Tuesday, August 28, 2012  3-Foot Law A Step Forward, But...  If
you're a regular reader of this blog, you probably already know
that the State Assembly just passed a three-foot-passing law.
(The law has already gained the approval of the Senate.) These
laws are the overwhelming standard around the country, and
adding one to our vehicle code is a definite improvement. We
shouldn't celebrate yet, of course, as Governor Brown vetoed a
similar law recently (under heavy pressure from AAA), but this
one seems to have been re-written specifically to appease Mr.
Brown, so with any luck all will proceed smoothly.  My question
is, does anyone actually think this is going to help?  There are
many laws on the books today that are intended to protect
cyclists. For example, CVC 21200 empowers us to take an entire
lane of traffic when safety requires it. That doesn't keep every
cyclist I talk to from having a dozen stories about times that
they've taken the lane, only to be honked at, shouted at, or
passed far too close for