Lucas Was Just Lost
Written by Boston Biker on Nov 08Seems Lucas was just trying to get home on some flats and took a wrong turn…
Also anyone who thinks this guy is “giving us all a bad name” should read this. No one in a car, or out walking, worries about “giving all of us a bad name” so we shouldn’t either, and we shouldn’t be held to that double standard.
Add to Reddit. Posted in news | 5 Comments »
By Paul Schimek
on Nov 8, 2011 | Reply
It seems awfully punitive to cite him with criminal trespass rather than a mere traffic violation–especially considering how many motorists are cited for (at best) a minor non-criminal offense after actually causing a crash through their own negligence.
There is another policy issue here: why does the state insist on posting No Bikes/Peds/Horses signs 2/3 the way up the on ramp rather than right at the ramp entrance (perhaps underneath the direction sign)? There are a number of places that look like highway on-ramps that are not actually ramps, so there is a real possibility of confusion (such as this one in East Milton http://g.co/maps/skpbs — that’s not only the way to I-93 north but also the way to continue straight on Adams Street into Boston).
By Paul Schimek
on Nov 8, 2011 | Reply
I meant the way to I-93 south. Wouldn’t that confuse you if you’d never done it before?
Then there’s the issue of roads where bikes are prohibited where there is no need, such as Route 7 in Lenox and Route 66 approaching Horseneck Beach.
By Eoin
on Nov 8, 2011 | Reply
So let me get this straight: When a cyclist enters a highway (a public way restricted to motor vehicles) it’s criminal trespass. But when a motor vehicle enters a bike lane (a public way restricted to bicycles), it’s a rarely enforced civil infraction.
By Aaron
on Nov 9, 2011 | Reply
This is a “agree to disagree” kind of thing, but I think a great way to deal with a double-standard is to strive toward a higher standard.
You’re right: most motorists aren’t thinking about how they appear as a group, and neither as pedestrians. They don’t need to. Because the roads were made for cars and they are the status quo, I think cyclists who hope for better infrastructure, broader acceptance and general improved safety should consider that their behavior is political action that affects our ability to bring about change.
By Ron Newman
on Nov 9, 2011 | Reply
I’m still a bit dubious of his story. If you accidentally find yourself on a freeway on-ramp, why not just stop and walk the bike back to the street you entered it from?