Stickers For Those Jerks Who Park in Bike Lanes

Why exactly are those cars not being fined and towed?

It's because the NYPD are just useless, SUV-driving, rude, obnoxious thugs. F*** the lot of 'em.

Because its NYC

Someone should invent a stiff bike shoe for kicking dents into these jerks' doors:)
Kidding, but I get tempted.

I'm all for getting motorists to respect the bikers...

But, just how is producing STICKERS good for the environment? How much energy and paper waste and pollution is caused by printing these stickers? Also, where will these stickers end up after angry drivers take them off their cars? Right! on the street.

Try again peeps.

Oh boy. Let's just do stupid crap like this, get fined/arrested for vandalism, sued by owners for same, and simply ignore the legal system all together. Yea, that makes senOh boy. Let's just do stupid crap like this, get fined/arrested for vandalism, sued by owners for same, and simply ignore the legal system all together. Yea, that makes sense...if you're a friggin 10 year old.

As much as this problem sucks, the only way to combat it is to make enough of a stink with officials that it is less trouble to police this issue than to ignore it.

How about inundating Bloomberg's office with letters? How about call after call to local precincts?

Act like children, and adults will ignore you at best, spank you at worst. Act like adults, and you have a fighting chance.
se...if you're a friggin 10 year old.

As much as this problem sucks, the only way to combat it is to make enough of a stink with officials that it is less trouble to police this issue than to ignore it.

How about innundating Bloomberg's office with letters? How about call after call to local precincts?

Act like children, and adults will ignore you at best, spank you at worst. Act like adults, and you have a fighting chance.

Bram:

If you have this sticker, just stick it on top of the car's licence plate to hide a few numbers/letters.

If the driver doesn't remove it, a cop will most likely pull him/her over for an obscured plate, and possibly write a ticket on top.

In both cases, the message will be read.

Lloyd and everyone -
www.icebike.com has great cold weather biking advice and stories.
I wonder if these stickers stick like post-its or have tuff sticking power like the Department of Sanitation stickers used when you park in the way of street sweeper machines.

I should order a book of these but I am afraid of resource depletion because of all the double parkers! And I am a little chicken, you never know who has a gun or something.

Stay Warm!!
vsk

So, now Treehugger is encouraging "eco-vandalism" by way of bike lanes?!! This is probably going a little too far. Will the next post be laughing over torched automobile plants? Or dead wood-cutters?

If someone's parking in the bike lane, report it to a cop. But vandalizing by putting a sticker on the vehicle is not a correct action in any shape of form . Of course it will stir a reaction - its a blatant crime!! Parking in a bike lane can quickly and easily be remedied - removing a sticker from your prized vehicle that some childish whiner put there is not as easy.

I could see a tagged motorist easily filing a lawsuit against Treehugger.com for this post. Your lawyer may advise against encouraging vandalism, I would think...

its a blatant crime

So is parking in a bike lane.

Tell a cop that someone is parked in a bike lane!? HA! Like that would work. The cop would most likely laugh at you.

As anyone who has been the victim of a crime knows, justice is best served by yourself; cops are basically useless.

I'm a burly rider and i regularly kick cars that cut me off and ram/elbow pedestrians that block paths or let dogs run free.

Act like children, and adults will ignore you at best, spank you at worst.

... he says in a childish fashion.

Thanks for the laugh.

You'd think that there would already be an organization to find this, called the Department of Parking and Traffic. But, they don't care! Here in San Francisco when I was biking regularly (I've since stopped for exactly this reason), I actually got into a shouting match with a DPT officer who refused to ticket or tow someone who I pointed out was parking in the bike lane. Apparently all they care about is ticketing cars parked in expired meters.

So yes, when law enforcement refuses to do anything about a problem, the people have no choice but to take enforcement into their own hands. And really, a sticker is some people's idea of "vandalism"? Consider that parking in a bike lane puts the lives of cyclists in danger of being killed or badly maimed. If the worst punishment someone gets for that is having to peel off a sticker, I'd say they're getting off lightly. No one's talking about smashing car windows and slashing tires here, folks.

Make the mongrels suffer! I have no problem tappin' with a sticker. This is a great concept!

"So, now Treehugger is encouraging "eco-vandalism" by way of bike lanes?!! This is probably going a little too far. Will the next post be laughing over torched automobile plants? Or dead wood-cutters?"

That's not really fair. I think even burning cars is not on the same level as killing people.

Vandalism is drastic. But the people who park in bike lanes already have no regard for the law. How would a ticket help?

TH can't be sued if they don't actually advocate using these stickers.

I say those people who park in bike lanes are lucky they aren't getting their tires slashed or their windows knocked in. I also think stickers are a great idea for people who park in handicapped zones too.

