Are you in any of these videos of bicycling "scofflaws"?

OK, this is student journalism from Medill, so do NOT use normal standards in critiquing the content of this piece, "Bicyclists, cars, pedestrians are an uneasy mix". 

I found it interesting to watch the five short accompanying video clips, used to illustrate that bicyclists do not follow the rules of the road. In each case, the shot is too tight to see the entire intersection, so critical information is missing like whether it's a one-way cross street a T-intersection (which is the case in three of the videos). Perhaps the author doesn't ride a bicycle very much herself; she seems to feel that a cyclist needs to visibly wag her head left to right in order to view the whole intersection and prove she's following the law.

In any case, I'm surprised the author couldn't get footage of more egregious behavior, as these clips are pretty tame. For example, it's true that the cyclist in the third video at Clark and LaSalle should not be blocking the crosswalk (although a mitigating factor is there are no pedestrians present); but he is rightfully in front of all the cars (the author seems to imply he should be behind the stop line for vehicles?) and he has to be given credit for stopping at the red light, proceeding with green, and most impressively balancing on his bike for at least 20 seconds!

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Permalink Reply by globalguy on December 4, 2011 at 7:34am

Thanks for posting this. As to the new sensitivity towards bikes, it's probably time for the ATA to bloviate especially over this related article on Salon: Are urban bicyclists just elite snobs? As cycling's popularity rises, the cyclists are despised. If riders want to change cities, they need a new attitude ...

Permalink Reply by Michelle Gregorek on December 4, 2011 at 11:04am

I was impressed by the balance also!  When I started riding a bike again a year or so ago I could not do that at all.  I am getting so much better!

Did you notice the car coasting through the stop sign in the stop sign video?  I swear there are times that I slow more at a 4 way stop then the cars do.

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on December 4, 2011 at 1:58pm

Did you read the article?  It's actually a pretty well written and even handed piece of writing; it is behind the cause of the cyclist in most cases and makes some valid points about how and why we are perceived as we are and what can be done about it.

Of course the one with the videos... well that one is just a mess.  Plus there is the fact that most of those videos are pretty questionable in showing unsafe behavior.

1. In the first video tha cab also immediatly goes through the intersection showing that there were no cars coming in either direction; the cyclists was cutting no one off.

2. Second vid there is a car coming from the opposite direction again showing that there is no cross traffic present.

3. The third video shows a red light run at a t-intersection; there is no cross traffic and any car turning is of no risk to the cyclist.  As for pedestrians there were none anywhere near the cyclist so it's a moot point.

4. The guy track standing is partially in the cross walk, that no one is using, and past the stop line which is technically illegal but what damage are they doing?  It is safer for them to be there than to be in with all the cars when the light changes.

5. The worst one here is the bike on the sidewalk but they are going slow and not down the whole block; it looks to me more like they are either stating, or ending, their bike trip and riding, slowly, from door to street or street to door.  Again, not legal, but they are not exactly running folks down either.

Whatever, the whole article is kind of a hot mess and I would wager the author has never ridden a bike. 

The one thing that does really bother me about the whole thing is the comment from the Kozy's location manager.  I think that bike shops, and their staff, have a responsibility when talking to press and such to work to portray cycling in a positive manner; something I think they may have missed in the interview.


da' Square Wheelman (aka garth) said:

Thanks for posting this. As to the new sensitivity towards bikes, it's probably time for the ATA to bloviate especially over this related article on Salon: Are urban bicyclists just elite snobs? As cycling's popularity rises, the cyclists are despised. If riders want to change cities, they need a new attitude ...

Permalink Reply by Michelle S on December 4, 2011 at 4:22pm

I like the Salon piece as well. This part was really nice:

Like many of today’s bicyclists, I started riding when my city striped a bike lane near my apartment. It was the Prospect Park West bike lane, which became ground zero in New York’s bike wars. The lane was what made me first realize that biking to work was an option — I didn’t feel forced, but I did feel nudged, as if the city was suggesting that maybe I’d like to give this a whirl. I think this is the true power of bicycle infrastructure: It’s an implicit message that bikes are real transportation, and an advertisement for biking that runs right through the city in bright green paint.

