Chicago Mayor defending cyclist

Chicago bicyclists, Mayor Daley knows your pain.

The mayor introduced an ordinance Wednesday that would slap fines ranging from $150 to $500 on motorists who turn left or right in front of someone on a bicycle; pass with less than three feet of space between car and bike; and open a vehicle door into the path of a cyclist.

Daley, an avid rider, said he personally has been involved in unhappy encounters with motorists, providing them with "a few choice words" and "salutes" that he said were delivered "in the Chicago way."

<a href="http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2008/02/bike-riding-dal.html">http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2008/02/bike-riding-dal.html</a>;
<a href="http://cbs2chicago.com/local/bicycle.lane.tickets.2.648294.html">http://cbs2chicago.com/local/bicycle.lane.tickets.2.648294.html</a>;