Originally Posted by Treespeed
So I'm cruising south on La Brea with my messenger bag loaded with groceries just barely outside of the door zone of parked traffic. I'm not flying, maybe 16 mph and I overtake a recreational cyclist fully in the door zone. There are two lanes of traffic to my left and a middle turn lane. I signal and then move into the middle of the middle lane, safely go around the recreational cyclist, and then get right again just outside of the door zone.
Next thing I know some motorcycle cop is pulling alongside of me and starts lecturing me as were cruising about how unsafely I'm cycling and that I need to stay as far right as possible.
This is a perfect example of how important educating
everyone about the rights and duties of cyclists is. When a police officer doesn't even know what any 10 year-old trained cyclist knows, we are in trouble.
I think it might be a good idea to report his error in a respectful manner. Police have been known to be ignorant of traffic laws pertaining to cyclists, and you never know but that you might be just the lesson this one needs. But if you say nothing at all, his superiors will never know about it and he will continue to think he was right.