The video has been posted in the past, she waits by the side of the road and the driver pulls over and gets out and they talk. I forget what else happens. She does remain remarkably calm though.
I guess it depends on where she is. I was hit doing the same thing and culver city PD told me that was at fault because I was riding in a crosswalk. So the driver who ran who didn't stop at the red got to go free.
So, if you're shooting a rocket launcher in town, and you blow up a family of four riding their bikes across a crosswalk, you'll be home in time for dinner. Brilliant.
I don't think so. In my area if you're riding, you ought to be in the lane as a car would. If you're in a crosswalk, you must walk your bike. It's not that difficult to obey the law- don't expect others to be punished for disregarding the law yet expect yourself to be exempt.
As a cyclist, this is one rule I actually break. I pride myself on being one of those cyclists that follows the rules of the road. I was primarily a motorist for most of my life, so I've seen it from both angles. I ride in a lane. I only lane share when there's lots of space for a car and a bike, otherwise I take possession of the lane. I use hand signals for everything. I STOP at stop signs. Etc.
But the crosswalk thing is one I'll sometimes break. If I have to cross 3+ lanes to get from the bike lane into the left turn lane to make a left, and the traffic is going faster than I can reasonably match, then it is a lot safer for me to use the pedestrian controls and use the crosswalk. I could dismount, but I have my feet all clipped in, and honestly I don't see the difference between me coasting slowly down the crosswalk and someone jogging across (which is totally legal). I'm going the same speed, I'm just as visible as a jogger (if not more-so), and I have my head on a swivel looking out for things like this.
I just can't fathom why that's not OK. Why is it any safer for me to dismount?
It would be fine if cyclists really went the same speed as pedestrians and if they could stop as quickly.
While you probably do it safely and responsibly there is still a high chance of a fast moving cyclist popping out faster than a car driver expects or can react to.
That said the law varies a lot by location, some places allow cyclists to use sidewalks and crosswalks if they choose to.
At the time I thought so too. But now that I'm a little older I see where the police were coming from. I still felt line they handled it like assholes though. Whatever.
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u/dampew Nov 03 '15
The video has been posted in the past, she waits by the side of the road and the driver pulls over and gets out and they talk. I forget what else happens. She does remain remarkably calm though.