Cops Crack Down on Cyclists

By Joe Eskenazi Fri., Aug. 12 2011 at 9:55 AM

Don't worry, son. I have handbrakes.

The hefty cop with the handlebar mustache had a problem with a handlebar of a different sort. "Look," he yelled at the despondent fixie-riding hipster he'd just flagged down, "do you have brakes on this thing or not?"

This didn't happen just once. At least one rider tried to explain that, like Fred Flintstone, his legs served as brakes. That answer didn't cut it.

Cyclists traversing Market Street this week have noticed an uptick of riders being flagged down and cited for rolling through red lights or stop signs -- or, as in the case above, not having handlebar-mounted brakes. Apparently cyclists don't read San Francisco Police Department press releases -- as, on Aug. 5, the cops were kind enough to announce they'd be doing this throughout the week. You can read that release here:

SoCPAB Traffic Safety.doc

"During the week of August 8 -- that's this week -- the police will be in force conducting traffic enforcement near Fifth and Market," says Officer Albie Esparza, a police spokesman. "Basically, we're going to be enforcing traffic laws in the intersection."

The enforcement act comes on the heels of a series of SOMA traffic accidents "pretty much involving people not following basic basic laws," according to Esparza. Last month a cyclist was struck and killed by a delivery truck at Mission and Fremont, purportedly as she made an illegal left turn. Yesterday, Dionette Cherney died of wounds sustained after being hit by a cyclist who ran a red light at Mission and Embarcadero.

"Today should be the last day of enforcement specifically at that location," said Esparza of Fifth and Market. "That's not to say we're going to stop enforcing it, period."

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Tags:

bicycle, bicycle ticket, cyclist crackdown, cyclists, fixie

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Cycler

As a resident of SF of 15+ yrs, I experience constant threats from CARS, not bicycles. The cyclist who caused the death of a pedestrian deserves admonishment/punishment. I drive and bicycle in SF and the worst offenders are car drivers... admittedly most of those cars don't have SF parking permits on their bumper. Why don't the police ticket cars that don't give cyclists use of the full lane? Why don't police ticket cars that take right turns at red lights even though there are pedestrians present? Why don't police/dpt ticket the vehicles parked (illegally btw) IN the bicycle lane? For all you haters in cars, I brake for bicyclists and motorcyclists and will use my car to protect them from your hateful disrespectful driving.

AtheistApotheosis

Bicycles are supposed to roll slowly through stop signs and lights as long as you time it right, it's a normal safe riding practice. The first lesson I learned was never put your feet on the ground while riding until you are about to get off, it teaches control and balance. Bicycles are much slower to accelerate than cars, if a cyclist stops completely at a stop sign the drivers behind them would leap out of their cars and beat the shit out of them. Also the lights change to fast in some places that if you came to a complete stop you wouldn't make it through the intersection before the traffic started moving again and trap the cars behind halfway through the lights, hence getting the shit kicked out of you. Also some bikes have back pedal breaks, so there wouldn't be break leavers on the handlebars.

most cyclists are dumb fucks, i cant even explain my disdain for any idiot that would try to ride a 200 lb bicycle around streets with 2 ton autofuckingmobiles and prtend like they dont have to watch out. i learned how to be careful on a bicycle but all these ninnys havent figured it out at the age of 55.. by the way if you ride 2 abreast in a bike lane, i should be able to mow your ass down

Shhhh

also i think you have small dicks

Puppy Bear

How can you get a ticket for not signaling on a bicycle? BY NOT SIGNALING. Right arm out for the right. Left arm out and down for the left. Duh!If you have a driver's license you should know this fact: Bicycle, like autos, trucks, motorcycles, Segways, etc. are considered moving vehicles. As part of this category, at a minimum, one has the same responsibilities as a car on the road. So, a bicyclist should signal turns. He must also stop at lights, stop signs, etc. No driving on sidewalks.

icarus12

I learned that left hand up meant right turn, left hand out meant left turn, and left hand down meant stop. I these gestures mimic the old driving hand signals of automobiles before there were electric turn signals. Or the gestures might be of older origin and stem from bicycles previously having a foot brake and one hand brake, generally located on the right hand side. Hence, all the signaling with the left hand and arm.

baklazhan

Evidently not duh enough, because left are out and down is the signal for stop. Left is simply left arm out.

Mission Loco 94110

About time the SFPD start doing their job. Sadly it took a death of a pedestrian for them to act.

Market

My co-worker got a ticker for 'not signaling.' What the hell does that mean on a bike?

Rip

http://www.google.com/search?q...

PinkElephant

It probably means that your co-worker didn't stick their arm out to indicate that they were turning.

guest

Of course it does. Market, it's back to bike school for you.

mkdc

It's about goddamn time. There need to be regular, unnanounced crackdowns on lawbreaking bicyclists in every neighborhood in the city.

PinkElephant

There need to be regular, unnanounced crackdowns on lawbreaking bicyclists AND cars.

The_Pony

There already are. But yeah, point that finger at cars some more...there's still 3 fingers pointed right back at you, bikey.

guest

Oh jeez, will you get a life? Trolling Streetsblog, The Snitch, SFist just so you can repeatedly express the same tiresome point--is this a full-time job for you?

Jordan

I'll support tickets for cyclists when I can confidently use a bike lane in this city without fear of being right hooked by a driver who isn't watching (I got clipped by some idiot's passenger-side mirror the other day), or worse, a Muni driver plowing me into the curb (two weeks ago). I've been almost killed by drivers more times than I can count while riding my bike lawfully and most of the times in marked bike lanes! When I can confidently do that without fear of being hit by a shitty driver, then maybe I'll support giving fixed-gear riders shit.

mkdc

So, how is this an argument against ticketing bicycles for blowing through red lights and stop signs?