Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Police Confrontations

I’m not sure if there’s a place where we’re supposed to post up incidents with the Poe Leece, but I figured those who’d be interested would be in the fixed-gear forum.

Late Nov I got my first fixed conversion. With school and everything I wasn’t able to go for a ride until later in the evening. I’m sure everyone knows that excitement and anticipation before their first ride on a new bike. I was giddy as hell and having a great time so I road down to downtown San Diego. I cruised by all the bars and what not and started my way back. I was headed back up 6th street on my way to Balboa Park. When I cop drove the opposite way. I wear a headlamp so she could see me look at her. She drove down to the end of the light where I saw her make a u-turn. She drove up beside me and the following clash ensued.

5.0- excuse me can I ask you to pull over.
Me- uh ok. What’s the problem?
5.0 – nothing I just want to see blah blah.
Me – (now stopped) ok is there a problem? What did I do?
5.0 – (asks the 5 w’s from inside the car). Then says “you’re acting pretty nervous”
me- yeah cause I’m being pulled over by the cops.
5.0 – gets out and shines the light in my face.
Me- ooooh sorry.
5.0 – yeah you better be sorry. I’ve been an officer for 15 years and I’ve seen blah blah blah.
Me- ok ok. But I don’t see a problem, what did I do?!
5.0- I told you what you did, it’s late at night and you’re acting nervous. You know I can call backup and then 8 officers will be here and then you’ll have a real problem spending a night in jail.

After that I played along as she handcuffed me, emptied my pockets with rubber gloves, went through my wallet and frisked me. I thought my best line of the night was when she asked for the fifteenth time “Do you do heroine or have any hypodermic needles on you.”

“No ma’am that’s not my thing. I ride bikes.”

My fixed-gear debut could not have been better.

that certainly doesn't sound legal.

Glad to see SD's Finest haven't changed since I fled that hellhole.

My first day In Boise a bike cop rolls up on wifey and me downtown.
"Hey, are those fixed-wheel bikes?"
"(Gulp) Uh, yeah"
"Wow, no brakes, huh?"
"(Gulp) Uh, no"
"Man, you guys are tougher than me. Take it easy" Pulls away with a big grin.

Awesome.

How old are you? and of course, what color is your skin?

I could have written EXACTLY what you did in that original post when I was a teenager. Used to happen to me a lot, and I was very straight edge and law abiding.

Spent a lot of time face down on concrete handcuffed for looking 'nervous', but still never gotten a ticket or been arrested in my life.


Hasnt happened to me a single time since i turned 20.

IF she did find heroin, most likely couldn't have done anything about it. sucks.

i kinda get scared carrying around green stuff in the city, evne for 5 minutes. 1) i've been arrested already for it and came out scot-free after fines, ''court fees'' (aka more fines) and **** 2) you never know when a cop in nyc will decide to pull you over for running a light or something, especially if they think you're a punk who could be a drug delivery dude...then you're ****ed.

yeah seriously that same stuff used to happen to me and all of my friends all the time. totally bogus but it's just one of those things.

i've been stopped more times in the past year at my school than i can count.
most of them are just "hey, get that thing back on the sidewalk!" or "why'd you run that yellow light?"

**** the cops. they're lucky none have really pissed me off yet or there'd be a pile of dead piggies up to the clouds.

I spent last year living in Italy and one day on my commute a cop pulled me over to say "bella bicicletta".

the trouble with police forces nation wide is that there's no one who polices them except other police. you can't really have a free country unless youi have that.

So then what happened, she let you go on your way or what?

and people wonder why cops get a bad rep.

also, she must have pretty good vision to see you "looking nervous" at night as she drives by you in the opposite direction.

riding a bike is NOT probable cause.

http://www.arbeiterfotografie.com/galerie/reportage/2001-07-21-genua-festung/Dscn5469.jpg

Cops don't need probable cause to pull someone over. They need reasonable suspicion.
Being in an area known for drug activity at night on a bike would be enough reasonable suspicion to warrant an officer pulling someone over to find out if anything was going on. Nothing was, so no arrest. Yes, the officer bluffed, get over it.
If there were police to police the police who would police the police who police the police? And people complain about wasteful government now...

Yeah, that was illegal. Unless she felt that you posed a threat to her (acting nervous doesn't count - everyone gets nervous), she has no right to search you without consent. The first thing you want to ask in a situation like this is, "Am I free to go?" If you get a reply other than "No," leave.

The first thing you want to ask in a situation like this is, "Am I free to go?" If you get a reply other than "No," leave.


Ive tried it. got nowhere fast.

but yeah, it works on TV i guess.

Yeah, that was illegal. Unless she felt that you posed a threat to her (acting nervous doesn't count - everyone gets nervous), she has no right to search you without consent. The first thing you want to ask in a situation like this is, "Am I free to go?" If you get a reply other than "No," leave.
Another good phrase to use is "Are you holding me against my will?".