I'm hoping more Chicagoans will start giving it a whirl soon. We could use the company out there. 

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on December 5, 2011 at 2:45am

Own Goal!

Permalink Reply by Brendan Kevenides on December 5, 2011 at 3:54am

+1

Michelle Stenzel said:

I like the Salon piece as well. This part was really nice:

Like many of today’s bicyclists, I started riding when my city striped a bike lane near my apartment. It was the Prospect Park West bike lane, which became ground zero in New York’s bike wars. The lane was what made me first realize that biking to work was an option — I didn’t feel forced, but I did feel nudged, as if the city was suggesting that maybe I’d like to give this a whirl. I think this is the true power of bicycle infrastructure: It’s an implicit message that bikes are real transportation, and an advertisement for biking that runs right through the city in bright green paint.

I'm hoping more Chicagoans will start giving it a whirl soon. We could use the company out there. 

Permalink Reply by Michelle Gregorek on December 5, 2011 at 4:26am

+2



Brendan Kevenides said:

+1

Michelle Stenzel said:

I like the Salon piece as well. This part was really nice:

Like many of today’s bicyclists, I started riding when my city striped a bike lane near my apartment. It was the Prospect Park West bike lane, which became ground zero in New York’s bike wars. The lane was what made me first realize that biking to work was an option — I didn’t feel forced, but I did feel nudged, as if the city was suggesting that maybe I’d like to give this a whirl. I think this is the true power of bicycle infrastructure: It’s an implicit message that bikes are real transportation, and an advertisement for biking that runs right through the city in bright green paint.

I'm hoping more Chicagoans will start giving it a whirl soon. We could use the company out there. 

Permalink Reply by Eric Holm on December 5, 2011 at 7:12am

I couldn't agree more about kozy's comment, are you kidding me?! I have to say I manage a bike shop as well and I do run some stop signs and lights if there is no approaching traffic. It is illegal but honestly to me if there is nothing coming and I can keep my human powered momentum with out hurting anyone or myself I suppose I don't see the harm. 



notoriousDUG said:

Did you read the article?  It's actually a pretty well written and even handed piece of writing; it is behind the cause of the cyclist in most cases and makes some valid points about how and why we are perceived as we are and what can be done about it.

Of course the one with the videos... well that one is just a mess.  Plus there is the fact that most of those videos are pretty questionable in showing unsafe behavior.

1. In the first video tha cab also immediatly goes through the intersection showing that there were no cars coming in either direction; the cyclists was cutting no one off.

2. Second vid there is a car coming from the opposite direction again showing that there is no cross traffic present.

3. The third video shows a red light run at a t-intersection; there is no cross traffic and any car turning is of no risk to the cyclist.  As for pedestrians there were none anywhere near the cyclist so it's a moot point.

4. The guy track standing is partially in the cross walk, that no one is using, and past the stop line which is technically illegal but what damage are they doing?  It is safer for them to be there than to be in with all the cars when the light changes.

5. The worst one here is the bike on the sidewalk but they are going slow and not down the whole block; it looks to me more like they are either stating, or ending, their bike trip and riding, slowly, from door to street or street to door.  Again, not legal, but they are not exactly running folks down either.

Whatever, the whole article is kind of a hot mess and I would wager the author has never ridden a bike. 

The one thing that does really bother me about the whole thing is the comment from the Kozy's location manager.  I think that bike shops, and their staff, have a responsibility when talking to press and such to work to portray cycling in a positive manner; something I think they may have missed in the interview.


da' Square Wheelman (aka garth) said:

Thanks for posting this. As to the new sensitivity towards bikes, it's probably time for the ATA to bloviate especially over this related article on Salon: Are urban bicyclists just elite snobs? As cycling's popularity rises, the cyclists are despised. If riders want to change cities, they need a new attitude ...

