[QUOTE=San Rensho;6378991][QUOTE]
Originally Posted by
dedhed
So I guess you would have no problem with taxpayers in a white neighborhood complaining of "suspicous black people" in the neighborhood, and then the cops coming in and stopping all the black drivers for DWB(driving while black)?
No, it would NOT be ok. However, in your case, you and your 50 to 100 friends were stopped after committing a traffic violation (running a red light). If the police stopped all of you before you ran the light and shook you down, you would have a very valid argument. As it stands, your analogy has very little to do with your situation.
I see nothing wrong with citizens reporting suspicious (or criminal behavior) to the police. I would expect the police to check on the complaint whether the "suspicious" party was black, white, green, blue or orange. If criminal activity was found, I would expect the police to deal with it. If no criminal activity was observed, I would expect the police to politely let that individual go about their business. I understand that this does not always happen in the real world, but I hope that it would happen much more often than not.
I suspect the complaint against you and your friends was something to the effect of: "a very large group of cyclists regularly committing traffic violations and causing a public hazard". The police investigated it, waited for you at the traffic light, and found the complaint to be valid. Traffic tickets were issued.
As cyclists, we have the right to use public streets, but we need to do so in a responsible manner. How can we expect respect from the establishment if we are keep feeding the stereotype that bicyclists are dangerous and don't belong on the road?