Impeding the flow of traffic
Can someone explain how this law is enforced? I have never had a problem with it in the past.
I was riding my bicycle predictably and as far to the right as I could, when suddenly I was buzzed by a van passing way to close. Whoa! Pass with 3 feet! I exclaimed. While not more then a second later over the PA from local law enforcement comes, "Why don't you get on the sidewalk before you get killed". I proceeded down the road in shock of what I just heard. Why don't I get off he road, did that just happen?
Forward to a block or two up the road, and who pulls up next to me, the fuzz.. He slows and rolls down his window and asks, why don't you use the sidewalk before you get killed? I calmly explained that the sidewalks are dangerous to ride on with all the traffic coming in and out of all the parking lots and that bikes belong in the street. He exclaims that I am blocking and impeding the flow of traffic and that I should use the sidewalk. I reply with a sorry that it seems like I am blocking traffic, but I am traffic and(Again)bikes belong in the street and do not feel safe riding the sidewalk with all the turn ins and turn outs, and the lack of lowered curbs where the sidewalks end but curbs I have to jump off and up on. And that it is a two lane road, not packed with cars and people are just in a hurry. My road way is narrowing sir, I have to move myself over. No you don't he said, pull in here I want to talk to you. So I did.
He get's out and explains to me that I am impeding traffic by forcing cars to slam on their brakes, and change lanes to go around me, which simply wasn't the case. And that it is not me that is impeding traffic per say, but me and my trailer taking up to much room on the road. I explained to him, that it is not illegal for me to be riding in the street, and it is not illegal for me to be carrying a trailer in the street, which was loaded down with stuff I was carrying. And that the speed limit is only 35 and there were no cars slamming on their brakes but slowing down to properly pass me, and if that meant they needed to change lanes to do so in their eyes then so be it. It keeps me and makes me feel safer on the road then then when you saw me get buzzed a few blocks back by a motorist who didn't give me the legal buffer when passing.
This went on for a few minutes, and he explained how he bikes too and kept asking why I was being difficult about the situation and to just get on the sidewalk. And how it seems like I was being militant and trying to mess with cars and traffic. I explained that I was doing no such thing and I was just trying to reach my destination just like everybody else on the road. Then he tells me to use the sidewalk, and that if he caught me riding in the road again, when there is a sidewalk option that he is gonna ticket me for impeding the normal flow of traffic and I can go to court and explain it to the judge.
I have never had a problem along this road, and never had a problem with my trailer along this road or any other in the town of Arlington Heights. Usually it is the opposite, and they are very friendly telling me to be safe, and asking me if I am ok when they see me riding in the snow or freezing weather.
I was riding my bicycle predictably and as far to the right as I could, when suddenly I was buzzed by a van passing way to close. Whoa! Pass with 3 feet! I exclaimed. While not more then a second later over the PA from local law enforcement comes, "Why don't you get on the sidewalk before you get killed". I proceeded down the road in shock of what I just heard. Why don't I get off he road, did that just happen?
Forward to a block or two up the road, and who pulls up next to me, the fuzz.. He slows and rolls down his window and asks, why don't you use the sidewalk before you get killed? I calmly explained that the sidewalks are dangerous to ride on with all the traffic coming in and out of all the parking lots and that bikes belong in the street. He exclaims that I am blocking and impeding the flow of traffic and that I should use the sidewalk. I reply with a sorry that it seems like I am blocking traffic, but I am traffic and(Again)bikes belong in the street and do not feel safe riding the sidewalk with all the turn ins and turn outs, and the lack of lowered curbs where the sidewalks end but curbs I have to jump off and up on. And that it is a two lane road, not packed with cars and people are just in a hurry. My road way is narrowing sir, I have to move myself over. No you don't he said, pull in here I want to talk to you. So I did.
He get's out and explains to me that I am impeding traffic by forcing cars to slam on their brakes, and change lanes to go around me, which simply wasn't the case. And that it is not me that is impeding traffic per say, but me and my trailer taking up to much room on the road. I explained to him, that it is not illegal for me to be riding in the street, and it is not illegal for me to be carrying a trailer in the street, which was loaded down with stuff I was carrying. And that the speed limit is only 35 and there were no cars slamming on their brakes but slowing down to properly pass me, and if that meant they needed to change lanes to do so in their eyes then so be it. It keeps me and makes me feel safer on the road then then when you saw me get buzzed a few blocks back by a motorist who didn't give me the legal buffer when passing.
