Cops Crack Down on Sidewalk Bike Riders

I'm with Colin. I don't get why not being a total a-hole is such a challenge for a lot of people. If you need your own planet, there's a whole empty America out there, go live in it and you can have it all your own way. That said, I recently rode my bike up 6th avenue in rush hour and almost killed myself before I realized that stopping at red lights and riding in the bike lane was a suicidal idea.

Yes, let's start cracking down on jaywalking too, while we're at it. That makes a whole lot of sense, doesn't it?

Idiots.

They did crack down on jaywalking when Giuliani first became mayor, my brother got a ticket for it. Hey, when the city needs money, it gets it.

They shouldn't hand out tickets in just the city ! It should be a city-wide crackdown and a full time crackdown . That's how you get people to act right, Not cracking down everytime you need to give the cops something constructive to do ! You know instead of what they normally do, Example, What the hell they wanna, when they wanna , To whomever they wanna !

Agree with [61] Zulu_Xavier.

Pedestrians rule and always have the right of way, period.

But it's often safer on the sidewalk. When on the sidewalk, I ride at the speed of, or slower than, walkers.

When passing a walker, stroller, elderly person, etc., who is slowing down or coming to a stop. I move as far away from them as possible so as not to alarm them. I have more control riding the bike than I do walking it and take up less space.

If I need to go faster than pedestrians on the sidewalk are moving, I jump the curb and get in the street.

I've never hit a pedestrian but have been 'hit' when they've walked into me while I was at rest. Never any anger on my part and rarely on theirs; it's their space I'm sharing. It's possible to coexist.

charming. grew up in brussels.

Where the hell did you grow up? Have you been outside of Manhattan? Where I grew up there was little foot traffic on certain streets and so there was no reason to bother with cars.

You guys are fucking retarded, many of you haven't tried riding in traffic, have you?

in the picture, there is no one around. zulu xavier is right in that if it's safer, too bad, i'm on the sidewalk with bike, not really riding. and very very conscious of pedestrians, as i am also one of those the other half of the time. there are areas in brooklyn so ridiculously scary, like riding on the autobahn (atlantic avenue) that i am not going in the street. i never hit anyone, obviously anyone who rides on the sidewalk quickly is an A-hole. and then there are those torn-up areas where construction is going on and there's no choice. if there is no one on sidewalk i don't see the harm, but now, i can almost guarantee that there will be a new story and flurry of complaints about unfair ticketing of bicyclists. wait for it

Sometimes riding on the sidewalk is safer for the cyclist.

I will ALWAYS ride in the safest place for me to be. Whether it is against traffic, on the sidewalk or into a pedestrian if the alternative is into a car or other denser object.

Of course, I always do my best to avoid an accident, and ride in a safe manner as to never hit anything, but this law can suck it. I'll take the one in a thousand chance of getting a measly $100 fine over the chance of a much more expensive medical bill from getting rear ended by a taxi cab.

For the record, I have only hit pedestrians when they have walked into the bike lanes and never when riding on the sidewalk.

half the time these delivery bikers dont even wear the mandatory helmet, either.

Bring it on in Brooklyn. PLease, please, please.

I am ALL for riding on the sidewalk. Why? Because I don't want to deal with the cars. You can ride on the sidewalk and not be a douche. If anything this is more reason to extend the sidewalks. Just paint a fucking line down the sidewalk to separate traffic.

Then move back to the farm where you came from, if you don't like the traffic.

There's a keyword hidden inside "sidewalk." It's not a sideride. Unless you're in a wheelchair or you've got training wheels/are a child, if you've got wheels, ride in the street and stop being a pussy about it.

"I am ALL for riding on the sidewalk. Why? Because I don't want to deal with the cars. "

Pedestrians don't want to deal with bikes. Why is that so hard to understand?

If you don't like it, change the law. It's attitude like yours that give cyclists a bad rap.

And why are the sidewalks so tiny? Cause the rest of America that can't get from A to B on the subway love cars too much. Would we even be having this discussion if all the sidewalks were twice as wide as they are now?

I see you don't know much about the history of NY. Have you moved here recently?

Our sidewalks are narrow because NY is an old city, and old cities had narrow sidewalks. It was cheaper for the city, and the land was expensive, and the streets back then had loads of traffic, horses and trolleys, not cars. So, by necessity, sidewalks had to be narrow.

Out west, there was more land and larger sidewalks.

OK?

Now please don't ride on the sidewalk if you are over 14.

This is very common practice in Japan, I've done this so many times without any issues; the sidewalks are much wider in crowded areas to accommodate pedestrians. My attitude is STOP BEING AN ASSHOLE IN PUBLIC, it's why you can get away with it. This goes for everyone, drivers, bikers, and you people walking on the sidewalk.

