gschreckchat@comcast.net
Although the officer said there is increased enforcement, the Sheriff has been at that spot for the past two years handing out tickets to cyclists. There have been multiple posts about it, so it should have come at no surprise. I know my group used to roll throught that sign, and we stop now, so it forced us to do the right thing.
As for the logic, Washington County is pro growth, and seems to be willing to give out building permits which add more traffic. Depite policies that add traffic, the county does not upgrade many of the roads or require the developers to do so. Many of the roads have high traffic now, but essentially still are country roads. As a result, cyclists become an annoyance on those areas as the traffic increases but the road width does not. I really do not think the police are the issue in general (like all members of the public, a few are). The issue is a poor infrastructure with increasing traffic, and the police are in the dificult situation of trying to keep it working. Sometimes, they may make decisions that do not make a lot of sense or tend to focus on the cyclists rather than the autos. At the same time, on my way to work, I saw the police pulling over a lot of cars for speeding, so it does appear that they are trying to make things safer overall.
The solutuion may be for us to obey the traffic laws, which is not much of a stratch if we want ot be treated as vehicles with the right to use the road. As for the stop sign, just stop temporarily, and like anything, if you do not and happen to be foolish enough to do it in front of a police officer, well.... I do agree that the fine seems high, but it is the same amount for the infraction with a car, and the fines do not differentiate between vehicles. If a fine that high will keep a car from running a stop sign, in the end, it may save a few of us. I realize we all take risks and bend the laws sometimes, and when we do, occasionally we will get caught. The high fine just changes the equation a bit.
I did like Greg's response though.
--
George Schreck
gschreckchat@comcast.net
(503) 502-0425
-------------- Original message --------------
From: Monty Hill
This really makes me frustrated, I don?t know if I even want to get started. Random thoughts:
The cyclist was killed by a car not by another cyclist.
The cyclist killed was doing everything by the law.
$335? Is that more than the fine the killer received?
Why fine a cyclist for doing something that is only threatening his or her own life? These laws were put in place to give automobile drivers a reason to think about the lives of others.
Have they started handing out tickets for cars passing cyclist on a double yellow? If so I get passed about 30-40 times on a given ride.
What are these idiots in Washington County thinking? Are they just trying to get cyclist off the road, so they don?t have to slow down? I know is must be so irritating to step on the brake pedal, sit on ones ass listening to bad music, waiting for the opportunity to prove to a cyclists why one needed their oversized gutless gashog.
Okay, deep breath, I think I need a new keyboard.
Monty
From: obra-bounces@list.obra.org [mailto:obra-bounces@list.obra.org] On Behalf Of Lindsay Kandra
Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2007 9:04 AM
To: obra@list.obra.org
Cc: TriClub Chat
Subject: [OBRA Chat] Cyclists Ticketed in North Plains
FYI
Part of a group I was riding with yesterday was ticketed $335 apiece for rolling though the stop signs at the intersection of North Plains Rd and Glencoe. The officer indicated that the north plains PD has stepped up ticketing cyclists in the area since the rider was killed a few weeks ago. Beware.