Southern California - Beverly Hills Cop

http://laist.com/2007/09/04/beverly_hills_c.php

Wow, Alice. Just wow.

If true, then the cyclist should be able to have the ticket dismissed. But the story seems too one-sided to me. Both the Explorer driver and the police officer yell at the cyclist for no reason. I can imagine the Explorer driver doing that but then having the officer also yell without cause? Something in the story doesn't add up or some detail is missing.

If true, the ticket is the least worrying aspect of the whole episode.

Boo... But when the court date arrives, the judge will rule in favor of the cyclist. Well, the judge should rule in favor of the cyclist and hopefully chew out the police officer for being a dumbass.

I'm genuinely pissed off. I ride though Beverly Hills a lot.

This just doesn't surprise me at all. Since it is Beverly Hills, and it's all about money, they'd rather support someone with an ultra expensive luxury car, than a cyclist.

this article seems a little one-sided.

I remember when we had a city wide power outage about 10 years ago. Because of some work I was doing I had to drive from Burbank into Beverly Hills, during the black out. I remember that everybody was really well behaved on the way there. Cars would treat all the dead intersections like a four way stop sign and everybody was orderly. Until you got into Beverly Hills. It was pure anarchy. Cars were running lights and jumping out of turn. A couple of intersections the traffic just flowed right thru and if you had to cross you took your chances. Since then I've always thought Beverly Hills was where the worlds most selfish drivers live. What a bunch of idiots that day.

STeve

I remember when we had a city wide power outage about 10 years ago. Because of some work I was doing I had to drive from Burbank into Beverly Hills, during the black out. I remember that everybody was really well behaved on the way there. Cars would treat all the dead intersections like a four way stop sign and everybody was orderly. Until you got into Beverly Hills. It was pure anarchy. Cars were running lights and jumping out of turn. A couple of intersections the traffic just flowed right thru and if you had to cross you took your chances. Since then I've always thought Beverly Hills was where the worlds most selfish drivers live. What a bunch of idiots that day.

STeve

Every day. A close second to Brentwood.

u lock justice for all!

Sad to say this, but it doesn't really surprises me. :(

What sucks is if you live between Beverly Hills and Brentwood like I do.

I used to be able to play 'Axel F' on my Casio keyboard.

"You're not gonna fall for the banana in the tailpipe?"


...maybe the cop screamed "You idiot!" because he just can't control his outbursts, and society has shunned him, and he was abused as a child. Although his abuse does not excuse the abuse the cyclist received, yet it's bad form to begrudge him his abuse...for the cyclist would become an 'Abuse abuser', and said cyclist can be sent to jail for hate crime.

...maybe the cop screamed "You idiot!" because he just can't control his outbursts, and society has shunned him, and he was abused as a child. Although his abuse does not excuse the abuse the cyclist received, yet it's bad form to begrudge him his abuse...for the cyclist would become an 'Abuse abuser', and said cyclist can be sent to jail for hate crime.

:roflmao:

Mo, your posts could be considered hate crimes in some jurisdictions!

This just doesn't surprise me at all. Since it is Beverly Hills, and it's all about money, they'd rather support someone with an ultra expensive luxury car, than a cyclist.

A ford explorer is hardly expensive, and is in no way a luxury car.

Not so sure I believe this article at all. However Ive heard worse, and Ive come to expect cops to ignore cyclists and there rights at times. Anyway, I hope that cop gets suspended without pay then is made to patrol on bicycle for a period of one month.:D

Honking and almost hitting are kind of a non-issue in my book. It's always traumatic, but it sounds like someone is going to need to grow some thicker skin if they want to ride in Los Angeles.

Hello,

To a point, I agree with some of the sentiments about needing to have a thicker skin if you are going to ride in the wilds of Beverly Hills. However, if the description of the police response to the incident is true then there certainly needs to be a legal and administrative (police department) remedy. The officer's response to the situation is outrageous! :mad:

its a shame when so many people today believe what they read on the internet that is being passed off as "news" or "journalism". this "article" fails just about every piece of journalistic ethics standards and practices. how come no one was interviewed ? how come the writer gave so few FACTS but so many judgments and opinions ?
i would implore people to stop reading garbage like this that is poisoning so many people in this country.

http://illuminatela.com/beverly-hills-cop/

http://illuminatela.com/beverly-hills-traffic-commission/

Unfortunately, that article falls short due to the high emotion in the language (the slant that others here have pointed out).

And, unfortunately, whether we'd like to think that a cyclist is safe and sane and within their due rights to be riding that stretch of Wilshire...in reality, it simply isn't so.

Reading the article, my gut response was: "Who the heck in their right mind bikes there?" Just not worth it. Given the street layout, the traffic, the distraction of the drivers, it is: Just. Plain. CRAZY.

Am I saying this incident is the cyclist's fault, or, disputing his/her claims? No way.

Am I arguing for a serious reality check? Oh, hell yes.

I hate, hate, hate to even drive through that part of Bev Hills. I consider it one of the most "challenging" (read: dangerous) areas to drive in all of SoCal.

I would not ride there, period.

And, unfortunately, whether we'd like to think that a cyclist is safe and sane and within their due rights to be riding that stretch of Wilshire...in reality, it simply isn't so.

