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Pulled over by the CHP while biking on I-280

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Pulled over by the CHP while biking on I-280

Old 08-11-07, 12:00 AM
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Pulled over by the CHP while biking on I-280

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Last edited by dietrologia; 01-10-08 at 06:40 PM.
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Old 08-11-07, 12:24 AM
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So it's legal to ride a bicycle there but not a motor driven cycle? Seems strange to ban motor driven cycles from being used on a highway where bicycles can be ridden. Signs can easily be defaced. Anybody could come by and put something over the "bicycles" on the sign, although in this case from what you've said it sounds like a well established route.

Have you called the CHP and mentioned the interaction you had with the officer? If she actually did make some kind of permanent note of your drivers license # and you know the exact time you were pulled over they may be able to look back through the records and find out which officer you were detained by.

The officer mentioned a recent fatal accident. Maybe she had to respond to it and the scene was still fresh in her mind. Either way I can see her point of view, even if she was wrong. On the other hand, if it's legal for you to ride there, the decision is yours and she shouldn't be detaining you or ordering you to do anything if you're not breaking any laws.

If they can't find out exactly which officer it was, they could at least do some research on the legality of riding there and maybe bring it up during a meeting or post a memo or something...I'd definitely give them a call on the 7-digit non-emergency number.
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Old 08-11-07, 12:37 AM
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Old 08-11-07, 01:39 AM
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If the signage is confusing or ambiguous, take it up with the proper authorities. The law officer was only enforcing as he saw it, and didn't even ticket you.

You were warned. If your caught again, you can't say you hadn't been.

Buck up lil fella.
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Old 08-11-07, 02:09 AM
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The cop was obviously in the "need to right" mode.. Regardless if there wer flashing lights that said next 1/4 mile bike riders this way, he would of still said the same thing.. There was no way once he went to the trouble of pulling you over was he going to admit fault..
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Old 08-11-07, 02:11 AM
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Originally Posted by dietrologia
. . . The sign at the Larkspur on-ramp reads: "Pedestrians, _________, Motor Driven Cycles Prohibited" -- with a blank sport where "Bicycles" would normally appear.

At the next off-ramp, a quarter mile down the freeway, where I had exited and was ultimately pulled over is a sign that reads: "Bicycles Must Exit."

So... as I'm exiting and about 50 yards beyond the "Bicycles Must Exit" sign I hear a "STOP!" over the cruiser's loudspeaker and I dutifully oblige. . . .
It sounds like it's obvious that cyclists are allowed there. The DOT removed "bicycles" from the prohibition sign for a reason. No one puts up "bicycles must exit" signs on freeways where bikes are banned.

You have three choices:
  1. Never ride that route again.
  2. Politely talk to the local CHP post to see if you can convince them to change their attitude.
  3. Ride the route again, politely take a ticket, and hope that the judge is more reasonable than the cop.
If you chose choice two, it might help to get your local cyclist advocacy organization involved.
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Old 08-11-07, 03:13 AM
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Join your local/state cycling organization and the League of American Bicyclists (if you haven't already done so). Get them on to contact the CHP. The CHP will know what officer made the stop by the date, time and location.

Air your grievance in the Letters to the Editor section of your local paper giving date, time, location and how the officer was in the wrong.

After a few weeks for word to get around I would go back to riding that very same route and if ticketed, would be prepared to fight it in court, asking the cycling organizations for assistance.

One good thing that may come of taking an alternate route is, you find one you like better.
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Old 08-11-07, 09:15 AM
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Ride it again, and take it to court. Honestly, if the cop was sure about her position she'd have written you a ticket right then, given her attitude.
See the second part of my sig. If the info that you have given is correct, then make her waste her time in court, make her look like the fool she is.

Last edited by maddyfish; 08-11-07 at 09:16 AM. Reason: added info
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Old 08-11-07, 09:37 AM
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Originally Posted by CommuterRun
Join your local/state cycling organization and the League of American Bicyclists (if you haven't already done so). Get them on to contact the CHP. The CHP will know what officer made the stop by the date, time and location.

Air your grievance in the Letters to the Editor section of your local paper giving date, time, location and how the officer was in the wrong.

After a few weeks for word to get around I would go back to riding that very same route and if ticketed, would be prepared to fight it in court, asking the cycling organizations for assistance.

One good thing that may come of taking an alternate route is, you find one you like better.
+100. You really want assistance to take on the CHP. I think it would be worthwhile, too. People who ride their bikes on freeways don't do so because they're fun, pleasant routes. They do it because no better alternative exists.
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Old 08-11-07, 09:43 AM
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Originally Posted by donnamb
People who ride their bikes on freeways don't do so because they're fun, pleasant routes.
This ZooBomber respectfully disagrees.

I did two Friday rush hour 'parking lot' bombs on Highway 26 yesterday evening. All the motorists in 5mph bumper to bumper traffic got to watch me go by on my stingray. It was fun!




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Old 08-11-07, 10:07 AM
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Isn't there a better route than taking an Interstate?
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Old 08-11-07, 12:55 PM
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I rode that stretch many, many years ago, just to be able to say I rode a bicycle on the interstate.

