APD Crackdown

So I'm sure if you read any of the blogs in Austin, then you have read about the "crackdown on cyclist" for running reds and etc. Daniel Mottola from the Austin Chronicle, just wrote an article about it. Jason over at ATXBS has blogged a few different times about this. I yeah if you drive a car and you see a cyclist run a red light it sucks. You are still sitting at the light being pissed off at the world because you're stuck and you see someone breaking the law. What about the cars that run reds? Do they piss you off too?

This was my comment to the article about the crackdown.

I'm not opposed to APD giving tickets out to people who break the law. I don't think it is fair to single out cyclist. I see cars run red lights downtown all the time, not to mention when there are pedestrians in the cross walks that almost get hit by the driver not "paying attention" or "not seeing them". My main question to APD would be, are you (APD) cracking down on all, not just cyclist, running of red lights and illegal turning on red, and almost hitting pedestrians?

Most everyone I know that rides bikes do not ride on the sidewalk, that is where people walk. I follow the rules of the road and I don't ride on the side walk, and I also have front and rear lights on my bike. I also wear a helmet and have reflective material on my bag and on my bike, so that cars see me at night.

I am not in fear of getting a ticket from APD, I'm in fear for my life at the car that runs the red light when I have the green and nothing gets done about it. Or when someone hits me when I have the right of way, causing me to go to the hospital and stay there for days and the motorist doesn't even get a ticket. I mean if I was in a car and got into a wreck because someone did not yield the right of way they would get a ticket, and I wouldn't be in the hospital. This is what upsets me.

I would like to see APD actually give tickets to motorist when they hit a cyclist when they (the motorist) are in the wrong.

Maybe then I wouldn't see such a big deal about cyclist getting ticketed more for running reds and etc.



I like how the picture for the article is a brake less fixed gear (presumably) running a red in front of a cop. This whole thing makes me think of the online comic
yehuda moon







I personally would like to see more of this....






til next time


OLC