Fifty Plus (50+) - "Run in" with the police

I was out on a 20 mile ride and about 3 miles from home when I approached the intersection of two State roads in my very rural town of Lebanon, CT. I got to the intersection ready to turn right and I noticed a town police cruiser stopped to the left of the intersection pointed in the direction I was intending to go. As I got close, he moved into the intersection and flipped on his lights. I looked around but didn't see anything out of the ordinary and was wondering what was going on. Then after I made the right he followed me through and seemed to be tailing me. "What did I do?", I thought. He pulled along side me and rolled down his window saying, "Want to race to the stop sign?" "Only if there's a beer in it, officer?" He smiled and rode off. And, I realized he had stopped traffic to let me pass safely through the intersection. :)

Every now and again the planets line up just right and there is good karma in abundance.

Isn't it funny how automatically assume the "man" is out to get us?!?! Very cool post!!

:)

Great story. As much trouble as I've been in when I was younger (mostly by accident) I've always felt that Cops are people doing a job like most of us and should be treated with respect. That has usually gotten me a lot of decent treatment by the local constabulary.

Something similar happened once, when I was riding with my family in a local metropark. We were on a bike trail about to cross the street when a park police car stopped in the crossing, blocking our path. I was trying to figure out what silly park rule we had broken when the officer thanked us for having the whole family wear helmets instead of just the kids. Then he gave us coupons for free ice cream.

Moved to the South some 18 years ago. The stereotype is completely backwards. My home state of Maryland has some (not all, of course) very uppity State Police. The police here in Tennessee are as nice as can be. Almost too nice. Well, except for that meter maid(not a real cop) that had me arrested for 'trying to run her down'. Case was thrown out of court almost immediately when a witness backed my story of her walking up to my car, while it was already in motion and knocking on my window. Instead of telling her off for being so stupid, I circled the block to new new parking spot close by. She was mad because she was trying to hand me aparking ticket(unknown to me). Instead of handing it to me after I re-parked, she called the real police and had me arrested at my office in front of my kid that was working for me at the time. We all have a big laugh at it.............now.

Most Police are very nice people. I hate how the media portrays them and the subsequent pre-judging some people do about them.

I noticed a town police cruiser stopped to the left of the intersection pointed in the direction I was intending to go. He pulled along side me and rolled down his window saying, "Want to race to the stop sign?"

I assume you were on your Ducati? Did you win?

Are you related to the major or just the owner of half the business in town?

And though my last reply was just an intended joke - even here, where traffic is not hostile but hugely unskilled and unobservant, on many occasions police cars have just turned up and escorted the bike groups I've been with through junctions and fast road slip ramps, with a cheery wave and a mustachioed smile!

Always good to hear the stories of the good people do, especially the ones who sometimes get put down for doing what their job tells them to do.
Thanks

The reason some of us think that 'the man' is out to get us, is in some places he is. Spend some time in Chicago some time and see what I mean. You can comply with every legal request and if you don't have the correct reverential attitude you're in trouble.

I wish we could hear more about the good things that happen. Any more good contact with the constabulary?

I assume you were on your Ducati? Did you win?

Given my cycling "fitness" it would take the Ducati to win it. :)

The Police Chief of one of the small cities in R. I. is a cyclist and pretty fast also. If a club ride begins in his jurisdiction, we have a police escort until the group is clear of major auto traffic and out into more rural areas. Were it not for this, I would forego some rides beginning in towns.

I wish we could hear more about the good things that happen. Any more good contact with the constabulary?

Sure, on a regular basis the local police ride the river trail in my area and are very friendly.

Great story. As much trouble as I've been in when I was younger (mostly by accident) I've always felt that Cops are people doing a job like most of us and should be treated with respect. That has usually gotten me a lot of decent treatment by the local constabulary.

I was once run off the road by a Brenham, TX cop. He drove up alongside and slowly moved right. Idiot. Most of my interactions have been positive. That one stands out the other way.

Dare I go here.
I ride road bikes, mountain bikes and dirt bikes. On one dirt bike ride we went thru Teluride, Co.. If you know Teluride, it's home of some very "open-minded" people that are very closed minded about dirt bikes. One time was leading a group ride out of Teluride to go up Imogene Pass. I stopped next to a mountain biker and made sure I was on the correct street to go up Imogene.
He assured me i wasn't. Turned out I was. After looking for the 'right road' I took the group back up the original road and ran upon my 'friend' going up the road to the Pass. I 'thanked' him and then edged him toward the drop off on the right side of the road to further thank him :)
Sometimes you just have to wonder about people.

In '98-'99 I taught Spinning classes to the local bicycle cops. It was fun to see them suffer. I got to know a few of them pretty well; I still see a couple of them around, riding bikes on duty.

Easter a year ago we were coming home from a miserable shop ride (unrelenting fierce wind and cold) and blew a 4-way stop as there was no traffic...except for a motorcycle cop approaching the stop. He pulled a u-turn and reminded us to obey the traffic laws.:o He was harsher than he needed to be. :mad:

Our son lives in San Francisco and rides one of his bikes to work. Last year he got a ticket for blowing a stop sign...and speeding. I didn't know whether to be mad or proud of him. ;)

Oh, and to the OP: Cool story. I love those kinds of serendipitous moments.

Last summer a traffic officer pulled up alongside me at a stoplight while I was test riding a new bike. He said he had caught me on LIDAR doing 24 mph. Not that it was a problem -- he just thought I'd like to know how fast I was going. It turns out he had just bought a new bike himself.

I have had a very positive experience with cops all of my life, but the closest I've come to crashing lately was when a cop pulled in front of me and turned right into a chuch parking lot, forcing me to skid into the gutter to avoid hitting him. I came within 4 inches of hitting him. I don't think he ever saw me, probably occupied with all the electronic gadgets inside his cruiser. They have an important job to perform and receive too much criticism from the press at times.

A very nice and for me, unexpected ending. Nice post

I have found the police to be great to cyclist too, even though some in a group I used to ride with don't think so. But then there is a reason I no longer ride with that group.

Also had a run in with the law.

But mine only got one reply!

But who's counting?

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/745803-A-moment-in-time.?highlight=moment+in+time

I think I will buy a road bike and become a snob!

Every now and again the planets line up just right and there is good karma in abundance.
Aint that the truth! Hope you bought a lottery ticket....

Excellent thread and great stories. Keep 'em coming.

I wonder if there is a "Cop Forum?" It would be interesting to read a thread titled '"Run in" with a cyclist.' Any police want to share some stories of positive encounters with cyclists?

Glad you left a link. Great moment!

I went by a cop shooting radar the other day. He was shooting on the opposite side of the road and I wagged me finger at him and he just laughed and waved back.

In my experience most cops don't really care all that much about you. You and your purpose are both identifiable, while you remain something of an oddity in their sphere. Naturally, they pay attention to you, if only briefly.
They seem to be most interested in you at intersections, so it is wisest to follow the rules for all road vehicles when approaching, going through and changing directions at intersections.
Once in a while, a cop will wonder why you are hogging up the traffic lane as you ride. They are not necessarily up on the actual laws regarding cycling, so they make some assumptions. These might be right or wrong - it depends.