Bad, bad bicyclists!

Riding on the Edge by Eric Horng of WLS.

I'm all for responsible behavior on streets (and off), but . . .

Is this related to the upcoming change of the Mayor? I've heard and read not once that Daley was too much bike(r)-friendly.

Also:

"Growing in popularity are fixed-gear bikes, which have no brakes. The fact that they are illegal is part of the allure."

Is the emphasized statement correct? Just curious . . .

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dr. Doom on November 17, 2010 at 12:48pm
The relevant statute says, according to CDOT:

Every bicycle shall be equipped with a brake which will adequately control movement of and stop and hold such bicycle.

You could argue—and I'm sure at least one lawyer would if someone were actually cited for riding a track bike—that legs fit this definition on a fixed gear.
Permalink Reply by Rick norris on November 17, 2010 at 12:52pm
When I first saw that statement on another post it bothered me. I think that statement was just stupid, I don't know of any bike you can buy..new from a dealer that does not come supplied with a brake.

A fixed gear bike and a BRAKELESS bike are two different things, the statement makes it sound like FIXED GEAR bikes are brakeless AND illegal....

HMMM...sounds like one of my Chicago public school alumni learned himself some good riting skills too...
Permalink Reply by J M on November 17, 2010 at 12:56pm
Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on November 17, 2010 at 2:19pm
LOL

Jeremy, are you making a drinking game out of redundant Chainlink posts?

J M said:
Permalink Reply by mike w. on November 17, 2010 at 4:23pm
It's from WLS...

Stoking the flames of hatred. It's their editorial policy.

That's all you need to know...
Permalink Reply by Michael on November 17, 2010 at 6:15pm
I fixed it for you...

October 31, 2010 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Motorists on the streets of Chicago face many dangers, but they may put themselves in that position and frequently frustrate others on the road.
By law, motorists have to obey the same traffic lights and signs guiding all other road users. In fact, the Secretary of State's office distributes a pamphlet spelling it all out. But many motorists in Chicago follow their own rules.
In downtown Chicago during the afternoon rush, the lights and signs at several high-traffic intersection that prevent chaos are ignored by motorist, after motorist, after motorist.
"They kind of do what they want," one person said.
"It almost seems like they view themselves as above the law," said another.
Over the course of two days, ABC7 witnessed dozens of motor vehicle traffic violations, from drivers blowing through stop signs to motorists ignoring red lights and snaking across traffic.
"They will cut in front of you. They will especially never stop at a stop sign," pedestrian Audrey Middleton said.
Motorists could also be seen driving in oncoming lanes, going the wrong way down one-way streets, as well as ignoring pedestrians in crosswalks and failing to stop for emergency vehicles. Some also took up entire lanes of traffic, all without signaling.
Pedestrian Carole Romano indicated she rarely saw motorists giving the appropriate turn signals.
"Oh, no, no," she said.
In some cases, it's not that car drivers won't stop. Sometimes, they can't. Growing in popularity are SUVs, which have no ability to see what’s directly in front of them. The fact that they are enormous gas-guzzlers is part of the allure.
"It's a complete ego thing," one driver said.
Some motorists speaking with ABC7 seemed less than concerned.
"I don't mean to break any laws or anything like that. That's just the way I drive," motorist Marcos Orta said.
"We gotta get from point A to point B, and sometimes, no, we don't obey the law because we're trying to get from point A to point B," driver Bertram Davis said.
Chicago has long touted itself as automobile-friendly, and Mayor Daley's administration has added miles of roads and expanded city parking programs. However, as the number of motorists have grown, the number of accidents remains astronomical: 425,000 in 2003 and 408,000 in 2008, according to the Illinois Dept. of Transportation.
A leading motorist advocacy group says motorists are not to blame.
"Education and enforcement should be focused on where it can have the greatest impact for everyone's safety, and that is obviously more focused on motorists," said Ethan All, American Automobile Association spokesman.
But not every motorist agrees.
"It's about motorists having equal rights but not special rights," Bob Hummer said.
Hummer is a former board member of the American Automobile Association. He says out-of-control behavior threatens the progress the motorist community has made.
"Motorists need to become more responsible for themselves. Otherwise, we risk losing the support that we need to expand our programs," Hummer said.

(Tip o' th' hat to Dan K.)
Permalink Reply by Allen Wrench on November 17, 2010 at 6:29pm
German courts recently held that fixed gearing counts as a brake for the purposes of the StVO laws regulating vehicles on public streets. Unfortunately, the StVO requires that every bike have TWO brakes, so a fixie there still needs a hand brake. Totally inapplicable here but interesting.
Permalink Reply by T.C. O'Rourke on November 17, 2010 at 7:42pm
Haha, nice work.

