Stoptional
June 28, 2011
Did you know that New York City has an Idaho stop law, at least for automobiles? Pausing at the intersection of Baltic Street and Gregory Place on my way home and watching the traffic for a few short minutes, I saw perhaps one car come to a complete stop. Oftentimes cars barrel through this stop sign at full speed, hoping to make the light before it changes up ahead at 5th Avenue. It’s a scene that’s replicated at thousands of intersections across the city, sometimes with deadly consequences, but hopefully, someone will ask these drivers to sign a “Drive Smart Pledge.”
Brooklyn Spoke 
Nice looking dog. Thanks for posting the video! I should film one up by me…
I encourage you to do it! It’s amazing the kind of behavior you can capture in just 43 seconds.
Was that one driver you observed coming to a complete stop the one who stopped to keep from mowing down the pedestrian and the dog (who, on a busier street with fewer breaks in traffic, may not have even attempted to cross)? This is why, despite any finger-wagging I may get from other cyclists or cycling advocacy groups who insist on following the law to a T, I almost never feel guilty for *judiciously* running red lights on my bike. Thanks for posting.
Shorter Summer: “Because other people break the law, I break it too.”
An impressive philosophy.