1989Pre

Please: Stay out of the middle of the street.

https://www.masslive.com/news/2019/0...in-arrest.html

himespau 

Riding through intersections without regard for right of way is definitely worthy of a "disruptive and dangerous" complaint.

mr_bill

Anyone ever get arrested for "ignoring traffic control devices" while driving a car? Or driving a car in the "middle of the road." Anyone? Anyone?

p.s. Bullies tell people to "stay out of the middle of the road."

Similar non-event in Springfield in the spring. "Unruly and dangerous!" "Miscreants!" And some, I assume, are good people.

-mr. bill

Unca_Sam

This is the reactionary way to handle the problem. If a city wanted to be proactive, they could set up some grass course racing for the kids to have fun, in a safer closed course.

Bmach

This is being done by groups of up to 20+ riders. They are doing it just disrupt things. As for taking their bikes most are stolen. There are also dirt bikes and quads doing the same thing. I have twice seen them do it in front of a cruiser and the cops did nothing.

Unca_Sam

Why are they doing it to disrupt things? I know I've done all manner of stupid things for one of two reasons: lack of an appropriate location for the stupid activity, or testosterone-fueled decision making.

See Cleveland's attempt to address the issue.

Arrests and pursuit, as we should be aware by now, present problems with unintended consequences. Bystanders get maimed or killed, suspects effectively get the death penalty for grand theft auto, etc. Your officers might be thinking, "does one of these kids need to die for riding recklessly?"
It could happen anyway, but giving chase is likely to precipitate worse behavior.

Milton Keynes

They were arrested for disorderly conduct, so I would have to assume that there was more going on than just riding bikes in a reckless manner.

Unca_Sam

Wrong. Not immediately obeying a lawful order from a peace officer is all it takes. Start shouting at people at random (don't touch them or verbally threaten them) and when police come to demand you stop, keep shouting. Boom, you now have a misdemeanor for disorderly conduct.

sheddle

Don't forget "resisting arrest" which more or less means "did not immediately act like a rag doll when encountering a police officer".

I remember Washington DC had a "blocking the sidewalk" law which was also one of those laws that seemed to specifically exist so police officers could stop anyone at any time.

livedarklions

I've actually seen this sort of thing a couple times in person recently--it seems to be some sort of YouTube inspired fad to ride bikes weaving through different lanes of traffic while doing wheelies. It's definitely a daredevil stunt kind of thing and really quite nerve-wracking if you're driving. Much as I'd like to pretend this is all harmless fun, I think it's inevitable that if this fad continues some riders are going to get maimed or killed. I doubt law enforcement is likely to be effective in curbing this and it just may have to run its course. In the meantime, I'm just choosing to drive really slowly when I see this start up. Dangerous fads tend to have a very short half-life.

downhillmaster

Has anyone ever gotten arrested for ignoring traffic control devices(lights and signs)while driving a car?
Yes. Basically every minute of every day across the country.
Bullies?...

SactoDoug

Pick your battles. Don't try to defend people that don't deserve to be defended. This is a group of kids that might have just been doing what kids do in the best of light. They might have also been jerks being jerks. Either way, defending them makes cycling advocates look fanatical to the normies.

BlazingPedals

It's an easy charge to slap on someone even if they are following the officer's every instruction.

Milton Keynes

There seems to be an awful lot of "The cyclist is always in the right" around here. I personally call 'em as I see 'em.

Lemond1985

I'm a tougher judge of cyclists, because when they misbehave, it gives us all a bad name. We have an obligation to police our own, it's in our best interests.

Any braid dead fanatic can reflexively come to the defense of his tribe before knowing the facts, there's not much virtue in that.

mr_bill

If I only had a braid.

BTW, Damn straight I'm going to "reflexively come to the defense" of these children.


-mr. bill

livedarklions

I might have if I hadn't witnessed a few close calls caused by this wheelies between traffic lanes crap. There's a reason "go play in traffic" is something you say to people you don't like.

The most careful driver in the world can't be expected to foresee people riding erratically in the small space between two cars. Avoiding hitting someone under those circumstances may easily require superhuman reaction skills.

I agree that stopping every kid riding without a helmet and taking their bike hostage is an overreaction, but I have no problem with doing that to someone caught doing the wheelie in traffic bit. If you see it, it's clear it's supposed to be a daredevil stunt. Those are generally discouraged on roads.

mr_bill

Eek! Yoots were reported gathering. Your meter needs new batteries.

BTW, if I only had two wheels. If you commute by unicycle is that a wheelie, or just dangerous?

livedarklions

I'm talking about something I've actually seen, so no bs to be detected in this case. What I've seen is people doing wheelies while slaloming between lanes of moving cars, deliberately crossing lanes immediately in front of the cars. I've never seen someone stupid enough to slalom like that on a unicycle, so your snark is, as usual, pointless and cheap. Frankly, I'd expect someone slaloming like that to get pulled over if a cop saw it regardless of two, one or four wheels.

Funny you went and dug up that quote from an old thread. Obviously, unlike you, I'm capable of admitting when I'm wrong.

mr_bill

YOU saw these yoots in Lowell and called 911?

-mr. bill

livedarklions

Nope, never claimed anything of the kind. Just said that I have seen yoots doing crap that justifies police intervention, and I'm not buying your knee-jerk "kids just being kids, nothing to see here" assumption here.

Should we do a gofundme to teach you reading comprehension? You misinterpret other people's posts a lot.

mr_bill

Find the word “wheelie” in the Masslive or Lowell Sun articles. I’ll wait.

-mr. bill

livedarklions

Right after you tell me why the bicycle statute that says bicyclists must yield to pedestrians on sidewalks is posted on the Minuteman.

mr_bill

The "bike gang," "little jerks," "menace," and "punks," and NINE Lowell Police Officers.




Left as an excersize for the thoughtful. Chances that the below "bike gang," "little jerks," "menace," and "punks" would have their bikes seized by the Lexington Police Department?


-mr. bill

rholland1951

This Boston Globe article on the BMX cruiser kids scene in Lynn provides a rare look at the phenomenon from the kids' perspective. Worth reading if you're puzzling over wheelies.


rod