Video: NY Times Ethicist Gives OK to Bike Through Red Lights

This article is annoying as f*ck. As a pedestrian I am dodging cyclists running red lights on a daily basis. I like bikes. I like ppl who ride bikes as long as they are respectful riders.

I've seen cars hit bikers, bikers hit cars and bikers hit people. All of these sites are disturbing, harmful in some way to all involved and in every instance it would have been avoided if the biker had slowed to a stop at a red light.

Riding a bike doesn't make you better than pedestrian residents of NYC. Stop acting like it and obey laws.

In other words, don't bother me with the facts. I've got my own facts.

Read other comment sections on NY blogs, and observe the overwhelming number of NYers who agree that too many cyclists are a menace.

This is why I only travel via horse and buggy.

Alls I know is that I've never been hit by a car in New York. I have, however, been hit by a bicyclist on 4 occasions...2 of which were cyclists running red lights, 1 was a cyclist going the wrong way down a one-way street, and the 4th was a cyclist riding recklessly on the sidewalk.

Part of the problem is that lights are timed for cars, not bikes. Going at a reasonable speed, I often find myself getting caught at every fifth or sixth light. Stopping and waiting (through the entire light cycle) for each one is pretty impractical, especially in hilly areas.

Cycling is a grey area between walking and driving; expecting cyclists to strictly follow the rules of one or the other is pretty silly.

Although I will say, even as someone that primarily bikes to get around the city, I find a lot of cyclists here to be assholes with an incredible sense of entitlement.

And what m015094 said is very true: if you're biking and decide to go through a red light, do realize you have absolutely no right of way.

bicyclists need to use horns or bells more because bikes are pretty quiet. sometimes you can't tell if one is coming behind you at a crosswalk. yes, i do look but sometimes they come on pretty quickly.

"If it's dry I ride"

The seventh grader in me is looking for a dirty joke there...

Why does everyone make this an argument of cyclists vs. cars?

How about looking at the point-of-view of a pedestrian, since most of us in NYC don't own cars.

I for one am sick and tired of crossing the street with a walk signal and having cyclists run the red light and then yell at me for getting in their way.

2 years ago I was on 44th and Vanderbilt by the MetLife building. 3-way stop with 3 stop signs and 3 crosswalks. I walk across the street and a cyclists comes screaming down Vanderbilt and yells at me to get out of the way. I respond that he has a stop sign. At which point he gets off his bike, throws it down in the middle of the street, blocking traffic, and then proceeds to try to start a fight with me.

Can anyone of you defend that sort of behavior? Because for many pedestrians that sort of a situations is a daily occurrence, albeit without the starting a fight bit...

As a cyclist I will definitely NOT defend full-speed running of red lights, but I do use Cohen's approach of slowing down. But, there a huge caveat. As soon as I start going through a red light, I've lost all right of way - to pedestrians AND cars. It is now my responsibility to stay out of other's way and not scared the bejesus out of them.

I'm not sure about NYC, but I know in other places that I've lived bicyclists were allowed to run red lights (after a complete stop and clear passage) because a bicycle couldn't trigger the weight sensor for the light. I don't think NYC has weight sensors, so I doubt there is this rule here.

It sounds more like you had a bad encounter with a complete a-hole, on a bicycle or not. Generalizing that encounter to say that all cyclists suck doesn't work.

I've gotten into two fights for yelling at cars not stopping at stop signs, and the drivers have gotten out and gone nuts. I also got into a fight with a guy who took offense at the fact that I asked him not to throw his takeout containers onto the street while idling in his car (he just tossed it out the window while parked at a meter). I could easily say that this means all people in cars are morons, but I think it's more likely that I just encountered three a$$wads, just like you encountered a full-blown d-bag, who just happened to be on a bike.

But that's my point-this isn't an isolated incident. Nearly every day on my morning commute I would have to wait to cross or jump out of the way of a cyclist running a red light. I never said that "all cyclists suck", I'm simply pointing out that as a pedestrian in NYC who walks everywhere, I find it very hard to have any sympathy for cyclists.

To be honest, the problems you have had with cars are irrelevant to this discussion. My point is that cyclists in NYC routinely run red lights and that is dangerous for pedestrians trying to cross the street at a walk signal.

You are right that the situation I mentioned was definitely the exception and not the rule, I just wish cyclists would simply stop to think how their actions affect pedestrians.

The bottom line is m015094's post is right: if a cyclist runs a red light they no longer have any right of way, particularly over pedestrians.

So if you want to run the red light, knock yourself out. But if I'm in the crosswalk with a walk signal I have the right of way and I am sick and tired of having cylists think it's my job to wait to cross the street until he/she has finished running the red light.

You make so such sense but your arguments are falling on deaf ears.

Too many cyclists are so quick to condemn not only motorists, but pedestrians as well, seeming to forget that once they get off their bikes, they too become pedestrians.

