Summons for Running Light on Bike

I get that you think the laws are wrong -- that you shouldn't have to stop at red lights or whatever -- but it IS currently the law. You don't have to like the law to know it's the law. And I really do disagree with you -- I really do. But regardless of whether we agree it SHOULD be the law it's a moot point - you are required to follow the law. And currently the law says to stop at a red light. If you don't agree with it, try to get the law CHANGED, don't just break it and then complain that you got caught.

You said 'it's the same thing as a car running a red light'.

Yes, both are against the law. (As is jaywalking (you wouldn't complain if you got a jaywalking ticket, I presume?))

But no, both are very much not equal dangers to the public.

So in that regard they're not the same at all.

http://law.onecle.com/new-york/vehicle-traffic/VAT01112_1112.html

That law? Sure -- I know I'm not supposed to do it, but if I get caught, I'll deal with it. It's illegal. I may not agree, but until it's changed, I have to deal with with consequences.

This whole thread reminds me of when one of my third graders gets caught doing the wrong thing and says "yeah, but so-and-so was doing it too!". I don't care that they were doing it too -- you got caught and you need to be making your own choices, not trying to say that someone ELSE doing the wrong thing excuses you. Two wrongs don't make a right, blabla.

The question under discussion is whether you as a teacher should be worrying as much about two kids whispering to each other during a lesson as you would about two kids beating the living daylights out of a third kid.

Should the cops be spending their time harassing bicyclists or should they be going after drivers for DWI, using cell phones while driving, running red lights, etc.

All of the offenses described above require attention, but some would seem more urgent than others (except to the cops, of course).

xlizellx said:This whole thread reminds me of when one of my third graders gets caught doing the wrong thing and says "yeah, but so-and-so was doing it too!". I don't care that they were doing it too -- you got caught and you need to be making your own choices, not trying to say that someone ELSE doing the wrong thing excuses you. Two wrongs don't make a right, blabla.

If that's what the whole thread reminds you of, then you're clearly missing the point of the thread. In addition to the very valid point that booklaw makes, there's the violation of another sort, but it's something that the police may (arguably) be guilty of - harassment. Using your classroom scenario, how do you think parents and faculty would feel if you were concentrating your disciplinary efforts on only boys? Or only Hispanic kids? They probably wouldn't be too happy about it.

booklaw said:

The question under discussion is whether you as a teacher should be worrying as much about two kids whispering to each other during a lesson as you would about two kids beating the living daylights out of a third kid.

ding ding ding.

one kid throws a brick, but you ignore him to focus on the kid throwing a ball of paper.

Cars kill ~150 pedestrians a year. Between 1996 and 2005, Bicyclists killed 1.1 people per year.

150:1

Cars kill ~150 pedestrians a year. Between 1996 and 2005, Bicyclists killed 1.1 people per year.

150:1

Yeah, but if you are that one, it still sucks just as much. Which brings us back to if you break the law knowingly you should just suck it up if you get caught. While your behavior may be less screwed up that the other guy, you're still in the wrong.

Many studies show that first someone bikes through a rolling red light, then they smoke pot, then they inject heroin, then they shoot a gun randomly at a public high school and finally they get appointed New York City Chancellor of Schools. It's a slippery slope but it can really lead to some bad things.

Walkathon said:

Many studies show that first someone bikes through a rolling red light, then they smoke pot, then they inject heroin, then they shoot a gun randomly at a public high school and finally they get appointed New York City Chancellor of Schools. It's a slippery slope but it can really lead to some bad things.

We've all been there...

All this talk about danger and 150:1 death ratios and how much a car weighs compared to a bike is kinda silly.

For one thing, it is highly unlikely that anyone here is going to get killed by a car or a bike or a bolt of lightening... yes, HIGHLY unlikely.

Danger comes in all forms and many people choose to follow the well defined narrative of crashes and deaths. However, this is far from the reality.

The reality is, at least for me (and many of my friends), is I've been injured (and close to being injured) by a bike rider striking me then by a car... by an infinite factor. That is to say I've never been injured or struck by a car.... I have been struck and injured by bikes on occasions to numerous to count.

The mere fact that cars are better at killing someone does not make them more dangerous. I'm sorry - it just doesn't.

Dance Rehearsal, the fact is, having been hit by a bike on numerous occasions, you are still alive, and probably still have all of your limbs intact.

I have a friend who was struck by a car (on her front stoop, no less), and lost her leg, right here in Center Slope.

Don't try to tell us that cars are no more dangerous than bikes.

Meanwhile, a prime example of why the NYPD sabotages whatever respect they get from the community:

http://www.streetsblog.org/2011/04/21/eyes-on-the-street-nypds-traffic-enforcement-resources-at-work/

CPR my ass.

We came out of a store at 8th Street & 5th Avenue to see NYPD's dynamic duo issuing a ticket to a portly, central-American gentleman on Sunday afternoon. I looked at him and gave him the universal "What the hell?" shrug of the shoulders. He simply shook hid head in response.

Meanwhile on the other side of 5th Avenue in the south bound bike lane sat three double-parked cars, two with no drivers in them. What did the pair of New York's finest do about them? Absolutely nothing.

As we pulled out of our parking spot and drove north on 5th Avenue I looked back to see the black four-door sedan turn its lights on and pull a u-turn. No doubt they were in hot pursuit of another urban terrorist.