View Full Version : I can't believe I got buzzed by a ...
... COP! I was riding by myself up a small hill, and around a left-hand turn. I noticed that there were two cars behind me, and the second one was a state police car. I thought to myself ... well, the first car is certainly not going to do anything stupid, as a lot of cars do in my area. In short, I felt safe. Well, the first car took a long time to pass, and only did so after I waved him by. Then it happened.
I heard the cop car drop down a gear or two, as the automatic transmission searched for a gear that would support a full throttle burst. The cop blew by me @ top speed, coming about 6 inches from my handlebars! I was shocked! I sat up, and shrugged my shoulders, as the cop car vanished into the road ahead.
Has anyone else experience such a situation? I'm still a bit in shock, and a bit pissed off over the situation. :mad:
Chris L
08-13-04, 07:06 PM
I've never had a cop do that to me, but if I were you I'd be taking down the details and filing a report anyway -- even if you have to go to a different police station to do it. There is no reason for the police to be above the law.
Never had it happen, and would report it in a heartbeat.
Did you get the car number? Even if you didn't, I would file a complaint. There's no excuse for that kind of behaviour.
qmsdc15
08-13-04, 07:43 PM
Probably late for donuts.
Probably late for donuts.
:roflmao:
I could see that one coming a mile away. Still .......
:roflmao:
LittleBigMan
08-13-04, 09:22 PM
The cop blew by me @ top speed, coming about 6 inches from my handlebars! :mad:
You should be mad.
Now do something.
;)
you dont need a car number for them
just location and time
they will know who was in that area at that time
You should be mad.
Now do something.
;)
I REALLY want to report this guy, but I just know in my little town, I will be the loser in the long-run. It really seems like a no-win situation. I'm still pissed though. :(
make a complaint annoumuosly to the mayor
I live in a small town too but hey we all have the same rights
Note: in Kentucky all autos must give bicycles 3 ft space when passing
I bet most states have something simluar
To you it may have seemed close. From his point of view, he may have seen plenty of room. Where were you on the road. Riding the line, in the lane? You don't say what traffice was like coming in the other direction. Did he have room to swing out. Going around a left hand turn on a hill, maybe he didn't want to cross into the other lane.
How much distance to you require? Was he on the way to a call?
Lets not be so hasty to judge.
Whats the big deal, he was six inches away from you so he didn't clip you. He could have been on a way to a call.
qmsdc15
08-14-04, 06:05 PM
Yeah, maybe its OK! NOT! THREE FEET read my lips! This piece officer was stuck behind a cautious motorist, blasted off as soon as he could. I call it road rage.
How about turning on the siren, biker pulls off the road, and then you go on your (donut) "call"?
What's the problem w passing 6 inches from a handlebar? Oh, nothing, it might be important, benefits out weigh the risks. Worse happens you clear the road of an obstacle.
How big is the shoulder and where exactly were you riding.. Because if your one of those who ride right on the line, then now wonder...
dereknc
08-14-04, 06:31 PM
The cops in my area seem to have a chronic problem with their turn signals. Maybe they should get to a garage to have it checked out.
qmsdc15
08-14-04, 06:46 PM
Ryan, do you ride? What are you saying about riding on the line between road and shoulder? That he should be further into the gutter? Bikes have no right to the road? Or we have the right of way but it's ok if we get killed? Not feeling you, fellow cyclist!
Virginia requires you to ride as close as practicable to the curb or edge of the road, and allows you to ride on the shoulder. Safety often dictates that you take the full lane to be sure you are seen, and I will do this in certain situations. Virginia also says that passing motorists must allow 2 feet when passing.
As far as the cops goes...ask Koffee, she was in town and rode with us this morning. We had a cop pull up at a light blocking the crosswalk for the bike path. When he saw us coming and he couldn't pull out, he backed the car up and waved us on, even though this particular intersection has both stop sign on the bike path and crosswalk, which was not lit in our favor.
mcavana
08-14-04, 07:09 PM
Ryan, do you just have a nice bike hanging in your garage or do you actually ride? what would you have thought in this situation? Young Ryan, I am very dissapointed in you.