Permalink Reply by David on December 5, 2011 at 8:44am

In defense of the Kozy manager, interviews are a lot tougher than you'd think.  If you talk to somebody for 15-20 minutes, it's pretty easy to get them to say something that you can paraphrase and take out of context in a way that completely reverses the meaning of what was said.  Notice that they don't even give a direct quote of what he said and they've obviously manufactured the context.  I guess Medill is proud to be teaching the next generation of reporters how to lie.  

At least ATA didn't give their standard "let's crack down on cyclists" quote that always shows up in these articles.  Maybe they're finally learning how the game is played.


Eric Holm said:

I couldn't agree more about kozy's comment, are you kidding me?! I have to say I manage a bike shop as well and I do run some stop signs and lights if there is no approaching traffic. It is illegal but honestly to me if there is nothing coming and I can keep my human powered momentum with out hurting anyone or myself I suppose I don't see the harm. 

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on December 5, 2011 at 10:07am

If you are unable to not talk yourself into a corner you should not talk to the media.

If you are representing cyclists you should think about what you say.

David said:

In defense of the Kozy manager, interviews are a lot tougher than you'd think.  If you talk to somebody for 15-20 minutes, it's pretty easy to get them to say something that you can paraphrase and take out of context in a way that completely reverses the meaning of what was said.  Notice that they don't even give a direct quote of what he said and they've obviously manufactured the context.  I guess Medill is proud to be teaching the next generation of reporters how to lie.  

At least ATA didn't give their standard "let's crack down on cyclists" quote that always shows up in these articles.  Maybe they're finally learning how the game is played.


Eric Holm said:

I couldn't agree more about kozy's comment, are you kidding me?! I have to say I manage a bike shop as well and I do run some stop signs and lights if there is no approaching traffic. It is illegal but honestly to me if there is nothing coming and I can keep my human powered momentum with out hurting anyone or myself I suppose I don't see the harm. 

Permalink Reply by Liz on December 5, 2011 at 10:33am

This quote has zero context, I take any quote without direct context with a grain of salt.  

That said I don't disagree that some cyclists to run red lights for the hell of it.  Yesterday I was nearly t-boned by another cyclist running the red, while I had the green. When I pointed out to him that his light was red, his response was "so". 

This is just like how some cars speed for the hell of it.  

Just because someone's opinion on what to say about fellow cyclists that break the rules of the road differs from your own, does not mean that they shouldn't talk to the media.  

notoriousDUG said:

If you are unable to not talk yourself into a corner you should not talk to the media.

If you are representing cyclists you should think about what you say.

David said:

In defense of the Kozy manager, interviews are a lot tougher than you'd think.  If you talk to somebody for 15-20 minutes, it's pretty easy to get them to say something that you can paraphrase and take out of context in a way that completely reverses the meaning of what was said.  Notice that they don't even give a direct quote of what he said and they've obviously manufactured the context.  I guess Medill is proud to be teaching the next generation of reporters how to lie.  

At least ATA didn't give their standard "let's crack down on cyclists" quote that always shows up in these articles.  Maybe they're finally learning how the game is played.


Eric Holm said:

I couldn't agree more about kozy's comment, are you kidding me?! I have to say I manage a bike shop as well and I do run some stop signs and lights if there is no approaching traffic. It is illegal but honestly to me if there is nothing coming and I can keep my human powered momentum with out hurting anyone or myself I suppose I don't see the harm. 

Permalink Reply by Liz on December 5, 2011 at 10:51am

I honestly wish that police would start ticketing cyclists who ride after dark without lights and cyclists who run red lights.  They're behaviors that are dangerous not just to those riders but to others.

With speeding and red light cameras Chicago is cracking down on motorists who violate the law, it would make sense that the increase in ticketing for violations apply to cyclists as well. It could help end the side of the "anti cycling" debate that cyclists who break the law face no consequences. 

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