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Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Something Strange Happened to Me on My Way to Work Today

posted by on April 24 at 10:46 AM

I bought a bike on Saturday! Woohoo! I was riding it to work today, even though I only live four blocks away. Since I live so close, I was taking it slow, riding down Nagle Avenue. Since Nagle doesn’t have a stoplight, I turned left onto the sidewalk on Pine. Riding along at a leisurely pace, with only two people on the sidewalk, I hummed to myself, “La di da da, I’m riding my new bike. Yay!” Then, as I was riding past the second person who was walking on that wide sidewalk, he said:

“Stupid female, breaking the law.”

It is not against the law to ride on the sidewalk as long as you are not endangering anyone by riding fast or riding through crowds. And you sir: You ruined my nice morning.

RSS icon Comments

1

Maybe he's from Massachusetts and hasn't gotten a license here yet, so is unaware of our enlightened approach. I myself was very surprised to find out that bikes on sidewalks were kosher when I moved here.

Congrats on the bike!

Posted by Levislade | April 24, 2007 11:03 AM
2

It is not illegal, in Seattle, but it should be. It is almost everywhere else. Bikes are vehicles and belong in the road.

Posted by Fnarf | April 24, 2007 11:04 AM
3

Fnarf is right on...

FYI, here is the actual ordinance...

Section 11.44.120 RIDING ON A SIDEWALK OR PUBLIC PATH. Every person operating a bicycle upon any sidewalk or public path shall operate the same in a careful and prudent manner and a rate of speed no greater than is reasonable and proper under the conditions existing at the point of operation, taking into account the amount and character of pedestrian traffic, grade and width of sidewalk or public path, and condition of surface, and shall obey all traffic control devices. Every person operating a bicycle upon a sidewalk or public path shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian thereon, and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing any pedestrian.

Posted by GoodGrief | April 24, 2007 11:09 AM
4

First, I never knew you were a girl.

Second, I don't like it when cyclists use sidewalks in places like Broadway or downtown, but I can understand the need in ares where drivers show total disregard for the safety of cyclists. Good luck getting those bike lanes around the city.

Posted by elswinger | April 24, 2007 11:12 AM
5

Yeah, I'm with Fnarf on this one. Nothing pisses me off more than a cyclist on the sidewalk telling me to get out of their way. I don't mind sharing, mind you, as long as we can all agree that it is called a sideWALK for a reason.

Not that I would ever call dear sweet Ari a "stupid female" or chastise her or anyone for JUST riding their bike on the sideWALK. I only get annoyed with cyclists expect me to move out of their way so they can ride on the sideWALK.

With all THAT said, it's a shame there aren't more bike lanes/routes.

I hope when I start riding my bike to work (soon) I remember all the stuff I've been whining about cyclists.

Posted by monkey | April 24, 2007 11:15 AM
6

Elswinger: No one knows I am a girl via Slog. Don't worry about it.

I usually ride in the road, but when it's just one block and the sidewalk is wide and empty, I think it's ok. I really was going slow--I was just coasting.

Of course, we haven't even gone into the first part of that declaration. I think the first part frames the ignorance of the second part.

Posted by Ari Spool | April 24, 2007 11:18 AM
7

Fnarf, dontcha think it's maybe kinda slightly a gray area whether bikes are vehicles or not? They do seem to lack a giant steel safety cage and ability to travel at breakneck speed.

That having been said, though they may not exactly be vehicles, they're definitely not pedestrians. I'm sure Ari is very polite, but there's also a lot of bad bicyclists out there making sidewalks scary.

If only someone would invent some kind of unique lane between the cars and the sidewalks, dedicated for the use of bicycles.

Posted by Mattymatt | April 24, 2007 11:20 AM
8

I personally hate bikes. If you think it is bad here spend some time in Amsterdam dodging American stoners that do not know how to use their bikes. However I have no problems with bikes on sidewalks and no problems with bikes in the road- in both instances the bikes should obey the laws. Sure people always pull out their horror stories with a bicyclist that broke the law. At the end of the day if a bicyclist breaks the law and hits you it is going to be a lot less painful than if a car hit you. And if peds feel unsafe when bikes are on the sidewalk imagine how a bicyclist feels about driving in the road on some of the busier streets.

Posted by Rachel | April 24, 2007 11:20 AM
9

The only thing I have to say withholding any opinion on bikes, cars, roads, laws, et. al., is that smug assholes who make snide and sexists comments under their breath should be sent the fuck out of Seattle, preferably to Iraq or Guantanamo. Either one should suffice.

Posted by seattle98104 | April 24, 2007 11:31 AM
10

The law, yes, that most important of things, the Law, The LAW!!!!! We must have order, everyone get in line!

The bloodless, boring Seattle of 2007.

Posted by Grant Cogswell | April 24, 2007 11:32 AM
11

Or to Snohomish.

