Velo_Seth

As I was driving around town the other day, I noticed a bicycle police officer with a radar gun. Over the course of the day I saw her set up monitoring traffic about three times. The last time I saw her, she had packed up her gear and was riding towards the police station in town. To my dismay and chagrin, she was riding on the left side of a busy road - the wrong side of the road riding into traffic.
There is a wide shoulder on this road, and few cross streets which make it "kind of" better, but I was disappointed to see this. Also, the road from her perspective is an uphill with a bend to the left. If there was another biker coming from the other direction, they wouldn't be able to see her, or to stop in time to avoid a head on collision.

So here's my question - I'm going to write a letter (or email) to the police station. What should I say? Does anyone have some good statistics on bicycle accidents due to wrong-way riding?

Thanks.
Seth

Da Tinker

Forget stats. Quote the law, as it relates to bikes. As an officer of the law, it should be incumbent on the officer to set a good example for others, to know the law, enforce the law, and (oh, my, this may be heresey!) obey the law.
US bike laws by state are available here: https://www.massbike.org/bikelaw/statelaws.htm

scarry

Cops obey the law?

zonatandem

Read the Patriot Act . . . . cops/feds can do as they please!

Da Tinker

Oh, led with my chin on that one, I did!

JohnBrooking

Nonetheless, I think it's reasonable to expect that cops will obey the traffic laws in general, absent a reason not to. No one would like to see police cars regularly travelling the wrong way down a one-way street just because they legally can. Just as that is a safety issue, so is this. Not only that, it's more incumbent on the police to set an example in this case. Everyone knows driving a car the wrong way down a one-way street is wrong, but not everyone knows that riding a bike against traffic is. Seeing a police officer do it only gives it even more (false) authority to those who don't know any better.

Summary: She is endangering the public by modelling incorrect bicycling behavior, and as an officer, she should know better and set the correct example.

jamiegoesbiking

How did she expect to get a speeder on a bicycle?

Shotgun

With her radio!

jamiegoesbiking

Doh!

I've never seen that trick before =)

pedex

cops and cops in or on their vehicles are considered "emergency" vehicles and arent subject to the rules that govern civilian vehicular traffic........only time it gets them in trouble is if the reckless nature in which they do this causes an accident, at which point it comes into play on a limited basis, like if they run a red light and broadside someone

Kyle90

Cops suck.. Eh, I'd report it, and if notthing was done start a huge up-roar about it. That should get things rolling.

CRUM

In the state of Maine, cops are required to obey traffic laws unless they are on an emergency response. If she was not sporting flashing lights, blowing a whistle or riding naked, then she should be riding the right way. I wouldn't just write a letter, I'd call em right up.

In my town back in the early 90's, a local cop went to one of the schools to talk bike safety with the kids. He told them to ride against traffic. This runs contrary to the state law. One of the youngsters came in my shop and told me he did not have to ride as I had suggested. A cop told him to ride against traffic. I raised cain with the dept immediately. The cop came into my shop and started in on how wrong I was. I called the local state police barracks and asked them and then handed him the phone. He listened, his face got beet red, and then he hung up and left my shop without a word. I loved it. So, please let them know. Cops need to be correct in how they represent themselves.

Metieval

I'd hit her head on for a nice settlement + new bike

Raiyn

Applesauce. The only time they're allowed to do whatever's needed is IN AN EMERGENCY beyond that they're subject to the same laws as the rest of us.

"Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes"

ch0mb0

They'd probably treat it as when a cop car goes the wrong way down a street.
Couldn't hurt to say something about it, though!

It's funny that you mentioned this.
today I encountered a cyclop heading the wrong way up 9th ave.
As we closed the distance to each other and passed, I had my finger pointed at him the entire time and was making this weird stern face kinda like the guy at the end of "invasion of the body snatchers".

Gurgus

Ahhhhh, Donald Sutherland-y good goodness.

PainTrain

Sounds like she was stuck on a s%*t detail to me. Probably being punished for eating the last doughnut in the station house or something. I doubt if she knew or cared whether she was setting a good cycling example.

Velo_Seth

The patriot act "enhances" the rights of law enforcement for the purported intention of investigating and preventing terrorism. It can also be extended to other federal crimes, such as money laundering or child pornography. It grants law enforcement enhanced rights to gather information (library records, etc), enhance rights to engage in surveilance, and enhanced rights to detain suspects. I couldn't find anything in the act that allows law enforcement to "do as they please" outside the scope of anti-terrorism or investigation of certain federal crimes. I think this doesn't apply here.

I also found these in the Massachusetts general laws (mass is where I saw the cop):

massachusetts general law, title XIV, Chapter 89, section 7B Operation of emergency vehicles
Section 7B. The driver of a vehicle of a fire, police or recognized protective department and the driver of an ambulance shall be subject to the provisions of any statute, rule, regulation, ordinance or by-law relating to the operation or parking of vehicles, except that ... the driver of a vehicle of a police or recognized protective department ... while in performance of a public duty ... may drive such vehicle at a speed in excess of the applicable speed limit ... and may drive such vehicle through an intersection ...

and:
massachusetts general law, title XIV, Chapter 85, Section 11B
Every person operating a bicycle upon a way ... shall be subject to the traffic laws and regulations of the commonwealth and the special regulations contained in this section (note, the special regulations in this section do not give the right to ride in opposition to traffic)

So there's the law - which I will quote in my letter.
I'll quote the law in my letter, but I do think that a credible source for bicycle accident statistics would be influential. Does anyone know of some good bicycle safety statistics? I know that I've seen stats that show riding on the wrong side of the road increases chances for accident and injury, but for some reason I can't find them now.

Velo_Seth

here's another tidbit that will help:

Chapter 89: Section 1 Meeting vehicles
Section 1. When persons traveling with vehicles meet on a way, each shall reasonably drive his vehicle to the right of the middle of the traveled part of such way

Velo_Seth

nice

pedex

well, in reality, they prettymuch do what they want when they want to, thats all Im getting at here, you can pursue them all you want for traffic violations and it will fall on deaf ears unless theyve caused an accident while doing so...........the exact letter of the law and what happens in the real world are two different things

Guest

Drop them an email from the library using a new email account under a different name created at the library, then never use that email address again.

Yeah, it's paranoid, but I bet the police don't like people telling them what to do, and once they have a record where they can contact you, maybe they'll hassle you when you're on your bike too.

Koffee

jsharr

Do they still suck when you have been wronged and need help? Police uphold the laws which we as a people make, by electing officials that we believe in. They do their job, you do yours. No need to be confrontational. If an officer is acting in an unsafe fashion, their superiors need to be made aware of it, but lots of assumptions are being made here. Perhaps the officer in question got a call to respond to a citizens need for help and the route he/she took was the fastest and required movement against the flow of traffic.

atbman

One would assume that the officer was showing some signs of urgency if she was riding to an emergency.

If not, then a simple enquiry as to whether or not local cycling police officers have taken the thorough and comprehensive IPMBA course and suggesting they do so in order to improve officer cycling safety might be effective.

Velo_Seth

good suggestion. thanks.
The whole thing bothered me because if I had been coming down that hill in the other direction (as I often do) the road is such that I would not have been able to see her and avoid a head-on collision.