Ticketing our two-wheeled friends

My impression was that you can ride two abreast unless you
are impeding traffic when you do this. Part of the joy of
riding is the social interaction that goes on and this is
hard when riding single file. I think this is the law in
Oregon, at least I've never been questions on it.

Alan Acock "Robert J. Matter" <[email hidden]> wrote
in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

missoulanews.comNews.aspOpen ↗

Ticketing our two-wheeled friends by Josh Mahan

About 100 cyclists gathered at the north end of Higgins
Ave. on Friday afternoon to partake in Critical Mass, a
gathering of human-powered riders who want greater
motorist awareness and more space on the city’s roadways.

Missoula Police were ready for the demonstration and
responded with 12 officers who wrote 10 citations during
the event, Lt. Gregg Willoughby said. On hand were both
the day shift and evening shift, along with a few Highway
Patrol vehicles.

Officers met with the riders at the beginning of the event
and told them to ride single file or face the prospect of
a ticket as police with video cameras stood by.

Upon seeing the cameras, many participants produced white
respirator masks, producing an eerie feeling that
anonymity was necessary at a public assembly.

“Are they going to tackle us again?” asked one rider,
referring to a widely publicized incident from last
April’s Critical Mass rally, and preparing to take to
the street.

A man wearing a white mask, a large black afro wig and
black shades led the procession. On the back of his black
suit a sign read: “I am oil, die for me,” a protest
against a motorized society and the wars needed to keep
engine pistons running free of friction.

Two blocks later the man in black was facing a citation
for parking his transport—a cycle with two front wheels,
one rear wheel and a passenger seat—in a space designated
for bicycles on Higgins. More citations followed as the
crew zig-zagged around town, with the event disintegrating
near the Rose Garden where peace marchers had gathered.

Officially, if there is a bike lane, which there isn’t on
Higgins, cyclists can ride two abreast, unless they are
out of their lane. Otherwise they must stay single file
to the right side of the road. Cyclists can venture out
of that zone to make a left turn or to pass other
traffic, but there are prohibitions on impeding traffic,
Willoughby said.

Among the tickets issued were five for disorderly conduct,
four for traffic violations and one for possession of drug
paraphernalia.

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On Thu, 25 Mar 2004 23:27:39 GMT, "Alan Acock" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

My impression was that you can ride two abreast unless you
are impeding traffic when you do this. Part of the joy of
riding is the social interaction that goes on and this is
hard when riding single file. I think this is the law in
Oregon, at least I've never been questions on it.

Alan Acock

Its state and local. And anyone that has ridden sag on large
rides can tell you that riders single file is not always
easier to pass than riders two-abreast and bunched up.
Depends on roadway, lines of sight and other factors, but in
most cases two abreast are easier to pass than a long line
of single file riders.

Curtis L. Russell Odenton, MD (USA) Just someone on
two wheels...