“The law” is not divinely inspired!
A Dallas Morning News blog article says cops are running ticket mills in White Rock Lake park. The crime? Bicyclists running stop signs.
Even though I am frustrated by White Rock Lake bicyclists, I believe this enforcement is just revenge. Let me explain.
I think motorists are justifiably upset at arrogant bicyclists. Commenters on the DMN blog and my experience confirm many who:
- Decline to yield when entering a roadway.
- Decline to use a special bridge intended for them. Instead, they choose to endanger themselves and motorists by cycling amidst traffic running three times as fast. (I’ll give them medals for bravery! They don’t even have the visibility and protection of vehicles!)
- Do things just to provoke motorists.
- Have holier-than-thou attitudes againt cars.
- Ride 3-4 abreast, making it difficult to safely pass them.
- Decline to watch out for pedestrians.
What’s the stop sign’s point? Mitigate right of way issues. That’s it.
Compared to cars, cyclists travel slowly. They have plenty long to review intersections and make right of way judgments. They rarely need a full stop. Why force them?
Full and complete stops don’t address any of the above problems. That’s why I believe this is simply revenge.
Add the simpleton logic of “it’s the law so it should be enforced,” and it becomes sweet revenge.
I don’t subscribe to simpleton logic, so I don’t approve victimizing bicyclists with this revenge, profit-fueled ticket mill.
Great comment. Bicyclist behavior and motorist behavior are entirely consistent. Bicyclists often roll through stop signs…and so do motorists. However, the public health threat posed by cars is far,far greater than the threat posed by bicyclists. Vehicle collisions kill more than 40K people in the U.S. every year.
Thanks. We must be careful not to convert a legitimate concern (40K annual deaths) into blind allegiance to traffic law or uncritical support of current traffic enforcement practice. Both have caused safety problems that would not otherwise exist.
Aren,
I’m basically in agreement with you on this. The police are usually “dispatched” to do something.
My only real disagreement is over cyclists still being on Mockingbird lane. The new bridge is a bridge for the trail, but not all the cyclists are using the trail. There are a number of cyclists who use Mockingbird Lane as part of their commute (there are no other viable alternatives for a vehicular cyclist), and are legally allowed on Mockingbird. The problem (for cyclists and motorists alike) comes when the cyclists don’t know proper lane position and ride to the FAR RIGHT of the lane instead of in the middle of the lane (as state law actually encourages in a lane less than 14′ wide). http://cycledallas.blogspot.com/2008/09/reading-is-fundamental-comprehension-is.html
But you are “spot on” about revenue generation and probable cause.
You might find this of interest, as well: http://cycledallas.blogspot.com/2008/10/they-take-law-into-their-own-hands.html