Commuting - pushed by police officer

On my way to work today, I'm heading down 2nd Ave S in downtown Minneapolis. About mid-block I'm heading towards a green light when I see a police officer step out off the sidwalk into the way of oncoming traffic. I look at him and he definitely saw me, but he didn't have his hand up in a "stop" signal. So, I assume he's going to let me go by, as I'm already basically past him. As I get a little closer he steps back towards the curb in the direction of my path and is having a fit. As I see this I slam on the brakes and at about 5mph or less I get next to him and he raises his big D-cell maglight like he's going to hit me with it. Instead he just gave me a little shove in the shoulder, just enough to make me put my foot down to avoid falling over. He's screaming and yelling asking what I'm doing try to "fly past him". Apparantly he was going to let a car out of a parking ramp, which is why he stepped into the street. "You could have gotten hit by that car, you could have hit me, it's dangerous to ride your bike downtown". After a nice little lecture and me just listening to him explaining what I thought he meant, he says to go on and I have myself a good chuckle about it. Riding a bike downtown is marginally dangerous, but not nearly as dangerous as pushing someone who's riding a bike.
Being a traffic cop has to be a pretty crappy job, almost being run down by cars all day, so I can see why he was so uptight. But the pushing, that just didn't rub me the right way. Considered asking him for a badge number but I was about to be late for work and he's got a hard enough job as it is. His already negative attitude torards bicycles need not be furthered.

In any case, that was quite the interesting commute.

I like your attitude. It's honest and refreshing.

On my way to work today, I'm heading down 2nd Ave S in downtown Minneapolis...I see a police officer step out off the sidwalk into the way of oncoming traffic...I slam on the brakes...he just gave me a little shove in the shoulder, just enough to make me put my foot down to avoid falling over...
What a dumb thing for him to do. I'm glad you're ok.

Was he actually shoving you or did it seem like a shove from your forward momentum? He might have in a way been trying to hold you in case you were to proceed in front of the car coming out of the ramp which probably wouldn't have seen you.
I doubt he would've purposely pushed you. I live in NYC and there are more than enough corrupt cops out there but I still hold out hope.

I would have politely listened to the "lecture", politely let it go in one ear and out the other, then politely paid a little visit to the police station later on and filed a formal complaint.

He should have used a signal and a whistle. There is no excuse for making physical contact with you.

Was he actually shoving you or did it seem like a shove from your forward momentum? He might have in a way been trying to hold you in case you were to proceed in front of the car coming out of the ramp which probably wouldn't have seen you.
I doubt he would've purposely pushed you. I live in NYC and there are more than enough corrupt cops out there but I still hold out hope.

Yeah, it was certainly a push. He walked into my path from out of it, the car he was trying to let go wasn't even moving. For about a quarter second when he raised his flashlight I flinched because I seriously thought he was going to club me with it. It was certainly not an attempt to try to stop me from getting hit. It was just a really pissed off reaction because he thought I was trying to ignore his command. A hand signal or anything similar could have avoided our miscommunication, but wouldn't have made for a very interesting story.

Which parking garage? I cannot remember any traffic cops working on 2nd ave.. Anyway there is a bike lane on that avenue, did he try and push you out of the bike lane???

Well I guess it happens, just glad no one was hurt...

Bicycles by definiton are vehicles. If there is no ordinance saying you cannot ride there, then by traffic laws you have the right of way, unless the ociffer stopped you, which you stated he did not. The ociffer also does not have any legal right to touch or push you in any way while you are on your bike, unless you have committed a crime, which you probably did not.
Also since the ociffer is a public servant, he is just as viable to the law as you or me. Given that essentially what the ociffer has done is assault. The ociffer also has no grounds to lecture you on anything. He is guilty of not conforming to traffic laws. Just because he s a ociffer does not mean he can subvert traffic laws whenever he sees fit.

In Russia, KGB used to do things like this. Strange how much America is just like old Soviet Union.

Sounds like he was having a "bad hair day" ? The cop that is.

Which parking garage? I cannot remember any traffic cops working on 2nd ave.. Anyway there is a bike lane on that avenue, did he try and push you out of the bike lane???
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There's a ramp on 7th and 2nd Ave S that hires a cop. The Northstar building ramp.

Anyway, these are NOT traffic cops. They're hired by parking ramps to help their clients leave more easily. Though they're not getting paid by the city, you'll notice that they still wear their uniform and drive a police car. I personally question how much authority they have when not on duty.

Well then if they are not cops, then they need to be reported to cops. If nothing else you have every right to defend yourself.

There's a ramp on 7th and 2nd Ave S that hires a cop. The Northstar building ramp.

Anyway, these are NOT traffic cops. They're hired by parking ramps to help their clients leave more easily. Though they're not getting paid by the city, you'll notice that they still wear their uniform and drive a police car. I personally question how much authority they have when not on duty.

That's hinky... off-duty job using the uniform and squad car, directing traffic? Hinky man... real hinky.

That's hinky... off-duty job using the uniform and squad car, directing traffic? Hinky man... real hinky.

Some of the larger buildings use them to help people get out of the parking garages. However they are not allowed to stop traffic unless there is already a red light at the nearest intersection.

I personally think its dumb and dangerous to drive a car in a downtown area.

Is this common in other cities? Most convenience stores here hire off duty cops to hang out in the store. Like I said, a private business is paying their wages but they still use their cop car to get to their job and they still wear a uniform.

I know that it's been an issue for a while down at city hall.

In Russia, KGB used to do things like this. Strange how much America is just like old Soviet Union.

