On 06/08/2023 10:18 am,
swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
Images of a man riding across the US with a vast array of lights and technology and the message 'Armed Cyclist' on the back of his jersey has led to discussions about cycling safety, and just how much is too much when it comes to protecting oneself
from harm on the bike.
The pictures were taken by Jonathan Maus, who explains on his BikePortland (link is external) website that he happened across the 'Armed Cyclist' on the Interstate 90, east of Coeur d’Alene in the US state of Idaho.
"When I looked at the images, I was amazed at what I saw", says Maus.
"This guy was not messing around."
The chav in question was shattering the law, which as in Europe, does
not permit chavs to ride their chav-bikes on motorways. The words
"motorway" and "freeway" are congruent and "freeway" has a specific
meaning, as does "Interstate".
See also: <
https://tinyurl.com/2k8hayy2>
From what we can see, the cyclist appears to have attached over a dozen rear lights, several front lights, computers, mirrors and flags to his bike, the latter presumably to stop drivers from passing him too close. A waistpack with numerous
compartments around it presumably holds the firearm we're told about on the back of the jersey.
With statistics showing (link is external) that cyclist fatalities have been steadily rising in the US over the past ten years, the extreme set-up has led to some conversations about cyclists' safety in the country, and some mixed reactions. Some
praised the cyclist for exercising his rights, suggesting that the not-so-subtle warning could do much to deter careless or dangerous drivers, while others expressed dismay that someone would feel the need to take such drastic action to feel safe.
As pointed out by some of those replying to the original Twitter post, it turns out the cyclist in question is James Whelan, a resident of Florida who has built up something of a cult following on his Instagram page and YouTube channel (called Armed
Cyclist, of course) where he posts images from his cycling trips across America and, sometimes, run-ins with local law enforcement officers.
Remember the above URL <
https://tinyurl.com/2k8hayy2>?
QUOTE:
Bicycle Traffic Law
Overview of Florida Laws for Cyclists
In Florida the bicycle is legally defined as a vehicle and the bicyclist
is a driver. Bicyclists have the same rights to the roadways, and must
obey the same traffic laws as the drivers of other vehicles. These laws
include stopping for stop signs and red lights, riding with the flow of traffic, using lights at night, yielding the right-of-way when entering
a roadway and yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks.
ENDQUOTE
They have a sense of humour in Florida, then.
And there is this:
QUOTE:
Operation on limited access highways
[§316.091] No person shall operate a bicycle on a limited access
facility, except as otherwise provided. No person shall operate a
bicycle on an interstate highway.
ENDQUOTE
"No person shall operate a bicycle on an interstate highway."
Got that?
"No person shall operate a bicycle on an interstate highway."
I-90 is an Interstate Highway.
What rights to other, legitimate, road-users have when they fear that he presents an unacceptable risk to themselves or their family members?
Texas rules, perhaps?
While the message on the back of Whelan's jersey informs those around him that he is armed, whether his provocative outfit would break any local laws or customs in US states that allow concealed or 'open' carry of firearms is a grey area. Indeed, the
video above that Whelan uploaded to his YouTube channel in 2020 (that has racked up 3.4 million views at the time of writing) shows two police officers pulling him over due to alleged complaints from members of the public about his Armed Cyclist jersey.
Whelan refuses their request for identification, saying he is not breaking any laws and goes on his way, leaving the cops "speechless" as he puts it.
Whelan didn't want to comment on his choice of clothing or accessories, but told road.cc that he is currently on a cycling trip across America and has met "great people" along the way. We're assuming he wouldn't count any law enforcement officers who
might want to disrupt his journey for spurious reasons among them...
https://road.cc/content/news/florida-man-armed-cyclist-jersey-sparks-debate-303035
Any journalist capable of producing an article supportive of that
lawbreaking chav is quite bad enough to be writing for the journal for illiterates: road.cc.
Oh... hang on...
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