General Cycling Discussion - Question for the afternoon- Been stopped by the police while on your bike?

I got pulled over once. It was early, early one morning (3:30). I was on my way to work for an early morning launch (aircraft maintenance at the time). I was crusing down a major street in town, when I saw the cop came out from behind a grocery store. I checked my speed and I wasn't going over the posted 35 mph. He came up behind me with full lights and siren! I pulled over thinking it was some emergency he was on the way to, but he whipped in behind me. His first question-Are you doing some sort of training? (Well, I was until you stopped me.) He took my driver's licence and called my numbers in, and I sat on the bike and waited for like 10 minutes till he came back to me. He apologized for delaying me, but he said that I looked "suspicious". I had a headlight, tail light, a white shirt, TWO criss-crossed reflective belts front and back, reflectors on my shoes, reflective tape on the downstays and helmet, AND A HUGE FLASHING WHITE STROBE LIGHT STRAPPED TO MY LEFT ARM! Yep, just like your common, garden variety criminal.

I got pulled over for doing 55MPH in a 35MPH zone. I was coming down a long steep hill near my house... a hill I ride often but not all the time. The hill is an avg of 9% for about 1-1/2 miles. Normally there's quite a bit of traffic. I was pacing a bunch of cars until I saw that there was a huge break in traffic. I made my way to the front and got aero. Pretty soon I was pushing 50MPH and only halfway down the hill. It was then that I heard the sirens behind me. Apparently there was a break in traffic because everyone else was pacing behind the police car I didn't notice and subsequently blew past.

I slowed down and pulled into the parking lot of the Krispy Kreme in the mall at the bottom of the hill. The police car was right behind me. The officer asked me if I knew what the speed limit was on the hill. I told him I understood it was 35MPH and explained that I didn't want to cook my brakes as they were already fairly hot from having to limit my speed at the top of the hill. I invited him to touch my rim and he stuck his finger on it briefly before yanking his hand back. I think he might have burnt his finger. He advised me to find another hill to descend and to try and keep my speed under control.

Originally posted by khuon
I slowed down and pulled into the parking lot of the Krispy Kreme in the mall at the bottom of the hill.

Ah! The old "Distract the officer with the donuts" trick! Very clever thinking! :D

Originally posted by Krispy
Ah! The old "Distract the officer with the donuts" trick! Very clever thinking! :D

Yes... and I suppose I stacked the deck on my excuse a bit too with the "overheating brakes" explanation since the heat buildup was probably due to me slowing down near the bottom of the hill. Nevertheless it's true that coming down that hill riding the brakes to maintain 35MPH would have caused severe fade and rim heating.

Fortunately this did not happen to me but it did happen to some of my friends in our bike club a few years ago. While they were out riding a cop pulled up beside the group and then pulled up in front cutting them off forcing them into the grass beside the road. He jumped out of the car and got up in the leader's face and started chewing them out telling them that bicycles were not allowed on city streets and that they are restricted to sidewalks!

My friends said that they figured they had better not argue with him because of the way he was acting. After he drove off they all peddled to the Police Station where they asked to speak to his supervisor. His supervisor just happened to be a cyclist and a member of our local club!

Within a few hours the supervisor had posted an apology on our club’s web message board and stated that the officer was being required to review the state laws concerning bicycles!

Yeah twice, once for crossing against a red light and once for no light and 'looking suspicious' - in that case they performed an illegal search on me - looking for drugs I guess. My opinion of cops was not improved by either of these 2 encounters. To most cops any adult male on a bicycle looks 'suspicious'.

See http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26029 for full details (we had a lot of discussion on that one). I'm in traffic court next week for the red light.

I was stopped for going too fast for conditions. I was going 22mph in a 45 and made a left turn onto a street with a 35mph speed limit. The cop said I was riding dangerously. The judge threw the ticket out after viewing the dashboard camera tape.

I didn't get a ticket... just a warning but I do wonder if the cop that pulled me over had video footage. That would have been great to get a copy. I should have asked. He was pretty nice about it and seemed more concerned for my safety rather than trying to harass me. Anyone know if people can request copies of footages... if anything to use in their defense?

Cops suck......

I have lost count, think I might just start wearing spandex...baggy kakhi shorts white tshirt, spd's, helmet and a camelbak just stands out in Bubbaland/Pasadena, TX.

One time for a stop sign.

One time for busting the school zone. The cop gave me a warning, and was scratching his head and "...Just can't understand how you can even go over 15 on a flat ground, on a mtn. bike...."

The worse was the when I got pulled over for "fitting the description of a flasher". I found it funny, there were 3 cars, and 2 motorcycles surrounding me. I thought they were going to get me for busting the stop sign in the parking lot. I had people pulling through the parking lot looking at me like I was dangerous. The best part was after they ran my history, they had me pull my helmet off, to find my hair was too long. That was just on the way to lunch! I had it happen again on the way home. This time was a new set of cars. They cop went to check my record, when one of the prior motorcycle cops pulled up, recognized me, and let me on my way. I did not ride near home for a week after that.

