Oct 8, 2009
Biking in Santa Monica
There’s a law in California that allows cities to create their own licensing process for bicycles, if they want to compel bikers to get licenses for their bikes. “CA CVC specifically states that if a city does require bike licenses, the fine for not having one can not exceed $10 (ten dollars) and will not include any jail time.” However, the fine folks of Santa Monica have thumbed their noses at this law and created penalties that don’t fit the crime in any reasonable sense. If you get nabbed riding an unlicensed bike in Santa Monica, they can put you in jail for 6 months and fine you for $1K. Maybe it’s just safer to drive?
Wow, that seems a little harsh, don’t you think? Still, it is important to keep a close eye on these bike-related issues in a city like Santa Monica where they alternative (to cars) forms of transportation are so popular and so many people are concerned about the state of the environment.