We have been following the Reed Bates’ case since pretty much the day the saga began. At the very outset, I called a couple of the people closely involved with Mr. Bates and offered the League’s help; it did appear that the charges were inappropriate, that Bates had a legal right to ride where he was riding, and that the jury that Bates chose to be heard by was incorrectly instructed by the first judge involved. On that basis, we would have been happy to help defend his right to ride on the road.
Our offer to assist was not accepted; instead, he and his advisers chose to assert that not only was Bates legally allowed to ride where he was riding, but that’s where he and everyone else should be riding, even in the presence of a perfectly rideable shoulder. That approach took the issue beyond a strict legal argument as to where one is legally allowed to ride to where one should ride, and a rural Texas courtroom may not be the best place to have that call made on our behalf. As the situation has developed, Bates (and the people advising him) has unfortunately chosen to follow a strategy that our board and legal advisers did not think was in the best interests of all cyclists – from the initial trial by jury preference to a failure to show up for court dates and hearings to the pursuit of a position that is simply not reasonable and could easily backfire.
We have remained in touch with the issue with local Dallas-area advocates, Bike Texas and our board of directors. It is instructive that none of us have chosen to get involved. I think we all regret that the way the case has been played by Bates and his advisers has precluded us from constructively intervening to help him and defend our collective rights to the road.
Andy Clarke
President, League of American Bicyclists
Continue reading “The League & The Reed Bates Case”
Reed Bates found Guilty of ‘Reckless Driving’
Reed Bates (AKA ChipSeal) has been found guilty in Ellis County Court No. 2 on a charge of reckless driving for not riding as far right as possible (as stated by the prosecutor instead of the word ‘practicable’) in a 12′ lane with 70 mph tractor-trailer trucks, and for not riding on an inconsistent, broken, and even nonexistent shoulder when directed to ride there by local law enforcement officers, contrary to the requirements of Sec. 551.103 of the Texas Transportation Code. Oddly, the fact that other vehicles were being allowed to exceed the posted speed limit was considered a reason to force a lawfully operating vehicle off the roadway.
Part of the case against Mr. Bates was that he was riding at dusk, even though police detained him for almost 40 minutes (from roughly 5 to 5:40 pm) before letting him proceed. He was then handcuffed and arrested.
In finding Mr. Bates guilty, the judge stated, “You may be right that it is safer to ride in the middle of the lane instead of the shoulder, but it is reckless of you to do so”… at which point a white rabbit was seen doing down the elevators at the Ellis County Courthouse.
Yes, Mr. Bates is appealing the conviction. Please donate.
Old Ellis County Courthouse in Waxahachie, Texas. Photo by Steve Averill, modified by PM Summer.
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"Ask your doctor if getting off your ass is right for you." [video]
Ahead Stop
via XKCD
Walking to school can help kids prepare for classroom
This was forwarded to me by a fan of walkable, community-centered schools.
TIME Magazine – Researchers find walking to school can help kids prepare for classroom
Researchers at the Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences found that a stroll to school in the morning can help kids prepare for the stresses that await them in the classroom. https://wellness.blogs.time.com/2010/08/11/let-kids-walk-to-school/
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The crashing divide between the sexes
By RAY MASSEY
When it comes to having a car crash, men and women conform uncannily to stereotype, a new study of insurance claims has revealed.
For although women have more minor scrapes at slower speeds – such denting the car while parking – men tend towards spectacular high-speed head-on smashes.
Women drivers appear to be more forgetful, distracted and downright scatty – losing keys, bumping cyclists and parked cars, and getting into trouble at traffic lights.
Aggressive, risk-taking men, by contrast, are more likely to hit pedestrians, trees and other cars head-on at high speed.
…
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Free Parking Comes at a Price
via NY Times
"Under a more sensible policy, a parking space that is currently free could cost at least $100 a month — and maybe much more — in many American cities and suburbs. At the bottom end of that estimate, if a commuter drives to work 20 days a month, current parking policy offers a subsidy of $5 a day — which is more than the gas and wear-and-tear costs of many round-trip commutes. In essence, the parking subsidy outweighs many of the other costs of driving, including the gasoline tax. "
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I dream of living in a tropical paradise with a shark infested lagoon ???
If Rob Ford’s comment that "cycling is like swinging with the sharks" is correct then governments actions of placing homes in the midst of shark invested waters is totally outrageous! Who would really opt to live in such conditions if there was a really a choice? That’s why homes near bike trails fetch a higher market value, people want options other then having to use a shark cage (car) for every little thing.
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