Why Does the Wilbur Theatre Suck? Better Rock Shows in 5 Steps
Photo of the Day, November 24, 2009: Hook, Line, and Sinker
Photo of the Day, November 25, 2009: Boston as seen from the harbor
Cheap Eats: Burtons Grill
Sports Redux: Nobody Puts Bergey In the Corner
Bostonist had the misfortune this morning to be pulled over and ticketed for running a red light on our bicycle. We could offer all sorts of excuses for why this wasn't as egregious a red-light-running as some (all the cars at the intersection had a red light and there were no pedestrians; we proceeded with great care; no one was killed; etc.), but the fact is, we broke the law and we got caught, and that is eminently fair. But we were impressed/confused (in a good way) by the policy of the Cambridge Police in handing out the tickets: There was no fine, just a warning! Cynic that we are, we've gotten in the habit of thinking of speed traps and similar police arrangements as being designed primarily to generate revenue (maybe because there's a particular spot on Cape Cod where Route 6 switches from two lanes to one and the speed limit goes from 50 to 40, and we always see town police camped out, waiting to nab folks who don't slow down fast enough). But this ticket-sans-consequences thing seems aimed entirely at (gasp) promoting traffic safety! (The City of Cambridge is apparently also concerned with promoting grammar safety: their bike safety web page avoids a dangling preposition by eschewing the more colloquial "world we live in" in favor of "world in which we live.") As the Cambridge 5-0 sent each scofflaw on his way (there were two other bicyclists stopped with us), they made sure to say, "Have a nice day and please respect the lights." Awesome.
(You'd like to know what intersection it was, wouldn't you, so you can limit your lawbreaking to every red light except that one? Well, too bad. Bostonist is feeling too much love for Cambridge bicycle cops right now.)
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
I would have been like "Oh come on. I'm on a BIKE! A BIKE! What am I gonna run over someone's poodle? "
Then I would have gotten that ticket. Lesson Learned.
not only that, once when i was cycling at night i got pulled over for not have a light and the cop just gave me a warning and a COUPON for a bike light. it made me feel better about living in cambridge, especially since my girlfriend was stalked by some drunk asshole in central the other day.
Good to know. Based on your description, it wasn't the intersection of Mass. Ave. and Walden St. I wish the police would start handing out warnings to bicyclists who blow through the red light heading to Arlington.
If you're heading towards Arlington, there's no reason for a bicyclist to stop at this light, since traffic enters Mass. Ave. only on the left side.
This isn't anything new, either. My husband was stopped on his bike in the Harvard Square area a few years back, and given a warning, too. The cop was very friendly.
Now if only they'd stop ticketing us for parking the wrong way on the side streets!
Sure, Ron, no reasons if you ignore that it's a red light, that sometimes pedestrians are crossing the street, and that someone turning onto Mass Ave might want to pull into one of the parking spaces after the light. Riding full speed through a red light is NEVER wise.
One more thing I just remembered. A couple of months ago, I picked up at some street fair a wonderful guide to getting around Cambridge. It was filled with common-sense rules that confirmed my basic operating procedures: if you're on your bike, you're a "vehicle," if you're walking your bike, you're a "pedestrian," and the rules differ depending one which one you're doing (at crosswalks, for example). Furthermore, while while on a bike I have flexibility, such as riding on a sidewalk when road traffic sucks, I don't have the right of way. Every person in the greater Boston area -- be they walk, ride, or drive -- should have a copy of that pamphlet.
Believe it or not, this is a perennial CPD effort. Round abouts autumn, they'll start handing out the lights or coupons for said lights again, most likely.
If you're unfortunate enough to get the ticket, it's $20 and you don't even get the recognition of being cited with a moving violation. Instead you get ranked right up there with littering and jaywalking. I demand better!
Anyhow, my guess is Mass Ave & Prospect. What'd I win?
Oh, and Josh, don't you have work to do or something? This is what you get.