Keep a log of your police stops.

[CommuterRun]

Legitimate? It's unconstitutional for the police to stop you for an ID check unless they have probable cause.

I'm not sure that's completely correct. I'd have to see a court ruling. Until then, I'm not worried about it.

[bmclaughlin807]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMaMYL_shxc&eurl=http://www.sltrib.com/ci_7523456

The wannabe lawyering of the driver is reminiscent of some of the confused posts that I have read on this forum.

Big difference between a cop that has a reason to arrest someone and that person failing to follow instructions, and a cop making up excuses to threaten someone.

Although I don't think the use of the taser was necessary.... I can't say that he was not justified.

edit: I find it amusing that he wants the cop to show him the sign.... and then later on admits that he saw the sign and starts saying he hadn't passed it yet....

[bmclaughlin807]

I'm not sure that's completely correct. I'd have to see a court ruling. Until then, I'm not worried about it.

Depends where you are. In SOME places it is lawful... but there has to be SOME reasoning behind it... unfortunately simply 'looking' suspicious can be enough in most of those areas. :(

[John E]

... An email to Internal Affairs and a call to the local field office resulted in assurances that they would speak to, and remind, the officer that I was cycling legally.

I continue to cycle this portion of the freeway and haven't been stopped since.

Nicely handled.

[Blue Order]

I'm not sure that's completely correct. I'd have to see a court ruling. Until then, I'm not worried about it.Actually, I was wrong. Hiibel v. 6th Judicial District of Nevada (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiibel_v._Sixth_Judicial_District_Court_of_Nevada) established that a state statute requiring a person to identify themselves to police did not violate the 4th or 5th amendments.

Note, however, that at issue was the constitutionality of a Nevada statute that required a person who is stopped under "reasonable suspicion" to identify him/herself to the police officer. The constitutionality of the statute was upheld. That's not the same thing as saying a police officer can demand to see your I.D. when reasonable suspicion does not exist. In other words, the police must have a legitimate, constitutionally valid reason-- either "reasonable suspicion" or "probable cause," depending on the statute-- to stop you and ask for your I.D. A "routine I.D. check" is not a constitutionally defensible reason...yet.

[Blue Order]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMaMYL_shxc&eurl=http://www.sltrib.com/ci_7523456

The wannabe lawyering of the driver is reminiscent of some of the confused posts that I have read on this forum.Ooops, looks like the driver isn't done with the officer yet. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071121/ap_on_re_us/taser_motorist).

[urban_assault]

I have been stopped 300 times in 60000 miles.

300 times?! Dude, stop wearing the F**K the Police t-shirt.

:rolleyes:

[Mago]

I dunno. I've gotten stopped a bunch of time with a DWM (Driving While a Minority) in San Anto, when I was in college, dreadlocked and driving a new Dodge Dakota....

Biking... none yet.

[unkchunk]

So the cops admitted to harassing citizens who have done nothing wrong. Sad.

No, they admitted to responding to a complaint. Have you ever seen one of those neighborhood watch signs? You know, the ones with McGruff the crime dog on them. The ones that indicate that people will call the cops. Well, the people do call the cops. It would be more accurate to say that people who live in neighborhoods tend to harass people who are hanging out in that neighborhood when those people who are doing the hanging out don't live there.

[unkchunk]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMaMYL_shxc&eurl=http://www.sltrib.com/ci_7523456

The wannabe lawyering of the driver is reminiscent of some of the confused posts that I have read on this forum.

I guess Chris Rock needs to come out with a new video entitled, "How to Not Get Tased by the Cops." First, obey the speed limit. By obeying the speed limit you stand a very good chance of not getting tased by the cops. When you see a police car on the side of the road, slow down. A police car on the side of the road is generally a hint that there is a police car in the area looking for speeding drivers. When the officer asks to see your license and registration... show the officer your license and registration. Do not say, "What, now?" If I were a police officer, that's where I would have pulled out the taser.

[Chris516]

The police stop cyclist who are not breaking the law more often than they stop drunk drivers per mile and per hour. Keep a log of your stops so this can be proved to a judge.

Charles, Thankyou for suggesting this. I will definitely start to do that.

