Oregon legislator wants to ban riding with kids under 6

[fiamme red]

And another Oregon legislator wants to ban riding with headphones.

http://bikeportland.org/2011/01/12/oregon-house-bills-would-prohibit-wearing-headphones-carrying-kids-under-six-while-biking-45860

House Bill 2228... would prohibit anyone from carrying a child under six years of age on their bicycle or in a bicycle trailer. The infraction would come with a maximum fine of $90. The legislation was introduced by Mitch Greenlick, a Portland Democratic who represents District 33 (Northwest Portland/Forest Park).

Greenlick's bill would amend ORS 814.460, which pertains to carrying "unlawful passengers on a bicycle." HB 2228 would add the "child under six years of age" provision to that existing law...

Another bill that caught my eye is House Bill 2602, filed by Representative Michael Schaufler (D-Happy Valley). This bill would create a new offense for "unsafe operation of a bicycle, "if the person operates a bicycle on a highway while wearing a listening device that is capable of receiving telephonic communication, radio broadcasts or recorded sounds." The offense would come with a maximum fine of $90.

[Bob Loblaw]

Hopefully the folks in Oregon will vote the dipstick out of office sooner than later.

BL

[nahtnoj]

Weird.

Isn't Portland the capital of hippies carting children around on utility bikes?

Was there some sort of tragedy that is prompting this?

[Louis]

Was there some sort of tragedy that is prompting this?

You're probably thinking of the tragic increase in childhood obesity and associated diseases due to the fact that kids eat and drink cr@p and no longer play outside and ride their bicycles. Got to get them back inside, where they'll be safe.

[gasman]

I cant vote them out since I'm not in their district but I can talk to my representative. I also ride regularly with another representative and I'll talk to him. He a solid rider and has helped craft positive laws for bikers.

[Ahneida Ride]

NYS wants to tax people that drink soda.

[William]

Weird.

Isn't Portland the capital of hippies carting children around on utility bikes?

Was there some sort of tragedy that is prompting this?


Nah, that's Eugene. :D


William

[miguel]

thi guy's defense is that when his kids were small in the 50s, they used to put them in the back of a station wagon and let them bump around the back without a seatbelt. EDIT: and that's unsafe

i wonder when the last time was he rode a bakfiet or a xtracycle, let alone with kids on it.

[miguel]

furthermore, i would like to see someone on a bakfiet or xtracycle go faster than 15 miles an hour.

[woolly]

furthermore, i would like to see someone on a bakfiet or xtracycle go faster than 15 miles an hour.

Point one of 'em down a hill. :p

[fourflys]

well, while I don't agree with them legislating away my right to take my 3 y/o for a ride... I can kind of see the argument from their side...

My 11 y/o daughter and I were training for the Ride across California that take place on her spring break. It basically goes from Yuma, AZ to Carlsbad, CA over a week... well, I was taking her on a training ride on the Coast Hwy/Rt 101 between Del Mar and Leucadia a few weeks back... now, the 101 is a fairly busy road, but has a huge bike lane and cars that drive that road are expecting to see cyclists as it is probably the most popular stretch here in San Diego...

Well, after the ride I just couldn't shake the nervousness I had the whole ride with here... every time she would go towards the white line towards traffice, I thought I'd have a heart attack... so, I've decided it's not worth the risk for her to do the ride... Now, I understand some will argue my logic, and that's fine... I rode all over central Indiana growing up and never had an issue, but I wasn't battling Starbucks sipping, texting distracted people either... It's just I'm not going to be responsible for my kid getting killed or injured by some idiot...

so, that's why I can see the thought behind the kid on a bike rule...

[fourflys]

BTW- keep in mind where the linked articles are from... not saying they are wrong, but they might have a bit of a slant just like a political site would slant the other way...

[FGC]

We just had something like that come up in Brookline, Ma. I contacted all my town meeting members and they said there's no way it would pass. When you contact your state legislator you should be sure to remind him or her that car accidents are the leading cause of death in kids. If you like, I can send you the email I sent to my town meeting members with all kinds of stats on why driving will kill you a lot sooner.

And my bakfiets goes more than 15mph all the time. But not today, we took the sled to school.

[Tom]

These people are stupid. The obvious way to make sure all children are safe in all activities is not to ban all the activities, that takes too much time.

Ban all children. Problem solved.

[sean]

I can totally see how someone who doesn't ride bikes see this as unsafe. Hell, they would s**t a brick if they took a trip to holland :)

But for those who actually ride with their children, it's a pretty controllable situation, the only issue is the people you can't control.

What bothers me more, is the amount of rules that people place on others in the name of safety. Kids sniff glue, outlaw glue. A kid got hurt on a bike, outlaw kids on bikes. We tend to be more prohibitive than educational.

[miguel]

WOULD IT HELP IF YOU KNEW HE WORKED FOR OSHA

(joke in caps) :banana:

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . I can understand. I am real nervous about those seats that attach to a regular bike behind the saddle. If the adult goes down I can see how the kid could be hurt.

But the trailer prohibition is just whacked. I don't recall seeing any of these trailers that are not built to be roll resistant anyway--and if they do roll the top of the trailer is a roll cage. They also have seat belts for the tykes.

