BIKES ARE A MENACE TO SOCIETY. I HOPE THAT THE CYCLIST GETS CITED FOR AN INFRACTION OF ORS 814.410; EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT I DO NOT KNOW WHAT ACTUALLY CONSTITUTES A "SPEED GREATER THAN AN ORDINARY WALK". ACCORDING TO WIKIPEDIA THE AVERAGE HUMAN WALKING SPEED IS 3.1 MPH, WHICH IS ACTUALLY SLOW ENOUGH TO BE DANGEROUS FOR A BICYCLE TO TRAVEL AT AND STILL MAINTAIN BALANCE. BUT STILL, THE LAW IS THE LAW. THROW THE BOOK AT THE HOOLIGAN.
As an avid cyclist I gotta side with the cop on this one. There are reasons you are supposed to go slow if you are biking on the sidewalk and this is one of them. 50th and Powell is too dangerous for bike? Then don't fucking bike there! There are a lot of route options in that area. I know because I bypass that interesection everyday. Bikers need to start honoring the rules of the road. When they don't they make us all look like assholes.
I guess all drivers are assholes too then, since I see drivers running red lights, speeding, failing to signal, and violating cyclists', pedestrians' and other motorists' right of way many times each day on a daily basis.
There is no good reason to be riding your bike on Powell, also known as US Route 26. There are plenty of perfectly good sidestreets like Gladstone and Clinton that are only a few blocks out of the way and specifically cater to bicyclists. Don't ride your bikes on major thoroughfares that don't have bike lanes. God I hate getting stuck behind a bicyclist on 39th at rush hour. There are maps and signs that can help you find a safer route for everyone involved and not impede cars that are traveling at the speed limit.
@MARQ @WamosA, @ RADZPXD: OH NO YOU DIDN'T JUST CALL OUT A CYCLIST FOR BEING A FRED WHEN THEY DID SOMETHING SOMETHING SOMETHING. CAN'T WE JUST STOP WITH THIS INTRACENE FIGHTING AND TAKE ON THE REAL VILLAIN IN THIS CASE? RANDY LEONARD
People ride their bikes on major arterials like Powell for the same reason motorists drive there, to access commercial and other destinations that are primarily located on arterial streets, duh.
I saw my superhero Mr. Bad Example last night biking up Hawthorne. He was drunk and had no lights so I flagged him down to let him know there was a traffic cop running a sting up ahead. Then suggested he run up Salmon a few blocks over. The stripper on the handlebars asked if they were doing anything illegal. "Nah, I just don't want you get hassled by the cop."
While I agree that Powell needs a makeover and that intersection could be greatly improved, this is a case where cyclists should be using the designated bike boulevards parallel to Powell. Bike lanes would not be good on Powell due to high speeds and conflicts with the bus line.
And, of course, the cops are never wrong.
:rolleyes:
:-)
And Cat6? Took you three posts to come up with that one?
I'm seeing more people biking up Sandy or MLK slowing a whole lane of traffic down to 15 mph, and I seriously want to just run them over.
SANDY NEEDS BIKE LANES. BIKE ON IT ALL YOU WANT TO PROVE THE POINT.
http://www.110pounds.com/?p=23783
The lady was forced to change "It's racist" to "It's prejudiced" after the internets yelled at her.