Christopher

[Chris516]

The police stop cyclist who are not breaking the law more often than they stop drunk drivers per mile and per hour. Keep a log of your stops so this can be proved to a judge.

I was stopped by a cop, several weeks ago when, I was riding on the road, close to rush-hour, just so he could accuse me of weaving. I told his seargant about it because, I didn't appreciate how he let me know he was behind me.

Christopher

[CB HI]

I've never been pulled over while riding, and there were several times where maybe I should have been. However I've been "pulled over" a dozen times while walking. I had broken my tailbone and since I couldn't sit down I would go for some long 2 to 3 hours walks. It seemed like every other day a cop was stopping me and asking for an ID. Sometimes a police car would speed up to me with the lights flashing, stop, shine a light at my face. Then I would hear, "Oh, it's you." and they would drive away.

After a month or two of this I had an opportunity at a convenience store to ask one of the cops what was going on. Ready for the answer? Someone called me in. It seems that unless you are obviously doing something wrong, cops don't do anything. However if someone calls the police and reports on you, the police respond to the call and check it out. If you are polite and cooperative during the first encounter, the next time the cops come they say, "Oh, it's you" and then leave you alone. But if, on the first encounter, you choose to be a d*ckhead... well, let's just say you didn't make any friends that day. And the next time the cops drive up to you they won't say "Oh, it's you" and then leave you alone. They will be thinking, "Oh, it's that d*ckhead again". And they won't be leaving you alone.
No, they admitted to responding to a complaint. Have you ever seen one of those neighborhood watch signs? You know, the ones with McGruff the crime dog on them. The ones that indicate that people will call the cops. Well, the people do call the cops. It would be more accurate to say that people who live in neighborhoods tend to harass people who are hanging out in that neighborhood when those people who are doing the hanging out don't live there.
“And the next time the cops drive up to you they won't say "Oh, it's you" and then leave you alone. They will be thinking, "Oh, it's that d*ckhead again". And they won't be leaving you alone.”

And that is what made it harassment.
In each case previously described, the cyclist committed no crime and broke no law. In each case, the cops knew that the second and subsequent times they stopped each cyclist. The cops should have treated both cyclist the same way on the subsequent stops. Messing with a cyclist who has committed no crime and broken no law, just because the cops don’t like him, is harassment.

[oldster]

Late at night,Darkly lit city street, we were probably 14.Riding double, I was on the top of the handle bars and a car came up behind us.My Pal freaked and we crashed in a pile right in front of the car which had locked up the brakes to keep from hitting us. missed by 3 ft.. It was a cop....He ripped us a new one, Then let us go...Only time..

[JeanCoutu]

Used to get stopped a lot, but these days it happens a lot less.
Lessons learnt in hot to not get bothered by the popo:


Avoid riding in the small hours of the morning, especially with any kind of backpack or container cause they're always looking for robbers and you will "fit the description" even if you can read on their screen that the guy they're looking for is black and you're clearly not...

Especially don't ride a nice bike in the small hours of the morning cause they'll assume you stole it. Getting your nice bike uncaringly & repeatedly flipped over on the street to check the serial will quickly **** up your once nice seat and handlebars/stem. Better to ride something that looks like a beater instead.

Don't look punk cause they'll think you have or are on drugs, will want to search you. Normal-ish clothes make you almost invisible to them.

Don't be in your 20's cause they'll assume you're up to no good. Make your age not immediately apparent.

Don't stop at red lights if there's no cars around, apparently this is "suspicious" and they'll want to have a "chat". Stop & look both ways and then burn the red. (may vary depending where you live.)

If there's a police car on the same road as you, don't turn on a side street even if that's where you intended to go. They'll sometimes believe you're trying to flee from them for this, and they'll likely be rude if they decide to turn around for you.


Well that's about all I can think of just like that.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

Especially don't ride a nice bike in the small hours of the morning cause they'll assume you stole it. Getting your nice bike uncaringly & repeatedly flipped over on the street to check the serial will quickly **** up your once nice seat and handlebars/stem. Better to ride something that looks like a beater instead.
Repeatedly? Where-O-Where is this location where police are alleged to be proactively/aggressively checking serial numbers looking for stolen bicycles? Maybe they asked you to produce the bill of sale and registration papers too? Are you sure you didn't dream up this scenario?

