Do you actually follow the rules of the road?

I gotta admit, I’m pretty reckless... I’ll ride against traffic on one-way streets if the intersection looks clear (like near the downtown area). If the light's red, I just roll through. In heavy traffic, I’ll weave between cars... yeah, I know, I'm a total jerk on two wheels. 😁

Has anyone here actually caught a ticket for blowing a red light on a bike? And how much does it cost? Is it the same fine as driving a car?

I don't respect them, but I make sure my behavior doesn't end up hurting anyone else—including myself.

Trying to follow the rules while biking through a city like Chicago would either be downright suicidal—like trying to ride along a major highway—or just plain idiotic, having to hop off your bike every single time a lane ends one foot before an intersection only to jump back on a few feet later.

It’s honestly pathetic. While cities across the rest of the country are finding every possible way to encourage cycling, here, they seem hell-bent on discouraging it. They even go out of their way to sabotage the few paths we actually have: installing those annoying bollards right in the middle of lanes, letting paths cut out right before a crosswalk, and dealing with these questionable "cycling advocacy" groups that don't seem to represent actual riders.

... respect is a two-way street—as long as they respect me too 😁

Has anyone else here actually been slapped with a ticket for running a red light on a bike?

I once had a cop car pin me down in a way straight out of a Hollywood action flick 😍 ... they finally let me go after I told them I didn't have my ID on me (total lie), following a massive lecture on "road safety." It was pretty rich considering the nearby bike lane was completely choked with parked cars—talk about hypocrisy. I only ran the red because there wasn't a single car in sight for a mile (aside from the cruiser right behind 😬 )... ever since then, I make sure to look left, right, and over my shoulder (whenever I'm running a red, obviously)...

I’m pretty much a stickler for the rules most of the time; I rarely find myself blowing through a red light. In fact, you’ll often catch me just sitting there patiently in line alongside the cars.

I don't know, I guess I just feel like it’s a way to show other drivers that we aren't some secondary nuisance, but an actual equal part of the road. They aren't ever going to start giving us any respect if we're always acting like we own the place. 🤷

casualharbor9 said:while at the exact same time, the bike lane right next to it was basically a parking lot for cars

Honestly, it’s exactly this kind of blatant hypocrisy that makes me lose all respect for traffic signs—though, don't worry, I'm not out here being a menace to anyone else on the road. It's just... look. People only start caring about rules when they feel things are fair. Once those "authority figures" finally have a lightbulb moment and realize they need to actually penalize people for parking cars, scooters, or delivery vans in the middle of bike lanes—and once those lanes are actually continuous and free of those stupid wooden bollards blocking the way—only then will we see any actual sense of civic duty develop. Until everything is functional and fair, why should I care? If there isn't a soul in sight within a mile radius, what's the big deal if I run a red light? It's all a joke until it's not. But hey, whatever, keep on truckin'.

William Alvarez35 said:It’s honestly because of that kind of harsh reality that I don't give much weight to traffic signs, though I try to stay mindful enough not to put anyone else in actual danger. It’s only when those "higher-ups" finally have a lightbulb moment—when they stop just blanket-punishing everyone for parking cars, scooters, or delivery trucks on bike lanes, and instead actually build continuous paths without those ridiculous wooden barriers blocking the way—that we'll see any real sense of civic duty develop among drivers. Only then will I start playing by all the rules, like stopping at a red light when there hasn't been a soul in sight for a mile... and so on. But until then, just floor it, Mickey.

Fair enough, but why don't you think road culture could actually start with you?

Classic North American mentality. ☕

I follow the rules to a T; I ride my bike with the same discipline I use when driving a car.
Whether it’s shifting gears at an intersection or using clear hand signals before turning, I don't cut corners. You won't catch me riding against traffic or drifting onto the wrong side of the road.
When I hit a crosswalk, I don't just coast through; I dismount. I stay on the saddle while one foot stays on the pedal and the other pushes off the pavement—it's the most efficient way to come to a controlled stop with my feet ready to hit the ground immediately.
I also make it a point never to let drivers sense any hesitation. If I have the right of way, I take it decisively without second-guessing myself.
So far, everything has been going smoothly without any major incidents.

It depends on the circumstances, but generally speaking, I find there's plenty of room to disregard them.

jadetiger962 said:Alright, but why don't you think road etiquette could actually start with you?

Classic North American mentality. ☕

In my first sentence, I specifically wrote ".......but still in a way that doesn't endanger other drivers" — anyone with half a brain should have caught that. ☕

When I'm behind the wheel, I go out of my way to respect everyone else on the road. A million times over, I’ll yield to pedestrians and cyclists at crosswalks where there isn't a light, or slow down so someone can pull out from a side street onto the main road.
Yap, I guess I'm just a rude North American. 😁

William Alvarez35 said:In my opening sentence, I specifically noted, "...but again, in a way that doesn't jeopardize other drivers on the road"—I figured anyone with half a brain would catch that bit.☕.

