DX Rider

The cops get so much grief on this forum, I thought I'd throw them a kudos...

I was on my commute into work this morning and encountered a new road construction site. A normally two lane road was now down to one lane with the a police detail directing traffic, alternating the flow of traffic east and west. I was third in line waiting for the traffic from the other direction to stop. All of the sudden I hear the cop yell, "hey guy on the bike! Let's go!"

Since the road was narrowed down to a little more than one lane, they had stopped traffic in both directions to let me pass first without having to worry about getting buzzed by cars. Some of the drivers waiting didn't even know what to make of it, I actually got a few waves. It felt like being in a parade and I was the only float.

The irony is that I had just been *****ing to myself about yet another road construction project which is making the roads nearly impossible to ride on.

My aggravation stems from this route being alternate route number three for my commute, since my first three choices are also pretty much unrideable due to road construction as well.

Plus last Saturday I was on my road bike and got stuck on a mile and a half stretch of road with no asphalt. it was an older road that has alot of houses along it which pre-date the American revolution, so it was probably a cow path before it was a road, and there wasn't any sub layer under the asphalt. Just compacted dirt and gravel that had been coated with oil to keep the dust down.

So I had two choices. I could have detoured 15-20 miles out of the way, which wasn't a valid option since I was already 45 minutes late and ten miles from my destination or the other option was to ride the dirt slowly, which is what I did. That knocked my rear rim out of true, but otherwise it was passable at low speeds. At one point, I actually rode on the brand new sidewalk. I was in the boonies and there was minimal traffic due to the construction.

I'll be glad when the construction is finally done for the season.

sh00k

For me, personally, I am well aware of the fact that not 'all cops' hate us. I dislike cops because MANY (not all) but MANY of them are simply bullies with guns and badges. How many cases have there been of police brutality? Several HUGE ones with other cops protecting their own - but also consider the number of instances where cops abuse their power and these dont get pushed to the public surface...

I know we need cops and I give a lot of credit to them because they have such a dangerous job. I am not in any way dissing ALL cops or anything like that.

I simply feel there has to be more done to prevent cops from protecting their own when one kills someone 'by accident' or any of those events...

The bad cops should be flushed out of the system but their own protects their own and this does not happen. This, IMO, is what gives cops a bad name....

fwiw.

Bat22

Sometimes I see a platoon of bike cops gathering before rolling out on certain Boston neighborhoods
Quite a few cops will ride to DC every year.

cdalefan

I really have another impression from the cops in my area

I seem to get a nod or a wave from the guys passing me. Kind of a acknowledgemnt of the effort that it takes to ride to work every day, sun, rain, snow and wind. I have been riding the same route for three years now and they have seen me in the past, so, there seems to be an unspoken friendship building.

starla

I think there are so few cyclists around here most cops don't know what to make of them. I've run into a few, no incidences.

lil brown bat

They do? What foolish dufus says they think cops "hate us all"?

bluegoatwoods

A road work crew did the same thing for me not long ago. Blocked traffic and waved me through. It would have been nothing, except that it was on a serious uphill. Most people walk. I can handle it at decent speed, but they had no way of knowing that. So I appreciate their consideration.

I've never had a cop do me wrong. The ones around here recognize me and we sometimes wave at each other. I have a feeling, too, that they'd be outraged if a car hit me. At least their attitude seems friendly.

ItsJustMe

I've never met a cop around here that wasn't a decent guy.

I'm a little concerned that a mile of dirt road can knock your wheel out of true. I ride 8 miles a day on washboarded gravel and thousands of miles of that hasn't bothered my wheels.

DX Rider

There is a forum called "The cops hate us too" over in A&S that I actually had in mind, but there are several other anti-police rants in A&S. Some of them are about incidents where the cop was just doing the job they were hired to do, enforce the law.

Sometimes I get the stink eye from some older cops, but other than that I have no issues with the way they've treated me.

Really? It could be because my bike has older Rigida single wall aluminum rims. I've considered switching to a double wall since they seem to handle all road conditions better.

eshvanu

From my limited riding experience, police officers around my area are quite polite and respectful, and I return the behavior to them. I've had many wave or otherwise acknowledge I'm doing well, and I return the favor.