The headphone thing, while I don't agree with it, I can certainly understand. Same reason as for distracted drivers.

BBD

[weiwentg]

the bicycle trailer part of the bill is asinine. however, the first part of the bill seems to refer people carrying kids on their bikes - not just riding with kids, but actually carrying two people on a bike. not sure this is a big enough problem to legislate over, though.

[sean]

. . . I can understand. I am real nervous about those seats that attach to a regular bike behind the saddle. If the adult goes down I can see how the kid could be hurt.

But the trailer prohibition is just whacked. I don't recall seeing any of these trailers that are not built to be roll resistant anyway--and if they do roll the top of the trailer is a roll cage. They also have seat belts for the tykes.

The headphone thing, while I don't agree with it, I can certainly understand. Same reason as for distracted drivers.

BBD

I'm partial to the ones that go in front on the TT. My friend uses one and in her opinion, she feels she can shield her child better.

[rustychain]

Parents ( I'm one BTW) often do stupid things. Sometimes they do smart things. These can be even be the same thing. Going for a bike ride is an example. Riding your kid in a trailer on a bike path is pretty darn safe. Riding on a busy narrow commuter road at rush hour, not so much. Maybe we could save time and just outlaw being stupid. ( would that not be great TV to watch Congress debate and vote on that one )

[salem]

Interestingly, this related article just posted to Hartford's bike blog.
http://beatbikeblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/wont-somebody-please-think-of-children.html

It really hit home for me after being scolded by two drivers over the prior days for being on the road during snow and low light (with hi-vis and lights mind you). I think the analogy to blaming rape victims is apt and helped me clarify how I was feeling about those drivers.

Maybe Oregon will mandate chastity belts as well.

[Wilkinson4]

Welcome to Oregon, The Nanny State. It is funny to me when the cycling shoe is on the other foot, the 'local community' feigns outrage over govt intrusion.

Check out HB2602 which seeks to ban operating a bicycle while wearing listening devices. Yes, Ipods... I'm no fan of them while riding, and think cyclist that use them while riding are taking a risk. But... :crap:

HB2602 (http://bikeportland.org/2011/01/18/another-look-at-hb-2602-which-would-prohibit-biking-with-headphones-46228)

Be careful feeding the beast because it will eventually bite you I guess...

mIKE

[Beeb]

The headphone thing makes sense, at least on public roads (not as much in parks). I wish they had that in NYC. But really, if you're a legislator, aren't there a lot of bigger fish to fry?

[miguel]

This would be a job killing bill.

If kids can't be driven by parents then bakfiet and xtracycle sales will fall

[Polyglot]

thi guy's defense is that when his kids were small in the 50s, they used to put them in the back of a station wagon and let them bump around the back without a seatbelt. EDIT: and that's unsafe

i wonder when the last time was he rode a bakfiet or a xtracycle, let alone with kids on it.

The word is actually "Bakfiets" with plural being "Bakfietsen".

[miguel]

thanks

[fourflys]

This would be a job killing bill.

If kids can't be driven by parents then bakfiet and xtracycle sales will fall
do you really think there is that much of a market for these? I mean enough that this bill would make people quit their jobs?

[benb]

Woah.. these things are cool. I can totally see buying one of these in a few years.. where we live it would be very easy to take the kids to school on one of those. (When we have them)

The funny thing is who is going to want to ban these types of bikes more?

- Republicans, cause everyone should be in a patriotic gas guzzling car!

- Democrats, because everyone needs to be saved from all danger by the government!

I don't know why any good american would be concerned about killing jobs, after all these things come from "over there"!

[miguel]

so, in today's willamette week (local rag) the D-representative from happy valley (to the south east of portland proper) has signed on to these things. he's quoted as saying something along the lines of "cyclists ask for so much and they want the laws to stay hands off." he's really making politically active cyclists sound like tea partiers/libertarians/anarchists.

yee

and in regards to the market share loss for bakfiets and xtracycles, that was a joke.

[miguel]

do you really think there is that much of a market for these? I mean enough that this bill would make people quit their jobs?

furthermore, there are (i think) 3 specialty bike shops for the xtracycle/biketruck/bakfiets market (clever cycles, joebike, other?)

[Kirk007]

Welcome to Oregon, The Nanny State. It is funny to me when the cycling shoe is on the other foot, the 'local community' feigns outrage over govt intrusion.

HB2602 (http://bikeportland.org/2011/01/18/another-look-at-hb-2602-which-would-prohibit-biking-with-headphones-46228)

Be careful feeding the beast because it will eventually bite you I guess...

mIKE

Hey now there's dumb politicos in every state on all sides of the isle. I wouldn't call us the nanny state though. At lease we let folks control their ultimate destiny (to a degree) when faced with terminal illness - I appreciate that lack of gov't intrusion.

And William, the hippies in Eugene don't ride bikes, they're too stoned ; )

[Wilkinson4]

Maybe we could save time and just outlaw being stupid.

But who defines stupid? That's the slippery slope. I did visit Portland last year and hit Pok Pok and some food trucks. Great stuff.

mIKE