abc7 Special Segment: Riding on the Edge "It's a complete ego thing"
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/special_segments&...
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By Eric Horng
October 31, 2010 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Bicyclists 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, bicyclists have to obey the same traffic lights and signs guiding drivers. In fact, the Secretary of State's office distributes
out a pamphlet spelling it all out. But many bicyclists 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 bicyclist, after
bicyclist, after bicyclist.
"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 bicycle traffic
violations, from riders blowing through stop signs to bicyclists
ignoring red lights and snaking across traffic.
"They will cut in front of you. They will especially never stop at a stop sign," motorist Audrey Middleton said.
Bicyclists could also be seen riding in oncoming lanes, going the wrong
way down one-way streets, as well as riding on busy sidewalks 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 bicyclists giving the appropriate hand signals.
"Oh, no, no," she said.
In some cases, it's not that bike riders won't stop. Sometimes, they
can't. Growing in popularity are fixed-gear bikes, which have no brakes.
The fact that they are illegal is part of the allure.
"It's a complete ego thing," one rider said.
Some bike riders 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 ride my bike," bicyclist 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," rider
Bertram Davis said.
Chicago has long touted itself as bicycle-friendly, and Mayor Daley's administration has added miles of
bike lanes and expanded city bike programs. However, as the number of
bicyclists have grown, so have the number of accidents: from less than
1,200 in 2003 to more than 1,700 in 2008, according to the Illinois
Dept. of Transportation. That's a nearly 50-percent increase.
A leading bicycle advocacy group says bike riders 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 Spotts, Active Transportation Alliance
spokesman.
But not every bicyclist agrees.
"It's about bicyclists having equal rights but not special rights," Philip Martin said.
Martin is a former board member of the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation. He
says out-of-control behavior threatens the progress the bike community
has made.
"Cyclists need to become more responsible for themselves. Otherwise, we risk losing the support that we need to expand our programs," Martin said.
Bike riders can be ticketed just like drivers, but Chicago police and the Cook County Circuit Court
Clerk's Office could not determine for ABC7 Chicago, based on their
records, how many bicyclists have been ticketed in recent years.
In fact, ABC7 is told by the circuit clerk's office that there isn't a
separate bicycle ticket form and the standard ticket doesn't have a
section or category for bicyclists.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/special_segments&id=7757396
Views: 170
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Joel on
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The most recent numbers I have seen are from 2008, but they are right around 1% for bicycling as a mode of transportation in Chicago.
H3N3 said:Um . . . sounds like you can't remember the stats either :-)
Mike Zumwalt said:Can't remember the source but I think the stats. for bike riding is measly, like 1% in Chicago so approx. 28,000 people, probably even less than that for bike commuters.
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Permalink Reply by Ryan L on
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Rick norris said:I think about twice as many drivers use turn signals as cyclists use hand signals. I never see anyone use hand signals, I do from habit of riding old choppers, I also use my signals in a car all the time.
Of course if a driver aint seeing a cycle he aint seeing the signal...But thats no excuse for not doing it at all.
I see people on bikes all the time talking on a cell phone, I am just amazed....I cant do it, cant hear over the road and wind noise, and don't get how they do it on a fixie with no brakes, more talent than I'll ever have I guess. I wonder how many of these cell phone talkin-no brake fixie riders are helmet nazis?
I think there probably is as many bad drivers as riders % wise.....
I signal 100% of the time while driving a car and I also signal while riding my bike. The problem with signaling on a bike is that people can't see hands and arms at night as well as you can see the yellow flash of a car signal not to mention you have to take your hand off of the bike to signal leaving you only one hand to control the bike. Gotta love those pot holes as I am signaling to turn right with only one hand on the bars.
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As far as I'm concerned debating Bikes Vs Cars is no different than discussing Religion, Politics, etc. You have your folks on one side and folks on the other. My dad Is a die hard Republican and will vote 100% Republican no matter what. He also loves his Lincoln Navigator and hates cyclists because as he says "they are on my road in my way". He will never ride a bike and he will never vote Democratic. There are many people out there that have chosen a side and no matter what will not budge from their beliefs even if there is definitive proof they are wrong. There will always be bias and the media will always lean one way or the other. Stories like this do nothing more than make the opposing sides hate each other even more and feel justified in doing so to the death.
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Permalink Reply by Davo on
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I try my best to signal when I am turning left but I don't understand the point of signaling to turn right, especially if i am the furthest right on the road.
Also what is the "correct" way to signal that you are turning right? Is it the way that cars without signals are supposed to use (using left arm and making a right angle with the hand up in the air)? Or are you supposed to use your right arm and point what your intentions are? I would think that most cars would think that the first way just looks like you're flipping them off as you ride away.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Lloyd on
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"some also took up entire lanes of traffic ... " which is perfectly legitimate, isn't it?
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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the "correct way" to signal right is to put your left arm up with a right turn signal. The real world actually used way is to point with your right arm.
I usually signal right turns mostly to make cyclists behind me aware that I'm turning and not to pass on my right. I'm constantly amazed at the number of people who will zoom by on my right when there is very little space. Yesterday I had 2 different cyclists (one in the morning and one at night) nearly take out my front tire after passing me on the right and merging back in front of me prior to really being clear. But I also have cars who can't wait to pass and pass too closely only to stop at a red light 50 ft. ahead, and dozens of pedestrians with a red light who see me coming, only to casually walk out in front of me when I have the green. At least I don't have to overhear loud cell phone conversations or spend time squeezed at the front of the bus because the teens in the middle wont allow others through to the empty back.
