legal theory for corking... and a social angle
Thread started by
JeffOYB at 08.17.15 - 12:01 pm
Here's an idea that might give some kind of legal basis for corking...
Truckers, movers and delivery people can cork or block traffic if safety is an issue. They'll have a helper get out and stop people so a truck can make a certain move.
If there's an accident, bystanders can direct traffic around it til police arrive.
In general it seems that it actually is legal for citizens to control traffic if safety is a concern. Safety is the #1 thing guiding traffic law.
So maybe... for a certain size bike group... it could be considered safer to keep the group together or to make sure the tail-end gets thru and IS NOT STUCK IN MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION when the light turns that a biker could stop and hold up a hand to notify motorists that there is a momentary safety concern -- like a semi-truck making a risky wide turn in a neighborhood -- and people should hold back for a bit. Then... "Thank you, we're all clear now, move along!"
Could this work?
I'm thinking that for, like, 40 riders it might. Not a big delay, just a safety situation that needs some assistance momentarily.
Here's another notion: (I visit LA but lead rides in a smaller city. We might or might not have crossover where you are.) ...We get about 100 friendly honks for every 1 mean honk on our rides -- and these happy honks happen most often during and after corking! I'm thinking that this is because we are actually positively engaging car-drivers. And how often do people smile at car-drivers then THANK them for anything? Car driving is a lonely task with no smiles. Our groups are not wild or over about 50 in size. So we balk drivers for like 30 seconds max. The impatience doesn't kick in, only the positivity. They like seeing us!
I also do training rides and car drivers are occasionally cranky about us -- and we do zero interference with them. We're totally traffic. So they treat us like any other inconvenience at best.
This is one reason I like our bike parties: I get to have actual positive relations with car drivers! We even have good luck recruiting bike-partiers from the car-drivers we meet! (They respond better to us than do some of the local roadies! Basically, car-drivers seem more likely to bike-party than roadies. But of course it takes all kinds.)
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