I love it. Since they are breaking the law by parking in the bike lane, its ok for us to do the same, since... they started it!

10 year olds, the lot of them.

God forbid they drop a pair and actually take the longer/harder road of utilizing the legal and political systems to enact a real and lasting change. No, way too much work and thought involved. Much easier to slap stickers around. Gonna suck for the first dweeb who gets his ass kicked by once of those drivers. Gonna suck even more when the cops side with the driver and toss the cuffs on the dweeb for his trouble. Me, I'll giggle since I TOLD YOU SO.

Mr. Anonymous, you're up.

re: traffic/parking cops not ticketing bike lane parkers:

seems very odd to me, what with as greedy as the traffic cops can get... seems like easy revenue.

Parking in a bike lane is not a crime, it's a traffic violation.

Brennan I don't care how burly you are, a car is burlier. And people like you give bike riders bad names.

"God forbid they drop a pair and actually take the longer/harder road of utilizing the legal and political systems to enact a real and lasting change. No, way too much work and thought involved. Much easier to slap stickers around. Gonna suck for the first dweeb who gets his ass kicked by once of those drivers. Gonna suck even more when the cops side with the driver and toss the cuffs on the dweeb for his trouble. Me, I'll giggle since I TOLD YOU SO."

The legal and political change got us bike lanes, and that was tough. These same systems still leave jerks parking in the bike lanes. What sort of magical office in a city can make people not park where it's illegal to in a way that will work? Tickets and towing don't stop people, and that's the worst thing the cops can do. They can move one car, but they can't make people stop doing it any more than stickers can.

Besides, on a funny note, I doubt anyone lazy enough to park in a bike lane is going to kick anyone's all :^P

Ass, I meant, anyone's ass, lol. Sorry

I don't think a stigmatizing and annoying sticker will stop drivers from parking anywhere. They endanger us with their crazy parking and driving because they don't know any better – they just haven't been on a bike for years. They need our help: We have to explain to them that what they do is dangerous.
So if you really wanna go with the sticker, make a really big one with a letter that explains why you're upset. :)
BTW: I am absolutely jealous of your bike-lane-problem. On my daily commute, there is not a single bike lane to be seen. :(

Stickers may give cyclists a bad name. How about a flyer under the windshield wiper instead? Some drivers may just be clued out or oblivious.

An angry car driver after removing the sticker may lash out at the next cyclist he runs into.

Parking in a bike lane is not a crime, it's a traffic violation.

crime, n.
An act committed or omitted in violation of a law

Education is wonderful.

"Gonna suck for the first dweeb who gets his ass kicked by once of those drivers. Gonna suck even more when the cops side with the driver and toss the cuffs on the dweeb for his trouble. Me, I'll giggle since I TOLD YOU SO."

"Act like children, and adults will ignore you at best, spank you at worst."

Are you done with your tantrum yet, or do you have more in you?

I second the flyer idea.

Mention on the flyer that a photo has been taken and they can see it at: http://nyc.mybikelane.com/ or the like.

Anonymous, you so funny! Not. Mostly a bore who simply quotes me ad nauseum.

Looks like the more rational are coming through: windshield flyer ides. That's one for the adults amongst us. Kiddies, pay attention.

You, Mr. Anonymous, contribute nothing. Keep it coming! :D

Wow, so lots of comments on this one! We live in S Korea where people park in bike lanes, crosswalks, sidewalks,, you name it. The police don't really care to help foreigners sometimes and they don't really care about this problem anyway.

So,,, a friend of mine took the protective cover off one handlebar and when he rides past he leans in... he figures the cost of the damage repair would be close to that of a ticket.

I certainly would do anything like that, but if it keeps someone from parking their car so a mom has to push her stroller into the street, than I don't care.

You're right -- flyers sounds like a good middle ground. Message delivered, sans property destruction. I suppose a flyer can be produced without glues, too, so they are easier to recycle. And they can be printed at home.

I started asking drivers why they thought it was o.k. to park in the bike lane, cut me off, etc. while on my bike. I lied and said I was writing an article about cycling in the city. No one seemed to question my story even though I wrote nothing down. Everyone answered me even though in many cases they had just almost injured me quite severly. One man asked why I thought it was o.k. to bike in the road! He honestly did not know the law; and yes he was one who almost hit me (he was crossing two lanes of traffic to illegally park in front of a subway station and also almost hit a car). Most of the answers I received were along these lines. Generally people in the U.S. (I can't speak for Canada) have no idea what the laws are in relation to bikes or even bike lanes. No less than five people mentioned they had no idea why there was a solid line on the road with a little bike drawing in it (they didn't say it that way, but clearly I was flabbergasted by the answer). I'm sure many were just trying to get out of an awkward moment, but many seemed quite sincere in their ignorance.

