Discussions

Props go out to the officer who stopped a cyclist who used a crosswalk (they are not crossrides) & also was riding on the sidewalk to get across Victoria Avenue this morning. Plus they weren’t wearing a helmet.  
 
We need more officers like you, Keep you the GREAT work!!

Dozer said "Props go out to the officer who stopped a cyclist who used a crosswalk (they are not crossrides) & also was riding on the sidewalk to get across Victoria Avenue this morning. Plus they weren’t wearing a helmet.     We need more officers like you, Keep you the GREAT work!! "

There are rules for cyclists too..

aren't required for adults.

But of all the issues goin on around Westman. Huge crime increase due to meth use running rampant. Do you think it’s worth that cops time and our tax dollars to write a petty ticket for biking on the side walk. A quick window roll down and some words of wisdom from the office would of went a long way.

I almost hit someone flying across the sidewalk when the rest of their direction of traffic had a red light. I’m tired of seeing people hardly even slow down any more at stop signs. The mentality of “oh it’s only this or that,is why we are in the state we are in. The law is the law. We can still fight the drug problem too.

Are required for adults. Used to be under 18 only.

I don't think so... do you have a link to information, or something else to support what you're saying?

In their booklet on safe cycling it’s only mandatory for people under 18 to wear a helmet, although I feel it should be mandatory for everyone, it’s a pretty cheap investment to protect your noggin. Good on that officer for doing that, yes there is high crime rates, but that officer potentially just saved someone’s life and possibly prevented an accident.

Some_Guy said "Are required for adults. Used to be under 18 only. "

Only required under 18.  
 
But everyone should be wearing a helmet. Ive seen a cyclist hitting a parked car and flipping over. Looked like he had a pretty decent head injury.  
 
So why run the risk or getting hit or hitting something.

Yes it looks like a few do think "it’s worth that cops time and our tax dollars to write a petty ticket for biking on the side walk."  
Not enough people know the law about riding on a sidewalk and need to "educated"  
 
HTA  
Bicycles on sidewalks  
 
145(8) Subject to subsection (9), no person shall operate on a sidewalk a bicycle with a rear wheel the diameter of which exceeds 410 mm.  
 
Exception to subsection (8)  
 
145(9) Subsection (8) does not apply to a sidewalk that is marked by a traffic control device permitting the operation of a bicycle on the sidewalk.

While I''m all for adults and teens riding their bikes on the streets I''m not for children. It''ll be a cold day in hell before I let my 5 year old ride his bike on the street with cars. A) he still wipes out on a semi frequent basis on silly things.  
 
)he isn''t focused enough or skilled enough to stay close to curbside in a fairly straight line he still zig zags randomly.  
 
C)with the amount of people I continually see still on their phones either talking or texting I dont want to put my sons life I their hands. He knows to stop and let people walking w/without pets pass by before proceeding, stop at all roadways and walk across intersections. I will continue riding my bike on sideways with him until the day he is old enough to ride on roadways.  
 
In regard to Ottos post above me. That means anyone on a bike with wheels larger than 16" in diameter. Aka the size on a 4-6yesr old bike. I like to think most parents wouldn't be sending their children that age to share busy roadways with motor vehicles.  
 
Edited by Cjford, 2018-07-27 08:25:00

Orion's-Belt said "But of all the issues goin on around Westman. Huge crime increase due to meth use running rampant. Do you think it’s worth that cops time and our tax dollars to write a petty ticket for biking on the side walk. A quick window roll down and some words of wisdom from the office would of went a long way. "

Yes.  
 
When we start picking which rules or laws to enforce and which to ignore then what is the point in having them?  
 
How much tax money was spent writing the laws?  
A lot less than paying the officer for 5 minutes as he writes the infraction.  
They aren’t just there. They don’t just happen.  
 
They get written, debated, discussed, rewritten, debated, discussed, over, and over, until each word is specifically picked to be the most direct with the fewest possible interpretations.  
 
Police enforce the laws. None are (or should be) more important than the others.  
It is the Courts that get to decide severity of crime, not the police.  
 
If more people got tickets then maybe we all will be a little more careful & possibly a little more considerate.  
 
