A cyclist in Chicago captured a moment that riders dream about, but rarely get to experience in real time.
In a Reddit post, a rider filmed a car being hooked up to a tow truck while it was parked directly in the bike lane, prompting immediate celebration from cyclists who know how dangerous this scenario can be.
The original poster captioned the video, "Justice! Car parked in bike lane getting TOWED! Justice on a beautiful day in Chicago!"
(Click here to watch the video if the embed does not appear.)
Blocking a bike lane isn't just inconsiderate; it can also be highly dangerous, as it can force riders into traffic, where cars are moving far faster than bicycles. That risk falls on people who are choosing cleaner, healthier ways to get around.
According to UCLA researchers, opting for a bike over a car, even one time a day, can reduce an individual's transportation-related carbon pollution by 67%, which is a major win for the planet.
Moments like this resonate because bike lane blockages are a widespread frustration, and cities are finally responding.
Just last November, Pittsburgh announced plans to crack down on illegal bike-lane parking through automated enforcement, which is a shift that many advocates hope other cities will follow. Keeping bike lanes clear helps protect riders and encourages more people to choose low-pollution forms of transportation.
Parking in a bike lane can be incredibly dangerous for everyone on the road. When cyclists are forced to swerve into vehicle traffic, even briefly, the maneuver can put them in immediate harm's way.
Reddit users were quick to cheer the rare sight.
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Shorter commute to work 🚴 "I've literally never seen this happen. Thanks OP," one user celebrated.
Another said, half-jokingly, "I feel like if I saw this I would honestly stop and tip the tow truck driver."
As cities invest in safer bike infrastructure and stronger enforcement, moments like this may become a lot more common, with far fewer cyclists having to dodge cars just to get where they're going.
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