I had my headlamp, a rear red light and was in the street. She let me go when she didn't find any "knives, drugs etc."

The best part was when she told me that if I wasn't mean there wouldn't be a problem next time.

I can see the headline:
"20 yr. old man arrested for acting nervous and looking mean. Bikers beware!"

why is it I always see stories like this??

I work graveyard and get off around 2 or 3 am and have cut cops off ran red lights and stop signs right in front of them and never had a problem but there is this one

jerky bike cop in capitol park I have to look out for he will right you a ticket for looking funny

You are a martyr. When you die, we'll paint your picture on a wall.

Yeah, you know there's a former crack house next to that church on 6th just north of the freeway? Also, lots of homeless like to camp on that corner of Balboa Park. Maybe she was a rookie that has something to prove, and you being in that neighborhood gave her (im)probable cause.

Cops don't need probable cause to pull someone over. They need reasonable suspicion.
Being in an area known for drug activity at night on a bike would be enough reasonable suspicion to warrant an officer pulling someone over to find out if anything was going on. Nothing was, so no arrest. Yes, the officer bluffed, get over it.
If there were police to police the police who would police the police who police the police? And people complain about wasteful government now...

You don't need police to police the police. You need an armed citizenry - be it with guns or some other form of controlling power.

A friend was riding the streets at dusk on his BMX a while back when a cop pulls him over and says "It's getting dark out. Does your mom know you're riding at night?" This guy's easily 20 years old and studying at the university, so he asks the cop "You DO realize that adults ride bikes too, right?" Officer didn't know how to respond and apologetically let him go. Funniest bike story I've heard in a while. I just wish adults riding bikes didn't carry an unusual stigma.

That happened to me once on a 3AM smoke run in my neighbourhood. The cops were pretty rude, even worse than in the OP's case. I'm still kind of annoyed about it but just about all my other interactions with the oinkers, oops, cops have been fine. So I try not to tar em all with the same brush, they do help keep civilization from collapsing and all that.

Yeah, that was illegal. Unless she felt that you posed a threat to her (acting nervous doesn't count - everyone gets nervous), she has no right to search you without consent. The first thing you want to ask in a situation like this is, "Am I free to go?" If you get a reply other than "No," leave.

Too little info to say if it was illegal or not. If she's cuffed him, she has the right to perform a "cursory search (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searches_incident_to_a_lawful_arrest)" of his person for her own safety for weapons or disposable evidence (drugs). A bag or vehicle would probably not fly. The bag maybe, if she thought you were a courier. In most states, private citizens have a similar right to search for weapons if they've lawfully executed a citizen's arrest, which is why private security can search your person if they arrest you for shoplifting... all under the pretext that the person making the arrest, if it's lawful, has a right to take measures to secure their safety. Now, the parameters for a lawful arrest are a lot looser for a sworn peace officer, so unless there is proof of some sort of discrimination or habitual behavior from this officer, I doubt there'd be much recourse. Unless you know Johnny Cochrane or something. But if the OP feels like he was treated unfairly, he should've gotten a badge # (I prefer to read the badge, not ask for it) and filed a complaint with the dept.

Cops are scared too. They don't like losing control of a situation, so any kind of attitude or resistance seldom works in anyone's favor. They particularly hate it if you answer questions with questions. That's a great way to get on their crabby side.

power-drunk dickholes. pure and simple. and no one to stop them.

http://jackwolak.com/7/8151.jpg

nuff said

i got pulled over for riding through a cross walk while a pedestrain had taken two steps in the road on the oppisite side of the road.... right before he pulled me over he was driving on the side of me telling me i need to follow the rules of the road.

As he was giving me my lecture and thretening me with a ticket a car drove through the same cross walk and almost nailed a pedestrain.

^^^yeah. if **** like that happened less, i'd respect 'em so much more. who's actually endangering people? us or cars? i won't deny i broke a law, but goddamn, so did that car that nearly killed someone while i only endangered myself--which, in a "free country" oughta be my prerogative. everyone's prerogative.

i'm not liking the cops these days

I had a confrontation once. It involved me getting ripped off my bike while trackstanding at a red light, handcuffed and walked back a block. Apparently they thought I was smoking pot on my bike.

I had a confrontation once. It involved me getting ripped off my bike while trackstanding at a red light, handcuffed and walked back a block. Apparently they thought I was smoking pot on my bike.

Good thing those cops are out there protecting us from crazy, track-standing pot smokers. I know I don't feel comfortable sleeping at night unless I'm sure all them lowlife punks are being yanked from their whips.