I got a ticket for failure to come to a full stop at a stop sign. (Folks in the S.F. Bay area might know the intersection of Alpine & Portola in Portola Valley.) Crazy! Because it was a right-hand turn in a bike lane that extended around the corner!

Early 80's.i got pulled over because the way i always went was through the park,slowly until i was out,lots of kids.I guess parents had a problem of me doing this so before i could go through,cops,yea 2 cars stop me.Hands on the hood,bike on the ground.Put me in the car,leave my bike,drive around and tell me i was making trouble for myself and to ride somewhere else,half hour latter they drop me off at a shopping center.Never saw my bike again.Gota love'em.I've said it over and over,cops can and do what they want and really,answer to,well not the people that pay them,US.

If I got a ticket for going 55mph in a 35mph zone I would probably frame it :)

I was once pulled over and delayed for almost fifteen minutes because I was 'holding up traffic'.

Originally posted by Allister
I was once pulled over and delayed for almost fifteen minutes because I was 'holding up traffic'.

The even funnier thing about that (okay so I use the term "funny" rather loosely) is that I'll be that same traffic moved just as slowly while you were pulled over as all the drivers took time to gawk.

Way back when the green bike was new and I was communiting to work: I didn't think about time and left for work from Newhall Ca to just past Majic mt. I was crossing a bridge in total darkness when I got pulled over. They were concerned about me and were polite. When I said they couldn;t give some one a ticket for running me over they laughed and said to be careful (for the last 100 yds.).

Hey thanks for the memory

Joe

Originally posted by KleinMp99
Cops suck......

How did I know there would be at least one post along these lines in this thread? :rolleyes:


Originally posted by Allister
I was once pulled over and delayed for almost fifteen minutes because I was 'holding up traffic'.

I would have ridden to the nearest police station, quoted some of those laws currently being discussed on the bike-qld list and reported this guy to the cops for the same thing.

I must be lucky. I've had only two encounters with police while cycling. Once, I ran a stop sign at the bottom of a hill. The only car at the intersection was a police cruiser. The officer had his window down and complained at me for running the stop sign. I apologized and told him it would be a shame to waste all that momentum. Nothing else happened. The other time an officer stopped to see if I was ok while I was taking a break off the bike at the top of a hill.

Originally posted by Chris L
I would have ridden to the nearest police station, quoted some of those laws currently being discussed on the bike-qld list and reported this guy to the cops for the same thing.

I sometimes think I should have followed it up. The officer was a Senior Sergeant after all and should have known better, but I wasn't 100% sure of the facts myself at the time (for the full story, if you're interested, read this (http://www.dstc.edu.au/ListArchive/bikeqld/archive/2001/11/msg00070.html)). Either way, I didn't receive a ticket, so I let it go. If I was ticketed, you can be sure I would have fought it all the way.

I'm just waiting for it to happen again though. Riding on the Story Bridge seems to bring out the worst in drivers, even cops.

http://www.bikehighway.com/cyclinglaws.htm

Utah Law-41-6-87.8. Bicycle and moped inspections -- At request of officer.

A peace officer may at any time upon reasonable cause to believe that a bicycle or moped is unsafe or not equipped as required by law, or that its equipment is not in proper adjustment or repair, require the person riding the bicycle or moped to stop and submit the bicycle or moped to an inspection and a test as appropriate.

Amended by Chapter 138, 1987 General Session

41-6-88. Bicycles and mopeds -- Carrying bundle -- One hand on handlebars.

A person operating a bicycle or moped may not carry any package, bundle, or article which prevents the use of both hands in the control and operation of the bicycle or moped. A person operating a bicycle or moped shall keep at least one hand on the handlebars at all times.

Amended by Chapter 138, 1987 General


Two more stupid laws in utah.

Same roads
SAME RIGHTS
Same rules

UTKlein, those 2 laws are pretty uniform for every state, not just UT.

-Middi-zon

Originally posted by UTKlein
http://www.bikehighway.com/cyclinglaws.htm

Utah Law-41-6-87.8. Bicycle and moped inspections -- At request of officer.

A peace officer may at any time upon reasonable cause to believe that a bicycle or moped is unsafe or not equipped as required by law, or that its equipment is not in proper adjustment or repair, require the person riding the bicycle or moped to stop and submit the bicycle or moped to an inspection and a test as appropriate.

Amended by Chapter 138, 1987 General Session

That is gay.

What do you mean exactly by it being 'gay'?

Keep looking. I can almost guarantee you'll find a similar requirement, possibly an even more stringent one, applies to motorists. I know that every car here in QLD needs a roadworthy certificate before it is registered, and they don't come cheap. I had a friend back in tassie have his car removed from the road until he had certain things fixed as well.



Originally posted by UTKlein
41-6-88. Bicycles and mopeds -- Carrying bundle -- One hand on handlebars.

A person operating a bicycle or moped may not carry any package, bundle, or article which prevents the use of both hands in the control and operation of the bicycle or moped. A person operating a bicycle or moped shall keep at least one hand on the handlebars at all times.


What's so unreasonable about that one? There's similar clauses here in Aus, and noone seems to have a prolem with them. Again, if you read the entire rules I can almost guarantee there'll be similar rules requiring motorists to maintain control of the vehicle at all times.

