Red means stop

One thing that irks me are other cyclists that don't follow the rules. These are the cyclists that give all others who do, a bad name.

Guy at the end... I ended up catching with him. Was it worth it running red lights and a stop sign?

Are you a red light/stop sign runner?

And if so, why?

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Matt Talbert on June 1, 2018 at 4:37am

Carter, you have made so many outstanding points. Your last comment right here has been my sticking point if it wasn't already clear enough. Use your best judgment and be a good role model. Getting yourself worked up over people you cannot change is not worth the impact on your mental health.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Carter O'Brien on June 1, 2018 at 4:49am

Thanks! : )

I'm just grateful I've made it this far with very minimal injuries. I was talking about all the newer bike infrastructure and its varying pros and cons recently with an old friend I was riding with back in elementary school and he reminded me "hey, back in the day bikes were just worth 10 points."

So yeah, we have a long way.

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on June 1, 2018 at 4:42am

hahaha. I'm still adjusting to the hills. I try to just ride them and not think about it. I live at the bottom of a hill and to get to the Metro, I have to ride nearly a mile of climbing. I'm managing to stay in second gear in my Brompton to get to the top now which makes me super happy. I still (mostly) avoid the steep climbs in Georgetown. :-)

The heat hasn't been so bad here YET.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Carter O'Brien on June 1, 2018 at 3:07am

The sidebar does not apply to Chicago:

3.5. In municipalities with less than 2,000,000

inhabitants, after stopping as required by paragraph 1 or 2 of this subsection, the driver of a motorcycle or bicycle, facing a steady red signal which fails to change to a green signal within a reasonable period of time not less than 120 seconds because of a signal malfunction or because the signal has failed to detect the arrival of the motorcycle or bicycle due to the vehicle's size or weight, shall have the right to proceed, after yielding the right of way to oncoming traffic facing a green signal, subject to the rules applicable after making a stop at a stop sign as required by Section 11-1204 of this Code.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Allan on June 4, 2018 at 10:20am

Thanks for posting that. I didn't realize that was part of Illinois state law in the rest of the state, outside Chicago.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Steve Weeks on June 7, 2018 at 2:55pm

Just a couple of tiny details about the legal running of red lights by bikes in Illinois:

1) Only in cities with population less than 2 million. So not in Chicago.

2) Only after waiting 120 seconds.

Section 3.5 of the ILCS you linked to.

I think the 120 second requirement is excessive, but I won't run the red if there's a car also waiting.

Steve

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by curt(is) locke on June 6, 2018 at 3:25am

Keep shooting, posting, and shaming, Ernesto. It must make you feel so morally superior.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Carter O'Brien on June 6, 2018 at 3:34am

Nobody is being forced to read these comments. Why not just stop following the conversation?

You could even start a new thread: "Red Means Whatever the Hell You Want it To."

IMO it's preferable to have cyclists venting in a safe space online than out on the street.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by curt(is) locke on June 6, 2018 at 3:47am

So, just as Ernesto feels the need to "correct" those "reckless scofflaws" in this forum with endless video evidence, I choose to give feedback on his behavior here. I believe that's called a free exchange of ideas and opinions, but I could be wrong.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by curt(is) locke on June 6, 2018 at 4:01am

So, you don't care what I think (fair enough), but you expect the scofflaws (or members of this community in this case) to care about your opinion? Curious.