Is it illegal to bike against traffic on a sidewalk?

It was kind of funny. I got a call from my girlfriend, and she told me
that she was pulled over by a cop on her bike. The cop said that it was
illegal to bike against traffic, which made sense to me. The thing that
didn't make sense was that she was biking on a sidewalk, not the road.

This got me a little interested in the bicycle operation laws of
Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I live. I looked through the Minnesota
statutes, which said that it is illegal to bike against traffic.
However, all those laws applied to only the road, and not specifically
sidewalks. My girlfriend was also biking in an area where it was o.k.
to bike on the sidewalk, i.e. not a business district.

So I was wondering if this is as strange to others as it is to me. I
have never heard of a cop pulling over a bicyclist for biking against
traffic while on a sidewalk. I'm thinking that this cop was having a
slow night. I don't think I'll stop biking against traffic while on a
sidewalk, and if I do get stopped I think I will bring up this issue
with the peace officer who thinks I am doing wrong. I think before I do
that, though, I'll have to make sure I'm up to code on all the other
bicycle laws that I found out I was breaking while reading the
statutes. XD

-Xtowers

Xtowers wrote:
It was kind of funny. I got a call from my girlfriend, and she told me
that she was pulled over by a cop on her bike. The cop said that it was
illegal to bike against traffic, which made sense to me. The thing that
didn't make sense was that she was biking on a sidewalk, not the road.

This got me a little interested in the bicycle operation laws of
Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I live. I looked through the Minnesota
statutes, which said that it is illegal to bike against traffic.
However, all those laws applied to only the road, and not specifically
sidewalks. My girlfriend was also biking in an area where it was o.k.
to bike on the sidewalk, i.e. not a business district.

So I was wondering if this is as strange to others as it is to me. I
have never heard of a cop pulling over a bicyclist for biking against
traffic while on a sidewalk. I'm thinking that this cop was having a
slow night. I don't think I'll stop biking against traffic while on a
sidewalk, and if I do get stopped I think I will bring up this issue
with the peace officer who thinks I am doing wrong. I think before I do
that, though, I'll have to make sure I'm up to code on all the other
bicycle laws that I found out I was breaking while reading the
statutes. XD

-Xtowers

Bored cop? Stopping some for riding the wrong way on a sidewalk makes
about as much sense as stopping people for walking the wrong way.
Let us know, sounds like it might be harassment.
Bill Baka

bill wrote: {snip]

Bored cop? Stopping some for riding the wrong way on a sidewalk makes
about as much sense as stopping people for walking the wrong way.

Mother holding a baby walks out of a store-front. BLAM!

Guess what, it wasn't a walker that creamed her.

HTH

On Tue, 03 Oct 2006 15:29:59 GMT, "Bill Sornson" wrote:

bill wrote: {snip]

Bored cop? Stopping some for riding the wrong way on a sidewalk makes
about as much sense as stopping people for walking the wrong way.

Mother holding a baby walks out of a store-front. BLAM!

Guess what, it wasn't a walker that creamed her.

HTH

Bomb disposal tech, carrying nitro walks out of building. BLAM!

;-p

Set wrote:
On Tue, 03 Oct 2006 15:29:59 GMT, "Bill Sornson" wrote:

bill wrote: {snip]

Bored cop? Stopping some for riding the wrong way on a sidewalk
makes about as much sense as stopping people for walking the wrong
way.

Mother holding a baby walks out of a store-front. BLAM!

Guess what, it wasn't a walker that creamed her.

HTH

Bomb disposal tech, carrying nitro walks out of building. BLAM!

;-p

Nice touch.

:-D

Set wrote:
On Tue, 03 Oct 2006 15:29:59 GMT, "Bill Sornson" wrote:

bill wrote: {snip]

Bored cop? Stopping some for riding the wrong way on a sidewalk makes
about as much sense as stopping people for walking the wrong way.
Mother holding a baby walks out of a store-front. BLAM!

Guess what, it wasn't a walker that creamed her.

HTH

Bomb disposal tech, carrying nitro walks out of building. BLAM!

;-p

Hot chick in tight lycra pants and shirt, riding wrong way on
sidewalk.... ???

DougC wrote:
Set wrote:
On Tue, 03 Oct 2006 15:29:59 GMT, "Bill Sornson"
wrote:
bill wrote: {snip]

Bored cop? Stopping some for riding the wrong way on a sidewalk
makes about as much sense as stopping people for walking the wrong
way.
Mother holding a baby walks out of a store-front. BLAM!

Guess what, it wasn't a walker that creamed her.

HTH

Bomb disposal tech, carrying nitro walks out of building. BLAM!

;-p

Hot chick in tight lycra pants and shirt, riding wrong way on
sidewalk.... ???

And I'm riding with a water balloon? (Full of pudding?!?)

I'll grab me hat...

"Bill Sornson" wrote: Mother holding a baby walks out of a store-front.
BLAM!

Guess what, it wasn't a walker that creamed her.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sorni, this is copied from the original post: "My girlfriend was also
biking in an area where it was o.k.
to bike on the sidewalk, i.e. not a business district."

Mom carrying a baby is not likely to get slammed by a bike in a residential
neighborhood. Presumably the areas where sidewalk riding is legal would be
determined mostly on the basis of safety.

Leo Lichtman wrote:
"Bill Sornson" wrote: Mother holding a baby walks out of a
store-front. BLAM!

Guess what, it wasn't a walker that creamed her.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sorni, this is copied from the original post: "My girlfriend was also
biking in an area where it was o.k.
to bike on the sidewalk, i.e. not a business district."

Mom carrying a baby is not likely to get slammed by a bike in a
residential neighborhood. Presumably the areas where sidewalk riding
is legal would be determined mostly on the basis of safety.

Leo, I specifically replied only to what Bill Baka wrote, which you snipped
(or failed to re-paste).

HTH

Bill Sornson wrote:
Leo Lichtman wrote:
"Bill Sornson" wrote: Mother holding a baby walks out of a
store-front. BLAM!
Guess what, it wasn't a walker that creamed her.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sorni, this is copied from the original post: "My girlfriend was also
biking in an area where it was o.k.
to bike on the sidewalk, i.e. not a business district."

Mom carrying a baby is not likely to get slammed by a bike in a
residential neighborhood. Presumably the areas where sidewalk riding
is legal would be determined mostly on the basis of safety.

Leo, I specifically replied only to what Bill Baka wrote, which you snipped
(or failed to re-paste).

HTH


Did you note that he also stated it was 1:00 A.M.?
Not too many people out walking at that time!!!
Bill Baka