The Law Offices of James M. Freeman, P.C.

Columbia a college town in Missouri just passed a law that prohibits harassment of bicyclists. See the Associated Press write-up. Anyone who regularly rides a bike has probably been a victim of some type of harassment. If such actions are reported to the police the response is often something to the effect of, "What are we supposed to do about it?" With a law such as Columbia's anti-harassment law, there will be a mechanism for harassing motorists to be charged and prosecuted even if their actions don't result in injury to the cyclist.

A violation of the statute is a class A misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to a year in jail. The text of the ordinance is as follows:

Sec. 16-145. Harassment of a bicyclist.
(a) A person commits the offense of harassment of a bicyclist if the person: . . .
(1) Knowingly throws an object at or in the direction of any person riding a bicycle; or
(2) Threatens any person riding a bicycle for the purpose of frightening or disturbing the person riding the bicycle; or
(3) Sounds a horn, shouts or otherwise directs sound toward any person riding a bicycle for the purpose of frightening or disturbing the person riding the bicycle; or
(4) Knowingly engages in conduct that creates a risk of death or serious physical injury to the person riding a bicycle.
(b) Harassment of a bicyclist is a Class A misdemeanor.