Takes huge cojones to go to work every day and put on a target for all the ignorant, disturbed, and intentionally evil people to focus on and possibly attack. My hat's off to the officers who do their jobs well, and keep us a little safer in this world.

Doohickie

I haven't had a problem with cops yet since I started riding again, and in a few cases they've been pretty good to me as a cyclist. I have invoked "Idaho law"-style riding at times, looked up, saw a cop, and the cop didn't bat an eyelash. I don't worry so much about not breaking traffic laws now as I try to ensure I don't violate other vehicles' right of way. It seems that as long as I conscientiously try to do that, the cops don't worry about ticketing me.

I ride fairly vehicularly; I notice that many, perhaps most, other cyclists are sidewalk ***** or gutter bunnies. Maybe the cops cut me a break for making an effort. Or maybe it's that our city has a fairly large contingent of bicycle cops.

oboeguy

I'm trying to remember a truly positive experience with an officer of the law. I'll get back to you on that.

My most recent interaction: Two double-parked personal cars of cops blocked my commute and I was yelled at. True story. The first double-parked car was shut off while the other, the car directly ahead of me on a lightly trafficked street (with local precinct office on the corner) stop dead next to the idle vehicle. I hollered (something clean, BTW, no nasty words). One of the cops standing on the corner yelled back "no bike lane here", apparently settling the matter. So we have:

1) flouting of the traffic laws

and

2) ignorance of how bikes fit into the picture

and

3) utter lack of courtesy.

Before you get on me for #3, NYC cops cars have written on them "CPR", "Courtesy Professionalism [and] Respect" (example). Ha!

pharasz

I know there is one deputy sherrif in Pasco County FL that HATES bikers. This was a little over a year ago. It was a Saturday morning about 10 AM, I'm on the last 3 miles of a 45 mile joy ride through the hills of San Antonio, FL. Curly Road is a very narrow, very pot-holed road, with indentations in the pavement from car tracks. I'm doing about 20+ in a relatively flat section, and approaching me is a car, and behind the car is a pickup truck hauling a wide trailer with lawn and garden equipment on it. The speed limit on this road is 30 MPH, and the approaching vehicles appear to be doing the speed limit.

Suddenly, a Pasco County Sherrifs car whooshes by me, INCHES off my elbow, going at least 80+ MPH!!! The approaching vehicles left him no room to take the other lane, but I don't believe that was his intent anyway. He was going so fast his car was swerving from the indentations and potholes in the road, and he was having difficulty controlling the vehicle. He had no lights on, and no siren - there were no indications that he was on the way to an emergency.

I almost wrecked from the combination of the backdraft an 80+ MPH vehicle generates when passing within 12 inches of your elbow, in combination with the startling fright, which shook me to the core.

I got back to the parking lot, packed my bike in my car, then pulled into the San Antonio Bike Shop on Curly road, still shaking from the experience, and told them my story. The bike shop owners said they'd heard from some other bikers the previous weekend that a Pasco County Sherrif had pulled them over and was yelling at them to get off the road - and all they were doing was riding their bikes out in the country.

My assumption is that cops are people too. Some of them bike, probably love bikes. Others probably hate bikers and think we are PITA, just like a lot of cagers do. Some of them probably take their public safety duties seriously, and take care to look out for us. But there is one Sherrif in Pasco County Florida that you better hope you never see.

Quel

A few months ago I was riding along the Mall in DC (on the path along the reflecting pool). I normally have to go less than 10mph there, but it was cold so all the pedestrians were inside. So I'm going about 18 or so, and a Mall cop on a motorcycle rides up next to me, paces me for a second, then tells me I'm speeding. I thought he was serious, so I ask if there is actually a speed limit there. Then he laughs, says no, and speeds off.

Pscyclepath

Yep, there's always a percentage of "bad cops." When I run across these from time to time, I remember what Sergeant Joe Friday said once in an old Dragnet episode which involved a rogue cop: "The police department has to recruit from the human race."

Tabor

Next time, call the cops. Look up the non-emergency (dispatch) number for that county. I called the Washington County non-dispatch number once and let them have it (don't cuss, but be firm). I got an apology out of them and some of a supervisor's time, and an explanation of where the officer was headed to in such a hurry. However, your case was worse than mine so you should insist on their badge number. If they don't cooperate you should make sure to contact everyone you can think of (DA, Attorney General, US Department of Justice, FBI Police Corruption Taskforce, etc). I don't *think* any of those folks would take kindly to them not giving out the officer's badge number/information.

truman

When I read the first sentence there, I honestly thought you were referring to cyclists.

