So last night Don, Sarah, and Myself went to the gym and then to Sushi for a little celebration of the end of the Naked Feet Project. While we were there some police officers walked in to question one of the patrons at the bar. They all stood outside for awhile and as we were leaving the officers were getting in their IDLING  police cars to  leave.

I asked one of them casually “Does the new Cell-Phone law apply to cyclists?”
She said “No there are some exceptions to the law and we’re not sure yet how it will all play out.”

I thought to myself “What? YOU don’t know?”

I then asked about people who ride on the sidewalk, the wrong direction.

She told me that it is LEGAL to ride on the sidewalk but ILLEGAL to ride in the opposite direction of cars. Just as she said that there was a kid across the street riding on the sidewalk against traffic. She said that she would never hassle somebody riding on the sidewalk because it is safer to ride on the sidewalk.

I told her that I was a bike commuter and I catch crap from people all the time, honkers, objects being thrown, ricky racers, buzzers, Etc. She told me that I should ride on the sidewalk because it is SAFER.

I was hoping to fish an opinion or some kind of bias out of the cop about people riding bikes in the street vs the sidewalk.

My final inquiry was in regards to the higher amount of bikers on the road due to the recently higher gas prices. I asked if she has seen any more traffic problems having to due with more bikers on the road. She said she had not.

The shift that is occurring in society towards more economical transportation may create some unique challenges for all of us.

Keep on pedaling and know the law.