People in Japan behave well, unlike many NYers.

Apples and oranges.

Japanese also obey the law. Unlike most NY cyclists.

Obey the law. Cyclists are not special. To get respect, you must show respect.

It's against the law in Japan too. They don't enforce it because you don't have nearly the same level of stupidity that we do here.

Ride in the street if you have to, but if there's no one on the block like the photo above, I don't give a fuck, and neither should you.

As a biker I'm all for ticketing people who are biking on the sidewalk. However I *DO* see where this could get ugly around budget-shortfall-ticket-blitz-gotta-meet-the-quota time.

Since the vast majority of bike parking involves bringing your bike onto the sidewalk, it's fairly common for bikers to coast their bike onto the sidewalk and then go about half a block at 1-2 mph until they get to where they're gonna park (gauging for the pedestrian traffic, naturally.) You know, when you have one foot on a pedal and you're just pushing the bike along with your other foot, like you're rowing a gondola? It's in that vein. Most will do the same thing heading back out too.

I could see someone getting written up for "cycling" on the sidewalk under these circumstances. Yeah, you've got them dead to rights and they could've just dismounted and walked the bike to the stop, but I'd say we'd be in "Oh, come on, are you serious?" territory.

"Oh, come on, are you serious?" territory.

totes, that's why i always park my car in the handicapped spot...its just easier that way and isn't that the important part?

How about Children under 12 year's old? Do they get ticket's for riding on the sidewalk? Or are 6 & 7 year old's suppose to ride in the bike lane's on the Street with the rest of the live traffic? I'm not trying to be funny, it's a question. ???

I think the law is that anyone under the age of 14 can ride on the sidewalk.

They shouldn't be on the sidewalk. They should be riding their bikes (or scooters or whatever) in a place that is safe for everyone, like a schoolyard or a park.

If kids get ticketed for running a lemonade stand in a city park I don't see why they can't get ticketed for riding on the sidewalk.

This made my afternoon.

I'm a biker, and it frosts my cookies when I see guys speeding down the sidewalks on their oh-so-hip fixies. So dangerous. "Thanks, guys, for doing more to give us a bad name . . ."

What's a sidewalk?

If you're riding on the sidewalk, you better have training wheels on your bike.

That's annoying and dangerous as well. So are those god-forsaken stupid-assed Razor Scooters!

I think he means, you better be a little kid. And he's right.

Wait, this is illegal? Is it just in Manhattan, or the other boroughs as well? Please excuse my ignorance...the only place I've ridden a bike since I was little is Pelham Bay Park.

...oh, and City Island, where I've definitely ridden on the sidewalks. Oops.

Perhaps one day the NYPD will crack down on motorists period.

I got one of these last year after hopping up on the sidewalk to ride up to my apartment door. Bummed, but hey, I broke the rules, so be it.

but what I wanted to point out is that I got a SUMMONS not a ticket. I had to appear at court and when I got to the clerk at my appointed time, it was just waved. Not sure if that's how they still do it, or not..

Best thing I've read all morning.

I can stand it when people lump all bike riders into one group. The only people I ever see riding on the sidewalk are delivery-people or parents with young children in tow. (FYI, I am a cyclist and a pedestrian I stop at all red lights. I've been knocked off my bike twice, by trucks opening their door into me while I was stopped at a light.)

Delivery-people on bikes must follow all bike traffic rules, wear helmets, have ID, and a plaque on their bike with the name of their restaurant. Despite these rules, I rarely see any delivery-person in compliance with even the first two city rules. It would be easy enough for the city to crack down, and because these are businesses breaking the law, make them pay for their negligence.

Why, as a biker, would you stop at ALL red lights?

Biking on sidewalks should be enforced and all. But let's not forget about all the dumbass pedestrians out there.

I can't tell you how many times I see people stepping into the street, where, they're looking down at their mp3player/iphone/blackberry, and just step out into the road and the path of my bike.

My only fear is that, sometimes, I go on the sidewalks, but, it's usually only like half a block, because i'm not gonna ride 4 blocks around to get to a place half a block away. And whenever I do go on the sidewalk for that half a block, I'm always going super slow, and if it's at night, i always have my lights on as well as my bell. But sh-t, I don't want a fine. I guess I'll just ride the wrong way on the street for that half block.

So, when you get off your little bike and become a pedestrian, are you including yourself as one of the "dumb ass pedestrians"?

Can't you just get off your bike & walk it that 1/2 block?

