[*BCM*] Longfellow / Cambridge Bike Police

Rob Arnold rsarnold at gmail.com
Wed Jul 30 16:56:19 EDT 2008 

My original post was about the potential harm of a bike versus a car, and
calling for enforcement that mirrored that factor. Maybe your point is that
that kind of layered enforcement is already in place. But, honestly, I don't
see it. You can call it whining if you want. Nevertheless, it's a
miscalculation of the city's needs to focus on cycle-traps, without also
focusing to a greater degree on other rampant violations. Violations that
have the potential to do more harm. Until there's a visible crackdown on
other infractions, cyclists will continue "whining." And I think with some
fairness, since it's their lives being endangered by the lack of enforcement
in other areas.

On Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 4:30 PM, Anne Wolfe <goannego at gmail.com> wrote:

> I'm not asking people to do any such thing.  I'm asking them to realise
> that in fact, hundreds and thousands of traffic tickets (parking, speeding,
> etc) get given out every day, and almost no bike tickets are given out in
> comparison.  The whining when it does happen a) rings hollow due to the
> sheer disproportionality of bike tickets v car tickets, b) feeds into the
> whole culture against bikers (not to mention bikers v drivers, which is
> getting more entrenched as things go on and c) as already seen, encourages
> the whole "I don't have to obey any law because somehow I know better" of
> running red lights.  And then people wonder why people dislike cyclists.
> I'm all for ticketing drivers that break the law and I'm all for ticketing
> cyclists that break the law.  I'm lucky enough to have never been in a car
> accident.  I'm unlucky enough to have been run over by two cyclists.  One
> was riding the wrong way on a one way street at high speed (that cracked my
> ribs), another ran a red light (that gave him road rash.  I just limped for
> a week).  Does it stop me cycling?  No.  Does it stop me driving?  No.  Does
> it mean I have zero sympathy on this point?  Yup, pretty much.
>
> It has been common knowledge for a long time, and is now advertised (again
> - it comes up whenever it happens) that in Cambridge, you run a higher
> chance of getting a bike ticket than elsewhere in the Boston area.  Central
> Square and the 77 Mass Ave are the top places.  Well then, duh, basic logic
> says if you're going to cycle against the lights and the laws, don't do it
> in these places.  Those who have been warned and do it anyway and get
> caught, whining that the other 50 weeks of the year somehow don't focus
> enough on cars is just pathetic.
>
>
> 2008/7/30 Rob Arnold <rsarnold at gmail.com>
>
>> Anne, it's a bike listserv. Do you really expect people to side with
>> sweeping bike enforcement measures without seeing any kind of parallel
>> increase in enforcement against motorized vehicles? I don't think it's bad
>> to ticket cyclists. I've been ticketed, and I've paid my tickets. I'd just
>> like to see cops standing around in Central Square handing out tickets to
>> everybody who double-parks in the bike lane as well.
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 4:10 PM, Anne Wolfe <goannego at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> So how many days and at how many points are road laws being enforced
>>> against cyclists, vs against cars?  Grab whatever statistics you can, and
>>> I'll bet that the percentage is negligible for enforcement against cyclists.
>>>
>>>
>>> 2008/7/30 Rob Arnold <rsarnold at gmail.com>
>>>
>>>> The point is percentages. Enforcement that matches the severity of the
>>>> offense. Don't ignore bike infractions. But increase enforcement all around
>>>> so that the ramping up of traffic enforcement, along with its benefits, is
>>>> felt much more widely.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 4:02 PM, Anne Wolfe <goannego at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> And the number of people ticketed for vehicular offenses far exceeds
>>>>> the number of people killed/injured by or more importantly ON bikes.  What's
>>>>> your point?  That violations of the law should be ignored entirely and
>>>>> forever unless full parity can be guaranteed at all levels?  If you want to
>>>>> fund that level of police state you're perfectly free to do so but at this
>>>>> point the "don't ticket me, look at those people over there..." just smacks
>>>>> of getting caught and not wanting to take responsibility;
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> 2008/7/30 Rob Arnold <rsarnold at gmail.com>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Nevertheless, the number of people killed/injured by cars far exceed
>>>>>> the number of people killed/injured by bikes.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 3:40 PM, Anne Wolfe <goannego at gmail.com>wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Cyclists who run red lights are at greater risk of potential harm as
>>>>>>> when they're struck by oncoming traffic they have nothing to protect them.