Likewise, inserting "rush hour" for "Critical Mass" in any rant guarantees hours of amusement...



Michael said:
I fixed it for you...

October 31, 2010 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Motorists on the streets of Chicago face many dangers, but they may put themselves in that position and frequently frustrate others on the road.
By law, motorists have to obey the same traffic lights and signs guiding all other road users. In fact, the Secretary of State's office distributes a pamphlet spelling it all out. But many motorists in Chicago follow their own rules.
In downtown Chicago during the afternoon rush, the lights and signs at several high-traffic intersection that prevent chaos are ignored by motorist, after motorist, after motorist.
"They kind of do what they want," one person said.
"It almost seems like they view themselves as above the law," said another.
Over the course of two days, ABC7 witnessed dozens of motor vehicle traffic violations, from drivers blowing through stop signs to motorists ignoring red lights and snaking across traffic.
"They will cut in front of you. They will especially never stop at a stop sign," pedestrian Audrey Middleton said.
Motorists could also be seen driving in oncoming lanes, going the wrong way down one-way streets, as well as ignoring pedestrians in crosswalks and failing to stop for emergency vehicles. Some also took up entire lanes of traffic, all without signaling.
Pedestrian Carole Romano indicated she rarely saw motorists giving the appropriate turn signals.
"Oh, no, no," she said.
In some cases, it's not that car drivers won't stop. Sometimes, they can't. Growing in popularity are SUVs, which have no ability to see what’s directly in front of them. The fact that they are enormous gas-guzzlers is part of the allure.
"It's a complete ego thing," one driver said.
Some motorists speaking with ABC7 seemed less than concerned.
"I don't mean to break any laws or anything like that. That's just the way I drive," motorist Marcos Orta said.
"We gotta get from point A to point B, and sometimes, no, we don't obey the law because we're trying to get from point A to point B," driver Bertram Davis said.
Chicago has long touted itself as automobile-friendly, and Mayor Daley's administration has added miles of roads and expanded city parking programs. However, as the number of motorists have grown, the number of accidents remains astronomical: 425,000 in 2003 and 408,000 in 2008, according to the Illinois Dept. of Transportation.
A leading motorist advocacy group says motorists are not to blame.
"Education and enforcement should be focused on where it can have the greatest impact for everyone's safety, and that is obviously more focused on motorists," said Ethan All, American Automobile Association spokesman.
But not every motorist agrees.
"It's about motorists having equal rights but not special rights," Bob Hummer said.
Hummer is a former board member of the American Automobile Association. He says out-of-control behavior threatens the progress the motorist community has made.
"Motorists need to become more responsible for themselves. Otherwise, we risk losing the support that we need to expand our programs," Hummer said.

(Tip o' th' hat to Dan K.)
Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on November 18, 2010 at 2:19am
Has anyone ever been cited/fined for riding without brakes while on a fixed-gear bike from CPD?

I think that if they have and it stuck then that would be enough to create a precedent. If there hasn't been anyone then there is momentum to consider them as legal since they are sold by many bike shops and not labeled expressly as "track only" off-road bikes not intended for use on public streets.

It's a good question and I'd like to hear more about how the local police enforce what is basically a gray area in the law as what defines a "brake." I think for many laypeople saying that the human legs are a brake is sort of like saying a person's shoes could be used as one Fred Flintstone style.

I've always wondered what would happen in a civil case if a lawyer brought this up in front of a jury and what would happen to any damage award if they brought up "the fact" that the bike rider was effectively riding around without brakes.

I'm neutral about the whole fixed gear thing (ha-ha, excuse the pun) I figure people should be able to make their own choices about safety and equipment. But I'm aware that there are a lot of people out there who like to meddle with the choices of other people -look at the whole flap over caffeinated beer beverages lately and toys in Happy Meals.

Once the McVoters who read the McNewspapers get their undies in a bunch there will be a whole new bunch of idiotic rules and laws made by bureaucratic idiots. After that, riding a bike will be about as fun and free as going through a full-body scanner or getting groped/molested by TSA idiots with hands of blue.
Permalink Reply by Brendan Kevenides on November 18, 2010 at 4:11am
I've looked into this. In my opinion, fixed gear bikes are legal under pursuant to both IL statute and Chicago ordinance.

http://www.mybikeadvocate.com/2009/07/riding-fixed-and-law.html

http://www.mybikeadvocate.com/2010/02/at-least-one-us-jurisdiction....

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