[SDCBC] Ticketed in Re: Pulled over for "taking the lane"

[Jim Baross]

Interestingly enough a bicyclist, Chris Z., was given a ticket April 
10th for using a full lane in Pasadena.
Is Spring in the air.  :-(

Chris is getting some help and efforts to help certain traffic 
enforcement personnel acknowledge where bikes belong in the traffic mix.

 >>>>
Hello All:

I was just cited earlier this evening for using the full traffic 
lane. I welcome advice as I need to plan my defense.

The details:

I was west bound on Walnut Street in Pasadena, CA, just east of 
Oakland Av. on a 5 lane arterial, (2 lanes each direction + a 
bi-directional left turn center lane).  My best guess is the #2 
traffic lane is 11 feet in width to the edge of the gutter pan. I 
will measure the lanes on my next trip through town. Get this, when I 
teach my bike safety workshop to the city employees on May 1st - as I 
have for the last 3 years! This is a business district and there are 
driveway approaches every couple of hundred feet or so. Right hooks 
are a major concern.

Additionally, it is my experience that Pasadena has a higher than 
average number of aggressive motorists and if you allow an 
opportunity for unsafe overtaking they will be on it in an instant!

I was cited for, " CVC 21202a Slow Moving Bicycle in Middle of #2 
Lane". The officer states I was moving at 10 MPH but that is just 
crazy - I was late and doing my best to make good time. I'm certain I 
was much closer to 20 MPH or better. The officer also claims it was 
"dark" at 6:00PM, actual sunset time was 7:21 PM. I don't know if any 
of these small discrepancies are relevant.

Thanks in advance!

Best regards,
Chris Ziegler
LCI #1296
Monrovia, CA
<<<<<<<<<<<<
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.bikesandiego.org/pipermail/sdcbc/attachments/20080411/10e058d5/attachment-0001.html