Hey Frank, > "... (it isn't against the law to ride a bike after drinking, BTW > - it's not very smart either, but the likelyhood is that the only > person you'll hurt is yourself)." > I believe that in most states in the U.S., once you carry your weight on the bicycle you are considered to be "operating a vehicle" and you are legally obligated to follow every rule of the vehicle code. I know in California the offense is the technically the same if you are found operating _any_ vehicle in a impaired condition.
This also means that it is completely illegal to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk or through a crosswalk (notice the word _walk_ in both of those designations), or on the left side of a roadway, or the wrong way on a one-way street. Bicyclists must also come to a complete stop at every stop sign and wait for their right-of-way along with any other vehicles at the intersection, they must signal before making any lane changes or turns and wait until it safe before they change lanes or turn, they must turn left from the leftmost lane of an intersection, they must come to a complete stop for pedestrians crossing at a crosswalk and not proceed until the pedestrians have reached the other side of the roadway or an island. They have no special right-of-way what-so-ever compared to other vehicles. The only distinction between pedal-driven vehicles and motor vehicles in California is that the pedal-drive vehicles sometimes have a special travel lane designated on the right side of the roadway that it is illegal for motor vehicles to use. But when that solid white line turns to a dashed white line, this designated travel lane (or "bike lane") is gone and motor vehicles are allowed to travel in that area. In fact a motor vehicle turning right at such an intersection is legally obligated to get as far to the right as they can, crossing the dashed white line into that part of the roadway. I think that I may be the only bicycle rider in California that is aware of this though... :-) - THaller