Ryan, do you ride? What are you saying about riding on the line between road and shoulder? That he should be further into the gutter? Bikes have no right to the road? Or we have the right of way but it's ok if we get killed? Not feeling you, fellow cyclist!
on the line that seperates the shoulder from the road. Stop putting words in my mouth, I didn't say it was ok for anyone to die on their bike, where did you get that from? Ok I live on a two lane road, with a 6-8ft shoulder and I always see cylcist that pass riding a couple inches from the line, when theres a whole damn should.. I myself ride in the middle of a shoulder. Im just saying that where I am unless a driver actully crosses the shoulder line, its all up to the cyclist how close they are to traffic.
LittleBigMan
08-14-04, 08:16 PM
...I live on a two lane road, with a 6-8ft shoulder and I always see cylcist that pass riding a couple inches from the line, when theres a whole damn should.. I myself ride in the middle of a shoulder. Im just saying that where I am unless a driver actully crosses the shoulder line, its all up to the cyclist how close they are to traffic.
I can see that you do your best to be safe.
But it is actually up to overtaking vehicles to pass safely. That usually means at least 3 feet when overtaking a cyclist, according to most laws. Police, above all, should know the law.
If you are riding safely in the middle of a 6-8 foot shoulder, that should give you at least 3 feet clearance from traffic. If an overtaking cyclist passes you safely, he/she will try to also give you 3 feet, which would put the cyclist at or near the line.
Sometimes its safer to ride a little ways from the edge of the roadway too, did ya ever think of that?
LittleBigMan
08-14-04, 08:26 PM
Sometimes its safer to ride a little ways from the edge of the roadway too, did ya ever think of that?
Where would you ride if you had no shoulder?
it depends, sometimes its good to ride to the edge, sometimes you have to take the lane. I was talking about riding little ways from the edge of the shoulder.
LittleBigMan
08-14-04, 08:48 PM
it depends, sometimes its good to ride to the edge, sometimes you have to take the lane. I was talking about riding little ways from the edge of the shoulder.
I don't know, Ryan... Around here, you don't often get much shoulder, much less 6 to 8 feet of it.
I have to ride to the left of the white line most of the time. That's just reality for me, man.
;)
Its a shame.. I too have many roads like that, I just happen to have a higway that goes on for about 20 miles before hitting no shoulder zone...
Shoulder riding is often more dangerous, because you are less visible. Not to mention the extra debris that can cause accidents, or as I experienced today, an unnecessary flat. We aren't obligated to ride on the shoulders, and drivers aren't entitled to run us of the road or endanger us if we choose to ride on the road where we're supposed to.
Paul L.
08-14-04, 10:42 PM
Sometimes you have to hug the line because it is the only debris free 6 inches of a wide shoulder. We have a lot of glass on the shoulders here in Arizona (why do they serve alchohol in glass containers anyway? Seems kind of dumb as it is just going to end up busted trash somewhere anyway.
I know here in Ky most of the roads dont have a sholder to speak of
and of all the drivers I would expect the most respect from a Cop
and second most from a fellow cyclest
but I guess sometimes thats even a stretch
Acohol is served in a glass bottle, because there is no taste of it and stays fresh longer. Both aluminum and plastic can leave an aftertaste in the beer. Don't blame it on the bottle blame it on the ******* who throws it out the window.
Acohol is served in a glass bottle, because there is no taste of it and stays fresh longer. Both aluminum and plastic can leave an aftertaste in the beer. Don't blame it on the bottle blame it on the ******** who throws it out the window.
You're too young to know.
Chris L
08-15-04, 12:21 AM
I REALLY want to report this guy, but I just know in my little town, I will be the loser in the long-run. It really seems like a no-win situation. I'm still pissed though. :(
You don't have to speak to anyone in your small town. What about the chief commissioner of police in your state?
obviously not..