A “window roll down” would have gone in one ear & out the other.  
Maybe this person will learn something, though I doubt it.  
They were doing wrong but I bet they blame the BPS officer.  
 
That is what will be unjust with this story.  
 
Kudos BPS.  
 
Edited by OutinBrandon, 2018-07-27 08:57:28

That is what BPS are supposed to be doing with the tax dollars...enforcing the laws.

Orion's-Belt said "But of all the issues goin on around Westman. Huge crime increase due to meth use running rampant. Do you think it’s worth that cops time and our tax dollars to write a petty ticket for biking on the side walk. A quick window roll down and some words of wisdom from the office would of went a long way. "

Now we know why when we call the cops they don't show up. They're too busy with this "busy-work". Sounds like a slow crime day in Brandon. They get over paid with tax dollars regardless of what work they do or don't do.

I'm so glad this police officer took FIVE minutes out of their day to stop a cyclist to tell them this. I get so annoyed when cyclists can't follow rules. A lady sitting on her bike at a marked crosswalk yelled at me for not stopping for her a couple weeks ago. Sorry, I will not stop for anyone on their bike at a crosswalk, ever!  
I also almost creamed a dumb lady riding her bike through at the 1st and Victoria lights because she was riding through the crosswalk when I went to turn left. When you're going so fast it is hard for vehicles to see you morons and this is how you get hit! Get a clue!

Trapper85 said "In there booklet on safe cycling it’s only mandatory for people under 18 to wear a helmet, although I feel it should be mandatory for everyone, it’s a pretty cheap investment to protect your noggin. Good on that officer for doing that, yes there is high crime rates, but that officer potentially just saved someone’s life and possibly prevented an accident. "

on the under 18 and totally disagree on the over 18.

Not hard core or anything... I never used to wear a helmet. I can’t stand hats. However once I had children and we started riding bikes as a family I had a pretty tough argument put before me by one of my kids. Why did I make them wear a helmet but I myself didn’t?? I asked myself that. My answer was because I’m an adult and can choose to or not. I am also a fairly competent rider so don’t feel as though it is a safety risk for myself not to. However, I now do. A) because I am setting an example for my children and B) I can only look out for myself on the road and have no control of the driver who is passing me and may hit me while I am riding my bike. So I don’t like to wear a helmet... but I do. Beside my kids get a kick out of my hair after a sweaty bike ride!!

ece2 said "Not hard core or anything... I never used to wear a helmet. I can’t stand hats. However once I had children and we started riding bikes as a family I had a pretty tough argument put before me by one of my kids. Why did I make them wear a helmet but I myself didn’t?? I asked myself that. My answer was because I’m an adult and can choose to or not. I am also a fairly competent rider so don’t feel as though it is a safety risk for myself not to. However, I now do. A) because I am setting an example for my children and B) I can only look out for myself on the road and have no control of the driver who is passing me and may hit me while I am riding my bike. So I don’t like to wear a helmet... but I do. Beside my kids get a kick out of my hair after a sweaty bike ride!! "

Kudos on the cop for enforcing the rules of the road... although in my opinion, giving an adult grief about wearing a helmet was a bit overboard. There is no law broken there. However riding your bike on sidewalks or zones where it shouldn’t be should be enforced and sets a good example for those who choose to break the laws.

As far as I'm concerned, bike helmets should be mandatory for everyone. Think about it - motorcycle helmets are mandatory. Seat belts are mandatory. Why not bicycle helmets? Just as @ece2 said, you have no control over what the other person is going to do that will put you in danger or knock you off your bike.

that a cyclist zipping through an intersection on the crosswalk is a serious safety issue, yes, i think the officers should be handing out tickets. Better to spend the time issuing a few tickets than dealing with one car/bike collision. Hopefully the ticketed rider will learn something and in future follow the law.

