A Blue Ticket In The Land of the Rising Sun

 In soccer (the “real” football) a yellow card is a warning issued for offenses like fouls and a red card,  for more serious offenses or after receiving two yellow cards in the same match , results in expulsion from that game. 

Japan has an oddly similar system for cyclists. Police can hand out .yellow tickets, which are nothing more than warnings, for minor offenses. But for more serious violations, like riding while intoxicated or riding in a way that causes an accident, a red ticket can be issued. It can lead to a fine and criminal record if the cyclist is convicted in court.

In reality, those red tickets did little to curb the number of crashes and injuries because processing them has been a lengthy and inefficient process. So starting on 1 April, the National Police Agency will roll out a new “blue ticket.”

This new level of enforcement is intended to fill the gap between yellow and red tickets by carrying an immediate penalty—a fine.  The blue ticket will explain the infraction and give a deadline—typically a week from issuance—to pay at a bank or post office and prevent the matter from proceeding to court

The blue ticket will be issued to cyclists 16 years or older for violations ranging from using a smartphone or earphones (or carrying an open umbrella!) to riding on the wrong side of the road. The amount of the fine will vary according to the violation.

 It will be interesting to see whether it helps to curb the number of accidents and injuries.  And I can’t help but to wonder what a “blue card” in soccer might be like.

Are We 19 Percent More Lawless Than We Were Last Year?

Are New York City cyclists committing 19 percent more traffic violations than they were last year?

As of 1 October, the New York Police Department handed out 23,452 summonses to cyclists in 2017.  During the same nine-month period in 2016, cyclists in the Big Apple were issued 18,991 summonses.

"Ticket blitzes" are a common topic of conversations I have with other cyclists in this town.  Of course, the NYPD--like just about every other police department--denies that its members engage in such practices, or are under pressure to meet quotas.  It does, however, seem that we are ticketed en masse over certain hours, days or weeks.

It also seems that we are ticketed disproportionately compared to drivers.  I take that back:  There is evidence of this.  Officers often say that, under the law, we are operating vehicles and are therefore subject to the same regulations.  They are mostly correct about that. However, I have witnessed many drivers running red lights or talking on their phones while driving.  I have never seen any pulled over and ticketed.  Drivers routinely "gun it" through yellow signals in the intersection nearest my apartment,  and none ever seem to be penalized for it.  

Photo by Billie Grace Ward

And their actions can have far more serious consequences--but not to themselves, usually.  The metal surrounding them offers protection--to them, but not the cyclists, pedestrians (some of whom are residents of a senior center on the corner) or anyone else who happens to be on the outside.

Also, many cyclists feel "targeted" by the police.  I know I did when I was summonsed last year in Harrison:  The cop, on a motorcycle, followed me for about a kilometer to the intersection where I was charged with pedaling through a red light. The fact that it was near the end of the month and the officer told me to plead "not guilty" and just happened to be at the front desk when I appeared in court leads me to think that as a cyclist, I was simply an easy mark.  And, I am sure, other cyclists in New York City and other places are ticketed for that reason alone.

Or it could just be that the NYPD is under some mandate to raise 19 percent more revenue than it raised last year?  Who knows?