"Of course, we all know we ought to ride safely and adhere to traffic rules however absurd it may feel at quiet intersections. In Midtown Manhattan it's usually a good idea for the sake of your hide --and apparently these days for the sake of your wallet. I received this post via a friend, via craigslist, via gothamist. please read and heed:
New York's Finest are swarming Sixth Avenue today handing out tickets to bikes. They'll get you for going the wrong way, riding without a bell, riding without reflectors, and their favorite, not riding in the bike lane.
Higest concentration is in the 20s, 30s and 40s. Every damn block, there they are. Bike cops and regular beefy beat cops. I saw at least 10 different groups of cops pulling people over.
I got a $30 citation for riding on the right side of the street and while I was waiting for my ticket, they pulled over two other guys. The cop told me it's an operation running through tomorrow (Friday).
If possible, stay the hell off Sixth Ave. If you must, be careful. Riding the wrong way is $150.
One cop made some cryptic comment about how if I didn't like a ticket, I should think about who to vote for next month. ""I'm not telling you who to vote for, I'm just saying,"" the cop said. What, is Ferrer some big bike advocate? Strange.
Anyhow, BE CAREFUL. It's a WAR ZONE.
"
ticketing blitz in NYC
...it's not just bicycles, it's anything on two wheels - scooter/mc stops are a regular fact of life in NYC.
"""I got a $30 citation for riding on the right side of the street.""
Does that mean for not riding in the bike lane?
It appears the NYPD has the manpower and inclination to set up speed traps for cyclists but not for cars and trucks.
Perhaps the ticketing barrage Thursday was to discourage turn-out for Friday's Critical Mass. Can anyone report how Critical Mass went?"
While the CPSC requires that new bicycles be sold with reflectors, no law says you must keep them on the bike. Lights are required 1/2 hour AFTER sunset or 1/2 hour BEFORE sunrise.
What equipment is required on bicycles?
A bicycle must be equipped with:
A brake which is capable of making the bike tires skid on dry, level pavement (Sec. 1236(c)).
A bell, horn or other device that can be heard at least a hundred feet away. Sirens and whistles are not permitted. (Sec. 1236(b)).
Bicycles driven between a half-hour after sunset and a half-hour before sunrise must be equipped with a white front headlight visible in darkness for at least 500 feet, and a red taillight visible for at least 300 feet. One of these lights must also be visible on each side for at least 200 feet (Sec. 1236(a)).
A bicycle, when purchased new and/or driven at night, must have reflective tires, or wide-angle, spoke-mounted reflectors. Reflectors must be colorless or amber for front wheels, and colorless or red for rear wheels (Sec. 1236(d)).
A co-worker of mine commutes every day from Brooklyn to Manhattan on his bike. Earlier this week, he was pulled over by a cop on a motorbike. He was ticketed for crossing an intersection at a diagonal (basically, jaywalking on a bike). It happened in the early evening at a quiet intersection in Tribeca. After the cop left, he turned the ticket over. The fine was $200.
i cant picture this , what is crossing a intersection on a diagonal?
Left hand turn from right hand lane?
