The Wife thinks my reading list tends towards the snoozer level and to that end she might point to what I am carrying currently on my train commutes – ‘Bicycling & The Law: Your Rights as a Cyclist’ by two time Olympian and former Saturn team member Bob Mionske. Those who have read Mionske’s ‘Legally Speaking’ column in/on VeloNews know the general style. The book is a more encompassing view, using the Uniform Vehicle Code as the general basis for the sections on rights and duties of cyclists on the roads but then pointing out some of the variations from the UVC. When I was reading page 27 on intentional unsafe passing by motorists my mind snapped instantly to Nicasio Valley Road where a line of us were buzzed by just such a motorist on August 12th of this year. I learned that in general in the US the driver committed the torts of assault and battery, the latter coming as the driver did brush one rider. Still slogging through the early sections on the vehicle code. Later in the book there are sections on harrassment, accidents, insurance, theft, warranties, and even airline liabilities when you take your bike on flights. Perhaps not as engaging as ‘The Kite Runner’, but good background for any serious cyclist, especially those involved in cycling advocacy.
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it actually sounds pretty interesting.
i’d be interested in the harrassment section, since so many of us seemed to get harrassed on the road.
that and how far we’re allowed to be in the lane when going down hill at a high rate of speed. i always assume we should be able to take up the whole lane.
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lauren – Mionske will not give a black and white answer to the question about the lane, partly because he deals in generalities. But, the general impression he gives is the same I have after reading the CVC, and that is if you are travelling at a reasonable speed and esp. if the road is such that it would be unsafe for a car to pass, then you absolutely should be IN the lane. 2-3 years ago one of my best descents of Hwy 84E from Skyline was one where there was a CHP cruiser in front of me, and one behind. I put myself squarely in the center of the lane, knowing no overzealous driver would dare give me grief … and neither did the two CHP officers.
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I dunno…I mean, I guess it’s good to know your rights here, but then again, I’m not sure how knowing my rights changes the idiot drivers’ behaviors.
I’m sticking to crossword puzzles for now!
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Ali – I have no delusion that knowing my rights will affect bad drivers. But, knowing my rights comes in handy when the sheriff deputy in Woodside cites for doing a track stand stop claiming one has to put a foot down to come to a complete stop (not true). Or to try to argue with the local head of traffic enforcement when, in our monthly meetings, he claims that one should not go through a red light if the sensor does not detect you (you should go through, after ensuring you can do so safely as the CVC considers the signal ‘broken’). All this just in the code section; I am sure there are more goodies in the other parts, like insurance stuff (will be good to know in light of the comments on OV’s blog the past 24 hours). But crosswords are good, too. I try to mix up how I use my time on the train, just happens this book is on the plate now.
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