Hey, I am 14.. I do 63, and 100 mile chairty rides locally such as Sea Gull Century, is prolly the biggest one I attend.. Then each year I do a ride for AIDs vaccine which is a cross state almost like touring type ride. Its fun and I like it. Out of all the rides i've been to I haven't seen anyone my age..http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=372260#post372260
You're not of legal age and I'm sure your State Trooper Dad would certainly disapprove of his little boy drinking underage.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=372260#post372260
You're not of legal age and I'm sure your State Trooper Dad would certainly disapprove of his little boy drinking underage.
Gee this threads taking some strange twists. Now we're narc'in out fellow riders..............
You guys arn't too smart are you? So just because I know the reason beer is produced in bottles, I drink it? No one is too young to know that.. For your information I really don't like the taste of beer. And don't call me little, Im probably bigger than you.
Oh and sorry did I say you guys? I just meant Raiyn.
qmsdc15
08-15-04, 10:44 AM
Sorry, Ryan. I got a little excited. I know you just want everybody to be safe. But passing at 6 inch is not safe just because no one got hurt this time. Sure it's often safer to ride on shoulder, but you will get more flats. If Twahl wants to ride in the middle of the lane to keep from getting buzzed or in the left lane in preparation for a left turn, he's got a right to do so. Unfortunately, it is dangerous and I'm sure he measures the risks involved. On any street we must decide the safest way to proceed, weighing many factors and sometimes choosing the shoulder or sidewalk.
Do places w glass deposit/refund laws have less broken bottles on the roads? I think that would be a good thing here, though drunk drivers will toss 'em anyway. Maybe not as much, and glass recycles easily, we don't need to put it in the landfills...
(The following is for adults only, Ryan you shouldn't be knowing this stuff;)). Glass is best for beer, brown glass helps keep light from spoiling the beer. Don't store bottled beer on it's side, the bottle cap can give the brew a metalic taste.
It is a good idea to inquireabout/report the incident. Before you file a complaint though you may want to find out if the cop got a call he had to responde to. And yes ifficers do get calls they have to responde to, but do not use lights or sirens because they need to run lilent on the way to the call. If he did, he may have had tunnel vision because of an emergency. While that is no excuse for passing you to close as he did, it does happen. Maybe you can encourage the state police dept. to have their officers pay attention in cases like this.
LittleBigMan
08-15-04, 07:28 PM
I always thought the reason they don't put beer in plastic bottles (great thought, as far as glass shards are concerned) is that beer foams like crazy in plastic.
(How about coating the outside of beer bottles in plastic skin? Oops! I just gave away my million-dollar entrepreneurial idea.)
(Can anyone lead a blind man back onto the path? What were we talking about?)
Its not worth the extra cost to wrap glass bottles in plastic..
thats why they use glass to begin with is it's cheaper to use recycled glass than any thing else
Would you put up with abuse from someone you hired? Would you just accept abusive or bad service without reporting it when you go out to a restaurant? Look at it this way: you are paying for the cop's salary. If you are unhappy with their behaviour then you have every right to lodge a complain.
. And don't call me little, Im probably bigger than you.I am 5' 11" i ride this a 59cm frame... Im comfortable.
Wrong again little boy. I'm 6'4" 255. Have a nice day junior.
Im actully 6ft now.. Boy you really are going through alotta trouble looking up old post, don't have nothing better to do? However even though your bigger, I am by no means small. The only people I hear using the phrase little boy to me or any other boy is sickos.. You arn't running around with MJ are you?
Im actully 6ft now.. Boy you really are going through alotta trouble looking up old post, don't have nothing better to do? However even though your bigger, I am by no means small. The only people I hear using the phrase little boy to me or any other boy is sickos.. You arn't running around with MJ are you?
