Is it illegal to bike against traffic on a sidewalk?

On 3 Oct 2006 07:36:06 -0700, wrote:

landotter wrote:

Your girlfriend derserves every single citation she gets, even a
"reckless driving" charge would be in order. Sidewalks are for
*walking*. Duh. Streets are for vehicles. Brilliant way to get yourself
killed is to zoom through an intersection wrong way when riding on the
sidewalk.

It's not funny or "aw, man, it's no biggie", nope, it's just downright
stupid. It's about 5 notches of stupid above driving drunk.

This is of course assuming you're over 12 years old. In many
jurisdictions you may ride your "My little pony" bmx bike on the
sidewalk if you're under that age, and by the sound of things you may
be able to argue with a judge that you're 10--on an emotional level.

Damn, give it a rest you ninnies.

Sidewalk riding is no more dangerous than any other
kind of riding, provided the cyclist recognizes the particular
hazards involved.

We all ride on sidewalks occasionally. That's part of the
beauty of the bicycle, the ability to outperform in the
pedestrian as well as vehicle realms. If you never ride
sidewalks, you simply aren't riding enough.

Scratch the surface of those who give anti-sidewalk
speeches and you will find cyclists who occasionally
ride sidewalks, when it is useful to them. You see,
it's ok for them, the self-righteous safety ninnie, to
do it, but not for anyone else.

To the OP, I'm sorry you got rudely kneejerked
on this newsgroup, you aren't the first.
The cop was wrong, unless perhaps he observed
her riding in a way that was particulary dangerous, besides
her simply riding wrong way on the sidewalk, maybe
he saw her cut somebody off or just looking
particularly oblivious.

Robert

Indeed. Some cities even plan for sidewalk riding both directions. (the
sidewalks are double wide). Not very clever, imo, but still they're out
there.

www.vbgov.com/dept/parks/pdfs/dsgndev/bikeplanfacilitystandards.pdf

(page 6)

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

Set wrote:


Indeed. Some cities even plan for sidewalk riding both directions. (the
sidewalks are double wide). Not very clever, imo, but still they're out
there.

www.vbgov.com/dept/parks/pdfs/dsgndev/bikeplanfacilitystandards.pdf

(page 6)


This is exactly what my town does, a double width shared use path on
either side of a 4 lane thoroughfare. I ride in the roadway next to it
to get to work. The local cops have pulled people over for passing too
close to me.

mark

wrote:
Sidewalk riding is no more dangerous than any other
kind of riding, provided the cyclist recognizes the particular
hazards involved.

Studies prove you wrong.

Studies prove that sidewalk riding is dangerous for
people who recognize the special hazards involved?
I don't think so.

We all ride on sidewalks occasionally. That's part of the
beauty of the bicycle, the ability to outperform in the
pedestrian as well as vehicle realms. If you never ride
sidewalks, you simply aren't riding enough.

Scratch the surface of those who give anti-sidewalk
speeches and you will find cyclists who occasionally
ride sidewalks, when it is useful to them. You see,
it's ok for them, the self-righteous safety ninnie, to
do it, but not for anyone else.

To the OP, I'm sorry you got rudely kneejerked
on this newsgroup, you aren't the first.
The cop was wrong,

You can quote the law in the orginal poster's jurisdiction?

Probably, if I cared to Google it. There are no
laws anywhere that I know of prohibiting riding
wrong way on the sidewalk. There are places where
it's legal to ride on the sidewalk and places where
it's not.

My guess is we're not getting the entire story.
Perhaps by sidewalk what is really meant is
bike lane.

Robert

On 3 Oct 2006 14:12:39 -0700, wrote:


wrote:
Sidewalk riding is no more dangerous than any other
kind of riding, provided the cyclist recognizes the particular
hazards involved.

Studies prove you wrong.

Studies prove that sidewalk riding is dangerous for
people who recognize the special hazards involved?
I don't think so.

It is not only the cyclists who are at greater risk of injury when
traveling on the sidewalk.