NYC Biker Crashes Into Truck, Taxi, Garbage To Protest Bike Lane Ticket (Video)

NEW YORK -- New York City's road-warrior bicyclists have a new hero: filmmaker Casey Niestat (NEYE'-stat).

Niestat is using YouTube to protest being issued a $50 traffic ticket for not riding his bicycle in a Manhattan bike lane. He says he didn't deserve the ticket because he was riding on Second Avenue to avoid potential hazards in the bike lane.

In a video posted online this week, Niestat plows his bike into various obstacles in bike lanes – traffic barrels, delivery trucks, even a police cruiser. He says none of the obstacles were placed there for the video.

Bicyclists are required to stay in bike lanes, whenever available, except when unsafe conditions exist.

Police say officers have discretion to issue tickets if a bicyclist uses an automotive lane instead of a bike lane.

Comments

[Emmayonas]

03:57 PM on 06/12/2011

Three months ago I decided to walk to my old schools to just see how different it would feel to walk rather than drive. Wow. Lanes just disappear in one side so you have to cross the road in the middle of traffic. But the other sidewalk would also end and you are stranded. It felt more like a dangerous adventure than a nice walk to a place I know.

[EcoHustler]

08:42 AM on 06/12/2011

Check out what I cycled into in a bike lane in London: http://www.ecohustler.co.uk/2011/06/01/the-worst-named-companies-in-london-the-earthly-realm/

[MrBadExample]

12:46 AM on 06/12/2011

Not surprising. I bike-commute to work along 2nd Avenue three or four times a week, and everything he's said here is true--it's workers tying up the lane with ladders or scaffolding that belongs on the sidewalks, it's clueless people jumping into the bike lane to hail a cab, it's more than a few food delivery guys pedaling the wrong way, and it's pedestrians who've decided they don't want to rub shoulders with the people on the sidewalk. Understand that I'm all for a crackdown on cyclists blowing through red lights, especially at big intersections like 14th Street, Delancy and Houston. Cyclists shouldn't 'salmon' (ride against traffic) or ride on sidewalks (a special pet peeve). But ticketing cyclists for leaving the bike lane when there are obstructions in it is counter-productive. I've been bike commuting since 2006, and I have NEVER seen the cops ticket a motorist for any egregious behavior relative to the bike lanes. And there hasn't been a jaywalking ticket written since the Koch years.

[knightinNYC]

03:35 PM on 06/11/2011

New York and most other metropolitan areas are trying to pull in revenue any way they can. It's easier to extort money out of law-abiding citizens with spuriously issued citations than it is getting people to pay in other ways. Community Service is apparently not cutting it. Fortunately, more of us have cameras and the internet at our disposal these days and can at least call the issue into a public hall of shame. Lucky ones go viral. Most of us just have to pay the civic mafia.

[lucychirico]

12:41 PM on 06/11/2011

Agador Spartacus

[mrvnlimar]

09:38 AM on 06/11/2011

I have nearly hit the fools who ride bikes no-hands and are TEXTING in traffic. I nearly hit one recently who ran a stop sign, crossed in front of me and was nearly hit by me and a driver coming the oppositw way from me. He had no helmet on, was wearing headphones, texting, and was oblivious to everything. This is typical behavior for the fools who ride bikes in the city. We drivers have to be on guard every minute for stupid behavior from bikers. These are so-called ADULTS, ha ha, right.

[scg5912]

01:11 PM on 06/11/2011

These bikers are becoming a mence to society,they are beligerent,rude,and always giving everyone the finger.They should be made to ride all bike pathes,stay over the painted white line and that doesn't mean on a cars side either.They need to pay to register their bikes and have Insurance,we cannot drive with out it,if these bikers are stopped and do not have ins,they need to be given a ticket.They do need to obey the signs of the road just like they are driving any vehicle.To my way of thinking if any of them had any sort of day job at all and do their job right,they would not have time to be out pushing the rest of the working population into road rage.I will not pull over for you.I will not give you finger,I will use my horn thats what it made for to blow,that means a warning!!!!!

[syrius]

05:03 PM on 06/12/2011

Everytime you drive your car you'll break the law at one point. You will exceed the speed limit, you will do numerous violations. Most cyclists are drivers. The bad habits shown by cyclists are from their own disregard as car drivers too.

[bobzilla2k]

09:14 AM on 06/11/2011

When bikers start following the laws I'll feel sorry for him . They run red lights pass on the right even go up on the side walk when it suits them . I can't even begin to count the number of times in city traffic I've been stuck behind a biker who takes a car lane forcing me to find a way to pass him only to pass me on the right at a red light ( which they run in the cross walk ! ) only to make me pass him again ! and again and again ....

[Nicholas Rasmussen]

12:17 PM on 06/11/2011

In most cases it is legal for bikers to pass vehicles on the right; in at least Oregon, the state legislature has considered making it explicitly legal for bikers to cross intersections on a red-light too (I think there are some other states where it is legal, or has been considered, although I don't have a list). Please, get off your high horses -- yes, some bikers act like jerks/idiots, but so do many drivers: keep in mind that the consequences of a bike-vehicle collision are going to be far worse (physically) for the biker than for you.

Having an "attitude" does not contribute to a safer road. The simple fact is that bikes, like your car, are legally entitled to use the road, and the vast majority - like cars - do so safely and as reasonably as human beings can!

[mrvnlimar]

01:25 PM on 06/11/2011

Yes, I agree that the consequences of a bike-vehicle collision will be far worse for the biker Tell that to the bikers! I know it's hard to wear a helmet when your head is firmly placed up your ass, but somehow, some creativity is called for here.