I call them how I see them and you're acting like a spoiled little boy. "My dad who's a ..." who gives a rats rear! You're offering opinions based on little or no knowledge of the facts and you've been doing this since day one. Riding in the rain, lane position, how much room traffic is legally obligated to yield, and now beer in bottles vs. beer in cans. If someone presents the facts proving you're wrong you insult them or call them a dumb***. Go dry off behind your ears "arguing member" because as I see it it's more like "doesn't know what he's talking about but will give an opinion anyway member" Besides with you having less than 200 posts it's no big deal to flip a couple pages
If Twahl wants to ride in the middle of the lane to keep from getting buzzed or in the left lane in preparation for a left turn, he's got a right to do so. Unfortunately, it is dangerous and I'm sure he measures the risks involved. On any street we must decide the safest way to proceed, weighing many factors and sometimes choosing the shoulder or sidewalk.
Absolutely. Although I've only been riding "seriously" for a short while, I have ridden more casually in the country, and in larger cities such as San Antonio. Riding safely is very dynamic. First important decision is choosing the route. If it's a 2 lane highway with a lot of high speed traffic and no safe place to ride, I'm going to avoid it. More rural, less traffic, I may take the lane, although I'm not going to be in the middle of it unless there's no traffic, and I spend about half my time watching my mirror, only a little more than when I'm driving the car. But I digress. The point is that bikes don't have to take to the shoulder. If it's a clear shoulder and there isn't a lane for cars to pass, I'll take the shoulder. Some parts of my regular route I will take the sidewalk, as we're allowed to do so while yielding to pedestrians, and it allows me to avoid a couple of left turns at major intersections. I don't just take the lane because I have the right to do so, I take it when it's prudent to do so. So far my varying approach has worked, I have never had a car related incident on a bike, and haven't had an accident in a car in well over a decade. I did once have a bike ride into the side of me while I was sitting at a red light, but that's an entirely different issue.
Oh, and Ryan is obviously correct on the beer in bottles thing, it's a flavor issue.
Chris L
08-16-04, 03:23 AM
Absolutely. Although I've only been riding "seriously" for a short while, I have ridden more casually in the country, and in larger cities such as San Antonio. Riding safely is very dynamic. First important decision is choosing the route. If it's a 2 lane highway with a lot of high speed traffic and no safe place to ride, I'm going to avoid it. More rural, less traffic, I may take the lane, although I'm not going to be in the middle of it unless there's no traffic, and I spend about half my time watching my mirror, only a little more than when I'm driving the car. But I digress. The point is that bikes don't have to take to the shoulder. If it's a clear shoulder and there isn't a lane for cars to pass, I'll take the shoulder.
I don't know where this idea that taking the lane is somehow "dangerous", my experience (which includes well over 120,000km of riding) provides the opposite. On no fewer than five occasions has a failure to take the lane where necessary resulted in me being hit by a car. There have been many, many other occasions where repeats have only been prevented by being in the middle of the lane. In fact, there is a 3km stretch of my daily commute where that is my default position. The truth of the matter is that most motorists have no idea about what is a safe distance for passing, and as a consequence, I need to make that decision for them. Just for the record, I have done this in plain view of the police on many, many occasions and have yet to receive a ticket or even a warning.
As far as the beer vs plastic goes, I didn't think one could tell the difference anymore after three beers. The real issue has nothing to do with taste, what people do with the by-product is more important. Fact is, throwing bottles out the window of cars (or smashing them anywhere else) is a childish, infantile act. Now when a child misuses a toy in a manner likely to harm themselves or others, responsible parents will take the toy from them. If people are going to act like children with regard to glass bottles, they should be treated like children.
Heres a good article on this... http://www.americanplasticscouncil.org/s_apc/sec.asp?TrackID=&CID=343&DID=1110&VID=86
duracann
08-16-04, 10:06 AM
This thread has been hijacked hardcore :lol:
qmsdc15
08-16-04, 09:50 PM
twahl, exactly what I was trying to say!
Chris L., when I said its dangerous to ride in the middle of the lane, I should also have said it is often the safest line. Unfortunately it's still dangerous...
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