Originally Posted by
bakes1
Not sure why you are expecting the LEO to know all legal rights specific to a cyclist(or anyone else for that matter)
LEO's are expected to know how to enforce the law. That being said, not one LEO on this planet knows every law along with all the technicalities and legal minutiae associated with it.
This LEO was quite obviously wrong and had a very poor attitude. I hope he learned something from this and would also not be surprised or upset if he was also reprimanded.
What's with all the cycling self pity though?
Legal rights of cyclists? Driving public having no clue? whaa, whaa, whaa.
LEO's pull over pedestrians, motorists and a million other possible offenders every day. They don't always get it right. They are not perfect and there are always variables.
Are you seriously so naive that you think this is some type of cyclist specific phenomena?
A&S forum has a rabid following of cycling crusaders and they can only muster about 6 of these stories a year. Do you realize what a tiny % that is?
6 stories that made it to the news and are documented with videos probably represents a much larger number of actual cases.
Sure, LEO are often wrong on the law. You can still be wrong and be a professional instead of being wrong and being a total d@@k.
We live in a country that is largely designed around automobiles. Our political system has, in many cases, artificially and unnecessarily added to that trend. We are gradually waking up to the fact that there are some downsides to designing everything in the country to cater to the convenience of automobile use, at the cost of other modes of transportation.
Because of where we're coming from, there are obstacles to extensive use of bicycles for transportation. Most of the infrastructure isn't designed around it. It isn't part of the road culture, which includes, in some cases, police officers being less familiar with laws that pertain to cycling than to driving.
I think it's reasonable to work to reverse some of this. Advocacy is one way to do that. In your mind, is everyone who points out a problem being a pity partier and a crybaby?