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Lately, on our group rides, police cruisers are intercepting and pulling us over. The sherrif's deputy informs us that the local community has brought to their attention that "bikers" are breaking traffic laws. They even have pictures of bikers running red lights! He than informed us that if we break the law, we will be ticketed. We all listen attentively, and like 4th grade students being repremanded, nod with understanding. As I mentioned, this exact same thing has occurred twice within the last ten days. Some would say, "Thank-you officer for letting us know, that if we break the law, we will be ticketed".:innocent: Others wonder if they are also pulling over cars to inform them of the samething.:rolleyes: But almost all are saying that we are being harrassed!:mad:
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Seems pretty simple. Obey the laws and no more problems.
I would point out that this is discriminatory if they are not also watching the cars as well.
Az
Police are pulling over cyclists for no other reason except to tell them to follow traffic laws, even though they were not breaking any at the time of being pulled over?
Al
This is also why cyclists who run red light get me quite ticked off. You can tell they do it completely on purpose, and they make all cyclists look like @sses that don't give a whoot about road rules. I do admit that on very quiet residential streets and I will roll through stop signs is there is no one around, but I WILL stop completely if there are pedestials, cyclists, or any other type of vehicle anywhere near the intersection.
Happy riding,
André
If you get intercepted again, interrupt the officer before they launch into their latest tirade and simply ask if you are being detained. If the answer is no, ask if you can go on about your business. If they insist on telling you what they are up to, ask if they have cause to believe you are breaking the law and again ask if you are being detained. Keep interrupting them until they let you go... or do something even more illegal than what they are already doing. By intercepting you and stopping you without any cause whatsover, they are infringing on your Fourth Amendment rights (if you let them) and need to be educated about that...
They might think they are doing you a favor by warning you before ticketing, and maybe others out there might think the same, but stopping you without any cause is infringing on your rights.
Imagine the outrage if they started pulling over random or groups of motorists and informing them that there have been complaints about autos breaking the laws, they have pictures, and they will be enforcing those laws...
If you want to get proactive about it, have everyone in your group ride call the same law enforcement agency to say that they see cars breaking the law "all the time" and ask them to do something about all those autos breaking the law out there. Get pictures/video, too.
Seems pretty simple. Obey the laws and no more problems.
Except they ARE obeying the law. Yet even given that, they've already been pulled over twice for NO reason. How many times is acceptable? 2? 10? 500? None?
Riding a bike does not exclude one from one's constitutional rights.
... Brad
Except they ARE obeying the law. Yet even given that, they've already been pulled over twice for NO reason. How many times is acceptable? 2? 10? 500? None?
Riding a bike does not exclude one from one's constitutional rights.
... Brad
They even have pictures of bikers running red lights!
Are they obeying the law? Really???
Are they obeying the law? Really???
Oh, I get it, since there are many thousands of pictures of motorists breaking the speed limit and running red lights that means I don't obey the law and should be pulled over and told if I do break the law I will be ticketed.
Al
Are they obeying the law? Really???
They have pictures of OTHER riders on bikes breaking the law. How does that equate to pulling over this group? Should they pull over every auto on the roads because they have pictures of other autos running red lights or speeding?
It's harassment - pure as it gets.
... Brad
They have pictures of OTHER riders on bikes breaking the law. How does that equate to pulling over this group? Should they pull over every auto on the roads because they have pictures of other autos running red lights or speeding?
It's harassment - pure as it gets.
... Brad
Sounds like it to me too... as long as indeed they are obeying the law. If the pics are of them running lights... well, start writing tickets and get on with it.
It's been a while since I had crim, but an LEO doesn't have a right to pull over a person breaking no laws, to inform them of the laws or warn them. It wouldn't fall under a "Terry Stop" if memory serves.
I'd ask the officer if you are free to leave as soon as he pulls you over.
WHy does the entire group stop? One should stop, if front of the cop, the rest should continue.
I think they should skip the warnings and just start ticketing.
I would point out that this is discriminatory if they are not also watching the cars as well.
Discriminatory is the standard operating procedure. That's the way they want it, so they can pull over whomever they like, whenever they like.
I think they should skip the warnings and just start ticketing.
They must stop the pulling over of cyclists who have not been observed breaking any law.
Instead they should pull over cyclists and motorists observed breaking the law and give either a warning or a ticket.
Systematically it would be ideal if when the public complains about traffic violations - even if they involve specific vehicle types, then any enforcement increase is applied to all vehicles/drivers at the specific location or area the complaint is about.
Al
I am glad to see that Pompano Beach's friendly councilors have made some suggestions on how to be better citizens! I think that rather than ride, you all should consider participating in church related social activities.
If you get intercepted again, interrupt the officer before they launch into their latest tirade and simply ask if you are being detained. If the answer is no, ask if you can go on about your business. If they insist on telling you what they are up to, ask if they have cause to believe you are breaking the law and again ask if you are being detained. Keep interrupting them until they let you go... or do something even more illegal than what they are already doing. By intercepting you and stopping you without any cause whatsover, they are infringing on your Fourth Amendment rights (if you let them) and need to be educated about that...
They might think they are doing you a favor by warning you before ticketing, and maybe others out there might think the same, but stopping you without any cause is infringing on your rights.
