bluejack

Ok, ok. We all know that it is illegal to go through red lights, and something no cyclist should take any particular pride in doing. Equal rights! Equal responsibilities!

Still, here's my account of blowing through an empty intersection at 1:00 am -- and being stopped by a Seattle policeman. If he had asked I could have offered three locations within three blocks where he could have bought meth or cocaine from dangerous men, right on the street.

OUTLAW BIKER

OregonBound

Are you looking for sympathy? Always puzzles me why people post things like this.

Guess I always figure if you break the law, be a grownup and accept that there may be consequences.

Paul

glenghillie

I had a HS Sociology teacher that told a story of being in college and routinely turning left at an empty intersection at 12:30. It was one of those intersections that had turn lights on both sides and you could only turn on the "turn green."

He too was stopped and ticketed. He explained that it took 5 full minutes if he missed the light for it to come back. No sympathy received and the cop was there for the next few nights. Ling story short, he stopped making the illegal turn.

Stop complaining. Like you said "Equal responsibility." You could have also just said thank you then let him know about the deals just down the street. I am sure he would have been appreciative of the positive attitude and tip.

BTW, I have received my fair share of tickets in my car, all of which were deserved, and have always said thank you and been sincere. I was not driving safely and they were only doing their job. All the tickets were also reduced by the officer due to my attitude, or lack thereof. I have also complimented an officer when I paid the ticket. I know so often they are complained about and this guy was really nice. I felt he really deserved to be praised for doing his job professionally and being nice--no attitude.

H_Roark

Jebus, what a bunch of sanctimonious, self-righteous prigs.

It was an amusing story. That's it.

And yes, harrasing a cyclist running a red at 1am is a little silly. Legally valid, but still silly.

slvoid

That's a cool giant metal bug.

operator

Best part of the story ... haha!

Boomer

The reason you were stopped was so the cop could run you out to see if you have any outstanding warrants. Running a light is just a "reasonable suspicion" to detain you under the 4th Amendment. Cops could care less if you run a red light at 1am.

khuon

Eh... personally I applaud the cop. And yes you can perform a decent trackstand on a freewheel. Also, as the cop rightly pointed out, you do have brakes. Stop trying to justify breaking the law and just accept what you did. I'm actually quite happy to see that the cop knew something about cycling and was trying to get someone else to recognise that bicycles are road vehicles too and are subject to the same traffic laws.

I recently met someone who claims to have been an experienced cyclist. We rode together for a couple of rides. It quickly became obvious that she was either ignorant of traffic laws or simply held them in contempt (I believe the latter) as she blew through stoplights/stopsigns, cut off cars, cut across traffic to ride on the wrong side of the road, went through crosswalks that had pedestrians in them, etc... I made up my mind after the second ride to never ride with her again.

catatonic

what bugs me is lights that don't activate for cyclists, then you get nabbed by the cop who watched you stand there for 20 minutes when you give up and just go through it.

khuon

In that case, you have a proper defence and can argue your way out of a ticket. Most laws allow you to consider the light defective in such a case but you must still stop and clear traffic. If the cop just sees you running the light then there's little recourse.

Schiek

Right or wrong, you have to give the cop his props for knowing what a trackstand is.

vrkelley

In the Seattle metro, bikers are easy targets and safer to apprehend than a real crook. Let's be careful out there!

timmhaan

it's called making conversation. if you get tired of reading the posts then don't - because i can say it gets old reading "why did you post this?" or "what's the point?". it's just an interesting story, that's it. try to lighten up a bit. the forum would get pretty dull if people didn't share their stories.

operator

Very annoying indeed. It's one of the bigger gripes I have. What's even more (gay) or interesting is that if cars had stopped in your lane to turn right and it was there long enough to trigger the *activate lights* function, watching the pedestrian signals for the opposiing set of lights, it goes from flashing to walk signal. Meaning the light was going to turn red but then decided not to because there were no cars there.

This is even more annoying than having to run up on the sidewalk and hit the big ol - push to cross button. Which I almost always end up doing.

Ebbtide

Where can I get the crank?

Ryan

I hate when people say that, why didn't you stop him or you could be doing this.. Your the one who got stopped so stop whining and take the consequences for what you did wrong.

bluejack

I wasn't complaining... I know I was in the wrong. Heck, I was glad he didn't ticket me. But I still think it's an amusing story. I forgot to mention that I didn't see the police car because he was waiting at the red light right behind an SUV. However, to turn around and stop me, he had to pull around the SUV just as the light turned green, flash all his lights, cut in front of the SUV to make a U-turn in the intersection.

Again: I'm not complaining... I just think the whole thing is funny.

As for the crank, hang around outside the dance clubs along Pike. There's always something changing hands.

Portis

I saw a device on ebay that you can carry on your bike that trips the traffic sensors. I have searched, but now i can't find it. Anyone else?

I guess i am self righteous too. I blow plenty of stoplights and stop signs but always figure if i get caught i will keep my mouth shut and pay the price. I know i am doing something illegal when i do it. There are no degrees of legality. It is either legal or illegal.

Trying to inject degrees of legality would eventually destroy every law on the books. That is why they can fine you $5000 for throwing an empty M & M package out the window. Not to mention $250,000 for downloading a stupid song over the internet.

operator

Don't worry about ryan, all he does is go around braggin about his dad and generally making a nuisance of himself. He should change arguing member to troll above his avatar.

Hmm that's interesting, any idea of the name?

slvoid

Time to break out that Judas Priest lp and crank up "breakin the law"

catatonic

I'd rather not go to that point....if I have to use devices that put me in the wrong to get the light to act properly, then that proves nothing....now...every time I get harassed over treating that intersection like a stop sign after getitng angry over it....that makes a point....what we need is a mass of cyclists in that intersaction who are willing to stand firm until it turns green....that would get the point across.

Ryan

Why don't you shut the hell up and stop following me around on forums, starting **** that has no concern to you.

I said that because you made the comment about "I could have shown him 5 crack dealers" and generally when people say stuff like that its because there angry and wanna try to justified being stopped.

Ryan

Yes the device is a certain light emergency vehicles are also equip with.. If you ever look in the center of a light bar some have a clear light that kinda wags back and fourth or a strobe type effects, those trips the light. If you look at a redlight some time you see that sensor that hangs down next to it...

operator

Kind of like critical mass? That would just get people more peeved.

No need to swear my young padawan.

lotek 

Gentlemen, lets be careful out there and
lets not descend into name calling, mud slinging etc.
Consider this fair warning.

Marty