Sounds like we are all a little confrontational to me maybe if everyone didn't attach such a stigma to cop no cop there wouldn't be threads like this eh?

for every jerky cop there are fifty that are just like you and me trying to get throught our daily lives....

for instance who holds you tool kit for you while you make a drop at the court house a cop right?

It happened in savannah when police presence was rather high because some rich white girl got shot in downtown. At least 5 people I know saw it happen. They were working at a food place nearby. The owner of that building had my back and had a talk with the cops after the cops let me go since they couldn't get me on anything else[they tried saying I had no light on my bike, the light was ON] about that situation.

Maybe wear a helmet cam and catchit on tape and sue them like the guy in this article.
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/15/1522.asp

Someone else here made a comment that police are much like the rest of the population, some good, most mediocre, and some flat-out worthless human beings.

I spent most of a day at police HQ this past week, giving away bikes to poor children. I was the only civilian there and was struck by 2 things. First; I was amazed at the well behaved and grateful kids we gave these refurbished bikes to, and second; for the most part the dozen or so officers helping out with the give-away acted like any other group of adults working together. They talked about work, they talked about family, made bad jokes, etc.

I've had mixed interactions with police, some bad some good. When a group of 13 year olds almost hit me in the head with a rock and then pulled a knife on me the policed showed up and treated me well, and did what they could with the kids. When a drunken previous leasee showed up at my new apartment the police came and got him moving along.
Driving back from New Orleans 3 friends and myself were harassed for over 3 hours after an officer in a car with his windows up "smelled pot" from 30 feet away while rolling through a parking lot. 4 cops and a K-9 found no drugs, but did spend plenty of time threatening us to give up one of our mates. They left empty handed, we got back in the 78 VW bus and the 68 Dodge mystery machine and drove off, happy to be out of Mississippi. Think we were "profiled"?

I'm sure that we can all come up with stories about times we hated the police and times we were grateful for their presence. I agree that there should be more citizen oversight, as power corrupts, but painting all police with the same brush just makes you seem a bit simple-minded.

The worst thing about these kind of threads are the
clueless morons who defend the police. I think they
are usually just being contrarians, but in any event,
welcome to ****ing SQUARESVILLE.

I never had a problem with the police and have nothing against them. Maybe I'm just lucky.

The worst thing about these kind of threads are the
clueless morons who defend the police. I think they
are usually just being contrarians, but in any event,
welcome to ****ing SQUARESVILLE.


or maybe we just see that everyone is human and have friends that write all of the local and statewide law enforcememnt protocal so unfortunatley I know exactly what the cop has been taught to think and do..

they are people just like all of us man get over yourself seriously. This is coming from experience.

Yes the jails are just bursting with people that were bothered by them just like you.

that certainly doesn't sound legal. She had what they call probable cause, since he was nervous. However, they cannot really search him without his permission. And so at some point he must have given permission.

A little advice to everyone. If a police officer asked to search you, tell them no! They will have to get a warant. Well, if they have no real probable cause they won't be able to get one. Now you are free to go.

yeah, but being as neurotic as i am, i'm always nervous whether or not the boys in blue are around. = )

5.0- excuse me can I ask you to pull over.
Me- uh ok. What’s the problem?
5.0 – nothing I just want to see blah blah.
Me – (now stopped) ok is there a problem? What did I do?
5.0 – (asks the 5 w’s from inside the car). Then says “you’re acting pretty nervous”
me- yeah cause I’m being pulled over by the cops

first of all i DON'T agree with you getting arrested, but as for getting a little hassled and searched, you were acting pretty nervous. if you don't want to get harrassed, don't act like there might be reason for them to. don't imply that there's a problem, especially repeatedly. and don't tell them you are nervous because they are there, because that tells them you have something to hide, otherwise you shouldn't have a problem with their "friendly" chat. an officer is someone i never argue with because they have all the power at the moment. if they do something wrong, the time to resist is later in court, not on the street.

I’m not sure if there’s a place where we’re supposed to post up incidents with the Poe Leece, but I figured those who’d be interested would be in the fixed-gear forum.

Late Nov I got my first fixed conversion. With school and everything I wasn’t able to go for a ride until later in the evening. I’m sure everyone knows that excitement and anticipation before their first ride on a new bike. I was giddy as hell and having a great time so I road down to downtown San Diego. I cruised by all the bars and what not and started my way back. I was headed back up 6th street on my way to Balboa Park. When I cop drove the opposite way. I wear a headlamp so she could see me look at her. She drove down to the end of the light where I saw her make a u-turn. She drove up beside me and the following clash ensued.

