Road rules and things that aren't rules

[Mark H]

OK, so riding a motorcycle can get you in trouble, but it can also afford you a little latitude at times.

My wife and I were out riding on the weekend and found ourselves at a place with no street parking. In fact, the sign said day parking up the hill and a reasonable walk from exactly where we were and where we wanted to be to have a cold drink and a bite to eat. So, being on two nice, shiny, new R1200GS, we thought we would take a small liberty and park off to one side but very conspicuously on the sidewalk area next to the park benches. Now if I was in a car I couldn't even get there as a result of the rather obvious bollards placed along the road edge, but on our GS it was not only accessible, but somehow inviting.

Yes, the words "arrogant" and "rude" may spring to mind, but the small bus load of tourists who came over to photograph the bikes and the charming conversation we had with the couple who were ex-BMW owners, seemed to suggest that there was no foul, no harm.

This got me thinking. What rules are bike riders allowed to bend or even break, and which are we not? Which ones when bent, do our broader motorcycling family more harm than good in the eyes of the non-motorcycling public?
In Australia we have special parking rules in the city for motorcycles - park anywhere for the prescribed period but you don't have to pay, and in some areas there is dedicated motorcycle parking free for unlimited time. Then there are the transit-lanes and bus lanes which we can use, but all of these are not so much bending or breaking, but accommodations for those of us on two wheels.

So I'm curious. To those of you who are mostly in the US and Canada (but to others too), what are the local rules and laws that "don't really" or are "often not" enforced with motorcycles?
We will be coming back to the US soon, so I'd like to know how far to go without getting in trouble with the local law enforcement, but also with a wish not to give motorcycle riders and bikes a bad name with the broader community. I respect rules and generally follow them, but I'm sometimes a little flexible in my interpretation.

And one last question to those possibly only in California - What's the deal with turning right on a red light? Although seemingly not exclusive to two wheels, this seems a little odd to this Australian.

 

[Omega Man]

Dateline Plymouth Mass.....you know, the Rock, the Mayflower.
Parking is very limited. It's easy to put 3 or 4 motorcycles in one space....They are not too keen on that unless everybody in the space pays for parking. IMO if each bike took a space, that would be inconsiderate and in general the rest of the motoring public would think the motorcyclists were being "rude" and unthoughtful.
So are they selling the space or charging per vehicle?
There is a graph somewhere where revenue enhancement and courtesy and common sense never meet
I guess to answer your question, ask a "local" if you can. If you do get caught up in something, try not to take it personal. They don't make it easy.
Gary

 

[BMARC153920]

I would never park on a side walk regardless if I got away with it or not. Why? Because you never know if someone with a disability needs to get by and no matter how much space there is you never know if it's enough.

Things like that give bikes a bad rep to the non riding public even if done with the best intentions.

That being said most public lots will let you lark bikes for free if you park on the yellow striped areas where the spot would be too small for a car and many airports around here have free motorcycle parking in similar areas. Unwritten rules and all.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[jek_ict]

My barber used to park his chromed out HD on the sidewalk to free up street side parking for customers, until he got a citation. He proudly posted the citation on the wall next to his mirror.

It seems that if a space is considered free parking here, parking enforcement doesn't care how many bikes you stack up in a spot. I often see two or three bikes parked in a single free space. I don't often park in paid spaces, so I'm not sure how that is enforced.

And one last question to those possibly only in California - What's the deal with turning right on a red light? Although seemingly not exclusive to two wheels, this seems a little odd to this Australian.

Through all of the US that I've driven in, right turns on red (right lane into the right lane) are legal as long as you come to a complete stop first and observe the the way is clear and safe. In Kansas, left turns on red are legal if turning from a one way street onto a one way street (left lane to left lane). Don't get me started on the abundance of drivers who can't seem to make either turn into the correct lane.

Edit: I should have noted that where turns on red are prohibited there will be a sign posted to indicate that the turn is not allowed. Also, it is pretty standard for buses to be prohibited from turning on red, regardless of what is legal at the intersection.