Tex_Arcana

Houston Police Dept. has had it's problems in the past. Just about any major metropolitan police department has.. It's a really huge thankless job where you feel outnumbered. It's not surprising a lot of cops take a "it's us verses them" mentality and become very clannish and only treat other cops well.

All said and done though I have rarely meet a cop that wasn't a pretty decent guy. Maybe it's because whenever I have an interaction with a cop I don't act defensive or suspicious. I don't treat them automatically like thugs with badges. Instead, I treat them like professionals with a tough job. They are used to dealing with strangers everyday and can sense the difference in attitude. It makes a big difference when you interact with them.

DX Rider

Donuts!!! Don't you know that will ruin you're training regime?

Pinyon

There is a lot of tension between our elected county sheriff and the cycling community, here in Fort Collins, Colorado. Periodically, he goes on a campaign where he orders local officers to hand out traffic tickets for things like not riding in single-file on county roads that have a 3 yard/meter paved shoulder - where everyone in the paceline is on the road-shoulder and not in the motor vehicle lane at all (usually in response to some dumb-ass racing clubs that regularly block traffic by riding 3-5 abreast on narrow county roads with no shoulder, really pissing off the local ranchers and farmers that use those roads); and periods where they give out tickets for running traffic lights and stop signs (college town - the students get STUPID and dangerous if they do not do this every fall); etc. If he was not so vocal about not liking the bicycling community in the press, then nobody would bat an eye at these things. He is just a publicity-seeking, loud mouth, and likes to stir-up a good controversy for no reason every now an then.

With all of that going on, some may believe that the entire police force hates bicyclists, but that simply is not so. Many Fort Collins/Larimer County police ride road and mountain bikes for fun, belong to local bike clubs, and except during those times when they are ordered to give out traffic violations to make a point, they go out of their way to be nice and help you out, and to keep us safe.

Sure, there are 1-2 jerks on the force that hate bicyclists on the road, but even they don't go out of their way to be nasty. The jerks do tend to give out a few more tickets, and gloat while handing them out during those times when the entire force is ordered to crack down on violators. You find jerks in every line of work. Meh.

If things can be this nice in what was a sleepy little cattle town with a state agricultural college in it just 15 years ago, then it can happen anywhere. The more bikes that are on the road, the more that they see us as real people. Not just eco-weirdo, college-boy/girl, hipster types.

wunderkind

Not sure about your town. But in my city, there is a bike unit detachment. They ride around the community and also at large events. If assistance is needed, they'd radio in. I think they ride Specialized MTB.

eshvanu

lol, truman, point well taken. Perhaps that's why I seem to get a good bit of respect from officers in vehicls.

SlimAgainSoon

I had a cop pull me over ... ... he wanted to ask where I got my some of my bike gear!

exile

Being a cop is a dangerous job for sure. While I've been stopped (not on my bike) for reasons that I thought were suspicous (illegaly tinted side windows which were one shade darker than allowed although the cop was behind me the whole time and having an air freshner on my rearview mirror in which he felt it obstructed my view of the road); I don't think all cops are jerks.

Just like in any walks of life there are jerks. You try to ignore them or not deal with them. The problem arises when they are in positions of authority and there is no choice in the matter.

Pinyon

The worst thing that a cop ever did to me around here, was to yell "STOP SIGN!" in their loud-speaker on the hood of the car, when I did not come to a complete stop at an intersection (there was a bike lane on the new road, and nobody was coming, so I just turned to the right, and into the new bike lane without slowing down). I looked up wondering who she was yelling at, made eye contact with her, and she said "YES YOU!" into the microphone. I nodded, and we both laughed.

It was not like that when I lived in Charlotte, NC over 15 years ago. I was once stopped while riding there, because a policeman just thought that it looked suspicious for me to be riding near the rougher part of downtown late-at-night (riding home from a late evening at work). I stopped my bike, and started to swing my leg-over the saddle and get off the bike, and the guy yells "Halt!". I turned my head, and he had his pistol out and pointed at me. Holy crap!