Sisyphus: Don’t Stop For Signs

12 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

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  hereinidaho on June 18 at 10:34 a.m.

  I learned that bicycles were suppose to obey traffic signs when I was a kid. But that was in a different state and it was at the time when bikes were suppose to ride against traffic.

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  Lynne on June 18 at 10:41 a.m.

  Ditto what Frum Helen said.
  Does anyone happen to know the Statute for parking on city streets? I’m going to pin it to a neighbor’s forehead. I came in this morning to a scathing note on our front door about, apparently, one of our clients parking in front of her house (two doors down). We’re on Sherman Ave. for heaven’s sake. You park where there is a spot to pull in.

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  brentandrews on June 18 at 11:00 a.m.

  It’s only smart to stop. Most people probably don’t know about the “Greasespot Clause” of Idaho bicycle law. I didn’t.

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  moscow_minidoka on June 18 at 11:34 a.m.

  In Idaho, cyclists are able to treat stop signs as a “yield,” and it makes perfect sense. It is far easier to get a vehicle moving again after stopping - not so with a bicycle. If I am going down a slope on my bicycle, have an unobstructed view of traffic going both directions and can see that my way is clear, why on earth should I stop at the stop sign at the bottom of the hill, thus losing all momentum and having to start up the next hill at an absolute crawl?

  And if I am out for a recreational ride at 5:30 in the morning, and - again - can verify that my way is clear, why should I be forced to sit at a timed stoplight waiting and waiting for the light to change, which it won’t, because it cannot detect my bicycle?

  Before all you die-hard motorists start yelling at me, I should tell you that any cyclist with a brain is EXTREMELY cautious about the “yield don’t stop” clause, and I always slow down approaching an intersection whether it is marked, clear, or whatnot, because I don’t want to be killed.

  But, this law gives cyclists the right to exercise their common sense. When I used to live in Boise, I would cycle around downtown early in the morning when there wasn’t a car in sight… the line-of-sight at intersections was plain as day, and I could see from half a block away that no one was coming. Now, how stupid would I have to be to sit there with my finger up my nose waiting for the light to change?

  And don’t tell me none of you have jaywalked when you could verify that no one was coming… the last time I was on Sherman Ave in CDA, I saw more people jaywalking across the street than could be bothered to do the legal thing and cross at the crosswalk. Let’s face the fact that, for some neanderthal reason, a lot of North Idahoans are flat-out hostile to bicyclists.

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  JeanieSpokane on June 18 at 11:51 a.m.

  “a lot of North Idahoans are flat-out hostile to bicyclists.”

  Same goes for pedestrians. Even at the light or stop sign, pedestrians are invisible. They don’t see you until the whites of your eyes are about to explode and then they throw their hands up and mouth “sorry” as they barrel by, just missing your toes. I’ve called the police (before any of DFO’s scanner reports) several times and even offered to be “bait.” Downtown Spokane is open season on pedestrians. And I’m not talking about jaywalkers. They are fair game in my opinion.

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  Walkabout on June 18 at 11:58 a.m.

  No, they shouldn’t have to stop at every stop sign. However, they should proceed with caution through all intersections just like everyone should be doing.

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  misc on June 18 at 12:21 p.m.

  The “Idaho stop” (as it’s known to out-of-state cyclists) is the envy of bike commuters nationwide. There was recently a strong push to get Oregon to adopt it.

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  Don_Sausser on June 18 at 2:55 p.m.

  Here is a solution, place yield signs at all intersections for all traffic. If it is a safe and good idea for bikes why not for all traffic?

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  toadman on June 18 at 2:58 p.m.

  I vote for roundabouts at all intersections. I’m sure in North Idaho, that would provide endless entertainment value to onlookers.

  ;-)

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  hmoffsuite on June 18 at 3:55 p.m.

  If, at an intersection, for example, and there are any cars there at all, the biker should not only stop, but get off the bike and walk it across the intersection. That clearly shows the drivers of the cars the intentions of the rider. Cars can go left, right, straight or whatever, any direction could cause a collision if the driver doesn’t know what the biker is doing. They don’t normally signal and make you guess what they are doing. Therein lies a major problem, imo.

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  Kage_Mann on June 18 at 4:01 p.m.

  I vote for roundabouts at all intersections. I’m sure in North Idaho, that would provide endless entertainment value to onlookers.toadman on June 18 at 2:58 p.m.

  ;-)

  I can count at least 5 roundabouts in this CDA area.

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  spokelooneh on June 18 at 10:46 p.m.

  There’s a roundabout in north Spokane that has a HOUSE in the middle of it. I kid you not.

  It’s actually SAFER to make people have to THINK on the roadways.

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