5.0- excuse me can I ask you to pull over.
Me- uh ok. What’s the problem?
5.0 – nothing I just want to see blah blah.
Me – (now stopped) ok is there a problem? What did I do?
5.0 – (asks the 5 w’s from inside the car). Then says “you’re acting pretty nervous”
me- yeah cause I’m being pulled over by the cops.
5.0 – gets out and shines the light in my face.
Me- ooooh sorry.
5.0 – yeah you better be sorry. I’ve been an officer for 15 years and I’ve seen blah blah blah.
Me- ok ok. But I don’t see a problem, what did I do?!
5.0- I told you what you did, it’s late at night and you’re acting nervous. You know I can call backup and then 8 officers will be here and then you’ll have a real problem spending a night in jail.

After that I played along as she handcuffed me, emptied my pockets with rubber gloves, went through my wallet and frisked me. I thought my best line of the night was when she asked for the fifteenth time “Do you do heroine or have any hypodermic needles on you.”

“No ma’am that’s not my thing. I ride bikes.”

My fixed-gear debut could not have been better.

You shined a light directly at a drivers face ? That's illegal. No wonder she stopped you.

Was it dark? Did you have legal front and rear lights or reflectors?
Do you have a legal brake?
Most places have the laws on line.
You can get the details about things like that easy enough without leaving your chair.

You don't need police to police the police. You need an armed citizenry - be it with guns or some other form of controlling power.
We already have an armed citizenry. I disagree with your statement though. If to straighten the cops out we need to be armed, well that doesn't really do anything especially for the greater good of the community. Police tend to act extremely quickly to anyone who kills one of theirs. I'd submit that the court system and legislature is what affects police most. All the police can do is enforce the laws. You know, the silly constitution that they're bound to, and stuff like that. Works better than a 9mm.

Guns are bad
So are the semantics on this thread

smiziley is a narc

I've had two good experience with cops,
1. As I was riding home, the cop stationed at my school shouted out to me, "LET ME SEE THE TRACKSTAND!"
2. I was at a small protest kindof thing, and there were two groups. A cop comes over and hassles us about holding up signs, then he walks over to the other group who are by the bicycles. When he comes back over he just says in a stern voice "That your fixed gear bicycles over there?". My friend quickly says, "I can come to a complete skid on dry pavement! i don't need brakes!". The cop just laughs and tells us he's been reading about fixed-gear bicycles and is thinking about getting one.

But then cops can be bad, almost every critical mass they stop us.
The one this week they stopped us.
"what are you doing?"
"riding bikes"
"what are you riding bikes for?"
"for fun"
"well...don't be unsafe about it. one of you is going to get hit, some of you don't have bikes on your lights"
"ok"
"ok"
it just bothers me that we follow every traffic rule, and still they stop us and hassle us for 5-30 minutes, just because people riding bikes is out of the ordinary.

And I've had personal bad experiences with cops. On a whole, I would say cops are dirty slimeballs. But just because most cops are dirty slimeballs, and just because the cops job is to protect dirty slimeballness, doesn't mean some cops are kind. Afterall, there were the cops that let me go when I was sixteen and I was too drunk to realize I was drinking a beer infront of them.... good times...

I've had two good experience with cops,
1. As I was riding home, the cop stationed at my school shouted out to me, "LET ME SEE THE TRACKSTAND!"
2. I was at a small protest kindof thing, and there were two groups. A cop comes over and hassles us about holding up signs, then he walks over to the other group who are by the bicycles. When he comes back over he just says in a stern voice "That your fixed gear bicycles over there?". My friend quickly says, "I can come to a complete skid on dry pavement! i don't need brakes!". The cop just laughs and tells us he's been reading about fixed-gear bicycles and is thinking about getting one.

But then cops can be bad, almost every critical mass they stop us.
The one this week they stopped us.
"what are you doing?"
"riding bikes"
"what are you riding bikes for?"
"for fun"
"well...don't be unsafe about it. one of you is going to get hit, some of you don't have bikes on your lights"
"ok"
"ok"
it just bothers me that we follow every traffic rule, and still they stop us and hassle us for 5-30 minutes, just because people riding bikes is out of the ordinary.

And I've had personal bad experiences with cops. On a whole, I would say cops are dirty slimeballs. But just because most cops are dirty slimeballs, and just because the cops job is to protect dirty slimeballness, doesn't mean some cops are kind. Afterall, there were the cops that let me go when I was sixteen and I was too drunk to realize I was drinking a beer infront of them.... good times...


easy stop publicizing it as critical mass

i've been stopped more times in the past year at my school than i can count.
most of them are just "hey, get that thing back on the sidewalk!" or "why'd you run that yellow light?"

**** the cops. they're lucky none have really pissed me off yet or there'd be a pile of dead piggies up to the clouds.

that's odd, i've actually never had any problems with cops in philly.

I get stopped on a regular basis. Cops just checking my bike registration. I was arrested here once for riding a bike that wasnt mine and they couldnt get in touch with my friend who owned it. I didnt know the bike wasnt reg'd in his name. Spent the night in the cells for that one.