Stop sign sting

I saw one of the stop sign stings for bikers this morning on Wells Street.  It was pretty obvious as to what it was, but people were still blowing through the stop sign.

 

Anyone here get caught?  Any thoughts on this?

 

One thing that I thought was funny was this girl who passed me while I was stopping, and then was flagged over and still tried to go.  The police stepped in front of her...it looked like she was going to make a break for it, but she ended up stopping.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Korn on August 23, 2010 at 2:10am
Just a few headlines from the current Chicago Tribune homepage at http://www.chicagotribune.com/ :

3 cops hit by vehicle; 1 suspect shot, killed on South Side
Updated 5:58 a.m.
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/08/police-officer-struck-by...

1 killed as cab hits utility pole
Updated 6:51 a.m.
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/08/1-killed-as-cab-crashes-...

Motorcycle-semi crash closes Ryan for 3 hours; 1 killed
Updated 5:49 a.m.
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/08/accident-on-dan-ryan-clo...

Nothing yet about cycling-related injuries or fatalities.
Permalink Reply by Rick norris on August 23, 2010 at 5:07am
It seems that this discussion has gone throught many changes and subjects and has been pretty interesting to watch... and now my opinion one issue that has been overlooked:

The stop sign sting and the up comming safety awarness program where they will be handing out "free" headlights are leading up to one thing, and that is soon bicycles will be "taxed" in the form of tickets issued for violations. There has been a leak of sorts in the news about parking ticket quotas not bringing in enough revenue. So probably some city mayor while sitting in his limo saw a couple of bicycles eat a stop sign and realized that while taxing bikes in the form of city stickers would prove to be wildly unpopular, pushing the enforcment of the current laws that allow cops to ticket bikes would probably be pretty popular with drivers, especially drivers that have been forced to slam on their brakes after already stoping once, when a bicyclist blew a stop sign.

We can discuss diss, dat, an' every uder ting...but it will all come down to $$$$

I wish I knew how much revenue ticketing bicycles will bring in this year, and how much will be brought in next year. I would bet a shinny new bike bell there will be a big jump....

Just could be pairaniod and cynical, but in the city I don't ever see the laws changing a stop sign being treated as a yield.
Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on August 23, 2010 at 5:31am
I'm sure there would be an initial revenue jump until many bike commuters just plain stopped riding and went back to other options. It's been observed that bike riding has dropped significantly in areas that mandated helmet use. I don't think this would be any different.

If the city's goal was to cut down on the number of riders on the street, this would be the perfect way to do it (perhaps combined with a helmet law that was primarily enforced).

Rick norris said:
I wish I knew how much revenue ticketing bicycles will bring in this year, and how much will be brought in next year. I would bet a shinny new bike bell there will be a big jump....

Just could be pairaniod and cynical, but in the city I don't ever see the laws changing a stop sign being treated as a yield.
Permalink Reply by Rick norris on August 23, 2010 at 5:38am
I don't think the city wants to STOP cycling, just increas money from it.

I don't think enforcment of laws will STOP that many people from commuting, just make it a bigger pain than it already is....there might be a temporory drop in riders but I would think it would pick back up after a short time.

James Baum said:
I'm sure there would be an initial revenue jump until many bike commuters just plain stopped riding and went back to other options. It's been observed that bike riding has dropped significantly in areas that mandated helmet use. I don't think this would be any different.

If the city's goal was to cut down on the number of riders on the street, this would be the perfect way to do it (perhaps combined with a helmet law that was primarily enforced).

Rick norris said:
I wish I knew how much revenue ticketing bicycles will bring in this year, and how much will be brought in next year. I would bet a shinny new bike bell there will be a big jump....

Just could be pairaniod and cynical, but in the city I don't ever see the laws changing a stop sign being treated as a yield.
Permalink Reply by Davo on August 23, 2010 at 6:28am
"If the city's goal was to cut down on the number of riders on the street, this would be the perfect way to do it (perhaps combined with a helmet law that was primarily enforced)."


I'd love to see a bike helmet law enforced while motorcycles still don't have to where them.
Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on August 23, 2010 at 6:38am
Perhaps car drivers/passengers should wear them as well as the same logic that says that they SHOULD be used on a bike can be used to argue significant benefits in automobiles.

Davo said:
"If the city's goal was to cut down on the number of riders on the street, this would be the perfect way to do it (perhaps combined with a helmet law that was primarily enforced)."


