While commuting on my bike Wednesday, I was ticketed by the Univ. of Washington campus police for failing to come to a complete stop at a stop sign on the Burke-Gilman trail. I slowed, but did not put a foot down before proceeding (nor did I slow to the point of a track stand), so I was technically guilty of the violation.
$103!!! Seems a bit excessive to me, and with all of the real crime that occurs on campus, the UW Police ought to have better things to do than ticket bike commuting faculty.
I have not been ticketed but I have been given a few warnings. I used to live in a VERY hilly area of VA. There was one road that the speed limit was 35 and I could easily hit 45 going down it. My motto was if I am going as fast as traffic then I deserve my own lane (two lanes each direction on this road) SO Im bombing down this long hill in an aero tuck cruising around 45-50 and I STILL have cars passing on my left. then I hear the siren and look behind me and yup I got pulled over for speeding. I thought it was hilarious that the cop would actually pull me over with cars passing me. He gave me a warning and told me he would be watching for me. I was like whatever and just went on my way.
No tickets but 2 warnings. One warning was for a rolling stop at a stop sign. The other warning was for going the wrong way down an exit ramp to avoid a red light and cutting into traffic from a turning lane. I was trying to break a PR. I clearly deserved a ticket and told the officer just that. He let me go with a warning anyway after a 5 minute lecture.
I got a warming because I did not stop @ a stop sign (I have I barely slow down), so the cop rolled down his window and while he was driving and me riding lectured me, knowing that 90% of the cars do the same @ that stop sign.
Since them I pay a lot more attention to stop sign.
Fred.
I thought a warning would have been in order, but this was clearly set up as a sting operation. Two UW police stepped out from behind a bush, directed me to the side, and started writing. No lecture, discussion, or anything–just the ticket.
I got a ticket for failure to stop at a 4-way stop sign. It really made me mad because it was a busy intersection, and I waited my turn and rode through along side another car. So, technically I never put my foot down, but I went at the correct time.
The officer claimed I came out of nowhere and completely ignored the stop sign. I’m one of those nerds who try to promote safe cycling and following the rules of the road so was very upset. I also think the officer was several cars back and did not get a clear view of what happened. I would have challenged the ticket, however it was on a ride about 90 minutes from my house and I felt the $100 fine was less expensive to me than wasting a day in court.
He may have been more concerned for your safety, especially if side streets come into that road. At those speeds, a bike is a little harder to control in an emergency then a car.
I’ve gotten a ticket for riding two abreast on a wide shoulder. Initially I was irritated about it, but once I thought it over, I could see his reasons. There have been many bike/car accidents along that rode and I assume he figured he can control us cyclist more then drivers.
I wish mine was only $103!
I was riding in a group of six last Saturday through the very small burg of Double Oak, TX (avoid-avoid!) and each of us were ticketed for rolling a stop sign.
There was no traffic and we were calling out to each other…the cop was very well hidden.
I called on Tuesday and the fine is $183 and if it will impact (points against) my driver’s license (and they were not sure that it wouldn’t) it will cost me an additional $50 to “defer adjudication”.
Wanna talk about excessive?
The kicker was that while we were standing down on the side of the road while the cop wrote the tickets one-by-one, a local yokel dad on a mountain bike with two kids on bikes stopped and called out “Officer, I am stopping to show my kids what happens when they don’t follow the rules”. Of course, they were riding into traffic on the wrong side of the road and he had no helmet on.
Nice, huh?
Sure made our day…although we are destined to go down in club history as the “Double Oak 6”.
G
As a bike commuter for nearly 20 yrs, who also is an advocate of safe cycling, I was also very pissed. I did slow down and certainly did not endanger anyone’s safety.
I called on Tuesday and the fine is $183 and if it will impact (points against) my driver’s license (and they were not sure that it wouldn’t) it will cost me an additional $50 to “defer adjudication”. <<
Yep, that’s about how much it is here and there are a few places in Marin County where they sit and wait.
clm
Couldn’t you just give the officer phony information? I certainly wouldn’t show them my drivers license. I do carry mine when I ride but I would
pretend I didn’t have it with me. At least in MN, I don’t believe there are any laws that require riders to carry identification when on the road.
I’m not suggesting that we should be dishonest, but if you were riding in a safe and courteous manner, there is no way I am going to pay for a
ticket when I am riding my bike. Just create and alias for next time.
tbro
No tickets, but I got a written warning for doing 35mph in a 25mph “School Zone”.
I did think of providing a bogus name, but the first question he asked me was for ID. I thought that if I said that I did not have ID, that they may search my pack and find my wallet. In looking up the laws governing my apparent offense, I did find that providing false ID info is a ticketable misdemeanor in itself.
The cycling infraction I was given is designated as “non-traffic”, so it doesn’t count points on the drivers license.
I’m not a lawyer, but he would need probable cause or your permission to search your pack. If it happens again,
I would definitely give the “I don’t have my wallet with me” line and see what the officer says. If he still wants
to give you a ticket, he will have to trust that the info you have given is accurate and correct. 
tbro
Two tickets while cycling: One for cutting the tangent when making a left turn. I collided with a car, landed on my face, then had to appear before a judge with a fat, stitched-up lip. The second was for going through a red light on my daily commute. I stopped at the light, saw no traffic, then went through the intersection. Unfortunately, an officer on a motorcycle was behind me and I didn’t see him until he turned on his siren. He told me he probably would have just given me a warning if I hadn’t quickly turned into an alley trying to evade him.
I was clearly in the wrong both times so I paid my fines.
Many years ago a guy riding his bike in Ontario was given a ticket for speeding. He beat the ticket because the wording of the law specifically stated “motorized vehicle”. The wording of the law was soon changed after this.
2 tickets both of them 10-15 years ago
One for riding at night with no lights. One for cutting over to the opposing intersection crosswalk as the light turned green (bike messenger trick that makes sure you don’t have to wait for other cars to go before you get to go left)
I deserved both of them.
There is an officer who sometimes hangs out on the corner down the street from me. It’s a major bike route.
Several bike-commuter friends have gotten tickets for OVER $200 for not putting their foot down at the stopsign.
Yup - I’m sure the Oakland, California police have NOTHING better to do with their time.
Police ambush our group about once a year. Hand out $100+ tickets to all. You’d think it was a drug bust or something, hiding in the bushes yelling on their loudspeaker, etc.
Grabbed a lot of attention in the local rag a few years back. Here’s the link.
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2004/oct/02/ndn_group_of_bicyclists_ticketed_for_running_stop_/
I’ve been warned twice but no tickets. Once for speeding, 30 in a school zone, once for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign.