Only in Beverly Hills

Of course it would be Beverly Hills where this battle between motorists and cyclists comes to a head. LAist reports the blow by blow in what could turn into a rallying cry for bike activists:

Two weeks ago today, a motorist on Wilshire Boulevard came to an intersection and found herself behind somebody who was preparing to turn left. Under normal conditions this would mean slowing down and waiting but since it was a cyclist, the motorist accelerated and screamed “Get out of the road!” The incident escalated and resulted in the arrival of Beverly Hills Police Officer Prenesti who greeted the cyclist by yelling “You idiot!”

Comments

[Cathy]

After reading the entire article and all the comments on La1st.com, I conclude there are 2 groups of people and they are talking right past each other, like they are on 2 different planets.
First, there is the group that uses "should" a lot. We "should" share the road. We "should" stop at stop signs, not speed, etc.
Then there are the drivers with no sympathy for the "losers" who walk, ride a bike, or a motorbike, or just about anything smaller and slower than their giant war vehicles. They clearly are going to do as they please. Might makes right. And they are winning, as statistics show that 55% or so of all vehicles on the roads are trucks and SUV's.
We need to demand from our elected officials that they provide some protection for those of us who walk, bike, or drive small cars - or maybe they should outlaw any activity that would get in the way of the war vehicles. Everyone should be required to have an SUV in their underground parking garage. You would not leave the building without being encased in 6000 lbs. of metal.
Or, there could be walkways and bikeways that are protected, separated from roadways. Gee, this discussion didn't even mention children or old people with walkers or wheelchairs. I guess you better not be young, old, or crippled in LA!

[Left by Leftwest]

Tim K. "takes half a block to get up to half the speed limit..."
Tim K, go up and whup that logic and shake your fist the next time a Harley riding fully loaded 53 foot 18-wheeler pulls away from a traffic light.
Tim K., Bicycles are vehicles having the full equality of other vehicles;
Tim K., you don't like it? Hit a bicyclist; go to prison...for a long long time.
Tim K., Don't like it, discuss it with the Harley riding fully loaded 53 foot
18 wheeler (who also rides a Litespeed).
Tim K., shake your fist at that.

[Left by Leftwest]

Eric H., "one cannot ignore a law just because their faulty logic tells him its ok to do so." Illegal population take note.

[Enci]

How can a cyclist be in your way, when you're stuck in traffic? The cyclist will leave you in the dust, and if you do pass him/her, they will catch up with you at the next light anyways. Chill and enjoy your tunes and if you don't like to be stuck in traffic, don't get pissed off because of a cyclist. Get out of your car and ride a bike or take the Metro. You'll have a much more productive commute, I promise :-)

[Ray]

Suppose this is something unique to California. Elsewhere bicycles and their riders are categorized as "pedestrians" and must obey signals and rules meant for same. That means staying to the right at all times, and NEVER entering traffic flow... certainly NO turning from the left turn lane. If its true that bicycles are allowed in the flow of motorized vehicle traffic in California, in my view, that's foolishness. Such a law needs to be changed before someone gets killed.

[greg]

Amazing. A couple weeks back - it was a beautiful Sunday morning and I was sitting on my bike in the right lane waiting for the traffic light to change at Olympic and Conspicuous in Beverly Hills, and some hungover jerk in a Merc hooted at me to "get out of the way! what - do you think you own the road?"

Let's see, according to Tim K. logic, I was not a vehicle - I was an "obstruction" - and therefore I have the rights of a Slurpee cup, because by god, the road was made for the machine, no wait - the city was made for the machine, the machine must go FAST, schnell! schnell! Automachinas Uber Alles!

anyways...
I gently knocked on the gentleman's hood, comandeered the Merc at tirepump point and T-boned Officer D. Prenesti's Crown Vic. OK, the last part is a lie. (please don't club me Mr. Cop sir!) But the truth is: Beverly Hills should be surgically removed.

[Eric H]

The ignorance and selfishness of some drivers makes me sick.

Tim K. wrote:
"Are you *sure* you want bikes to be treated equally?"

Although driving in LA it may not seem so, in CA we actually have laws about what is and is not allowed on the road. These laws are quite clear about allowing bicycles on the road, even when they drive slower than your car:

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc21202.htm

One can not ignore a law just because their faulty logic tells them it is OK to do so...

[John V.]

I think the officer knew the law, but he wasn't willing to hear the cyclist out in this case. I was just at the Beverly Hills Traffic and Parking Commission meeting and hopefully they will investigate this better and actually call the cyclist to get his point of view.

In any case drivers should not be yelling insults and honking because a cyclist who has full right to use the right lane and left turn lanes might have caused them to lose a few seconds.

[Tim K.]

If bikes are allowed to be considered as vehicles, then they should be required to *behave* like vehicles.

If I drove my car at the speed and acceleration profile of a bike (i.e. taking half a block to get up to 1/2 the speed limit) the police can ticket me for obstruction of the flow of traffic.

All bikes do that. Are you *sure* you want bikes to be treated equally?

[Transit Planner]

Sounds like a typical Westside driver....

[mike d.]

it's really infuriating when police officers don't even know basic traffic laws regarding bicycles. i remember learning in driver's ed that the law basically treats bikes as vehicles and that they have to obey all traffic signs, go w/ the flow of traffic, and can use left turn lanes. i hope they post a follow-up letting us know what happens when it goes to traffic court.