I am just getting back into cycling after about an 8 year break. Just found this forum yesterday and have to say it's great. They didn't have this kind of thing when I was just starting out.

Any way, I was a bike messenger in LA and Houston for about 5 years. In LA the cops didn't pay any attention to us. Too much other stuff to worry about. In Houston I had no problems until they started using bike cops downtown. I must have been stopped 3 or 4 times the first 3 months they started patrolling. Never a ticket just warnings. And I was one of the more conservitive messengers around. I knew severall that lost jobs because they couldn't afford to keep getting tickets. If you crossed one of the cops you would be watched like a hawk for any violations.
About carrying packages, the largest that I remember is a full size computer case. Remember this was in the late 80's-early 90's and they were pretty large and heavy. You could barely get your arm around one. But nothing was worse than carrying a load of balloons 10 blocks. Just impossible to control in any kind of breeze. I was never stopped for any unsafe loads.

IT'S A bike! Not a 3000lb car barreling down the road at 70MPH. I don't need some law telling me that I need my hands on my handlebar. Anyone with common sense can discern that. If there is a remote chance that I would wreck, I would have my hands on the handlebar. I also understand that they do it so you wouldn't swerve out in the road by accident. This is common sense I don't need some law telling me how to do EVERYTHING on my bike; or in my life for that matter. If that is not enough, they need to inspect the bike too. Before long we’ll be paying property taxes on bikes.

I believe in obeying the law, but that doesn't mean that they are fair, just and equitable.

A bike is not an automobile! No matter what the government says. It is powered by a human, and humans have limits. A car is powered by a motor which can have its limits, but is capable of exceeding the power of a human so many times over and over.

They do not give us the same rights, but expect us to abide by the same rules.

This is what I am saying!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Chris L
[B]How did I know there would be at least one post along these lines in this thread? :rolleyes:

Well, because they do?---->?

Originally posted by KleinMp99
Well, because they do?---->?

So you'd rather live in a society with no cops then? Interesting...

One time, I flatted at the top of a hill. It just happened to overlook a secure facility, so the cops came and checked me out. The cop treated me like I was some type of criminal, but I didn't mind since they were just doing their job.

The other time, I got stopped by a cop that wanted to check my bike out. He was new to cycling and he figured it was ok to use his cop powers to stop me. As we were talking, he got a call so he had to hop in his car and turn on his sirens and speed away. Ironically, the call was to a donut shop. I don't know what happened, but when I passed the donut shop on my bike, there he was eating a donut in front of the shop.

Once, - for not having a bell and a forward/aft reflectors. I got away with just a warning. These items are obligatory in Denmark, even on racebikes.
No, I will not put them on my racebike, ever.

Once, - for not having a bell and a forward/aft reflectors. I got away with just a warning. These items are obligatory in Denmark, even on racebikes.
No, I will not put them on my racebike, ever.
yeah, there's an exception in Germany for race-bikes (i think something if less than 11kg or whatever although they now extend it to MTB too). of course at night you still need a front and rear light, which is resonable (but good you don't have to bolt that stuff to your race bike especially DURING the day)

in the US (Texas, Oregon, Massachusetts) i have never been stopped while on the bike in many years of riding... seems to me like for the most part police in the US ignore cyclists unless 1) they are looking for a suspect and would stop you if you were walking - not anything to do with the bike or your riding, or 2) they want to harass someone or are doing so b/c someone has complained.

in Germany i was stopped once for running a red light at 3am in the morning (i treated as a stop sign and proceeded after stopping and got a warning), and once a few weeks ago for riding on a pedestrian path (my apartment is right by the river and to get to the bike trail i have to ride about 100 meters through the park on a pedestrain trail - i got a warning but was told it would cost €10 next time)

As a teenager, I was stopped once just for riding my bike really late one night. Suspicious, I guess. Nothing came of it; I suppose I passed the "interview".

In recent years, I've not been stopped. I have been dogged by police at night, though. I ride sometimes on a state route at night; it's usually a very busy road but in the evening there's not so much traffic. I was heading east on this road one night, and a sheriff was coming west. My bluish HID light looks like an alien spacecraft from the front. John Law was curious. He slowed considerably. When he saw I was a cyclist, he just kept on. A few minutes later he passed me from behind. Perhaps he was checking to see if I had adequate rear lighting.

Later, he was waiting for me at an intersection. Again, he didn't stop me. He just sat there in a parking lot and watched me ride past. I turned at this intersection, and a few minutes later he came up behind me again. No stop; he just rolled on by to make sure I knew he was following me.

Riding a bicycle is suspicious behavior, I guess.

I was stopped in Virginia after some idiot ran me off the road. Classic pinch maneuver the guy pinched me against the curb, I had to jump the curb while next to the car. After I got past this and turned left onto my street a cop pulled me over. He couldn't give me a real reason that he pulled me over but scratched the paint on my bike to see what color it was underneath. He thought it must have been stolen. (the bike was black and had always been so). Eventually he let me go home. Of course it was now dusk and he made me walk my bike as it was now too dark to ride without a light. This was in a hick college town 15 years ago what do you expect?

-Duncan