JR said "As far as I'm concerned, bike helmets should be mandatory for everyone. Think about it - motorcycle helmets are mandatory. Seat belts are mandatory. Why not bicycle helmets? Just as @ece2 said, you have no control over what the other person is going to do that will put you in danger or knock you off your bike. "

Lol motorcycle helmets are not mandatory for everyone. Double standard on that law

ece2 said "    ece2 said "Not hard core or anything... I never used to wear a helmet. I can’t stand hats. However once I had children and we started riding bikes as a family I had a pretty tough argument put before me by one of my kids. Why did I make them wear a helmet but I myself didn’t?? I asked myself that. My answer was because I’m an adult and can choose to or not. I am also a fairly competent rider so don’t feel as though it is a safety risk for myself not to. However, I now do. A) because I am setting an example for my children and B) I can only look out for myself on the road and have no control of the driver who is passing me and may hit me while I am riding my bike. So I don’t like to wear a helmet... but I do. Beside my kids get a kick out of my hair after a sweaty bike ride!! " Kudos on the cop for enforcing the rules of the road... although in my opinion, giving an adult grief about wearing a helmet was a bit overboard. There is no law broken there. However riding your bike on sidewalks or zones where it shouldn’t be should be enforced and sets a good example for those who choose to break the laws. "

did it say the officer gave the individual grief. The OP stated that the cyclist wasn't wearing one. That is all.

Since when can a cyclist not use a cross walk to cross the road? That's what we teach our kids to to do. You use the crosswalk, but walk your bike, never never ride it across.  
So if a family is out for a bike ride, say on 34th street, using the bike path, they come to Park Avenue, and want to cross the road, are they supposed to go out into the traffic and follow the lights? Why can they not get off their bikes and walk them across the cross walk so that everyone is safe?

You can legally cross at a cross walk if you get off your bike and walk across so you’re alright, it’s when cyclists ride across that it is an issue

Jellybean said "Since when can a cyclist not use a cross walk to cross the road? That's what we teach our kids to to do. You use the crosswalk, but walk your bike, never never ride it across.   So if a family is out for a bike ride, say on 34th street, using the bike path, they come to Park Avenue, and want to cross the road, are they supposed to go out into the traffic and follow the lights? Why can they not get off their bikes and walk them across the cross walk so that everyone is safe? "

I don’t think anyone is saying you can’t walk your bikes across a crosswalk, but you can’t ride across. And many people think they can! That’s why the op said “it’s not a crossride”, so I read that to mean that they stopped someone who was riding across the street. Bikes always have to be walked across street when riding them on sidewalks and bike paths, but can cross the street like a car, when riding bike on the street. When riding on the street they have to use same rules as a car, meaning stop at stop signs and wait for all clear, stop at red lights and proceed when it turns green, etc. So they can’t just cross WHILE RIDING their bike whenever.  
On sidewalk, crosswalks they are a pedestrian and walk across every street when it is safe to do so and on streets they are like a car and follow rules of the road.  
Just my opinion on the rules, but if I’m wrong please let me know.  
 
Edited by Cheezies, 2018-07-27 13:13:44

http://www.gov.mb.ca/healthyliving/hlp/bikesafety/

Netwalker said "http://www.gov.mb.ca/healthyliving/hlp/bikesafety/ "

Curious what point you are trying to make?? Your link says over 18 years of age it is encouraged to wear a helmet but it is not mandatory.  
 
My kids are only allowed to bike wearing a helmet because they are under 18. They have also been taught to get off and walk their bikes at crosswalks. However when they become legal age and if they decide not to wear a helmet that is up to them.

I don’t understand why cyclists choose to go down the busiest streets either.  
 
I always go at least a block shorter or further than the busiest streets.  
 
I never bike on 1st, 18th, Victoria, Richmond, etc. That is just stupidity.  
 
Don’t tell me you can’t get everywhere. I can get anywhere.  
 
Don’t tell me the larger streets are more convenient either. Takes seconds to get to the next, less busy street. Often they have absolutely NO traffic. Safer for everyone.  
 
Keep in mind that most drivers out there are also worried about incompetent drivers, so why throw my bike into that mix.  
 
Edited by OutinBrandon, 2018-07-27 16:10:24

This is put out by MPI:  
 
https://www.mpi.mb.ca/en/PDFs/AdultsCyclingBooklet.pdf  
 
Every cyclist should read & learn from it.  
 
Especially page 17 !!