ahayter

So, i blasted through a red light last night and got pulled over. I realized i really didnt know how to handle cops. They threatened to take my bike and all that garbage so i'm just curious what to do in a situation like that.

I just kept asking them to write me a fine and let me be on my way and eventually they just let me go.

What do you do? How do you handle them? Mase? Just keep biking? Sweet talking?

Offhoff

Well first where were you and what kind of cops were they? Toronto PD? OPP? Mounties? Windsor PD that makes a huge difference in how I deal with them...

ahayter

just regular ottawa pd, walking the street. i should have just kept going when they yelled at me but i didnt even realize i did something wrong.

operator

Resisting arrest = instant slammer time for you. Don't do it. But at the same time you are under no obligation to confess to any offenses (NEVER do this). When they ask you if you know what you did wrong, say absolutely no idea. Don't say I did ______ . As that amounts to an admission of guilt.

You need to provide more information about the incident.

dustinlikewhat

I don't know canadian laws, but I do know that (as operator said) NEVER ADMIT TO ANYTHING! simple yes sir/ma'am, take your ticket/citation/warning and move along. take it to court, it is on them to prove you guilty, not for you to prove your innocence, just reasonable doubt. if it's something more than a traffic ticket, and things look bad, DON'T TALK, no names, no age, nothing!

these are things I've learned, take them as you will.

San Rensho 

Sounds to me like someone started talking smack to the cops. If you ran a light, I know of no laws anywhere that allow them to impound a vehicle that you used to run a red. Now, if they were threatening you with an arrestable offense, like disorderly conduct or some offense against the cops because of your behavior, then they can inpound yout bike when they arrest you.

Otherwise, no, they couldn't take your bike.

ahayter

i didnt talk any smack. they were just hard asses that have been cops for a long time. i didnt have any id on me, only one light on the back, no bell and was pretty nervous due to being in the middle a busy area where they were dealing with a crackhead who was only wearing boxers and being sketchy as hell. i was being polite and everything. i just wanted to know how people would handle a officer threatening to take away their bike.

nexus6

Just yell, "Hey the crackhead's getting away", and when they turn around take off! This will also prove a good test of whether you got your gear inches right.

oneredstar

You ran a red light, the wanted to talk to you. It is to be expected. From my few run-ins with the police, I amunder the impression that they cannot take your bike. They can ticket you and ask for your name and address. I have resisted in one incident, refusing to give any information, and it worked. He could not be bothered. In a few other incidents, I have talked with them and explained my side on the situation, once again being let go.

It really all depends on their attitude as well as yours. I feel pretty confident in talking my way out of situations. I would never run though, that is asking for big trouble.

cavit8

The Ontario Highway Traffic allows for giving one’s correct name and address is sufficient identification, requires you to have a bell, requires lights half an hour before sunset and half an hour after sunrise. It doesn't appear to allow for detaining anything other than a motor vehicle.

You can get general legal information here: https://respect.to/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=Library.LegalInfo

Attitude of the fuzz varies and they'll tell you whatever they feel like in the moment, usually it's points off your licence (which isn't true because demerit points only count in motor vehicles or streetcars) but you can still get dinged if they "forget" to write bicycle in vehicle type. If they're having a moment, yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir and looking contrite has always been enough for me.

mascher

As they said, your own recognition is sufficient id, and there is no reason for them to take your bicycle. I've lived in Montreal long enough to decide to argue with cops that are just being obnoxious and pulling me over for not good reason, and I've yet to experience a single time where it was worth my time and effort to not three bags it as cavit8 says. Don't give them id, don't admit to anything, and if they suggest anything that seems odd ("So kid, would you like to spend the night in the slammer for not having your id on you? We could just impound your bike instead if you like") ask lots of questions firmly and without sounding angry; ask them for chapter and verse on every word in every sentence. They're probably just jealous that Seattle bike cops have sweet rides.

I'm curious as to whether Ottawa's apparent bike friendliness is a boon or a curse on bikers - I've seen bikers there not just taking a lane but riding in the middle of a lane and cars not freaking out. Certainly their bike lanes and bike signs are for real, or at least not completely for pretend like they are in Montreal.

SSSasky

Oh man, I live in Ottawa now, and lived in Montreal before this. I have to say, I loved biking in Montreal. No, there was no such thing as a bike lane, but the drivers there are very aware of and used to cyclists on the road. They just kind of give you a bit of space, and let you do your thing, even if you are threading lanes etc. Never had a problem.

Ottawa, I don't have many problems, but I do feel like I have a harder time getting respect--the result: I often take a whole lane, or use very aggressive tactics. I feel like I need to be more aggressive in Ottawa, whereas in Montreal, I could just weave through traffic.

On a related note, Ottawa cops are terrible - really bad reputation for unnecessary roughness. They might not have the right to take your bike, but they have the guns, so they will take your bike if they want, and from what I understand, standing up to the cops in Ottawa (in a legal arena) tends to be fairly unfruitful. Out of all the many cities I have lived in, Ottawa is the only one where the patrol cars have no friendly slogans or 'serve and protect' action. The cops in this city are not necessarily concerned about your best interests. They have a national capital to maintain.

mascher

I love biking in Mtl too (heh, I guess we're never going to hook up for that ride), but it seems there's very much a general Quebec vibe of "hey, don't freak out if someone is doing something that ain't Kosher and hurts/inconveniences/puts in danger only you, because I reserve the right to just do whatever too." It's not that there's not really any bike lane - most of the time, in most cases, there isn't any lane in particular. But I will refrain from Mtl biking rants unless you want to click on the link below this. I don't know if that's a good thing for anyone, but it certainly means that in my experience, and for better or for worse I guess, people riding bicycles are certainly off the 5-0 radar.

