Question. Honk, I don't know if this is in your arena, but I'll throw it out there. I'm a geezer and I walk for exercise. I have noticed many times bicyclists zooming back and forth on the sidewalk, when there are perfectly open bike lanes on the adjacent road. When I mentioned this to one of them, they looked at me like I called their baby ugly. Kids are fine, but these are adults with helmets and $20,000 bikes. Honk, are there any rules for cyclists regarding this?
Tom Phillips, Rancho Santa Margarita
Answer. Tom, if something moves, Honk considers it transportation and his domain.
Under state law, bicycles - and pedicabs, for that matter - can't ride along a sidewalk, said Sgt. Ray Wert of the Traffic Division of the Sheriff's Department, which patrols your town.
And on the roadway, by the way, bicyclists must adhere to the rules of the road, such as stopping at stop signs and red lights and going in the same direction as cars and trucks.
Now, Honk did tell his Little Honks back in the day to stay on the sidewalks when riding their bicycles (with brain buckets attached), and will give the same commands some day with any of their tykes.
But adults ignoring a bike lane?
Under all circumstances, if bicyclists do ride on sidewalks they should realize that is pedestrians' turf and act like it.
Question. I'm sure you've addressed this, but I don't recall - the 25 mph signs for school zones when children are present: What exactly is meant?
Tom Barrett, Bellflower
Answer. Honk has indeed talked to various officers over the years and relayed their responses to those in Honkland.
To refresh his memory, and to ensure he gets the current law right, Honk gave a call the other day to Tino Olivera, a California Highway Patrol officer and spokesman out of the Santa Anna headquarters.
He told Honk that the 25 mph sign would be heavily enforced before and after the school day, when the boys and girls are coming or going.
Officers would be quick to pull out their citation pads, too, during the school day if children are out playing and the campus is not separated from the street by a fence.
Olivera and his partner, Officer Paul Fox, sometimes go out on "school patrols" in search of speeders or jaywalkers. Olivera said when there are speeders near a high school, it is oftentimes the students themselves.
Honkin' update: Santa Ana's Chris Guenzler, 57, has now ridden the rails in his spare time for 1,432,180.5 miles. More importantly: Today is day 7,562 of his sobriety.
