Million Dollar Question, Stop Lights

Do you...

A. Obey traffic lights and the law, stop at reds and wait for green and be safe/respectable

B. Go through reds with barely slowing, being risky and foolish in the eyes of others

c. Somewhere in between, maybe only blowing lights after you have slowed and see no traffic, or only going through one ways at lights.

I want to know what you think, I don't condone disobeying traffic laws because of the negative impression it gives all the 2 ton monsters on the road. I Stop at all stop light except if they are one ways and there is no traffic around. And I slow down at stop signs but don't usually stop.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Bob on October 7, 2008 at 10:59am

I would be closer to option C. Major intersections I do not attempt to blow red lights.

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Permalink Reply by L. Jerome on October 7, 2008 at 3:50pm

word; C as well - if you can see all directions and there is no one coming, then rolling across while continuing to look both ways ain't deviant criminal behavior, it's just common sense... just gotta be safe about it

bikes can cross intersections much faster and more agile than cars

stops signs can be more fun/tricky because it is all about what's going on in each of the players' heads... it's kind of fun when you know youve checkmated those at the intersection and you can roll through without holding them up

"feel free to continue sitting on your butt and moving your ankle... ill just slide by and continue to make my way through town much faster than you possibly can...how much does gas cost now? i couldn't even tell you"

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Permalink Reply by Ryan on October 7, 2008 at 9:40pm

I'm C as well. I've noticed that before I rode fixed, I'd blow through intersections a lot faster because it was easier to slow down. Don't get me wrong, I've got a front break, but I try not to use it... so I slow down before the intersection just to be ready. I've seen too many drivers blow through stop signs around my neighborhood (Bridgeport) to take any chances.

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Permalink Reply by Rodney on October 8, 2008 at 12:18am

I would have to go with "C"...i usually treat stop signs and lights the same. I slow and check and if its clear I go. I am a bit more cautious at stop signs lately because I have had a few close calls with cars blowing the signs as well...

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Permalink Reply by Stickfiguredanny on October 9, 2008 at 7:10am

I am really inexperience with riding in the city so I usually stop at most lights. If I can tell the intersection is clear ill go. Also if I can follow another rider then I just do as they do.

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Permalink Reply by Vanessa B on October 9, 2008 at 12:06pm

I do C. Sometimes B. Rarely B. I don't really care what cars think about me. in fact i kind of like it when i get to blow through a light in front of some car driver that was honking at me to get out of his/her way.

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Permalink Reply by Jody on October 10, 2008 at 5:42pm

In general, I treat stop signs like yeild signs and red lights like stop signs... UNLESS - I find myself on a street like Milwaukee where there's tons of other cyclists and motorists. That's when it's time to suck it up, don't be scared to be dorky, and do everyone a favor and set a positive example - Follow the rules of the road. Exactly.

BTW - rules of the road at rush hour -v- rules of the road after bar closing time are two very different sets!

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Permalink Reply by Julie Hochstadter on October 12, 2008 at 11:32pm

I'll start my answer with a question - How annoying is it when you are stopped at a red light, its about to turn green, and some dumb pedestrian decides to stroll across the street in front of you. Now you have to wait for them to cross so you hit them even though you now have the green.

I'm becoming more and more an "A" person. My friend who used to do education at CBF really turned me onto the simple yet brilliant idea of gaining respect from drivers and pedestrians to help fuel our biking cause/conditions.

I think for our safety and everyone else's around us we need to stop (baby stroller example in an earlier comment).

A collegue (single mother trying to break into real estate) hit a parked car as she was trying to swerve out of the way of a biker. She has been carless now for 2 weeks. Is that fair?

I don't stop at stop signs which I should, and if I'm doing a weekend race or running terribly late for an appointment I may go through a red light. I'm not perfect, but I am trying to slow myself down a little and get the point across to the public that not all bikers are reckless.

I bike to make the world a better more sustainable place, ease traffic, save myself time, get some exercize and save money. Making the world a better place includes making our streets as safe as possible for everyone....