 

[BMARC153920]

Most police will let bikes run red lights after coming to a complete stop and waiting a while if the red light is triggered by metal sensors under the road. Most bikes wont trigger them.

Not a firm rule, but generally understood and accepted at least in rural areas I've ridden in. Some states allow it as law.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[greenwald]

Most jurisdictions in the USA do not allow anything other than mopeds (not scooters) to bounce up on the sidewalk (and even lock themselves to bike racks here in Wisconsin). Rationale for that is that motorcycles are not only bigger but much more powerful, and a sudden loss of control is more probable in such maneuvering, and could lead to extreme casualties among pedestrians.

The intense heat given off by big engines and exhausts are also considered a hazard to passing sidewalk users (especially curious children).

As for turning right on a Red Light - common in nearly every state. It's considered a method for relieving congestion at intersections, and to save on fuel being burnt waiting for the traffic control signals to sequence.

There you go, mate!

 

[shortythorne]

OK, so riding a motorcycle can get you in trouble, but it can also afford you a little latitude at times.



So I'm curious. To those of you who are mostly in the US and Canada (but to others too), what are the local rules and laws that "don't really" or are "often not" enforced with motorcycles?
We will be coming back to the US soon, so I'd like to know how far to go without getting in trouble with the local law enforcement, but also with a wish not to give motorcycle riders and bikes a bad name with the broader community. I respect rules and generally follow them, but I'm sometimes a little flexible in my interpretation.

I try to never park where I can't see my bike. I don't feel that just because I'm riding a motorcycle I'm allowed any special rules that only apply to me. If you want to park somewhere that is questionable in your mind, the best thing to do is to ask a police officer (not some guy walking down the street). Otherwise, I'd park where everyone else does. I always try to be considerate of other people and never give motorcycles a bad image.

 

[henzilla]

Will park anywhere that doesn't say you can't with some common sense. Go figure huh?

Won't block access to handicap zones or bus stops but if it isnt'striped and reasonable will use it.Have done it within site of parking enforcement units and no flag thrown. Yes, a narrow sidealk in a urban setting is not a great idea.

At certain big box stores, there are huge aprons near the building and out of pedestrian walkways.Safer than parking in a sight line challenged area for fast moving cagers whipping into a perceived empty spot...and when using those, we do stay as close to traffic side to maybe be seen.
Have double biked a paid slot many times with no penalty in many states.

Right turn on red keeps traffic moving . Had a guy roll down his window in So. Cal and laughingly tell me I was not in Texas and be careful after I performed one where it was not allowed

 

[lee]

Most police will let bikes run red lights after coming to a complete stop and waiting a while if the red light is triggered by metal sensors under the road. Most bikes wont trigger them.

This cost Debbie and me $320 in Wisconsin when a light would not change to green.
The guy who ticketed us was a motorcycle rider and also mentioned he saw the light was not working for our bikes.

Some states, including Wisconsin, now make it legal to proceed if the light doesn't work.

 

[BMARC153920]

That is when jackarse of a cop if you ask me.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[lee]

That is when jackarse of a cop if you ask me.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Yep, we were both surprised when he admitted the light didn't work but still gave both of us a ticket.
The law was black and white to him with no exceptions.

 

[exgman]

Yep, we were both surprised when he admitted the light didn't work but still gave both of us a ticket.
The law was black and white to him with no exceptions.

In Boston, there is an unwritten rule of the road that if a light has been red for more than about 45 seconds, then it's broken...go on through.

Also, here, a left turn on red is permissible into a one-way street. Maybe that's true in other places, also.

 

[greenwald]

This cost Debbie and me $320 in Wisconsin when a light would not change to green.
The guy who ticketed us was a motorcycle rider and also mentioned he saw the light was not working for our bikes.

Some states, including Wisconsin, now make it legal to proceed if the light doesn't work.

When did you get pinched?

Violating certain traffic control signals under the right conditions with a motorcycle has been on the books (State Statute 346.37) since 2010.

Sorry you ran into 'Robo-Cop.'

 

[lee]

When did you get pinched?

Violating certain traffic control signals under the right conditions with a motorcycle has been on the books (State Statute 346.37) since 2010.

