Kay9Cop wrote:
It sounds like this park is a multi-use area. The speed limits are likely there for the safety of the other patrons also using the area. If you want to ride in a multi-use area you have to respect the rights of all of the users to be there safely.
Iâm both a police officer and a cyclist. I donât condone any of the bad behavior alleged to have been done by the police, but sometimes we as cyclists are our own worst enemies. Iâve been walking my police dog (in civilian clothes) on a local multi-use paved path and had bicyclists pass very close to me at more than 20 mph with no warning, which is not safe. I would hate to be a mother trying to take her children for a walk on that same path. I canât count the number of times a day that I see bicyclists riding on the road and run red lights and stop signs because they think they donât apply to them.
Here, bicyclists are required to ride closest to the right edge of the roadway, but I often see riders two and three wide blocking a lane. Itâs bad riding like that which makes other users dislike bicyclists.
My gut tells me this all came to be like this: citizens complained about bicyclists riding unsafely in the park, the mayorâs office told the police to put a stop to it, police went in and wrote some tickets, some bicyclists realized they could ride away from police and avoid getting a ticket, both sides started to escalate their responses, a bicycle lawyer found a couple good incidents to use as ammo against the police, and now thereâs national news.
Some police donât like to be recorded. I donât understand why because I like having video as proof. I have a camera on my bicycle and my motorcycle because Iâm most likely to be in an accident when riding. If youâre worried about getting a ticket, donât break the law and have video proof to take to court if you are wrongly issued a citation.
The bolded is what my State's statute say, to the right most edge of the roadway as practicable, no more than two abreast (MN Statute 169.222 subd 4), Statute 169.011 subd 68 defines the road way as "portion of a highway improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular traffic EXCLUSIVE of the sidewalk or shoulder. You are permitted to operate a bicycle on the shoulder.
I avoid riding in parks or on trails while on a road bike at all costs, too many people doing stupid things unpredictably. Yelling at people to make a pass to no avail as they cannot hear through their head phones.
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