I wondered if the whole apparent bike-friendliness of the 'Twa made drivers and cops more hostile to bikers, the same way people get worked up about nearly any issue where some minority of the total population is recognized in particular, and some percentage of the general population gets peeved because they feel they're not getting treated right or some group is getting special treatment. Does that really feel like the case in Our Nation's Capital?

SSSasky

The OC (Ottawa City) is a weird place. I've been here about a year now, and I'm still not sure how to describe it. Overall, the city has a super conservative vibe - everyone is very strongly into social control - being a non-conformist is not acceptable. It's suits and ties as far as the eye can see.

Despite this, there is also a pretty cool undercurrent of much more liberal relaxed people. They just live in the shadows of the city (not (necessarily) in a criminal or impoverished way at all) - they just do not register on the larger image of the city. It's kind of weird, but it's cool in it's own way. Whether or not you like ottawa is all about being careful about the circles you choose to travel in. It's really easy to get sucked into the public servant nightmare of cubicles, suits and general depression. If you're a bit more selective, you can find some pretty cool people to hang out with.

As this relates to cycling, despite being at least moderately active, the majority of Ottawa society sees bikes as something to be confined to the park pathways - they are an element of bourgeois leisure time, not a legitimate member of the community. So there is some hostility, or ignorance about bikes on the road.

The real issue is that Ottawa is *extremely* image-oriented, and scruffy bikers riding in traffic do not fit in with dimplomatic limos. However, this is inherently hypocritical, as government and embassies are by far the biggest client of the city's 3 big courier companies. But it's all about image. For instance: the image of a meritocratically run civil service is hugely pushed in public, when in fact I can scarcely imagine it being any more nepotistic. If you don't know someone, you are no-one. And now that I've accepted my 'no-one' status, I'm really pretty happy.

Other things of note in OC:
1. The vast majority of the teenagers here seem to be spoiled little ****ers with nothing better to do than cause trouble. I believe this is caused by the glut of civil servant parents, who are overpaid, miserable, and never home.
2. Girls here don't know how to dress up in a classy way. M-F is super low key, loose, very un-stylish vibe. Come the weekend, they go skank-o-riffic - the shortest skirts they can get, and 7 pounds of makeup. I only notice this coming from Montreal, where girls are basically always dressed very well, so they've learned to do it in a much more subtle way.
3. The longer I stay here, the more of a libertarian I become - I guess this is the non-conformist in me reacting to the heavy handed social control of the OC.

But don't get me wrong. I like Ottawa quite a bit in the end. Way more than I liked montreal, which isn't hard, because I hated a lot of things about montreal by the time I left.

/ramble.

squeakywheel

I recommend not running red lights when cops are present. Duh. It's Darwin in action.

karmaboy

Nice call SSSasky. I've been here all my life...you pretty much summed it up.
I get stopped all the time for running lights. Play dumb, be polite...they really can't be bothered. Dudes on bikes are the least of their concerns. I get a lot of threats..."thats a $90 fine, blah, blah". Most won't even get out of their cruiser.

deathhare

They yelled at you after you went past? You should have 'not heard them' and kept rolling. If they want you to stop make em come after you. Often, if theyre on foot, theyll just forget it.
That has happened to me a few times over the years. Just keep haulin ass like you never heard em.

Im Fixed

Ive been ticketed for runing a red light as well. I know the cops in my town. I get coments like still riding that death trap. Or when you finaly get nail make sure its not on my shift I dont to be the one to scrap you of the road. They see a lot of things on the job. Maybe they care.

mascher

I've tried that in Montreal - they don't at all hesitate to use that high decibel "blip" pulse sound (man, if you're close to the car when they do it, it's LOUD) or flip on their sirens for a second, or just roar up beside you and make faces at you. Mind you, I'm talking about probably less than half a dozen experiences in 10 years, and maybe there were some times I didn't hear them and they didn't pursue, but it definitely seemed to make them righteous and indignant.

Bikkhu

The moose always has the right of the way?

cavit8

Absolutely

https://www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/wildlif...collisions.htm

Rusty Valiant

Hey, I'm surprised at the amount of Ottawa riders on this board.
I'd agree with the cranky cop angle. I got a ticket for riding on the sidewalk once- I was on the road waiting for a red light to change and a car came up and needed to go right. I rolled up onto the sidewalk to let it by, bam, ticket. I tried to argue with her, but the lady was buying none of it and threatened me with a greater ticket under the highway safety act as opposed to a city ticket if I didn't shut up. They were on an anti-bike blitz-As I was getting the ticket I saw 3 other pairs of cops lurking for sidewalk bikers.

Long story short I don't stop for reds or help out cars anymore. Mission accomplished guys!

Bikkhu

same here!

ahayter

lets ride.. and run reds. its so nice out.

progre-ss

My first day on the job as a messenger in Ottawa after shadowing someone for a day, I got stopped going the wrong way down a one way street by a pair of Ottawa cops. They took my name and company I worked for and since it was my first day and first infraction, they let me go with a warning. That was my only dealings with cops when I was a messenger.

Just be polite, "yes ma'am, yes sir" and they'll usually be pretty lenient. Be an ass and you'll be treated like one.