Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Is the NYPD About to Start Ticketing More Cyclists Due to a Mathematical Error?

iquantny.tumblr.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

101–110 of 142 posts

Re: Is the NYPD About to Start Ticketing More Cyclists Due to a Mathematical Error?

#101

Post by judk »

ohashi wrote: post #97
mikeash wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Around here (DC area) I have to assume that about drivers too. I've seen drivers blow through red lights, turn right on red from the center lane while pedestrians are trying to cross the street, even drive the wrong way down one-way roads, or on the wrong side of a divided road. Drivers fail to use their turn signals more often than not. Crossing the street in front of a car is a crapshoot, as people will often look…

As a driver in DC, I can think of many 'almost accidents' and they are about equally distributed between cars and bicyclists. I see a lot fewer bicyclists though when I'm driving. Anecdotally, I find them far more likely to cause a near accident. With cars, they are larger, easier to see and in general behave more predictably. Sure, they may not signal properly a lot, but I leave enough room between cars to let bad b…

You don't see all the bikes not weaving through traffic, because they...aren't weaving through traffic.

Re: Is the NYPD About to Start Ticketing More Cyclists Due to a Mathematical Error?

#102

Post by judk »

Arainach wrote: post #32
shittyanalogy wrote: post #27

I never really understood the value in ticketing cyclists, or jay walkers for that matter in NYC. Very few people are getting hurt, even in the densest metropolitan area in the country so why are we so worried about it? Because cyclists can be annoying sometimes? Also the city speed limit went down to 25 mph. Isn't this supposed to take care of many of the collisions? Those of us that are safe cyclists but run red li…

> Those of us that are safe cyclists but run red lights Speaking as someone who bikes/takes transit everywhere (in Seattle, not NYC), what an oxymoron. I'm not saying that at every single stop sign you have to come to a complete, foot-on-the-ground stop, but running lights is ridiculous and will do nothing but increase the hatred for all cyclists held by drivers by antagonizing them. Every OTHER form of transportatio…

I will get off my high horse if you get off your high horsepower smog machine.

Re: Is the NYPD About to Start Ticketing More Cyclists Due to a Mathematical Error?

#104

Post by dagurp »

shittyanalogy wrote: post #86

I'm going to attempt to rationalize why cyclists don't obey traffic laws in cities. The short answer is that bicycle riding in cities sucks. It's loud, slippery, uneven, blocked, takes a lot of physical effort, is full of unpredictable giant metal things that can kill you, teeming with large moving meat pillars that will jump in front of you at any moment, you're completely exposed to the weather and can't safely loo…

> The short answer is that bicycle riding in cities sucks.

Depends on the city

Re: Is the NYPD About to Start Ticketing More Cyclists Due to a Mathematical Error?

#105

Post by judk »

mikeash wrote: post #66
1123581321 wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The difference, in my city, anyway, is that lights are timed for cars and not bicycles. A light pattern that usually stops a car twice might stop a cyclist three or four times. A cyclists' lower speed and presence in the open air means that they react to the environment much more quickly. It's nearly impossible for a cyclist to fail to notice cross traffic when approaching an intersection whereas it's difficult for a…

According to Wikipedia, the Idaho Stop has not been adopted outside of Idaho. I believe many jurisdictions allow bicyclists to proceed through a red light if they stop and wait for a minute or two and the light doesn't change, as a way to compensate for sensor-activated lights that bicycles won't trigger. But that's quite different.

So is Idaho wrong, or are the laws elsewhere wrong? I don't think the potato surplus changes the nature of traffic.

Re: Is the NYPD About to Start Ticketing More Cyclists Due to a Mathematical Error?

