Felt like a nice no traffic ride today.

So I headed to my favorite cycling spot here in Philly. The Drive. It has a west and a east side, with a river in between, BEAUTIFUL!

I coast down Midville ,I head over the Falls bridge, see that the gates to the west side are closed and think GREAT! I can ride in the street, no tree stumps and bad concrete today! Just smooth asphalt! I'm in bliss for a whole half a mile.

Then I see the police lights flashing and then the orange cones all the way accross the roadway, and then the people, ALL OF THE PEOPLE! There is a Walk/Run event going on! Damn! Don't get me wrong I support all of the causes and events, but MY RIDE! OK, i'm back to the path, or should I say the Roubex, cobbles, what have you, get the Idea? Its bad! Ok i'll just take it easy, enjoy the view, dodge the CREVASSES and tree stumps, and just take in the ride.

NO! Not happening! They have Bands! and water stations, and medics all set up on the path! Mud and soft dirt on both sides of it! every 300 or so yards for 4 miles! And the participants, the 50' wide road wasn't enough, they are on the path also! With dogs with long leashes, toddlers, stadium chairs, sign holders AUGGGG.

I get past the Art Museum and think GREAT, Now i'm on the East side, I can deal with the joggers and dog walkers and clueless recreational bikers. and get in 4 miles of moderate paced riding.

NO! After one mile of swerving and practicing my bike handling skills, now there is a rowing event! People everywhere! thousands! School Kids handling 20' and bigger scull's, walking with oars so long it takes 2 people to carry them! All of this on a 6' wide path! My head almost got taken off twice! I endure all of this for two laps!

Now this is where I need some advice. On my third lap. I cross over Falls bridge, going at a nice pace, open my pedal up because I know I have a little open road before the Run/walk people. I come around the curve and there are no cones, no police blocking the road, a few trucks loading up barriers. AND NICE WIDE OPEN ROAD! I think I screamed YAY out loud, because some of the sanitation guy's looked at me. And I went to my regular pace, since now I am all warmed up!

2 miles in, I pass a police car, he is sitting still, i'm only doing maybe 20, 22mph, he is on the right so I pass him on the left. Mind you the drive is closed. Gates at both ends, the drive has 4 lanes for traffic, with a double yellow line down the center. I pedal maybe another half mile and I come up on one of those big box trucks, I guess he has just finished loading up barriers and he is just starting to pull off. I swing to the left, thinking I will just go around him and once passed I would go back to the right. No I hear him floor it! So now i'm on the side of this box truck, doing still about 20,22mph over the yellow lines, and I'm thinking, if he turns left to get to the other side of the road I'm dead! So I did what I thought was right, I went to a sprint!

I passed the truck, pulled way in front of him, and went back to the right! I heard the truck driver say DAMN! Then laugh! Then I heard the police horn.

The Police woman pulled me over, The truck driver pulled over and he and a few of his men got out, SHE LAID ME OUT! I felt like I was 5 years old! Then the truck driver threw fuel on the fire. I was going about 30, and he passed me, so he had to be going faster than the speed limit! I kind of smiled when he said that. Then I looked at the policewoman, DAMN! She looked at me real hard, walked to her car and came back writing! I was cited for being reckless, crossing over the yellow double lines, exceeding the posted 25mph speed limit, and something about not excceeding 10 mph on a designated bike path.

Now, the road was closed. The 10mph bike path signs that are usually out during the spring and summer, when the road is closed were not out. And I only crossed the lines to go around the truck! He sped up! He also exceeded the speed limit! He didn't get a ticket!

I am going to fight this! Do I have any recourse? I thought that the speed limit on the west side was 35mph, not 25. I checked STRAVA and I was only doing 30.4mph. Should I bring that up? I am going to get a lawyer. The roadway was closed!