Sorry you ran into 'Robo-Cop.'

I don't remember the date, but I do member reading later that Wisconsin made it legal to proceed through a non functioning light after a certain length of time.

Edit: The date was Sep 2006.

 

[Mark H]

The "turning on red" seems like a sensible rule. In Australia we have a similar rule, but only if sign posted that you can do it - so the reverse I guess.

I've been riding now for more years than I care to admit, and although I'm no angel, I am pleased and to say that the law and I have only had one occasion where we have had a fundamental disagreement.
Police here are mostly concerned with chasing bad guys and not too concerned with the likes of me who may just be pushing at the edges.

The one thing we did notice on our last trip to the US was that the police there seemed much less obvious. They don't seem to be waiting for you to do something wrong. Perhaps that's just a visitors perspective.

Anyway, "ride safe and ride well" has been my motto and has protected me in more ways than any of the rules written down in law. The parking is always a difficult one but I must admit I do forget about how hot our bikes are and the danger that can be to little hands, and I am possibly too stupid (and arrogant) to not have thought about the broader community and issues to do with disabled and mobility access. I'll rethink my parking interpretation in future.

 

[shortythorne]

Several years ago, while riding thru Texas for my first time, I noticed that in rural areas where there are lots of wide open space (most of Texas) and a very wide shoulder, that drivers would pull over when someone came up behind them and drive on the shoulder to allow them to go on by. This would definitely get you a ticket in Mississippi! I observed this for a couple of miles, thinking to myself that everyone in Texas must surely be crazy , then realized that I am expected to do this if someone comes up behind me! Actually works quite well. I don't know if this is legal or not in Texas, but everyone was doing it. As for red lights, I've always wondered what the heck you are supposed to do if the red light won't turn green. If I'm in an area where there isn't much traffic, I don't see a cop, and it is clear...then I go. I always turn right on red when clear unless I see something that says don't.

 

[WalterK75]

On red lights that won't change I will sometimes make a right turn and when clear of the intersection make a U-turn. Beware, this may get you behind another red light since red lights tend to change as soon as you commit yourself to some action.

 

[lee]

, that drivers would pull over when someone came up behind them and drive on the shoulder to allow them to go on by. This would definitely get you a ticket in Mississippi! I observed this for a couple of miles, thinking to myself that everyone in Texas must surely be crazy , then realized that I am expected to do this if someone comes up behind me! Actually works quite well. I don't know if this is legal or not in Texas, but everyone was doing it. .

Guess I never asked if this is legal, but like you mentioned, it's very common. We always wave a thank you as we pass.

If you come up behind a group of Harleys, they don't seem to be aware of this courtesy

 

[ducster]

Several years ago, while riding thru Texas for my first time, I noticed that in rural areas where there are lots of wide open space (most of Texas) and a very wide shoulder, that drivers would pull over when someone came up behind them and drive on the shoulder to allow them to go on by. This would definitely get you a ticket in Mississippi! I observed this for a couple of miles, thinking to myself that everyone in Texas must surely be crazy , then realized that I am expected to do this if someone comes up behind me! Actually works quite well. I don't know if this is legal or not in Texas, but everyone was doing it. As for red lights, I've always wondered what the heck you are supposed to do if the red light won't turn green. If I'm in an area where there isn't much traffic, I don't see a cop, and it is clear...then I go. I always turn right on red when clear unless I see something that says don't.

I observed that as well when I did a trip to the big bend area several years ago. It took me a while to figure out that I was supposed to pull onto the shoulder when someone approached from behind. Fortunately I did not trigger any road rage incidents before I understood what to do. Maybe my out of state license plate gave me a pass.

 

[royce]

Most every parking lot in the USA has areas that are striped with yellow paint on the ends of each row of parking spaces. Not large enough for a car, but usually big enough for a motorcycle or two. Not a law that I know of, but a rider can use them freely, as long as you don't park so close to the edge that you somehow crowd someone getting into or out of a car. Oh, BTW, those yellow striped areas next to a handicapped parking spot are NOT available for motorcycles; parking there and blocking the side opening of a handicapped van will get you a well-deserved ticket.