New York City bike lanes aren’t turn bays

A line of cars using the 12th Street “protected” bike lane at 3rd Avenue in Manhattan as a left-turn bay

For some of these people, I wonder if they just didn’t know. There is an NYU dorm on this block and there was a lot of traffic being caused by people dropping off their kids who are about to start Fall Semester. I imagine a lot of them are from Upstate or Central New York and maybe don’t understand the significance of bike lanes. I get into this place sometimes, mentally, where I just assume that other people know things that I take for granted because they’re common.

Maybe they were all playing follow the leader, with the “leader” being a TLC vehicle driver who should have known better. I hope he enjoys the ticket he’s going to get from the 311 report I filed.

Also, shout out to the guy who was making a statement by sitting on his Citibike in the bike lane, blocking the cars.

Upside down flag on a NYC TLC vehicle

This was last Tuesday, December 5th, around 5:20 PM heading north on I-278 near Cobble Hill in Brooklyn.

Besides being disrespectful to passengers, I didn’t think this kind or amount of political messaging was allowed on TLC licensed vehicles. Imagine ordering an Uber and having this show up. I wouldn’t want to get in and then I’d have to go through the hassle of disputing the cancellation fee.