#106

Post by judk »

mikeash wrote: post #66
1123581321 wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The difference, in my city, anyway, is that lights are timed for cars and not bicycles. A light pattern that usually stops a car twice might stop a cyclist three or four times. A cyclists' lower speed and presence in the open air means that they react to the environment much more quickly. It's nearly impossible for a cyclist to fail to notice cross traffic when approaching an intersection whereas it's difficult for a…

According to Wikipedia, the Idaho Stop has not been adopted outside of Idaho. I believe many jurisdictions allow bicyclists to proceed through a red light if they stop and wait for a minute or two and the light doesn't change, as a way to compensate for sensor-activated lights that bicycles won't trigger. But that's quite different.

So is Idaho wrong, or are the laws elsewhere wrong? I don't think the potato surplus changes the nature of traffic.

Re: Is the NYPD About to Start Ticketing More Cyclists Due to a Mathematical Error?

#107

Post by darushimo »

shittyanalogy wrote: post #86

I'm going to attempt to rationalize why cyclists don't obey traffic laws in cities. The short answer is that bicycle riding in cities sucks. It's loud, slippery, uneven, blocked, takes a lot of physical effort, is full of unpredictable giant metal things that can kill you, teeming with large moving meat pillars that will jump in front of you at any moment, you're completely exposed to the weather and can't safely loo…

This video by Casey Neistat illustrates some of the problems you bring up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzE-IMaegzQ

Re: Is the NYPD About to Start Ticketing More Cyclists Due to a Mathematical Error?

#108

Post by jghn »

gareim wrote: post #82
Strang wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see people complain about waving at a four-way stop all the time, and I really don't get it. I wave people through at four-way stops all the time, for the simple reason that it can be hard to tell who arrived first. Especially with rolling stops and the like. So rather than assume that the other drivers have come to the same conclusion that I have, I make it explicit by waving. Sometimes it's a little confusing if…

I assume they mean when it's clear who arrived first. As a pedestrian, I hate cars waving me through when I clearly get there ~2 seconds after they do.

In general I hate when cars try to wave me by (as a pedestrian) w/ little regard to the total situation. I realize they're being nice but often all they're doing is making a bigger mess for the bigger picture. I always try to wave them along instead, but sometimes they're insistent, and I can almost hear them grumbling "why won't this dummy go?" ... sorry, it's because you're a) holding up traffic behind you and b) I couldn't anyways as there is other traffic I'd need to cross.

Re: Is the NYPD About to Start Ticketing More Cyclists Due to a Mathematical Error?

#109

Post by jghn »

PJDK wrote: post #80
jasonjei wrote: post #37

As a motorcyclist, I think cyclists should be held to the same rules of the law as other vehicles to make driving predictable and safe. As it stands right now, I have to assume cyclists (via heuristics/profiling) as a wildcard--will they run a red light? Will they weave in and out of traffic unsafely (this is an acceptable practice, when done with ample buffer given their size and speed)? I think cycling is great (I'…

As a cyclist (and a pretty law abiding one at that) I absolutely want you to treat me as a wildcard, one that you have to pay extra attention to since I'm in a pretty vulnerable position on the road. It's fine to put cars in a "probably won't do anything unpredictable" box, if the worst comes to the worst there'll be some paperwork to fill in (might not be true for you on a motorbike of course). A cyclist the worst t…

You're ignoring pedestrians in this equation, who are more vulnerable than you.

Re: Is the NYPD About to Start Ticketing More Cyclists Due to a Mathematical Error?

#110

Post by morcheeba »

nickkthequick wrote: post #92
ericHosick wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> because the road is no longer predictable It will never be fully predictable: people make mistakes. It is always safer and better to assume that someone will do something unpredictable like run a red light. It could even be because of mechanical error. When riding motorcycles in ~~Asia~~ some asian countries (did it for 6 years), you assume that people will run the red light. It happens, during rush hour, 100% of t…

You're saying that Asian countries have fewer accidents because people run red lights? Do you have a source on any of this?

I believe eric is referring to this kind of mentality: http://knowledge.allianz.com/mobility/transportation_safety/...
Post reply on HN