Posted by seattle98104 | April 24, 2007 11:32 AM
12

I live in a NoCal town with about as many bike paths and/or bike lanes as there are streets, yet bicyclists still persist on riding illegally on the sidewalk..while walking my dogs this morning, I was resoundingly cursed out by one such bicyclist for not intuititing that they were passing me too close.

Posted by dew | April 24, 2007 11:38 AM
13

A chestnut by former Kid in the Hall David Foley seems to apply here:

"Dear Guy I Clotheslined As You Went By on Your Bicycle --

"You don't know me, but I'm the guy who broke your collarbone. Now I've asked myself over and over, why did I clothesline that guy? Perhaps I watched too much slapstick as a kid and expected you to get up after being violently assaulted. Imagine my confusion when you did not. Although not so confused that I'd actually hang around.

"In all fairness, it was pretty funny, I mean the last thing you'd expect as you were riding merrily by on your bike is that someone you didn't know at all would stick out his arm and crush your throat.

"I mean, you really should have seen it, It was just like WAM! BAM! Ha ha ha.

"Anyway ... In closing, as you lay there convalescing in your hospital bed, I'm forced to wonder ... What were you doing riding your bike on the sidewalk anyway, huh, ya asshole? Side-WALK?

"Maybe sometimes we bring heartache upon ourselves.

"Signed, the guy that collapsed your trachea."

Posted by Gully Foyle | April 24, 2007 11:46 AM
14

Yes the sideWALK should remain the WALK. If you ride your bike in the city enough you will understand that people walking out of buildings, or cars pulling out of alleys/garages, do not expect someone whizzing down a sidewalk at a pace faster than someone walking. It is how inexperienced bikers run into cars.
And Ari? Wear a helmet, even for those few blocks. Do it for the kids.

Posted by Thom | April 24, 2007 11:50 AM
15

The location you mention does not strike me as a safe place to ride a bike on a sidewalk, even if you are going rather slow. It is legal in Seattle (for God only knows what reason), but that doesn't change the fact that it's unsafe compared to the street.

Posted by Christopher | April 24, 2007 11:53 AM
16

#14: Of course I was wearing a helmet. I know my odds.

Posted by Ari Spool | April 24, 2007 11:56 AM
17

I knew Ari was a girl by the hot pics she put a while ago of her getting S-faced during the state of the union address a few months ago...

Posted by Mike in MO | April 24, 2007 12:03 PM
18

Jackass pedestrian making sexist comments aside, it is almost always safer to ride in the road. You're an order of magnitude (10-20x) more likely to get in an accident riding on the sidewalk than on the road. As likely as a driver is to not see you riding in the road, they _never_ notice cyclists, leading to all sorts of bad accidents at intersections and driveways.

Go here and read about bicycle safety.

Posted by patrick | April 24, 2007 12:08 PM
19

I love how (not necessarily here, but in general) whenever a cyclists posts about riding in the street, a bunch of people write angrily that streets are for cars, and bikes belong on the sidewalk. And then when they post about riding on the sidewalk, there are a bunch of posts about how sidewalks are for pedestrians, and bikes belong on the street. And then someone mentions the Burke-Gilman, and someone else replies that cyclists on the trail are a menace to the rightful users, who are of course joggers.

I, for one, can't wait for the Transportation Fairy to complete the grid of elevated boardwalks for bicycle use only that will allow me to get around town without pissing anyone off, until the racing/fitness cyclists start complaining that my grocery-hauling cycling is slowing them down.

Posted by Josh | April 24, 2007 12:17 PM
20

What kind of bike did you buy?

Posted by PA Native | April 24, 2007 12:22 PM
21

@2,4,5 - of course, then you get situations like this morning on N 35th under the Aurora Bridge where a cyclist properly rides in the road and the cars all try to pass her.

Can't win.

Posted by Will in Seattle | April 24, 2007 12:23 PM
22

The whole "sideWALK is for WALKING" thing is about as intelligent as "Why do we PARK in DRIVEways and DRIVE on PARKways" jokes.

Seattle has a higher than average pedestrian fatality rate. Somehow, this is probably due more to pedestrian complacency than bikes on sidewalks. Maybe we should send even more bikes down the sidewalk, at even higher speeds to make pedestrians more aware of what's coming at them. If they get good at dodging 200lbs of bike and rider, think how much better they'll be at dodging 3000lbs of steel and rubber!

Posted by kueven | April 24, 2007 12:32 PM
23

Yesterday afternoon's commute was "amateur hour" in the Dexter Avenue bike lane. The nice weekend, guilt of Earth Day and 65 degree temperature apparently brought out every bicycle owner in Seattle.

I'd like these folks (who are not used to riding in rush hour traffic) TO STAY ON THE SIDEWALKS!

Posted by DOUG. | April 24, 2007 12:40 PM
24

Fnarf is a spiteful bitch when it comes to bicycles on the sidewalk.

