Thursday, January 21, 2010

Honking at the cyclist

Keri Caffrey was shooting video with bike patrol officer Bill Edgar of the Orlando Police Department as they took the lane for a law enforcement bike education project. A motorist lays on the horn to harass the cyclists before Officer Edgar moved over and stopped where the motorist could see his "POLICE" shirt. Edgar then asks, "Can I help you sir?"



From Commute Orlando.

See also Carlton's POLITE shirts.

6 comments:

  1. Nice. Enjoyed that as well.

    My wife is from Orlando (actually Winter Park) and I was riding with her parents' neighbors when we were visiting one time. A cop pulled up behind us and over the PA told us to ride single file (there was another lane to pass in this case as well)

    Even all law enforcement do not know the rules of the road. They sure don't around here (Durham, NC)

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  2. @Duncan - I enjoyed it too, and thank YOU!

    @Keefer - "Even all law enforcement do not know the rules of the road -- True as well here in California.

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  3. Do we have the same law about streets less than 13 feet wide in California?

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  4. @Erik: CVC 21202, the "Far to the Right" law in California, states as one of the exceptions (note highlighted text on "substandard width lanes"):

    " When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions (including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes) that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge, subject to the provisions of Section 21656. For purposes of this section, a "substandard width lane" is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane."

    As in other states (including Florida), "substandard width lanes" isn't defined and is open to varying interpretations. Cyclist advocacy groups typically say 14 feet. Non cycling police officers and judges say, "Yeah, right" and issue a citation anyway. YMMV, IANAL.

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  5. often times peers complain about the cars and their behavior here in SF, sure they could be better, but in many many other parts of the state n country, honking amongst other uneducated approaches from both cops and citizens to (yikes!!) a cyclisttttttt - at least motorists are quite used to seeing bikes around.

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