Cycling News Photographer Catches Drivers in the Act

Wisconsin’s Jeff Frings is an avid bike rider. He’s also a photographer for Milwaukee’s Fox 6, which may be why this report is among the most fair and balanced we’ve seen on cyclists’ right to the road.

Like many if not most cyclists, Frings has had his share of run-ins with space-hogging drivers. Unlike most, Frings’s bike is equipped with front- and rear-facing cameras. As you’ll see, this has given him an edge when making his case following a close call — his footage resulted in a ticket for one motorist — but it’s still not enough when law enforcement officials are ignorant of, or are unwilling to enforce, traffic laws.

  • This guy is a hero. And hooray for the Milwaukee Fox affiliate — that was an excellent piece of television news.

  • Carl

    Brookfield, my home town. I am so proud.

  • Very good report. Possibly due to the station link with he guy, but still. Its nice to see solid reporting.

  • This is an excellent piece of TV News journalism but why are you covering this now? This video has been around for months!

    Really! I’m curious.

    I’ve also thought about documenting my commute to work with video for exactly this reason.

  • Streetsman

    I agree I’ve also thought about documenting my commute with one of these:
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000VJTKRY/ref=dp_otherviews_2?ie=UTF8&s=photo&img=2

    Could make for an interesting Streetfilm. I would point out every traffic violation that drivers commit in front of me during my 25-minute commute. I usually see about one instance of speeding, one instance of reckless driving, AND one instance of running a red light EVERY five minutes. And of course at least one vehicle double-parked in a bike lane every other block.

  • I’m glad to see law enforcement issued a citation based on his video. My experience (namely in Florida and Texas) has been “if a cop didn’t see it, it didn’t happen”.

  • Ian Turner

    Some jurisdictions allow citizens to file citations against other private parties, provided they can back it up with evidence. It’s not clear if this is permitted in NYC.

  • James

    This was real good stuff. My hat’s off to this guy. The whole time I’m watching it, I’m thinking “welcome to my world”. That little Wisconsin town is stuck in the bicycling dark ages but this guy is doing something I have yet to see here in New York. God only knows what a bike-mounted camera would catch on film here. The municipal attorney in the town should have known better than to issue a brief about this… that’s going to bite them in the a$$ someday.

    I did think that the stuff at the end was not about riding in a snowstorm was not really necessary, though, and served to only reinforce the perceptions that motorists sometimes have of cyclists as members of a fringe group without common sense. Otherwise, great to see this.

  • rex

    Frings is kinda of dick. It is no surprise to me he gets treated that way.

  • As a Brooklynite, this shows me what we are up against in the rest of the country. (the Rural/Suburban world). We got it good

  • Ryan Lee

    HEY!

  • Matt H

    Seems to me that some of the close passes could have been forestalled by moving out into the lane a bit and putting passing motorists in a position where they can’t squeeze by without moving over. Not all instances, for sure, but in some respects the video makes a pretty good case for taking the lane as a preventative safety measure.

  • Matt H,

    I don’t know if vehicular cycling lane positioning works with the homicidal sociopaths that drive cars in today’s America. It may have worked a few decades ago when John Forester first came up with the practice. I’ve had too many instances where I’ve position myself out in the lane to prevent or at least slow drivers down when they attempt to pass, only to provoke highly aggressive and potentially deadly reactions (towards me) by those same drivers.

    Your damned or dead either way!

  • Matt H

    I don’t really believe that the kids (and adults) are any crazier than they used to be. 🙂

    Sometimes I get into a mode where I’m hesitant to take the lane where warranted, and I’m always amazed at how many close passes it generates. Yeah, some drivers won’t understand the logic and get irate, but I’d rather have an irate driver who clearly sees me and sees he can’t pass me without moving over, as compared to giving a (possibly equally irate) driver an unsafe option that appears like it should work.

  • This guy is awesome!

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

STREETSBLOG USA

Colorado Authorities Cite Driver for Cyclist Harassment

By Tanya Snyder |
Despite the number of two-wheeled cop patrols around some cities, police aren’t always the most bike-minded bunch. When there’s a conflict between motorists and cyclists, they’re often inclined to take the motorist’s side. As Streetsblog has reported, police in New York City care more about drunk pedestrians than unsafe drivers, despite the fact that most fatalities are caused by […]

TLC: Cab Driver Blocking the Bike Lane? We’ll Allow It

By Brad Aaron |
Got an email from @nyctaxi today saying this is NOT a violation of their rules. WTH? #CyclistsWithCameras pic.twitter.com/HMy28IDdQa — d00Rz0NE (@D00RZ0NE) May 18, 2016 The Taxi and Limousine Commission is telling cyclists the agency is no longer penalizing cab drivers for blocking bike lanes. It is against city traffic rules to drive or stop a motor vehicle […]