Bill would impose fines on cyclists who talk on phone while biking

[The Straight Story]

Bill would impose fines on cyclists who talk on phone while biking

SACRAMENTO, CA - A new bill in the California State Senate would impose stiffer penalties on people who talk on non hands-free phones while driving, and would also punish cyclists who talk on their phones while biking.

Senate Bill 28, sponsored by Democratic Senator Joe Simitian of Palo Alto, would increase the fine from $20 to $50 for a first offense of driving and talking on a cell phone without a hands-free device. The second offense would be $100 and one point on a driver's license.

Cyclists would face a $20 fine if caught talking on a non hands-free phone while biking, and $50 for each offense after that. They would not accrue points on their driver's license for any offense.

The bill is an enhancement of the law Simitian sponsored in 2006, which made it illegal for Californians to talk on non hands



http://www.news10.net/news/story.aspx?storyid=120537&catid=2

[hobbit709]

1. I've seen idiots text while riding or driving.

That is even more stupid and dangerous than talking while doing same.

[ejpoeta]

2. i am trying to figure out how you can hold a cell phone and ride your bike at the same time.

I have seen people holding their phone while holding the handle bar with the other, but I can't figure out HOW you could do that. There are any number of things you need to be watching out for that you would need both hands on the handle bars to avoid and texting??!!! granted, I haven't ridden a bike for some time, but beyond a hands free ear bug, I just can't imagine trying to talk or text while riding a bike.

[gratuitous]

4. The "how" is not very well

Trying to maneuver around some dimbulb biking on his (and yeah, it's almost exclusively men) cell phone is bad enough; I really and truly hate the idiots (and this is less gender specific) who can't stand the sound of the wind in their ears, who have their ear buds or headphones (no joke) on. Oblivious just begins to describe these yahoos.

Once again, common sense is less common than one would hope, and lawmakers have to spend time legislating against truly stupid behavior.

[ejpoeta]

5. well i always had headphones in my ears. but i could still hear everything around me.

i didn't have it blaring. i used to ride my bike to work and all over the place. but i used common sense. it seems that is a disappearing trait.

[beac]

6. In Italy, I once saw a woman talking one the phone while riding a bike, smoking a cigarette

AND holding an umbrella over her head. For a extra degree of difficulty, she was doing it all in a tweed skirt! But, this was in a "pedestrian" area where no cars were allowed and she was easily sixty-something, so she'd likely been doing the biking-smoking-umbrella holding trick for years and adding one more activity into the mix wasn't too difficult for her.

Amusing multi-tasking Italians aside, if drivers of cars can't use their phones, the same rule should apply to bikers.

[dipsydoodle]

3. I'm surprised they distinguished between different method of transport anyway.

Been illegal in the UK for cars since 2003. In 2007 penalty was uprated to £60 and 3 penalty points - points don't mean prizes in this case : 12 points in 3 years is auto loss of licence.

Whilst our law don't affect cyclists the penalties would be less than the alternative of careless or dangerous cycling......lol.

We've still got laws from the days of horses which can be applied to motoring offences - wanton driving is one such law. The penalty for that even dwarfs dangerous driving.

[Robb]

7. My enduring memory of the Netherlands, 10-15 years ago...

...was two cyclists, a man and a woman, looking exceptionally healthy and attractive, riding at great speed through traffic-filled streets of Leiden, holding hands, smoking cigarettes and talking on phones. :D

[The Straight Story]

8. Damn - were they on the way home from Olive Garden and being chased by a pit bull?

:rofl:

[wellstone dem]

9. I was on a bike trail

and had to yell to get the attention of a young man who was riding no hands and texting, and headed right toward me.