I agree with you 100%. I have no car, rarely bike, mostly walk. So, I have no inherent bias. I just know that over the past years, I've been terrorized a lot more by scofflaw cyclists than I have by scofflaw motorists.

I think the majority of NYers feel the same way about bikes, but this blog in particular seems to attract the Transportation Alternative types who are very vocal here.

Read other comment sections on NY blogs, and observe the overwhelming number of NYers who agree that too many cyclists are a menace.

If cyclists want to turn NY into Amsterdam, they should first cycle like the Amsterdamers - i.e. obeying the law and respecting their neighbors.

I don't think my point about cars is irrelevant. My point was that you write statements such as "I just wish cyclists would simply stop to think...", implying that all cyclists act together in some sort of unified a-hole behavior. I'm sorry you feel that all cyclists aim themselves at you during your commute, but you probably never notice the many more cyclists behaving responsibly.

Every morning, I see drivers nearly run people over, so I could easily say, "I wish drivers would stop and think..." because I rarely notice the majority of drivers who do act responsibly.

Similarly, as someone who drives and cycles in the city (and does so responsibly), I don't know how many times I've nearly smacked into jaywalkers on their phones, who subsequently yell at me for not being more careful.

The truth is that there are lots of people from every group who behave poorly and believe that what they are doing is somehow justified. Nothing will get better until cops actually enforce good behavior on all groups. But then, everyone will start complaining about egregious enforcement by cops, and outrage will ensue.

I just wish (drivers / cyclists / pedestrians) would simply stop to think how their actions affect (cyclists / pedestrians / drivers).

Manitoba--fair points. I will admit that we each tend to notice whatever affects us the most. I never drove or cycled in NYC, so I could only look at things through a pedestrian's viewpoint. Narrow-minded on my part, I will admit.

And I will say that one of my biggest pet peeves about NYC was that fact that pedestrians think they can walk across the street whenever they want and people will avoid hitting them. So if I were a cyclist who was crossing with a green light and that happened then I'd probably find myself perpetually annoyed at pedestrians.

One interesting thing--I recently moved from NYC to London and it's a whole other world over here. First things I noticed was that bikers all stop at red lights. Second thing was that whoever is in the road with a green light (bike or car) has the TOTAL right of way. Every once in awhile I see some tourist clown try to jaywalk and literally dive out of the way as a taxi continues on it's way. I actually like it over here better, because it forces everyone to pay attention to everyone else and the rules are very clear.

I always have a laugh when my NYC friends visit and just aimlessly wander into the road. I try to grab them before the black taxi sees them and accelerates!

I don't know how many times I've nearly smacked into jaywalkers on their phones, who subsequently yell at me for not being more careful.

My response to such situations is, "Actually, thank goodness for both of us that I was riding appropriately AND paying attention or we'd have both been sent to the ground."

Then they usually respond with some nonsense. Recently, for example, I was told I have a bug up my butt by a pedestrian in the wrong after I calmly called him on it.

waitting for 60 seconds it is really hard may he wear a good Nike dunks

very cool

As an individual of (partial) German heritage, I will resist the urge to categorize Cohen, as that would be politically incorrect, just like wondering how someone with a name like Cohen could write an "Ethicist" column unless it were situational and he would respond to any such generalization with blanket claims of anti-somethingorotherism. My best response would be: "Dink!".

Its really that difficult to wait 60 secs? Really?

Obviously you're not an urban cyclist. It's not about waiting, it's about momentum (real and psychological) and the conservation of the cyclist's energy. I've never hit anyone (I've been hit by a cab running a red light); but proceed with caution through red lights. I only have so much energy to devote to this transportation task if I don't want to arrive at my destination all sweaty and unpresentable. Red lights increase the energy output to an unnecessary degree. Commonsense can govern without incident.

"it's about momentum "

No, it's all about YOU!

YOU are the most important person in the city.

YOU make the rules.

YOU are special.

YOU deserve unique privileges.

YOU are above the law.

YOU expect others to follow YOUR ethics.

YOU can do whatever YOU damn well please.

YOU are the solipsistic center of YOUR universe.

Isn't that what YOU're really about?

It's more about the fact that we have brains and if we slow down and look, and there is no traffic, human or otherwise, standing and waiting for the light to change is pointlessly squandering 30-180 of the approximately 2,365,200,000 seconds that I hopefully will be enjoying existence (based on a 75 year life span and barring any unfortunate incidents) add up 30-40 of those pauses on a short ride across brooklyn and YOU can see that YOUR position of blindly following rules because they exist without thinking for YOURSELF and assesing YOUR situation is YOUR own lack of critical reasoning. Nice use of solipistic though. I award you one brooklyn brewery wooden nickle.

dammit,

Solipsistic.

Sadik-Khan looks great for 49. I like her much better than the other bloombag flunkies like Gibbs and Gil-Hearn.

