Curious if anybody is following the Tour De Lance

Bird · Jul 27, 2004

( I've heard that as a cyclist you shouldn't carry your driver's license for this exact reason. If you et stopped and show an officer your license as ID, you can get a ticket...without the license you can't. )

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gifI don't really know what the law is in your state, but I doubt that idea would help. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif In Texas, you can still get a ticket if you can convince the officer you're giving the right name and address, but if not, the officer has the option of taking you to jail until bond is posted, in which case the bicycle has to be impounded also. I think I'd rather have good ID and get the ticket. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

This reminds me of when I was a shift commander in the jail and we would periodically have someone brought in with no ID and refusing to give a name or address. So I'd just politely explain to them that "you can get in jail with no name, but you can't get out of jail with no name, because even if a lawyer, bondsman, family, or whatever comes to the jail for you, we have to know whom they came for." /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

BigDave · Jul 27, 2004

When I was 17 & riding with my girlfriend on a pretty remote road, a police officer coming from the other direction stopped us for riding two abreast. I informed him that it was perfectly legal for us to do so, and it actually was. legal. He declared it wasn't legal in his book. I guess he made up his own laws. Anyway, he demanded a drivers license from me, since I was the biker in the roadway. I told him I didn't have one. He demanded again, and again I told him I didn't have one. I actually didn't have one, since I couldn't afford to buy a car. Well he started to threaten me with taking me to jail. My girlfriend piped up and said that I didn't drive, but she had a license. Ooops, well we got a ten minute lecture about this officer's perceptions of the laws of the land, and then he declared he would be watching out for us, and we wouldn't get off so easy next time. Well, he didn't watch us for too long, because he was fired about a month later for being over-zealous (as the cause was stated in the local newspaper.)

Cyclists & drivers alike need to know the laws where they live. Here in Maryland, cyclists must obey all posted traffic signs, and may only ride two abreast if they do not impede traffic flow. Drivers must also execise due care by law when passing a cyclist. Attempting to pass cyclists on a bend is not exercising due care. Not slowing to pass cyclists is not due care. If I'm going 15mph, and you are going 60mph, do you really think 4" is satisfactory clearance between us?

In my current group of cyclists, if a car approaches us from the rear, we broadcast "car" throughout the group, and move to single file. Once we are in a single file, the person in the back waves the car through, that is if the car was patient enough to wait the 15-30 seconds it takes to get 10 people safely into a single line. Riding two abreast is safer than single file, since it gives the cyclists a view up the road AND if forces cars to slowdown prior to passing with due care. We do have some people call in license plates of unsafe drivers. Some folks in our group are also strict when it comes to loose dogs. We have a state leash law. If your dogs comes into the road, they report the dog to animal control/police. It goes both ways, drivers can report the cyclists and the cyclists can report the drivers.

P.S. We also require helmets on our rides, eventhough they are not required by law. Sometimes it makes sense to go beyond the law when exercising good sense.

_RaT_ · Jul 27, 2004

Allright Frank, thanks for the comment and keeping this thread on topic. Your comment was lifting. Thanks, Rat...

IrTxRx · Jul 28, 2004

Bird - I thought in Texas you had to have ID, even if you don't have adrivers liscense??? I know the DPS issues ID cards for persons over 16 who don't drive???

Any ideas... I don't think telling an officer, I don't have ID would fly too well

Bird · Jul 28, 2004

( I thought in Texas you had to have ID, even if you don't have adrivers liscense??? I know the DPS issues ID cards for persons over 16 who don't drive??? )

Never been any law that I know of requiring you to have ID, but yes, the DPS does issue photo ID cards to those non-drivers who want them for such things as cashing checks, to have ID in the event of an accident or illness, when a store requests ID before accepting a credit card, etc.

But there is a law prohibiting anyone from refusing to give their name and address or giving a wrong name and address when an officer has certain reasons to request it (Penal Code 38.02 if you're interested).

MikePA · Jul 28, 2004

But there is a law prohibiting anyone from refusing to give their name and address or giving a wrong name and address when an officer has certain reasons to request it (Penal Code 38.02 if you're interested). 
This, the requirement to identify yourself, was the subject of a recent Supreme Court decision here.

chim · Jul 28, 2004

( ( Betcha can't tell this may just be a pet peeve of mine

I would never have guessed it /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif, but I share it. This doesn't appear to be one bad apple kind of deal. Seems a high percentage of bicycle riders could give a rat's behind about anyone other than themselves. )

I thought this thread was about Lance and not an anti bicyclist thread. It is not the bicyclist who have the problem--it is selfish and uncaring motorist and the same goes with motorcycles. Until you have been there you don't know what your talking about but I guarantee if a person hits a cyclist, pedal or motor, they are not going to be happy. It is called vehicular homicide and it has bad results for all parties.
If there are cyclists taking up more road than you think they should perhaps consider that they think you might be taking more road in your 3/4 ton 7,000 lb SUV than perhps you have a right to as well /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif. There is always two sides to every position, the side I like is being nice to other people and treating them as you would wish to be treated. Giving a little ground to a few cyclist is not going to ruin your life or cause you hardship.
I think cyclist suffer results from a certain homophobia populace that cannot come to grips with sports other than football and the spandex contributes to it /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif. Just remember, those are human beings on those cycles and they have a right to be on the road.

Lance--I read that he demolsihed all the competition going up a steep mountain road at high altitude, he put the hammer down and surged ahead crushing the hopes of his rivals /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif. Quite a feat for a guy who is in his 30s, nearly died of cancer and just think that next time a young cyclist get's in your way and holds your day up for a few seconds /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif that he could be the next guy that carries the US flag up an impossible road at impossible speeds and makes us all proud. J )

This is turning into an interesting thread. Just to set the record straight, I certainly wish no harm upon even those who frustrate me, whether they are straight/homosexual/black/white/green/Jewish/Catholic/Protestant/Hindu - or worse yet - liberals /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif...................chim

MicroPilot · Jul 28, 2004

( ....I think cyclist suffer results from a certain homophobia populace that cannot come to grips with sports other than football and the spandex contributes to it /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif. ...)

The spandex does look a little strange on a 30 something guy though, and those oddly shaped alien head helmets don't help.

OTOH gals in spandex look yummy!!! /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

Egon · Jul 29, 2004

The spandex makes it much more comfortable to ride than wearing blue jeans. Heck. even some of us in the 60 + range wear spandex.

It's about comfort not macho looks.

And yes I've gone into a watering hole wearing spandex.

Egon

_RaT_ · Jul 29, 2004

"OTOH gals in spandex look yummy!!! "

A comedian once said, "spandex is a priviledge, not a right."
I suspect some gals may think they look good in spandex, my stomach says no. Moma Cass comes to mind as one who if while alive was fitted in a spandex outfit would do just that to my stomach. Rosanne would be another. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

WAY TO GO L A N C E!