Originally Posted by
Matterbator
Hey all - So, I've read a few stories and heard about cops being *******s to cyclists while on rides, but seriously I feel like the San Francisco Police Department are out to get me/bicyclists. I am totally shocked and super frustrated because I just got written the SAME TICKET that a car would be given for running a red light. Here's what went down:
I was cruising up Ocean Ave. when I hit a red. I stopped, looked both ways (no cars coming of course since all the damn lights around here are on timers), and made the right. After about 10 feet I made a slow U-turn and went forward to make a right on the green light at the same intersection. A squad car pulled up to me at the next light where I was waiting to cross in the crosswalk and hopped out/asked me if "i knew why he stopped me" (I can't help but find this hilarious). I told him no, since I felt I hadn't done anything wrong (I felt I was being very safe - I was moving at <5 mph the whole time and was looking everywhere around me). He then proceeded to ask me if I had my license or any ID on me, at which point I stupidly pulled out my wallet and, thinking I was completely innocent, gave him my drivers license.
He gave it to his partner, who was obviously brand spankin new to the force (had no clue what he was doing even writing a ticket), who got in the car and did a check on my records or something. It took 15 minutes and the whole time the driver/guy who did all the talking kept trying to chat it up with me, and continued to lecture me about how "this is for my safety" and "you know, when you're on a bike you are treated like a moving vehicle".
F*ck that! Tell that to the bus who literally almost killed me yesterday by deliberately speeding up and cutting me off at a bus stop, so that I had to slam my breaks and crash into the curb (lucky I didn't pop my front tire), and almost nailed like 3 pedestrians trying to push their way onto the bus. Tell that to the four bicyclists who just went down the sidewalk on the wrong side of the street and crossed the whole street on a red, or the six cars that just went speeding through the partially-yellow-mostly-red light at 45 mph. This isn't for my safety, this is because your dumb ass sidekick needed a quiz on how to be a deuche bag, and you were bored enough to pick on me.
/end rant.
Seriously though, should I contest this? He wrote on the ticket that I ran the red light, but I don't see how I did that. He lectured me on how he could also write me up for making an illegal U-turn, which I guess (in a hilarious hyptothetical cartoon imaginary world) I could picture being somewhat reasonable. I plan on contesting it and just simply laying it out that I was being very careful, and technically (to me, at least) I didn't run the red but went up the next street.
If any of you have any advice on what I should do or testimonials/stories of similar incidents, please post and make me feel better =].
Oh, also, the funniest part was they made me get off the bike, at which point the newb cop stared at the bike and, realizing there was no license plate, looked at the "chief" cop and asked "uhh.. what do I put for license plate?". After looking at the ticket, it simply says "bicycle".