This topic seems to have sparked a lot of interest, but it is a hard topic to choose a side for. Those who block/drive in bike lanes are endangering the bikers, and also breaking the law and should have some consequences of such. Now on one hand, it infuriates me (obviously as well as many others) that the "SUV people" as we call them (ha ha I hate to generalize, but that was funny) seem to think that they are above the law and I think slapping some hard to peel stickers on their precious vehicles might not stop them, but might at least annoy. However, I can't help but think that in the scheme of things, one might suffer some worse consequences of that action (a royal butt kicking, a ticket for vandalism (maybe?) or worse if some high power lawyer saw you, a court case.) Also, if you are biking, you are probably doing so for one of many reasons including but not limited to environmental reasons. Producing masses of stickers or even flyers would not be a great way support the green way of life (you can't really ensure that the angry SUV people will recycle the flyers...) So, my thought (after all the explaination) was this:
Since everyone who posted here seem interested in the same goal, but divided by the way to achieve it, instead of arguing lets use this space to find a better way to fight back.. Make some suggestions and maybe we can come up with a way to fight back that doesn't have the possibility of negative consequences (worthy or not)...

Yawn. Snore. This post is lame. Supporting sticker grafitti (that's the statute this would fall under) on autos parking in bike lanes. How is this "eco" anything to even appear on this site?

I bike in San Francisco. Yes, you have to avoid people, cars, buses, bums - oh and you have to obey traffic laws (or any laws) like everyone else. Some do, few don't. Lot's of people think laws are meant as suggestions, but we don't live in Manila or Bangkok. We live in the US. So be civil. Ride around cars in the bike lane like a civilized human who is not out for blood or revenge. Forget papers or sticker vandalism - just avoid reacting. Its not like you can actually make some idiot drivers wake up from their coma with stickers or whatever. Its not like you're going to tell every bum with a shopping cart to watch out either. Gonna start putting stickers on them too?

Reacting to cars illegally parked with posts like this, or websites like the sticker one are a fight against nothing, only a way to incite anger about a lame subject that could be avoided by realizing we have the MOST CIVIL STREETS of any city in the world I have ever been. You must have something better to do than put stickers on cars, like whining about the govt.

I love this place!

Anyway, we usually ride because a component of us has no patience. Believe me, it irks me to no end to pay $2.oo for a local R subway train that seems to never come. People say "isn't it too cold to ride?" and I say "isn't it too cold to walk some fraction of a mile to a train platform and hang out there and pace around until the overcrowded train comes and you miss the connection to the express... or better yet, stand around in the elements and wait for an "Express" Bus that comes scheduled according to a geological clock! (And pay $5.oo each way!).

So, it's not too cold to ride. Anyway, impatience...
I think most people whizzing along don't have time to place a sticker on a car or a flyer under the wiper... and I really wouldn't want to be there for the driver confrontation!

When I see people about to move out of the bike lane or DRIVE in the bike lane,... if I can catch up to them at the light, I get in front and take my time until they merge out and away.
In Times-Up.org, the Critical Mass site, there are postings about bicycle lane rides (to keep them clear).
I am NOT advocating ice-picking tires, key/handlebar scratching door panels, use of pinball sized ball bearings or fishing weights, mean confrontations, spitting, brawls, or any other illegal means... just to name a few!

I am sure the ONE time I start a stink about someone parking in a bike lane, it will be because the driver had a heart attack , or just stopped to rob a convenience store or something. Hey, you never know.
Brennan ... be careful dude! I got your back if you need!

Happy Friday!!

vsk

"we have the MOST CIVIL STREETS of any city in the world I have ever been. You must have something better to do than put stickers on cars, like whining about the govt."

Are you conflating the the "city" streets of the US into one entity? I'm not trying to start a fight. I'm just not clear.

Call 311.

Seriously - the Bloomberg administration pays attention to statistics, and unless illegal parking is a statistic, the cops can safely ignore it. So, choose your most annoying block and call it in!

What about magnets???

I know it would be worse for the environment but you wouldn't get in trouble for it unless the cop is a complete...eh....well it would be a cop so idk. But its worth a fighting chance.

I recall there was an initiave a few years back that allowed handicapped drivers to ticket people who parked illegally in handicapped parking spots. (They had to register and and qualify for the privilege, and I think they had to take a picture and submit it afterwards for verification before it was tacked onto the car's record.)

There's a much more civil solution. I'd gladly spend a chuck of my free riding around time ticketing people who park in bike lines, and I'm sure I'm not along in this. In fact, I'm willing to bet that this would quickly turn around the problem, once it became virtually certain that drivers would be ticketed very quickly for parking in a bike lane.