The Talking Yard - 3 Foot Bike Rule

Reader Jack, who helps run Bike Commuters, saw our recent post on the Bike Safe Noodle and sent along his own hack for letting automobile drives to keep their distance.  Full credit for text and pics below goes to Jack. 

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I was just thinking about your "bike safe noodle" article and one of the comments reminded me of my attempt to get motorists aware of Florida's "3 Foot Rule" when it was initially passed.  I used a wooden yardstick with some paint and a bit of clever wordage as such -

#1 - The courteous version

#2 - The militant version

Comments

[Bicycle Bill]

Just wonder how many times he comes back to his bike to find a broken-off yardstick. I know that in the real world where I cycle, something like this would never last long.

[Thom]

I think I would make it so that it breaks off rather than taking me down if someone should make contact with it.

I've often joked that I'd like to have a holographic car projected around me. Then I'd finally some respect on the road!

[Disabled Cyclist]

Having a 3 foot law here (on the TN side I know,not sure about the VA side-I'm in a bordertown)...you just gave me a brilliant idear,teeheehee (Thom,uberly good idea on the break-away stick),insert evil grinning smiley :D

DC

[Ron Ablang]

Hmmm. I wonder if my state (California) has a 3-ft law? I doubt it because the bike lanes are right next to traffic lanes w/ no buffer.

I've had cars whiz by next to me to within less than 1' of me.

[mykill]

Ron: nope, Gov. Brown vetoed a 3' law earlier this year-

http://la.streetsblog.org/2011/10/07/breaking-governor-jerry-brown-sides-with-aaa-chp-over-safety-vetoes-sb-910/

[Danno]

The noodle does the same job and is less offensive

[Ghost Rider]

The whole thing was a joke, everyone -- merely a way to advertise Florida's 3-foot rule with a little humor.

Rest assured, the stick DOES break away rather easily. When we initially came up with this, we had talked about using a sword blade to scratch up cars that got too close. But we're not "cager haters" (mostly).

[Ben]

My thought had been to put something like this on my bike, but supported by a 3' doorspring with one of those carbide-tipped pens on the end--cars can then feel free to "key" themselves on me safely (i.e. without injuring anyone; just a harmless warning that they will hopefully actually remember).

The next thought is that (at least in Colorado) the 3' law applies to the leftmost extremity of your bike. So you could tape another yardstick to the first to ensure that cars don't come within 3' of your 3' warning stick. And another, and another, until you encircle the Earth, at which point your leftmost yardstick will be poking you on the right, and I don't know of any law that covers that...