Imagine the outrage if they started pulling over random or groups of motorists and informing them that there have been complaints about autos breaking the laws, they have pictures, and they will be enforcing those laws...
If you want to get proactive about it, have everyone in your group ride call the same law enforcement agency to say that they see cars breaking the law "all the time" and ask them to do something about all those autos breaking the law out there. Get pictures/video, too.
+1
How dare you have the audacity to actually ride a bike on the road? Don't you know the roads are owned by the drivers that "complained." The cops are just doing their job keeping you off roads owned by complaining car drivers.
I would get the badge numbers of the cops and file a formal complaint for stopping you for absolutely no reason.
Or you could be a dick and next time it happens immediately ask the cop why you are being detained and ask if you are free to go, if he says yes, then go, if not, then immediately call his super, a sargeant or LT, have them document it and then sue the dept for false arrest/detention.
I think they should skip the warnings and just start ticketing.
You have got to be kidding, right? Ticketting for what? The cops admit that no one in the group had broken any law.
They should give preemptive tickets? Thats Alice in Wonderland justice. "Sentence first! Trial later. Off with their heads!"
......If you want to get proactive about it, have everyone in your group ride call the same law enforcement agency to say that they see cars breaking the law "all the time" and ask them to do something about all those autos breaking the law out there. Get pictures/video, too....
Bingo! Advocacy at its most effective.
roughstuff
How dare you have the audacity to actually ride a bike on the road? Don't you know the roads are owned by the drivers that "complained." The cops are just doing their job keeping you off roads owned by complaining car drivers.
So according to you, your situation, which was already discussed enough, did not involve the community reporting bicyclist law-breaking. You said that they simply didn't like bicyclists on the road. In this case, the cops said that bicyclists have apparently been breaking laws. Now you are trying to connect the two. Can you explain the relationship?
This happens either because a powerful individual, or a group like a well-organized local homeowner's association, which has channels to the local police department, have complained about "cyclists."
The police stop groups of cyclists, and then they can tell the complainant "yes, sir, we're doing something about it. We conducted 643 cyclist safety stops last week. We think they're getting the message."
Of course, the message you're really meant to get is, "get the h*ll out of my subdivision lycra boy!"
So according to you, your situation, which was already discussed enough, did not involve the community reporting bicyclist law-breaking. You said that they simply didn't like bicyclists on the road. In this case, the cops said that bicyclists have apparently been breaking laws. Now you are trying to connect the two. Can you explain the relationship?
You better go back and read my posts and get your story straight before you make accusations that I am making things up. In my case, the cops said residents had complained about cyclists on the road, riding in big groups. IN this case, the OP says the "community had complained" of bikers. In both cases, the cops harrass cyclists.
Can the similarities be any greater? Only an anal retentive nit picker would say otherwise.
That's profiling. Plan and simple. You are riding a bike, the fuzz considers you a potential lawbreaker. Get name a badge number, then file complaint against the officer, not the department.
You P-B riders should all do two things:
1.)rejoice that you live in such a crime-free area that cops have the time to do this silly shizzle; AND:
2.) ride VERY, VERY carefully -- they have all this free time, so they're gunning for your *****!
You better go back and read my posts and get your story straight before you make accusations that I am making things up. In my case, the cops said residents had complained about cyclists on the road, riding in big groups. IN this case, the OP says the "community had complained" of bikers. In both cases, the cops harrass cyclists.
Can the similarities be any greater? Only an anal retentive nit picker would say otherwise.
I believe my story is "straight." You are failing to mention the fact that your story involved a community complaining about bicyclists using "their" roads, while this story involves a community complaining about alleged illegal activity. I think there is a difference. I agree that both cases involved cops harassing cyclists, but I do not agree that we can call these two stories the same thing.
And please stop using dramatic statements to try to argue your point. It's only annoying and makes people not take you seriously.
vehicular bike!
follow the law and it's got your back, no argument.....(and not that hard to do)!
i think the cops can find more important issues to deal with than true vehicular bicyclists.
if harrassment is issue, try helmet mounted camcorders and youtube/bf pix!
t
i think pulling over 1 at a time, just the last person on the group stops. a little legal civil disobedience (is lawful behavior even disobedience then? I digress) that one asks if he's being detained, and for what.
Have le lanterne pull wide into the lane; slowing the lane and cop down while the rest of the peloton continues to ride. Cop can't very well run a bicyclist down to get to 49 other law abiding citizens!
He can stall, hem and haw, and discuss but if the bicyclist is left with an unlawful order ( not being detained but told to 'stay right there') and the cop leaves, the cyclist can then hop back on the bike, proceed further down the road and pass the next stopped cyclist, and so on.
getting this on video would be key. if they call in 'backup' you guys could likely have a real fun time, as you will have done nothing illegal! I'm sure there's got to be at least ONE bike lawyer in Floridia!
I believe my story is "straight." You are failing to mention the fact that your story involved a community complaining about bicyclists using "their" roads, while this story involves a community complaining about alleged illegal activity. I think there is a difference. I agree that both cases involved cops harassing cyclists, but I do not agree that we can call these two stories the same thing.
And please stop using dramatic statements to try to argue your point. It's only annoying and makes people not take you seriously.
Boy, you really took the bait, hook line and sinker. I said only the anal retentive would nit pick at the point I was making and what did you do, nit pick the point! Thank you.
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