The “Keeping People Safe” Nanny State

[Zander]

This makes me sick to my stomach. The Nanny State authoritarians are now going after mountain bikers in Northern California. . Ridiculous.....

Radar guns are to be used at a trail centre near San Francisco to ensure mountain bikers do not exceed speeds of 15 miles per hour.

Starting this month, Marin County rangers will be deploying radar guns in the open areas and on the shared trails of the Mount Tamalpais park to catch mountain bikers speeding around. There will be two deputies assigned to the role and they could be deployed in any of the 34 open spaces of the park – an area that encompasses 16,000 acres.

This is not the first time that radar guns have been used to curb speeding in American parks, with rangers in Denver targeting cyclists in February 2015.

The penalty for speeding on a bike is similar to a motor vehicle offence with riders paying a fine of several hundred dollars, having points put on their license and potentially facing higher insurance costs in the future.​

Read more at Radar guns to be used to limit speeds on San Francisco mountain bike trails - MBR

Police using Radar guns to catch Mountain bikers going more than 15 MPH? Seriously?

They can’t exceed 15 mph- coming down a mountain? .To any cyclist with a decent level of fitness 15 mph is ridiculously slow. Of course the rationale is they are “keeping people safe.” Riding faster than 15mph because one is healthy and fit is now regarded as “reckless".

So how will these "criminal" cyclists be pursued if they don’t stop for the trail cop? Will they be pursued, wrestled down and arrested, or shot at? Will they then have a criminal record for engaging police in a pursuit and resisting arrest?

 

[rightwinger]

Only rationale I can see is the trail is shared with hikers and mountain bikers have been acting like assholes




.

 

[OldLady]

And that the cops are sick of scraping bikers' brains off tree trunks.

 

[TNHarley]

Meh. Its a park.

 

[rightwinger]

Normally, on trails shared by bikers and hikers.....hikers have the right of way

If mountain bikers are screaming down narrow trails, speed limitations may be the only answer

Sometimes..."Slow down asshole" isn't effective

 

[Zander]

Normally, on trails shared by bikers and hikers.....hikers have the right of way

If mountain bikers are screaming down narrow trails, speed limitations may be the only answer

Sometimes..."Slow down asshole" isn't effective

Many, but not all, of the trails at Mount Tam are designated bike trails. People come from all over the world to ride the mountain bike trails at Mount Tam. It's the birthplace of the sport.

Personally, I’ve come across a few Mountain bikers who are rude and obnoxious, but they are that way off the bike, too.

I had to deal with far more obnoxious and reckless pedestrians or recreational bikers crossing or wandering into designated bike paths with their heads down, and oftentimes, while looking at their precious phones.

How is the Nanny State going to keep me safe from them? Pass a law against stupidity? If so, they'd better start building more prisons......