I was walking from the parking structure to building 26 and had to cross the street at South Perimeter and Via Carta. Before I stepped into the crosswalk, I looked for cars and other hazards.
I had barely stepped out when a bicyclist, in the car lane, came flying by, almost hitting me after ignoring the stop sign.
The rider’s action angered me and it made wonder whether I was wrong or if it was the rider’s fault.
Since this incident, I have noticed bicyclists that don’t stop at stop signs, ride through the cross walks, cut across the street illegally and fail to use proper hand signals when turning.
There are bicyclists that do obey the laws and have proper riding etiquette but the majority fail in this department.
According to a study done by the University Police Department in 2003, 18 percent of those surveyed rode their bicycles to school daily.
Unfortunately, this was the last study done. Since then, gas prices have risen and I am sure the number of people riding bicycles has too.
I feel that bicyclists riding through campus don’t pay enough attention to the rules and regulations. I went online to check out those rules and regulations for bicycles and found a government Web site that lists them. I also found that most of my anger is justified.
All of the following laws were found in the California Vehicle Code Sections 21200-21212. I suggest checking them out before riding a bicycle.
The No. 1 problem is bicyclists in the car lane who do not use hand signals. It’s been a couple years since I took my driver’s license test but I am pretty sure I had to know them.
The No. 2 action that drives me nuts is not stopping at the stop sign. People, we learned that stop means don’t go. This is something we were taught when we were little and we continue to use it every day. For some reason, the red sign with the white letters fails to penetrate bicyclists’ minds.
The third broken law is bicyclists weaving from the bicycle lane to the car lane. The law states that bicyclists should only move out of the bicycle lane when avoiding obstacles or to make a left-hand turn.
These are just a few of the major actions I notice. I am sure there are more because on several occasions I have seen UPD sitting on Via Carta handing out tickets to bicyclists breaking the law.
I know that riding a bicycle is beneficial to the environment, saves money and is great exercise, but there are also laws regarding riding bicycles.
Laws, not suggestions.
Jandy Jones is a journalism junior and Mustang Daily staff writer.