Posted by Gomez | April 24, 2007 12:53 PM
25

Ari, the first thing that you have to know about the people on the sidewalk is that they only use the sidewalk to get to and from their cars. If they were travelling as much as four blocks without a car on a regular basis, they would, sooner or later, get a bike, skateboard, jetpack, donkey, etc.

Second, because the people walking across the sidewalk to their cars require one third of the cities real estate for their mode of travel, they really cannot afford to share and will always blame you for being in the way.

Posted by RainMonkey | April 24, 2007 1:02 PM
26

Well, it seems like there's different styles of bike riding. There's the people who are actually in shape, and ride quite fast, and have good reaction time, and they're much better off in the streets. But someone who's going to be riding slowly, inexpertly, and with ridiculous amounts of caution (I'm thinking of myself here, if I ever get one) is much better off on a sidewalk.

And RainMonkey...I am a walker. We do exist. There's lots of us. You must be thinking of a different city.

Posted by Lythea | April 24, 2007 1:13 PM
27

Oh, come on, Seattle walkers? If that were true, we'd be like, oh, 2nd in cities in the US where people walk to work, and 1st in people who bike to work.

Oh, wait, we are.

Posted by Will in Seattle | April 24, 2007 1:39 PM
28

#20- It's a $20 JC Penney brand drop bar road bike from like 1974. I bought it at 20/20 Cycles on 21st and Union, which I highly recommend. It's pretty sweet, but I have to fix the back derailer and true the back wheel. I don't mind, though, I like projects, and it's rideable right now without those things done. I might get clips too, because these hills suck so hard.

Posted by Ari Spool | April 24, 2007 1:52 PM
29

Ban spandex biking pants* and bikes with more than 3 speeds on sidewalks and park paths(not counting B-G).

Bike-pedestrian conflict solved.

*Leggings too, for both cyclists and walkers

Posted by Anna | April 24, 2007 1:59 PM
30

The divine order is as follows:

1. Motorcycles rule, for obvious reasons.

2. Pedestrians are OK, because walking is natural, and does no harm to anybody.

3. Cars suck, for obvious reasons.

4. Bicycles suck the worst, because they are passive aggressive whiner pricks, who hypocritically flout the law, yet mew like sickly little kittens the second anyone else fails to honor their God-given legal rights. Whether you're on a motorcycle, in a car, or on foot, and encounter with a bicycle will make your travels that much worse.

And don't even get me started about the way they dress. Two words:

Marble. Bag.

Posted by elenchos | April 24, 2007 2:14 PM
31

Yeah, especially Lake Washington Blvd on the weekend. This Saturday bikers were riding two abreast, blocking the entire street, even when cars were behind them. They made no attempt to move over, despite seeing the cars quite clearly. Yay, entitlement. Also, despite complaining bitterly about the cars not treating them right, they have no problem nearly running over the runners.


At least the drivers are just clueless; the bikers are selfish asses.

Posted by F | April 24, 2007 2:51 PM
32

The main difference between riding a bike on the street and on the sidewalk is that on the street, speed and tonnage grant right of way making bicycles second class to the smallest cars, which are second to the largest ones.

On the sidewalk, speed and the potential to do harm make bicycles second class to skateboards, which are second to healthy walkers, who must make why for the little tiny old lady pushing a walker.

Posted by RainMonkey | April 24, 2007 3:22 PM
33

bikes are too dangerous to drive on the sidewalk, and too susceptible to cars on the road. yet another conundrum that will never be answered, just like condoms in schools, viaduct, etc.

Posted by jennifer | April 24, 2007 3:44 PM
34

Yeah those kids you see riding up and down on the sidewalks with there Big Wheels and bikes with training wheels are breaking the law also. Lets enforce the 'Law' and drive them into the streets too because they don't know how to yield to pedestrians on the sidewalk.
just jesting. a bike is a bike no matter the size person riding on it.
And usually an older person is to have more skills on the road and sidewalk combined with a bicycle than a kid.

Posted by summertime | April 24, 2007 3:58 PM
35

I got hit by a cyclist on the curb about ten years ago. His handlebars (at the stem) of his street bike hit my hip: he flew over the handlebars, executing a complete flip and landed, painfully, I'm sure, on his ass. I had a gnarly bruise for a few days. Both of us were fine (I even made the bus I was running for when I came out of the alley on the 'safe' sidewalk). If it had been a car, I'd be dead. Just sayin'. Lighten up, passive-agressive, fake-Green, car-centric Seattleites.

Posted by Grant Cogswell | April 24, 2007 9:39 PM
36

well a woman walking her dog on a quiet sidewalk in Bryant confronted me and my 3 year old and 5 year old this afternoon, saying that they were breaking the law by riding their bikes on the sidewalk. I was walking, my three year old was using his training wheels, and I was holding onto my 5 year old as his training wheels just came off this week. When I asked whether she really thought my three year old should ride in the street, she repeated "its the law". How mean/bizarre is that?!! Good job making two nice kids cry. And check the law next time.

Posted by stacey | May 6, 2007 8:39 PM

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