I'd love to see a bike helmet law enforced while motorcycles still don't have to where them.
Permalink Reply by Joel on August 23, 2010 at 6:49am
Parking ticket revenue us down because there are fewer police on the streets to write tickets. They are too busy not being shot and killed to worry about parking enforcement. I really doubt that they will enforce bike violations. They don't do anything about the 30% of drivers on cell phones, the 50% of drivers that roll through stop signs, the 90% of drivers that speed, etc. Traffic laws exist only in theory around here.

Rick norris said:
It seems that this discussion has gone throught many changes and subjects and has been pretty interesting to watch... and now my opinion one issue that has been overlooked:

The stop sign sting and the up comming safety awarness program where they will be handing out "free" headlights are leading up to one thing, and that is soon bicycles will be "taxed" in the form of tickets issued for violations. There has been a leak of sorts in the news about parking ticket quotas not bringing in enough revenue. So probably some city mayor while sitting in his limo saw a couple of bicycles eat a stop sign and realized that while taxing bikes in the form of city stickers would prove to be wildly unpopular, pushing the enforcment of the current laws that allow cops to ticket bikes would probably be pretty popular with drivers, especially drivers that have been forced to slam on their brakes after already stoping once, when a bicyclist blew a stop sign.

We can discuss diss, dat, an' every uder ting...but it will all come down to $$$$

I wish I knew how much revenue ticketing bicycles will bring in this year, and how much will be brought in next year. I would bet a shinny new bike bell there will be a big jump....

Just could be pairaniod and cynical, but in the city I don't ever see the laws changing a stop sign being treated as a yield.
Permalink Reply by Rick norris on August 23, 2010 at 7:33am
I agree that CPD has better things to do, but while you and I can agree on this, do our great leaders?

"Parking ticket revenue us down because there are fewer police on the streets to write tickets. They are too busy not being shot and killed to worry about parking enforcement. I really doubt that they will enforce bike violations. They don't do anything about the 30% of drivers on cell phones, the 50% of drivers that roll through stop signs, the 90% of drivers that speed, etc. Traffic laws exist only in theory around here."

So if the great leader starts passing out "the word" from the back of his limo, can (will?) CPD ignore such demands. At some point cops will have to write these tickets just to shut up their boss, so their boss can go and say "see we are enforcing the laws" If CPD could truly ignor these demands would we have the stop sign sting?

As far as helmets go, I thought there is a law, for kids under 12 to have a helmet on their head, and also on people under 18 (or 21?) on a motorcycle
Permalink Reply by Dr. Doom on August 23, 2010 at 7:43am
I think we can all agree that John Lennon was at best the fifth most impressive Beatle, and that anyone who cites the lyrics to "Imagine" as part of an argument can be deemed to have lost.

I think we can also all agree that at least one poster in this thread should do a bit of reading on Pigovian taxation.
Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on August 23, 2010 at 7:47am
I'm sure it would help him in a crash. As long as it doesn't cause mobility issues that would make it hard to see or turn his head and look out the sides of the car (or block his vision in any way) I'm sure it would help in a crash. Head injuries are still a large problem in automobile crashes even with seat belts, and multiple airbags from the front and the sides.

If the guy wants to wear his helmet in the car what is he hurting?

Oh yeah -you feel cars are evil and should be banned like the pro-lifers believe abortion is evil and should be banned. To me you are both the same kind of crazy...

H3N3 said:
I know a guy who insists on wearing his bike helmet while riding in a car . . .

James Baum said:
Perhaps car drivers/passengers should wear them as well as the same logic that says that they SHOULD be used on a bike can be used to argue significant benefits in automobiles.

Davo said:
"If the city's goal was to cut down on the number of riders on the street, this would be the perfect way to do it (perhaps combined with a helmet law that was primarily enforced)."


I'd love to see a bike helmet law enforced while motorcycles still don't have to where them.
Permalink Reply by Duppie on August 23, 2010 at 11:57am
They were checking this afternoon on Lincoln @ Southport. Right in front of me a guy rides through red light without stopping and did get pulled over.

If you are so oblivious that you don't even notice the cop standing in the street, you make a pretty convincing case why the Idaho stop is a bad idea.
Permalink Reply by Melanie K on August 24, 2010 at 2:57am
I was there yesterday during the Southport "sting"...Since I actually stop at most, if not all, stop lights,the bike advocates didn't have much to say to me, but they were really friendly and offered me a bunch of literature and maps and such. I don't see it as much of a "sting", more of a public education campaign.

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