>>>>>>> Unlike, say, being in a car which is struck.  Screw property damage, let's
>>>>>>> talk serious personal injury.  And about the fastest way to get stopped by a
>>>>>>> cop is to run a red light in a car.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Cars that run red lights are considered so serious that in many
>>>>>>> states and countries, they are automatically photographed and issued with
>>>>>>> penalty points.  No cops even required.  This has certainly had the effect
>>>>>>> of substantially reducing the running of red lights by cars.  Now, if only
>>>>>>> cyclists would learn as well.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> People's most common complaints about cyclists?  Seems to be the
>>>>>>> running of red lights.  That Newsweek article's common theme?  Running red
>>>>>>> lights (including the guy who picked up his bike and RAN through the red
>>>>>>> light.  The red lights are a big deal.  Put your big girl panties on and
>>>>>>> learn to deal with it.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 2008/7/30 Rob Arnold <rsarnold at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Speaking of percentages, I wonder what percentage of property damage
>>>>>>>> are responsible by cars versus bikes? Or personal injuries? Or deaths? The
>>>>>>>> enforcement should be proportional to the potential harm. I'm guessing it
>>>>>>>> isn't.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 3:15 PM, Anne Wolfe <goannego at gmail.com>wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Look at it in terms of percentages.  What percentage of traffic
>>>>>>>>> violations (and/or police time) in Cambridge are given to cars?  What
>>>>>>>>> percentage are given to bikes?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> If you want to complain about non-enforcement of traffic laws
>>>>>>>>> against vehicles, the time to do it is not during grumbling for being caught
>>>>>>>>> running a red light.  Because of course, while you might think it is safer,
>>>>>>>>> traffic and pedestrians coming the other way may well disagree when you hit
>>>>>>>>> them.  Or they hit you.  Etc.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I've seen a lot more cyclists in my day fail to signal a turn than
>>>>>>>>> drivers.  And I've seen a whole lot of drivers fail to signal.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> As an aside, I just noticed this on Newsweek.  Feeding in with the
>>>>>>>>> Seattle and NYC issues, non-law abiding bikers are in for considerably more
>>>>>>>>> crackdowns everywhere it seems.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> http://www.newsweek.com/id/149224
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> 2008/7/30 Charvak Karpe <charvak at alum.mit.edu>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Yes, I've been stopped by the Cambridge bike cops for running the
>>>>>>>>>> 77
>>>>>>>>>> Mass Ave light.  They only gave me a warning and told me that
>>>>>>>>>> they'll
>>>>>>>>>> be around town and I should stop the next time I see them so they
>>>>>>>>>> don't write me a ticket.  It's one more thing to be alert for,
>>>>>>>>>> distracting me from dodging cars.  I was polite, but I did ask why
>>>>>>>>>> they don't do something more useful like ticket people for not
>>>>>>>>>> using
>>>>>>>>>> turn signals.  They claimed that they write tickets for that too
>>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>>> enforce all laws.  They thanked me for being green and "helping
>>>>>>>>>> mother
>>>>>>>>>> earth".  I thanked them for the warning.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> If I had time, I'd demand statistics of how many tickets the City
>>>>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>>>>> Cambridge has issued for failure to use turn signals and carry
>>>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>>>> with me for the next time I see them.  Has anyone heard of someone
>>>>>>>>>> getting a ticket for turning without signalling?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> It's not their fault that they've been assigned the bicycle
>>>>>>>>>> enforcement shift, so the best they can do is hand out a bunch of
>>>>>>>>>> warnings.  We should be nice to those guys.  One might expect the
>>>>>>>>>> police to do useful things like track down stolen property or stop
>>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>>> ask questions when they see a bike lock being cut instead of
>>>>>>>>>> writing
>>>>>>>>>> bike tickets, but at least they're not pushing us off the bikes.
>>>>>>>>>> Sarcasm aside, police presence does help keep drivers tamer than
>>>>>>>>>> they
>>>>>>>>>> would be otherwise.  And although they vary as much as any group
>>>>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>>>>> people, most of them are pretty nice if you're nice to them and
>>>>>>>>>> respectful of their authority.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> ------------------------------------------
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Agreed about the hypocrisy of these bicycle traps.  Just this
>>>>>>>>>> morning, at
>>>>>>>>>> that very location, I was right behind a rider who was fined for
>>>>>>>>>> running
>>>>>>>>>> the light ahead of me.  With the reputation that Boston motorists
>>>>>>>>>> have, I
>>>>>>>>>> can't help but feel they have much bigger fish to fry.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> However, I have to say that last Friday (in the afternoon,
>>>>>>>>>> following the
>>>>>>>>>> police-supported Bike Friday event that I attended) I was told by
>>>>>>>>>> a cop to
>>>>>>>>>> go if I saw a chance through the busy intersection.  It was "the
>>>>>>>>>> least
>>>>>>>>>> they could do" because I was "sparing us all the gas."  He was a
>>>>>>>>>> really
>>>>>>>>>> nice guy, and if I'd had the time, I'd have grabbed his badge
>>>>>>>>>> number and
>>>>>>>>>> commended him (leaving out the law breaking part of course) to his
>>>>>>>>>> department.
>>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>>> James David Morgan
>>>>>>>>>> Co-Founder and Designer
>>>>>>>>>> The Groundswell Collective
>>>>>>>>>> http://www.groundswellcollective.com/
>>>>>>>>>> http://blog.groundswellcollective.com/
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Jon Ramos wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> Speaking of the area near the Longfellow Bridge....