Of course I can walk it, and I do do that. But, it's just sad ya know. Bikes are meant to be ridden, not walked.

And @ The Facts,

Man, you're a bitter person.

Bitter? Hardly.

I just like sticking pins into the bloated self-importance of hypocritical twits like yourself!

Walk your bike half a block. It's not that difficult, and it's perfectly legal.

There was a bill in the City Council that would fine the restaurant owner, rather than the deliveryman. Don't know what the status of it is, but it would certainly encourage the restaurants to give their deliverymen lessons is what should be common-sense.

In my neighborhood, it's usually teenagers/young adult men. The only way I can tell they're coming (usually on my right) is because the metal doors that cover the sidewalk chutes clang as they speed over them. No bell, no "on your right," just the Ka-THUNK! of the bike hitting metal. If I'm lucky. Scares the bejesus out of me.

I'd rather see the city ticket for littering.

This is the best thing I've seen all day, and will probably be the best thing I see all week. Thanks for this--I hope they step it up even more. Ride in the streets or walk your bike if it has to be on the sidewalk.

Can we also ticket the guy in the pic for rocking pink jeans?

Finally!

When I'm in a car, I don't park in the bike lane... I look before I open the door to make sure I dont clip a cyclist. When I'm a cyclist, I ride the right way down the street, stay off the sidewalk and use bike lanes wherever they exist. When I'm a pedestrian, I'm respectful of who has the right of way and don't walk in bikelanes, or obliviously cross in front of cars.

When other people park cars in bike lanes, or when cyclists ride the wrong way or on the side walk or when pedestrians obliviously cut cars and cyclists off, it makes me want to beat all of you with a baseball bat. Figure it out people, it's not that hard.

Your kind has no place here.

Now git.

+1 for common sense and courtesy and not walking, driving or cycling around in a complete state of oblivion. Apparently it is too hard for many to figure out.

Fine - ticket bikers riding on the sidewalks. BUT FOR GOD'S SAKE, ticket the auto drivers who use their cars and trucks as weapons to intimidate bicyclists on the street. Damn. This city treats cars killing pedestrians and cyclists as perfectly legal.

They should just make the sidewalk bike lanes already. Bloomberg sucks!

Finally! I was once walking next to a kid who got clipped by a bike and his mom and I yelled at the guy. He never even turned around. I caught up with him at the next intersection and said, "hey! you just clipped a kid. Get off the sidewalk." He told me to "fuck off". I would looooooove to see these guys get busted.

You're an awesome story-teller. I'd love to hear more.

Thank you. I was run down by a cyclist on the sidewalk (not a delivery person). It was dark and he never rang his bell, shouted or anything, just plowed into me and kept on going. I'm tired of asshats like that getting away with this kind of behavior.

Sounds like a great idea to me -

I highly doubt ticketing delivery guys will make a damn bit of difference. It's like issuing parking tickets to FedEx or UPS trucks - drivers/companies see those as the cost of doing business. What might be more effective would be licensing delivery bikes since those things are basically delivery-vehicles and the delivery guys know they're being watched. Also, an informational campaign about why it's illegal/dangerous to ride on the sidewalk targeted toward citizens , but I don't expect miracles from the NYPD...

The only difference is that FedEx/UPS are Fortune 500 companies so they would pay the fine as part of doing business in NYC. Some rinky-dink restaurant or deli sure ain't going to pay for their delivery guy's infractions. It'll come out of the delivery guy's paycheck (if they get a paycheck). When those delivery guy make a delivery they usually PAY their cashier and get reimburse to whoever he's delivering + the tip.

So 1 ticket should be enough to get their butts off the sidewalk, i mean clearly they all MUST know the rules, they just choose to break them & not give a crap, this should help.

I'm sick and tired of self-righteous bike riders riding on the sidewalk. Ride in the bike lanes and follow traffic laws.

You DID see that 90 percent of them were deliverymen, didn't you...? Time to stop generalizing, son.

As a cyclist, I am all for this crackdown.

$100 bucks? not bad...please, fine the fuck outta them. especially delivery boys riding hard on the sidewalks (food delivery)

sick of damn near getting into fights over assholes nearly hitting me, my girl, or my dog. Then they talk shit while riding away.

"Go get'em boys" - Hotstepper

Ah, go play in traffic.

Seriously though, good move, this.

It's about time! The food delivery guys are the WORST. Some of them practically run you down without warning. No bell. Nuthin'.

good. go get'em boys.

i love stepping out the door and getting clipped by some jack-off riding his fixie full speed on the sidewalk.

This is so awesome. I can't stand it when people hop up on the sidewalk and ride. You are not a little kid anymore...... get in the street.