Reply #36: "The traffic lights are there for cars." [View All]

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I would love to see more enforcement of bicycling scofflaws like this on a regular basis by all communities...

Cyclists pedal into arms of the law
Cambridge riders find rules of road apply to them, too

CAMBRIDGE - He looked as carefree as can be, pedaling on his silver 18-speed mountain bike, wearing designer jeans and a black sport coat, a butterscotch leather handbag in his bicycle rack.

He had no idea that two Cambridge police officers were watching him from the side of the road with pads of tickets in their hands, waiting for him to break the law.

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Many cyclists assume that they are exempt from the laws governing their motor-driven colleagues and have no cause to fear the officers who enforce them. The rules of the road, they say, are merely courtesies to be observed, or suggestions to keep them safe. Not so in Cambridge, where cyclists are increasingly being cited for any of dozens of violations, from running red lights or failing to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks to riding at night without a headlight.

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In 20 minutes on a recent afternoon, Kale and her partner, Officer Oswaldo Ortiz, ticketed 12 cyclists - roughly one out of every two that passed by them - for running a red light on Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square. They gave them each a warning, and reminded them that they have to obey the same laws as drivers.

Snip...

Jack McCambridge, ticketed near MIT for running a red light on his bicycle, agreed, saying he brakes only in heavy traffic.

"I go through stop signs all the time and down one-way streets, but I certainly wouldn't want to be ticketed," he said. "Most Cambridge cyclists are much more responsible. I have my own rule of thumb, and that is: I ride safely."

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Cambridge police said they prefer issuing warnings and mostly reserve fines for the rude riders, like those who say: " 'You've got to be kidding me,' " Murphy said. " 'Why don't you get a real job? You're not the real police, right?'

Complete story