Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1896-07-29
RIGHTS or WHEELMEh.
They Are Defined by Lawyer.
Laws of the Road.

of the law regarding bicycle riding on
the sidewalks and the frequent court
decisions that the wheel is q vehicle
the following from the pen of a well
know lawyer of this state will be
appropriate and will enighten those
who have not yet found out that the
bicycle has rights on the road, if not
ON the sidewalk.
As the bicycles are now coming
into such general use by people OF
every rank and age and sex, it is
important to know just what the
rights of bicycle riders are upon
streets and highways. In vol. IS,
on page 555, in the last completed
volume of Minnesota Reports, is
found the case of Thompson VS..
Dodge. The syllabus reads as fol-
lows:
A highway is intended for pub
lic use, and a person driving IA
horse thereon has no rights superb
OF to those of a person riding a
bicycle. A bicycle is vehicle,
and riding one in the usual man
ner as is now done upon the public
highway, for conveyance, recrea-
lion, pleasure or business is not
unlawful. A person riding bicy-
Gle cannot be made to pay damages
for his acts unless they were done
Ia such manner, and at such a
time as that he was acting in dis
regards to others.
So the latest decision of the SUI
preme court of Minnesota decides,
md | give it here substantially as
handed down by the supreme court
that IA person riding a bicycle upon
1he public highway has the same
rights in so doing as persons using
either vehicles thereon. In the use
of a public highway there are GER
tam rights of the road which must
be observed by all persons, and a
violation of those rig hts consti-
untes actionable negligence.
Bicycles are vehicles used for
conveyance, recreation, pleasure
and business and the riding of one
upon the public highway in the
ordinary manner is neither unlaw-
fnl or prohibited, and they cannot
BE banished because they were not
zaneiant vehicles, and used in the
2garden of Eden by Adam and Eve,
T by Mark Anthony upon the
smooth streets of Rome, instead of
icing drawn as he was in his chart
st by a span of lions Because one
chooses to drive a horse hitched to
- carriage, that does not give him
she right to dictate to others their
INSIDE of conveyance upon the pub
lac highway, where the rights of
each are equal.
It is not the duty of a panty law
5nlly travelling upon apubllc high
way upon bicycle, when he sees
"a horse and carriage approaching,
Sd stop and inquire whether the
2ao4se is likely to be frightened, nor
80 anticipate that such horse will
DE frightened, especially,in the alb
sFnee of any apparent reason for
SD doing.
The 1878 statutes of Minnesota,
chapter Il, sec. 1, provides, that
when persons meet each other on
amy bridge or road, travelling with
carriages, wagons, sleds, sleighs or
ather vehicles, each person shall
reasonably drive his carriage, or
ohher vehicle to the right of the
middle of the travelled part of such
bridge or road, so that the respect
ave carriages or other vehicles ma,
pass each other without interior
enee.
Section Q of the same statlt
which is also in force provides that
the driver of the carriage or 9th
Ell vehicle passing carriage or
o4her vehicle travelling in the same
alreetion shall drive to the left OF
the middle of the travelled part OF
a bridge or road; and if the bridge
BrToad Is of sufficient width for
khe two vehicles to pass, the driver
of the leading one shall not willfullv
ao}sstrnet the same The penalty