Look, that little disclaimer you added doesn't really change the math. It’s like if I decided to blow through a red light whenever I felt like it and just claimed I wasn't putting anyone at risk. It doesn't work that way.

Dana Reyes5 said:I follow the rules—I ride my bike just as strictly as if I were driving a car.
I signal my turns properly at intersections, I merge correctly, and I never, ever ride against traffic or on the wrong side of the road.
When I hit a crosswalk, I don't stay seated—I hop off the saddle, keeping one foot on the pedal while the other pushes off the pavement... it allows me to come to a complete stop instantly with my foot already planted.
I refuse to let drivers sense even a hint of hesitation from me—if I have the right of way, I take it without a second thought.
So far, everything has been going smoothly without any major incidents...

I do exactly the same thing as you—except when I reach a crosswalk, I get completely off the seat.

jadetiger962 said:Every single road is fair game for bikes unless there’s an actual sign saying you can't go there (and honestly, I haven't always been the best at following those signs, especially when I was traveling outside the US 😬).

jadetiger962 said:Alright, but why don't you think road etiquette could actually start with you?

Total North American mentality. ☕

😕 🤷

Kenneth Reed7 said:😕 🤷

The thing is, I didn't really have much of a choice at the time. We were driving through Albania and eventually hit a point where there was a highway sign, so we tried to figure out our next move—using hand gestures, obviously, since nobody there spoke a lick of English. We basically signaled asking which route to take, and they gestured for us to just hop on the highway, though they made sure to signal that we should stick strictly to the side. Later on, once we actually got onto that stretch of road, we started seeing houses with direct driveways leading right onto it and even farm equipment crossing it. It was pretty surreal, honestly.🤣

jadetiger962 said:Look, that whole "disclaimer" thing is basically irrelevant. It’s like how I might roll through a red light if I see the coast is clear and claim I wasn't putting anyone at risk.

I don't run reds, ever. And even when the light actually turns green, I’m still checking left, right, front, back... just making sure some idiot isn't trying to beat a yellow light by sliding right into my path on their red. I like to have everything within a 50-meter radius under total control.☕

How am I supposed to respect the rules when those morons at that poorly designed intersection near Vrbik and the interstate just installed ANOTHER pedestrian push-button signal? Are these people doing this on purpose, or are they just born idiots? How do you even recruit for these jobs? They probably just shake your head during the interview, and if it rattles like a jar of rice, you're hired... Honestly, with all these stupid signals cluttering up the newly renovated highway, I find myself blowing through red lights without a single ounce of guilt.

Dennis Collins38 said:How am I supposed to respect the rules when the geniuses at that messy intersection near Vrbik and the interstate decided to install yet another pedestrian push-button signal? Like, are these people intentionally malicious or just born this way? Is there a specific recruitment process for idiots? They probably just shake your head during the interview—if it sounds like a jar of loose rice rattling around, you're hired. Honestly, passing through red lights on those ridiculous signals along the newly paved highway doesn't even give me a flicker of guilt anymore.

And now you're shaking in your boots because of jadetiger962 😁😁

Kenneth Reed7 said:😕 🤷

Does this even need a response? 😁

The justification is obviously sitting right there a few posts down. 🤣

William Alvarez35 said:I always have everything within a 50-meter radius under total control. ☕

You don't even have control over the tiny details of your own life, let alone something as chaotic as highway traffic.

Just look at that horrific wreck that happened near Cherry Hill a few days ago.

But hey, it’s good that you aren't blowing through red lights and that you actually watch out for other drivers.

The real question is whether they're watching out for you.

Jacob Stewart2 said:You don't have control over even the tiny things, let alone something as complex as traffic.

Just look at that horrific wreck from a few days ago over on Cherry Street.

But hey, good on you for not running red lights and actually paying attention to everyone else on the road.

The real question is whether they’re paying attention to you.

Trust me, I do. I don't speed. I track the drivers ahead of me and behind me, watching the ones coming from the left and right too—noticing their mistakes, their lapses—and I always react in time.
Of course, some idiot can always fly out of nowhere and screw everything up regardless of how careful I or anyone else is being. That mess on Cherry Street? That's just a symptom of years of ignored laws, a corrupt legal system, and all that other junk. Since we're on the subject, looking at the damage to the cars and how they ended up after the crash, I'd say the Audi driver was at fault. It looks like he aimed straight for the Porsche that had already cleared the intersection; his front end is totaled, the Porsche's rear is smashed... if someone is supposed to be yielding to you, and you're driving a car like Mickey's, you shouldn't be slamming into them like some total moron.
Sadly, a mother and son paid for someone else's mistakes with their lives.

I don’t really care for traffic laws...
but I try to bend them whenever the road allows it and I know I won't screw anyone over.

Like, if there's nobody around, I'll blow through a red light, or jump a pedestrian signal. If it's crowded, I just use the road or the sidewalk however I feel like.😬

At night? Rules go out the window. But I always make sure nobody's tailing me, coming at me from the opposite direction, or sitting in my blind spot...

Guess I'm just a bit of an idiot. A total jerk on two wheels.😁