>>>>>>>>>> There have been an increasing number of bike police traps in
>>>>>>>>>> Cambridgelately.? I have noticed that they are spread out along my
>>>>>>>>>> route
>>>>>>>>>> at different locations, but they seem to always be at least one
>>>>>>>>>> cop the
>>>>>>>>>> intersection of Broadway & Main Street in Cambridge (just before
>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>> Longfellow).? I have watched other cyclist get stopped and
>>>>>>>>>> ticketed a few
>>>>>>>>>> times, usually when crossing with the pedestrian walk signal when
>>>>>>>>>> all
>>>>>>>>>> lights are red.
>>>>>>>>>> ?
>>>>>>>>>> Here is a map of the spot:?
>>>>>>>>>> (
>>>>>>>>>> http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Broadway+%4042.362770,+-71.084582&daddr=42.361977,-71.082423&hl=en&geocode=12899578198328372370,42.362770,-71.084582%3B6747366231024457007,42.362270,-71.083680&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=17&sll=42.362008,-71.082627&sspn=0.003623,0.006748&ie=UTF8&ll=42.363047,-71.08283&spn=0.014491,0.043302&z=15
>>>>>>>>>> )
>>>>>>>>>> (In my opinion) I think it is good for the police to stop cyclists
>>>>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>>>>> blasting through a red light, but I personally think it is safer
>>>>>>>>>> to cross
>>>>>>>>>> that particular intersection with the pedestrian signal vs.
>>>>>>>>>> waiting for
>>>>>>>>>> the green and battling for a safe spot with the cars.
>>>>>>>>>> ?
>>>>>>>>>> I also think it is ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS that the bike police at
>>>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>>>> intersection do NOTHING about all of the shuttles, taxis, large
>>>>>>>>>> trucks,
>>>>>>>>>> and cars that are parked in the bike lane less than 50 yards east
>>>>>>>>>> from
>>>>>>>>>> where the cops are handing out tickets to cyclists.
>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>> Boston Critical Mass mailing list
>>>>>>>>>> list at bostoncriticalmass.org
>>>>>>>>>> http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list
>>>>>>>>>> To unsubscribe email list-unsubscribe at bostoncriticalmass.org
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>> Anne M. Wolfe, LL.M.
>>>>>>>>> Mobile: ( 07805) 456901
>>>>>>>>> "If Happy Fun Ball begins to smoke, get away immediately. Seek
>>>>>>>>> shelter and cover head. Please do not taunt Happy Fun Ball."
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>> Boston Critical Mass mailing list
>>>>>>>>> list at bostoncriticalmass.org
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>>>>>>>>> To unsubscribe email list-unsubscribe at bostoncriticalmass.org
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>> Boston Critical Mass mailing list
>>>>>>>> list at bostoncriticalmass.org
>>>>>>>> http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list
>>>>>>>> To unsubscribe email list-unsubscribe at bostoncriticalmass.org
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Anne M. Wolfe, LL.M.
>>>>>>> Mobile: ( 07805) 456901
>>>>>>> "If Happy Fun Ball begins to smoke, get away immediately. Seek
>>>>>>> shelter and cover head. Please do not taunt Happy Fun Ball."
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> Boston Critical Mass mailing list
>>>>>>> list at bostoncriticalmass.org
>>>>>>> http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list
>>>>>>> To unsubscribe email list-unsubscribe at bostoncriticalmass.org
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> Boston Critical Mass mailing list
>>>>>> list at bostoncriticalmass.org
>>>>>> http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list
>>>>>> To unsubscribe email list-unsubscribe at bostoncriticalmass.org
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Anne M. Wolfe, LL.M.
>>>>> Mobile: ( 07805) 456901
>>>>> "If Happy Fun Ball begins to smoke, get away immediately. Seek shelter
>>>>> and cover head. Please do not taunt Happy Fun Ball."
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Boston Critical Mass mailing list
>>>>> list at bostoncriticalmass.org
>>>>> http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list
>>>>> To unsubscribe email list-unsubscribe at bostoncriticalmass.org
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Boston Critical Mass mailing list
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>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Anne M. Wolfe, LL.M.
>>> Mobile: ( 07805) 456901
>>> "If Happy Fun Ball begins to smoke, get away immediately. Seek shelter
>>> and cover head. Please do not taunt Happy Fun Ball."
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Boston Critical Mass mailing list
>>> list at bostoncriticalmass.org
>>> http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list
>>> To unsubscribe email list-unsubscribe at bostoncriticalmass.org
>>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> list at bostoncriticalmass.org
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>>
>
>
>
> --
> Anne M. Wolfe, LL.M.
> Mobile: ( 07805) 456901
> "If Happy Fun Ball begins to smoke, get away immediately. Seek shelter and
> cover head. Please do not taunt Happy Fun Ball."
>
> _______________________________________________
> Boston Critical Mass mailing list
> list at bostoncriticalmass.org
> http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list
> To unsubscribe email list-unsubscribe at bostoncriticalmass.org
>
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