In reality, you're wrong.

http://illuminatela.com/beverly-hills-cop/

http://illuminatela.com/beverly-hills-traffic-commission/

I wonder how big of a turnout they got with such a short notice. :rolleyes:

its a shame when so many people today believe what they read on the internet that is being passed off as "news" or "journalism". this "article" fails just about every piece of journalistic ethics standards and practices. how come no one was interviewed ? how come the writer gave so few FACTS but so many judgments and opinions ?
i would implore people to stop reading garbage like this that is poisoning so many people in this country.

Yeah, I really miss real "news" and "journalism" like that put out by CBS and Dan Rather. :rolleyes: Face it, it's all slanted, just realize that gong in.

If at the court date the cyclist's story is true and the cop is not punished, I call for a critical mass ride!

My letter to the BH Police Department and their response:

Dear*Chief Snowden,
*
If (and its a BIG IF) there is a lick of truth to the below story, your officer D. Prenesti #42, ought not only be ashamed of himself, administrative action on your part should be taken.
We are all well aware of urban legends and stories....and these stories can get out-of-hand quickly by an anonymous poster on an internet blog.
*
I will wait until there is a public hearing about this matter. I don't believe that intersection is safe for bicyclists, but there is no law preventing them from traveling on a bicycle through that area. Similarly, its perfectly legal for a caucasian woman in a convertible to drive through Watts alone at 2am in the morning.......just not too bright. That isn't the point though, the bicyclist was in their right to travel upon the public streets, the SUV driver was out-of-line and your officer should have handled this matter differently (provided the story is accurate).
*
Its almost impossible to receive a traffic citation (unless there is an accident) unless the infraction*was witnessed by a police officer. The story insinuates that the officer wrote a ticket solely upon the witness statement from the SUV driver. I'd challenge you to show another example of a typical moving vehicle ticket written by one of your officers for a traffic infraction that did NOT involve an accident or physical damage simply via a single witness statement.
*
Last Friday morning a motorist in Torrance attacked a bicycle commuter with a golf club. The motorist was arrested for felonly assault. There are too many motorist out there that don't understand our rights as bicylists and the story*suggests that your officer needs some lessons about bicyclist's rights. (again provided the story is accurate or semi-accurate).
*
I look forward to hearing more about this story and its conclusion.
*
Sincerely,

E

From the BH PD:

E,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us about this incident. I also want to thank you for remaining open minded. Just like all "stories", this one has two sides to it. For perspective, we wrote over 8,000 citations last year. Of those citations, 4 were written to bicyclists. In this particular case, the rider's actions prompted two people to call the Police Department and request we intervene. Due to privacy issues, I can only tell you that the bicyclist received a citation and possibly could have been arrested by the officer. Nevertheless, we hold our officers to incredibly high standards and expect them to treat everyone with the utmost of respect. For that reason, we are conducting a personnel investigation. If it is determined the officers actions fell short of our ideals, he will be retrained or disciplined (depending on the circumstances). I wish I could go into further detail, but I hope this provides enough information for you to make an enlightened decision about our agency.
Sincerely,

Lt. Mitch McCann
Executive Officer
Beverly Hills Police Department
(310) 285-2100

Damn cops and cagers...



/kidding!
//actually, that's the sort of 'other side of the story' I was expecting.
///The truck, you won't bleev this, the truck, man...it just stopped, man...it just stopped! Y'all got some jumper cables...can ya give me a jump?

\\\Disturbing the peace? I got thrown out of a window! What's the ****in' charge for getting pushed out of a moving car, huh? Jaywalking?

\\\Philip! Philip, is that you. They said that wasn't you, but I knew it was. Hey man, what's with all the hostility"

In reality, you're wrong.

LOL! Touche.

And, you're right.

My generalization was too sweeping. For *me*, that stretch of road is a no-go under *most* circumstances. For others--more skilled cyclists, for example -- the reality will be different.

so whats this about a motorist in torrance hitting a cyclists with a golf club ? where did this happen ? when did it happen ? last week i saw a cyclist down on the ground on pch at aprox pv blvd and they were waiting for an ambulance. i didnt hear anyt details about that case.

Fodder for my blog. My original post (http://www.industryoutsider.com/?p=167) doesn't have anything new, but I came up with a decent follow up (http://www.industryoutsider.com/?p=168).

Steve Box writes in the LAist
LAist blog entry (http://laist.com/2007/09/07/beverly_hills_c_1.php#more)

Capt. Curtis of the Beverly Hills Police Department appeared before the BH Traffic Commission to address one issue, the “SUV vs. Cyclist” incident on August 21, 2007 that resulted in a citation for the cyclist and nothing for the motorist.
Although the posting still didn't go into the full details of the incident, it did mention the following:

* Beverly Hills will create a Bicycle Advisory Committee
* The BHPD received e-mail complaints from as far away as Australia
* Ultimately, the internal investigation will be reopened. The cited cyclist was introduced to Lt. McCann, the head of the Professional Standards Unit (the cyclist claimed he was not contacted as part of the initial internal investigation)


And a great epilogue, where no one gets hurt, and a bad guy gets busted.

Steve Box writes in the LAist
LAist blog entry (http://laist.com/2007/09/07/beverly_hills_c_1.php)

And a great epilogue, where no one gets hurt, and a bad guy gets busted.

bad link, I have it fixed in the quote. That ending is priceless.

bad link, I have it fixed in the quote. That ending is priceless.

The ending is funny.