This went on for a few minutes, and he explained how he bikes too and kept asking why I was being difficult about the situation and to just get on the sidewalk. And how it seems like I was being militant and trying to mess with cars and traffic. I explained that I was doing no such thing and I was just trying to reach my destination just like everybody else on the road. Then he tells me to use the sidewalk, and that if he caught me riding in the road again, when there is a sidewalk option that he is gonna ticket me for impeding the normal flow of traffic and I can go to court and explain it to the judge.
I have never had a problem along this road, and never had a problem with my trailer along this road or any other in the town of Arlington Heights. Usually it is the opposite, and they are very friendly telling me to be safe, and asking me if I am ok when they see me riding in the snow or freezing weather.
Views: 172
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on
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Standardizing the hodge podge of local regulations seems like it also might be worth fighting for. If only we still had a dedicated bicycling advocacy organization in Chicago instead of the diffuse and aimless ATA...
Brian Kennedy said:Exactly...because he doesn't know the law. Stay on the street M.A.R.K. This one is worth fighting.
M.A.R.K. said:The officer said nothing about me not having a bell..
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Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on
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So basically if you have not experienced it, or if something is unlike your past experience, it could not have happened like that?
In that case I think you are a liar because about 3 years ago I hit a cop car on a bike when they made a turn in front of me and I didn't go to jail.
I also don't believe the OP because the officer I dealt with was very apologetic, helpful and polite over the incident.
Both of your stories are false because they go against my experience.
Video_Drome said:Brian Ellison said:I have been seeing a trend in cops lately. This trend is cops being downright ignorant and disrespectful to cyclists. a few weeks ago while working downtown, i was riding my bike under the train tracks in between canal and clinton on randolph. there was a bus in the left lane, and a county police SUV in the right. Since i had nowhere to go, i made myself visible in the rear view mirror of the officers SUV and then went back behind him. As soon as i did this, he slams on his breaks causing me to slam into the back of his SUV causing no damage. Now I know for a fact I caused a loud thud but he proceeded to drive off. Since this is randolph, there are a ton of lights so i was able to catch up to him. As I caught up to him I asked him why he had stopped in the middle of the road like that. He turns to me quickly and yells "Because I can stop wherever the hell I want to!" All of this while he was on his cellphone.
The Second incident happened last week. I was traveling southbound on wells somewhere just north of chicago I think. If I'm not mistaken, wells that far north is only a 2 lane road so from what i can remember, there was a bus and an ATV officer. The bus slowed down and the officer quickly became inpatient. The whole time i was watching him carefully when he suddenly without signaling or even looking in his mirrors flies into the bike lane right as im passing him. I was barely able to avoid him only having what seemed like an inch on either side of me in between his four wheeler and the parked cars. It was very close to say the least and I was not going slow so it could have been really bad. I stopped at the next light but the officer had disappeared.
My first instinct was to call and/or visit to report these incidents but they will simply fall on the deaf ears of a disgruntled officer who is suspended for two weeks and has to take all of the complaints for the precinct. I truly feel that it is a lack of respect for ordinary people on the part of the police. I have only run into a few officers who did not talk to me in a condescending tone.
you seem to like to tell tall tales. Wells is a 2 lane street in its entirety.
If you hit the back of a cop car, county or city, you'd be in so much trouble, that your parents would never let you ride the downtown streets ever again. Another messenger I know slammed a cop car in the same way you describe and he got thrown in jail instantly. I just have a hard time believing any of this. sorry.
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Permalink Reply by Gary Gilbert on
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I don't generally ride on Rand in AH (or in MP or Palatine either). I was surprised when you wrote that the speed limit was 35, I think most drive faster and some sections are 40 or 45.
There are plenty of alternatives. In fact there is a short 5' sidewalk cut-through behind Best Buy that gets you into the neighborhood just south of Town & Country and from there you easily can go S or E or W.
Relations between cyclists and the police in AH are very good. Just because we can legally ride on Rand, doesn't mean we should want to.
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Permalink Reply by Mark Kenseth on
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'where's the fire?' i always say.
this story reminds me of how cops and people just don't care. many do, but some are living in the stone age.
one time a mini-van of ladies yelled at me to 'get on the sidewalk'. at the light i pulled up next to them and kindly pointed out that i wasn't under the age of 12. they were dumfounded.
one time i went into a police station to fill out an accident report to have on record. i wasn't blaming the driver or pursuing legal action. i just wanted to file a report about a bicyclist getting hit. the police officer gave me an attitude. his name was pikinik (sp?). and let me tell you, pikinik was no picnic.
why are chicago cops so gruff? why are some people so ignorant and frankly uncool about sharing the road? do they own the road? well ...i'm going to buy my own road. anyone want to ride it? i'll give you a password.
keep doing it.
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