[ChipSeal]

Note, however, that at issue was the constitutionality of a Nevada statute that required a person who is stopped under "reasonable suspicion" to identify him/herself to the police officer. The constitutionality of the statute was upheld. That's not the same thing as saying a police officer can demand to see your I.D. when reasonable suspicion does not exist. In other words, the police must have a legitimate, constitutionally valid reason-- either "reasonable suspicion" or "probable cause," depending on the statute-- to stop you and ask for your I.D. A "routine I.D. check" is not a constitutionally defensible reason...yet.

In Texas, one must show his ID to law enforcement when asked while driving a motor vehicle.

In all other situations, ID is not required to be shown in any circumstance. By law, one is required to give an accurate response to any officer who asks your name and address, and they may hold you while such info is being checked.

It is often prudent and less time consuming to show ones ID. ;)

[SamHouston]

12 years as a messenger in multiple cities, a log book I chucked at a quarter million miles and I can count my police initiated interactions on one hand....I've pulled cops over to help or assist someone else way, way more often than police have stopped me.

You guys have issues.

[JeanCoutu]

Repeatedly? Where-O-Where is this location where police are alleged to be proactively/aggressively checking serial numbers looking for stolen bicycles? Maybe they asked you to produce the bill of sale and registration papers too? Are you sure you didn't dream up this scenario?

This is in quebec city, and I don't appreciate your trolling. KTHXBAI

[I-Like-To-Bike]

This is in quebec city, and I don't appreciate your trolling. KTHXBAI

You posted a fantastic, unique account and expect it to be taken at face value and any doubt is trolling? Yeah sure.

Who cares what you appreciate?

[dynodonn]

Looks like my local LEO have no interest in pulling me over, I just had two pass by me on tonight's commute home. One of the LEOs that passed me was a highway patrol, and he passed me on the right while I was sitting in an intersection waiting to make a left hand turn. The highway patrol are the toughest around my area when it comes to traffic law enforcement, so it looks like I'll be able to keep my streak, of not getting pulled over, going for many more years to come.

[Tude]

?

Even better - I work with some of the downtown established cops and acknowledge them wherever I am - and I'm ALWAYS on a bicycle ... and I run into them all the time at stores, etc, never EVER a problem.

?

I ride early morning, mid day --- and very late at night with full lights, never a problem.

If anything I have a problem with drivers.

What kind of problems are you having?

[I-Like-To-Bike]

?

Even better - I work with some of the downtown established cops and acknowledge them wherever I am - and I'm ALWAYS on a bicycle ... and I run into them all the time at stores, etc, never EVER a problem.

?

I ride early morning, mid day --- and very late at night with full lights, never a problem.

If anything I have a problem with drivers.

What kind of problems are you having?

My guess is that the posters with repeated stops by the police while bicycling have a lot of "problems" that no one on this list will be able to solve.

[kendall]

My 'most likely' cause for the stops I've had I'd have to say is because I have long hair with either a bandanna or ponytail, and normally wear a beard. I don't 'dress' like a bicyclist, just wear regular street or work clothes. couple appearance with my tendancy to ride fast, and it is not unlikely for someone to conclude that it's a stolen bike. Here's a pic of me (with a hair cut because of my daughters wedding two weeks prior) showing my typical dress.

on a side note, I loaned my motorcycle to a good friend of mine a while ago because his was broke down and he needed to get to work. the reason the officer furnished for stopping him was 'he didn't look old enough to be riding a motorcycle' odd thing about that is that he is taller then I am, was wearing leathers and a full helmet.

Don't know about many places, but up here it is not unusual at all to get stopped for any reason whatsoever, one excuse I've had used a couple times is 'I stopped you because I thought your exhaust was loud, but I see it's ok now, can I see your license?'

To be fair, most stops I've had have been in either high class areas, or very low class areas, and I can see where 'high class' people see a scruffy dude riding by on a bicycle would get curious, and it's extremely possible that when riding through low class areas that i's possible I'm in or near 'watched' areas.

I'm not happy about the stops, But I've only had one experience where I was extremely upset over it, felt threatened and would have happily furnished the officer with a ten speed suppository

I could easily avoid the stops if I shaved, cut my hair, and began wearing spandex, but I'm comfortable as I am.

ken.