Cue the comment war on "crazed cyclists". For every bad cyclist there are ten speeding motorists texting, and 100 pedestrians standing 10 ft into the street and or walking against the light, playing with their phone, oblivious to any street traffic thinking "no cars coming, means I own the road..."

EXACTLY.

And when he gets flattened by the car he didn't see, we can put his own ignorance on his tombstone so no one feels sorry for him.

Thanks for explaining how stopping for a red light is something only an evil German would do, Mr Situational Ethicist. I guess ethics and traffic rules are for other people, not you. No wonder your column is filled with such bad and inconsistent advice, you judgmental scofflaw.

Mr. Cohen is wrong to say it's OK to ride through red lights. It is OK for cyclists to get off of their bikes and walk them across the street with pedestrian traffic and then resume their journey on the street on the other side. If you want the same rights as cars, you have the same responsibility. Too often cyclists run red lights and almost hit pedestrians, ride the wrong way down one-way streets and ride on sidewalks. This gives cyclists a bad name.

The Gothamist headline is misleading and is fodder for a comment war. According to the video, the guys says that he goes through red lights in a reasonable fashion that anybody would do, similar to how most of us jaywalk when there are no cars.

If they were smart they would have waited until tomorrow to post it so the cubicle trolls would have a field day.

Thank, JDS, for highlighting his stereotyping an entire nation. I wonder what his ethics would say if someone wrote "What are we, Jews?"

Actually, Mr. Cohen has no degree in ethics, philosophy, theology, logic, or the like.

He got a degree in music! Music!

His claim to fame is that for years he was a comedy writer for Letterman and Rosie O'Donnell. He's very funny, but not very ethical.

Is it any wonder the Times is going bankrupt?

Have you ever actually been to Germany? They're an orderly people and they're in to following the rules. Old women will yell at you for jaywalking across an empty street.

Yes, I have been to Germany and you are correct. People rarely jaywalk

Yet, I got a ticket for jaywalking in California and here in NYC Giuliani went on a jay-walking ticket blitz immediately into his second term.

Germany is also full of anarchists - and don't forget Bader-Meinhoff.

So, some Americans enforce jaywalking laws too, and not all Germans are law-abiding.

So, Cohen should be careful about stereotypes. I know some blacks who are criminals, some Irish who are drunks, some Jews who are cheap and some Italians who have been arrested.

I wonder if Cohen has anything to say about that? Or wouldn't that be ethical?

In Germany, all is forbidden, unless permitted.

"I'll deny it in court"

He admits to suborning perjury as well.

Nice.

"He admits to suborning perjury as well."

No, he jokes about committing perjury. In the future! Subornation of perjury involves compelling someone else to do it.

But your first comment points out why no one should be taking any of this so seriously. He's a comedy writer. His column is routinely more comedy than ethics. It's like the ethics version of the radio show "Car Talk," a bit of real advice but primarily it's meant to be just entertainment.

And of course in this case it's just an interview. He's not speaking as "The Ethicist for the New York Times," but as a guy who rides a bike.

i blow lights even in my car....

I treat red lights as stop signs. Blowing through lights is dangerous and disrespectful but having to stop and wait at each one on a bike is wasteful both in time and energy.

Hope he remembers that next time a biker gets run over by a bus. If drivers slowed down, looked left and right, then blew thru a red light (and yes, this does happen now and then), bikers would have a fit. In a city of 8 million, with hundreds of thousand of cars, trucks, buses, cabs and millions of pedestrians, the sanctioning of something this silly (which bikers do 1000 times every day) is absolutely crazy. Good luck with this theory.

Why not pitch a fit? My bicycle does not consist of thousands of pounds of steel armor traveling at thirty miles per hour. This is a boring and tired argument.

Actually, I think it would be safer for cars to treat red lights as stop signs -- stop, look around, proceed.

In the case of bicycles, it's been proven that it's safer for bicyclists to run red lights, as long as there is no one in the intersection, of course. Agreed, many bicyclists are consummate assholes who do idiotic things, but running red lights isn't one of them.

Out of curiosity, when you're walking, do you always wait for red lights, even when you see that there are no cars coming?

Most times, yes. But I'm not on Gothamist whining about the increase in bikers getting run over by cars and buses. Unlike bikers, I don't run out halfway thru an intersection BEFORE looking, or try to balance myself on my tippy-toes while straddling the yellow line in the middle of the street and hope I don't get hit. I see bikers do their little balancing act inches from moving traffic all the time, never mind the idiots who blast thru intersections while yelling or whistling for us dumb bastards who have the green light to get out of their way.

Bicyclists running red lights are a nuisance, but rarely result in fatal crashes. Cars running red lights kill people with regularity.

ding ding ding

And this is why I hate bikers. For every "ethical" red light runner, there are 10 non-ethical speed demon bikers during rush hour.