Things like this happen here all the time, cept the media's usually hush hush about it unless it's real big but if it's big and political, probably still hush hush.

I might take some flak for this but if in the situation that I'm rolling into the direct line of a car I can't see and the cop puts his hand on my shoulder to steady, hold me till the car passes, you know what, it's life I deal with it. I'm not going to go nuts and sue, "oh judge, he put his hand on my shoulder, it was horrible." I can't stand working with people who are like, "don't touch me, you have no right to lay your hands on me!" when I notice them turning into the path of someone with a hot pot of coffee and I put my hands on her shoulder to hold her back. By that definition, I have no right to lean on a car at a light if I'm about to tip cause it's my problem too. Things happen all the time, if I had to go out of my way to report someone whenever something small like that happens, it'll be my full time job. If the cop grabs me by my collar and yanks me back, that'll be a little too much.
I'm not saying you're wrong, just saying that some OTHER people out there like to sue and aim for the throat if they're hit by their neighbor's kid's baseball. Yeah, like suing for half a million dollars and destroying their family, that's what they get for hitting me with a baseball.

Is this common in other cities? Most convenience stores here hire off duty cops to hang out in the store. Like I said, a private business is paying their wages but they still use their cop car to get to their job and they still wear a uniform.

I know that it's been an issue for a while down at city hall.

Rent-a-cops have no place in any kind of security. Some of them don't even know how to load a gun. I know cause two friends of mine at school used to be security guards.

This winter I had an interesting go to with MPLS 5-0. I was on 28th, which is a one way through south MPLS. There was 3 inches of snow. I came up on a stop light behind this patrol car. Light turns green, he sits there, I try to do a track stand in three inches of snow, waiting. He didn't move so I went around him. Well, officer bumbowski decides it's time to move, and pulls around me with his bull horn, "Now you've done it." He procededs to pull up with me and lecture me in the snow how a bike is a vehicle, and I should act like one. I'm like fighting a laugh, at the same time wanting to give him an ear full for blocking traffic at the light playing cop games in traffic, and get his badge number to report him for harassing bicyclists. He finally pulled off and we both went our ways. I was pretty incredulous.
But most MPLS's best seem to turn a blind eye to bikers, well, try riding the Mall, where it is illegal between 6a and 6p unless you're a messenger with a liscense. Try passing a bus, I got a bull horn lecture for that.
In the Uptown area, where biking on the side walk is right out, they don't give two wits.
And MPLS does have a strong bike patrol, saw three of them out yesterday. I don't know if it is the kevlar vest or what, but they still look like they were on the way to Krispy Kremes.

I like your attitude. It's honest and refreshing.

I agree. There's no sense in having a chip on your shoulder and demonstrating it to anyone who crosses you the wrong way. Maybe your reaction will cause to rethink his statement about how bicycles don't belong downtown?

I don't know if it is the kevlar vest or what, but they still look like they were on the way to Krispy Kremes.

I think it's partly their big wierd cop bikes and all of their cop paraphernalia. It makes them look slow and heavy. Riding a tall, upright mountain bike around in the city... seems wierd to me.

And MPLS does have a strong bike patrol, saw three of them out yesterday. I don't know if it is the kevlar vest or what, but they still look like they were on the way to Krispy Kremes.

Haha yeah, I saw two of them riding around inside city center a few days ago. One of them had a horn (squeeky kind) mounted on the bars where the thing you squeeze was a big plastic head of a pig. I thought that was pretty freakin hilarious.

Which parking garage? I cannot remember any traffic cops working on 2nd ave.. Anyway there is a bike lane on that avenue, did he try and push you out of the bike lane???

Well I guess it happens, just glad no one was hurt...

I rode that same route today, rode past the guy again at the same time, he didn't seem to notice. It's on 2nd ave (going south, so no I was not in the bike lane which is only northbound on 2nd ave) between 4th st. and 5th st. Not sure what the building is exactly, couldnt see the sign as I rode by.

Andrew

Rent-a-cops have no place in any kind of security. Some of them don't even know how to load a gun. I know cause two friends of mine at school used to be security guards.

Officially Security guards don't have any more right to shoot a gun than you or I in the state where I live so that is a moot point about the gun. Mostly they are there for show. They don't even have any authority for arrest or anything like that, just a warm blooded alarm system actually.

Good for you that you kept cool and didn't react. Seriously though he has no right to take away your right of way. He can signal the parking lot patron that it is clear to proceed, but come on he is a rent-a-cop when he is off duty (if he is a real cop) and he should stay on the side walk and out of traffic.

Officially Security guards don't have any more right to shoot a gun than you or I in the state where I live so that is a moot point about the gun. Mostly they are there for show. They don't even have any authority for arrest or anything like that, just a warm blooded alarm system actually.

The gun comment was meant as an offbeat form of humor saying they don't know the first thing about real security and don't have much authority to enforce it.

riding to work is still a big joke here in malaysia... so i dont have a problem with policemen here,
...a helmet and other accessories is a must or otherwise i'll be mistaken as an illegal immigrant (most of i.immigrant ride to work)...funny

I would have politely listened to the "lecture", politely let it go in one ear and out the other, then politely paid a little visit to the police station later on and filed a formal complaint.
I agree with Chris...Being polite to the likely irrational is a necessary protection..
Yet, someone in authority need know when they are wrong...He wants you to obey a command, he need communicate that command.. He needs knew that one way or another..
I like to think I normally have a non-combative way of presenting my case when needed...But the irrational just can't accept that. And, I will not stand for saying I can't ride downtown. I would have to deal with that somehow.