

Wish we could get the police to start a active campaign focused on ticketing cars in the bike lane.