There has to be some definitive authority, a state statute, federal statute, that states that bicycles can ride on 280. Have that on you next time you ride adn show it to the cop.
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Old 08-11-07, 01:36 PM
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Are bikes allowed between the Skyline entrance and Skyline exit, or does it really start at Larkspur? That would make sense, and it might save me some trouble tomorrow.
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Old 08-11-07, 05:52 PM
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Originally Posted by randya
This ZooBomber respectfully disagrees.

I did two Friday rush hour 'parking lot' bombs on Highway 26 yesterday evening. All the motorists in 5mph bumper to bumper traffic got to watch me go by on my stingray. It was fun!




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Old 08-11-07, 07:12 PM
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Wouldn't your Department of Transportation be the place where signage, speed limits and rules of the road are created and not the CHP?
I think that is how it works in Massachusetts, but we don't have Ponch and Jon here either.
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Old 08-11-07, 07:17 PM
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I sympathize with you and would follow the advice given by others. Yet, years ago I rode north through that exact same area and followed a bike path along the east side of the Crystal Springs Reservoirs between the on and off ramps you mentioned. It was back in 1983 and I found the path on a map I got from the CA DOT through Adventure Bicycling. Is that path gone? Or is it closed at the time you were there? This same path still shows on the regional bike route maps available on the 511.org site.
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Old 08-11-07, 08:29 PM
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Originally Posted by ken cummings
I sympathize with you and would follow the advice given by others. Yet, years ago I rode north through that exact same area and followed a bike path along the east side of the Crystal Springs Reservoirs between the on and off ramps you mentioned. It was back in 1983 and I found the path on a map I got from the CA DOT through Adventure Bicycling. Is that path gone? Or is it closed at the time you were there? This same path still shows on the regional bike route maps available on the 511.org site.


That would be the Sawyer's Camp trail. Getting on at one freeway entrance and off at the next would let a rider stay on a wide shoulder the entire time. If it was later in the day, I'd rather be on a freeway shoulder like that than on a dark trail.
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Old 08-11-07, 08:50 PM
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A while back I got stopped by two local police as I was cycling home from work on I-70. There was an alternative, but it was 2 AM, I was tired, and I wanted to get home and get to sleep as soon as I could.

I tried to explain to them that what I was doing was legal, they wouldn't listen, so I got their names and got off the Interstate and took the long way home. Next morning I called the Silverthorne police department, described the episode, and asked them to please double check the law. I got a call back from the Silverthorne police a few hours later saying I was right, the cops were wrong, and I never got bothered again when I used I-70 to get home.
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Old 08-12-07, 05:36 AM
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I would call the local CHP office and ask for the desk sergeant and get a clarification on that section of road.. If you decide to ride it again and get hassled, you can say well I spoke to Sergeant Smith the other day at your office and he said that this section of road was fine for riding my bike..

The desk sergeant will be the officers direct supervisor..
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Old 08-12-07, 08:35 AM
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I dreamed about this thread last night and wound up skipping the entire state if Indiana in my dream.

I think this incident just ticked me off, hope you get it worked out to your satisfaction. Good Luck.
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Old 08-12-07, 09:14 AM
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Tell her to go ahead and write the ticket. Go back, take photos of the signage with a date stamp and see the creep in court. Don't let that pig (and she sounds like a self-righteous pig instead of a Police Officer) get away with trying to bully you.
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Old 08-12-07, 09:17 AM
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Originally Posted by socalrider
I would call the local CHP office and ask for the desk sergeant and get a clarification on that section of road.. If you decide to ride it again and get hassled, you can say well I spoke to Sergeant Smith the other day at your office and he said that this section of road was fine for riding my bike..

The desk sergeant will be the officers direct supervisor..
I think that this is a good idea. I would leave out the intimidation stuff for the time being since what you really want is the ability to ride on that small section of the freeway. Discussing the officers behavior prior to resolving the legal issue, in my opinion, would just be a side issue. When it is resolved, particularly in your favor, then I would bring that issue up.
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Old 08-12-07, 09:19 AM
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I thought her comments were odd.

Why did she tell you that they had a fatality in an effort to get you not to ride there again. Does she tell all the motorists to stop driving in areas where one of them was killed?

Im sorry sir but Im going to have to ask you to stop driving on this interstate because 937 people were killed here last year..........
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Old 08-12-07, 09:41 AM
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Originally Posted by randya
This ZooBomber respectfully disagrees.

I did two Friday rush hour 'parking lot' bombs on Highway 26 yesterday evening. All the motorists in 5mph bumper to bumper traffic got to watch me go by on my stingray. It was fun!




So these forums arent the only place you display your blantant
disrespect for authority and the system designed to protect you ??
Ill be alerting the 0HP to this thread so they may monitor your subversive
activities in the name of public safety.

Last edited by -=(8)=-; 08-12-07 at 10:05 AM.
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Old 08-12-07, 09:49 AM
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Originally Posted by -=Łem in Pa=-
... your blantant
lack of disrespect for authority and the system designed to protect you, on ??
Ill be alerting the CHP to this thread so they may monitor your subversive
activities in the name of public safety.
Didn't you mean "lack of respect"? .. or do you want more disrespect? I'm telling my mom!
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