There are plenty of rude and idiotic cyclists, motorists, transit riders and pedestrians in chicago. It doesn't matter how you get where you are going. Jerks are jerks regardless of how they transport themselves.
Davo said:I try my best to signal when I am turning left but I don't understand the point of signaling to turn right, especially if i am the furthest right on the road.
Also what is the "correct" way to signal that you are turning right? Is it the way that cars without signals are supposed to use (using left arm and making a right angle with the hand up in the air)? Or are you supposed to use your right arm and point what your intentions are? I would think that most cars would think that the first way just looks like you're flipping them off as you ride away.
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Permalink Reply by Rick norris on
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Ryan L, your right there are some people that will never change their view, but I think through education, on both sides, there will be more and more people that can learn and see another point of view.
As far as I know hand signals are the same for cars and bikes.
As far as people not knowing hand signals, then I think George Carlin was right we are all just getting stoopider, and maybe we should ALL be forced to walk everyplace, while wearing helmets and padded clothing.
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Permalink Reply by Duppie on
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I remember reading this method of signaling being the law in Illinois.
Of course it doesn't help that the City of Chicago in their bike map prints a different, and in my opinion better, approach:
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/Transportation/bikemap/communicating....
Edit: the State of Illinois allows both methods:
http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/dsd... (scroll down to page 5.)
Rick norris said:Ryan L, your right there are some people that will never change their view, but I think through education, on both sides, there will be more and more people that can learn and see another point of view.
As far as I know hand signals are the same for cars and bikes.
As far as people not knowing hand signals, then I think George Carlin was right we are all just getting stoopider, and maybe we should ALL be forced to walk everyplace, while wearing helmets and padded clothing.
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Well, I guess there is more than one way to do anything, but the one I posted is the one the STATE has in the rules of the road book. That book is what people use to get their drivers license and since those people are the ones with the tons of steel and hundreds of horse power, I think it's best to communicate with them in the way they are taught to understand.
Edit- well it seems there are TWO rules of the road books
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Permalink Reply by Mark on
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The "left-armed" way of signalling a right turn is a throwback to when it was used by drivers in cars with no electric turn signals, and they could only use their left arm out the window. I don't think it is very recognized now. I think it is more natural just to point with the arm that is the direction you are turning.
Liz said:the "correct way" to signal right is to put your left arm up with a right turn signal. The real world actually used way is to point with your right arm.
I usually signal right turns mostly to make cyclists behind me aware that I'm turning and not to pass on my right. I'm constantly amazed at the number of people who will zoom by on my right when there is very little space. Yesterday I had 2 different cyclists (one in the morning and one at night) nearly take out my front tire after passing me on the right and merging back in front of me prior to really being clear. But I also have cars who can't wait to pass and pass too closely only to stop at a red light 50 ft. ahead, and dozens of pedestrians with a red light who see me coming, only to casually walk out in front of me when I have the green. At least I don't have to overhear loud cell phone conversations or spend time squeezed at the front of the bus because the teens in the middle wont allow others through to the empty back.
There are plenty of rude and idiotic cyclists, motorists, transit riders and pedestrians in chicago. It doesn't matter how you get where you are going. Jerks are jerks regardless of how they transport themselves.
Davo said:I try my best to signal when I am turning left but I don't understand the point of signaling to turn right, especially if i am the furthest right on the road.
Also what is the "correct" way to signal that you are turning right? Is it the way that cars without signals are supposed to use (using left arm and making a right angle with the hand up in the air)? Or are you supposed to use your right arm and point what your intentions are? I would think that most cars would think that the first way just looks like you're flipping them off as you ride away.
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Permalink Reply by Joe TV on
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I use the left arm signal for a right turn because riding on the right side of the road means that the left arm is much more in line with the field of vision of the driver behind me.
Mark said:The "left-armed" way of signalling a right turn is a throwback to when it was used by drivers in cars with no electric turn signals, and they could only use their left arm out the window. I don't think it is very recognized now. I think it is more natural just to point with the arm that is the direction you are turning.
Liz said:the "correct way" to signal right is to put your left arm up with a right turn signal. The real world actually used way is to point with your right arm.
I usually signal right turns mostly to make cyclists behind me aware that I'm turning and not to pass on my right. I'm constantly amazed at the number of people who will zoom by on my right when there is very little space. Yesterday I had 2 different cyclists (one in the morning and one at night) nearly take out my front tire after passing me on the right and merging back in front of me prior to really being clear. But I also have cars who can't wait to pass and pass too closely only to stop at a red light 50 ft. ahead, and dozens of pedestrians with a red light who see me coming, only to casually walk out in front of me when I have the green. At least I don't have to overhear loud cell phone conversations or spend time squeezed at the front of the bus because the teens in the middle wont allow others through to the empty back.
There are plenty of rude and idiotic cyclists, motorists, transit riders and pedestrians in chicago. It doesn't matter how you get where you are going. Jerks are jerks regardless of how they transport themselves.
Davo said:I try my best to signal when I am turning left but I don't understand the point of signaling to turn right, especially if i am the furthest right on the road.
Also what is the "correct" way to signal that you are turning right? Is it the way that cars without signals are supposed to use (using left arm and making a right angle with the hand up in the air)? Or are you supposed to use your right arm and point what your intentions are? I would think that most cars would think that the first way just looks like you're flipping them off as you ride away.
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Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on
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Haha to the 'alternate' right turn signal. But what if you have your brakes switched, ie. rear brake on the left?
Cameron Puetz said:
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