Bike Cops Ticketing Cyclists
 

A couple of bike cops were actually hiding in the bushes on my commute home last night, jumping out to pull a cyclist over for "running" a red light (a tiny side street). Not sure if they actually ticketed or just gave him a warning. They even had tiny sirens on their bikes.

Lame.

Keep your eyes open if you commute via the Orange Line MUP near Van Nuys Blvd. in the SFV.

Have you ever been pulled over on your bike?

I saw a cyclist get a talking to last night, but he totally deserved it. He ran a stop sign right in front of a police car that was traveling the same way as him.

The Orange Line MUP runs along side a dedicated bus route that is patrolled by Sheriff Deputies (the rest of SFV is LAPD territory). I once got the patrol car spotlight trained on me after I ran a light (after slowing to make sure it was clear...I know, still illegal). I gave a quick "sorry" wave and the deputy continued on his way. Closest I've come to getting stopped.

Haven't been pulled over on a bike since 1975. Just got a warning.

Would it be equally lame if it was a driver who got pulled over at the same spot?

Not lame. A red light is a red light.

I'm glad the police are out there on bikes. Maybe drivers will think twice about how they act around cyclists.

A red light is a red light...I agree BUT: how many commuters actually stop and wait for red lights to change to green on small (2 lane) side streets with NO traffic? I know, it doesn't make it OK. I'm sure every rider here complies with every traffic law. Patrolling via bike would have the same effect without needing to hide in the shrubbery.

So you are ok with cars doing the same thing? Why would a bike commuter be special?

as for hiding in bushes seems to be a common police method.....the SJPD does this for catching speeding cars one guy with the radar/lidar gun and 3 or 4 motor cycles cops to stop and ticket.... especially by a schools and senior citizen centers (always slow down at on Lincoln, must past Malone for San jose types)

I get to go through red lights where I live. I have to stop at a light, but if there are no cars at the intersection to trip the switch I can proceed through the light. Motorcycles are allowed to do the same thing.

I do. If the signal can't detect me after a couple of minutes, I'll ride over to the crosswalk and push the button.

As for the police hiding in the shrubbery, haven't you ever seen a police car lurking around the corner of a busy intersection or on the onramp to a freeway? If they're easily visible, they won't catch the scofflaws.

A bike cop tried to pull me over once... I let him get close and dropped him on first hill.

bwhahahha I would love to evade them

Back in college, I got pulled over by a motorcycle cop and ticketed while riding my bicycle (for running a red light). But the officer screwed something up on the ticket and it ended up getting tossed.

I go through red lights on my morning commute. It's 5:00am and there is little traffic. I am careful to come to at least a trackstand and check for traffic before I go through. No way am I sitting at lights all by my lonesome at that time of the morning.

Why do you people bother fighting about red lights and stop signs? Guys, you are not going to change anybody's mind. If you run them, fine, if you think it's stupid, fine. Just give up trying to change the other guy.

Hey squirtdad I'm in the SJ area too!

Anyhow, I think the *bigger issue for me personally is how my bike won't trigger the green light no matter what I do. This was constantly a probably for me in Indiana on my motorcycle too. California roads are a little more sensitive, but I know for a fact that some roads will NOT trigger, no matter how many times I go back and forth on the sensor. I memorize every light that doesn't trigger and act as if it was a stop sign instead (if there's no traffic at all).

Is it legal? No... but I'm definitely not walking my bike to the sidewalk to push the pedestrian crossing button because the city put in pos sensors.

good to know I'm not the only one.

This is always a tough call for me.

On one hand, I've found that I get more room and respect from motorists if I stop at the reds with them. Misery loves company. If I blow them, after checking that it's clear, they tend to pass me closer a few minutes later, as if to say: "If you're exempt from the rules of the road, then I don't have to share the road with you."

If the stop sign or red light is part way down a hill or at the bottom, and I can see it is clear, I'm about 95% likely to blow it.

lostarchitect - You've been around long enough to know we discuss a lot of things with no hope of ever reaching a consensus. That's how online fora are. ;)

"A bike cop tried to pull me over once... I let him get close and dropped him on first hill."

My thoughts exactly.....head for the hills and drop him, the circle back and follow him :)

If I run it, it is clear and nobody is around. No point waiting for a light when there is zero traffic.

If bikers want to have the same rights as drivers, we have to accept the same responsibilities.

"We're living in a society!" -G. Costanza

I treat all stop signs and red lights as if they were Yield signs. Wrong? Yes, but I am careful for my safty and others. Road safty can't be completely defined by rules alone. Much of driving any vehicle is skill and thinking using common sense. I'm not going to sit at a red light on a bicycle when there is no cross traffic coming. I have done this (I don't know how many times but more than once) and I feel like a moron. As mentioned above (floatsinwater) many times a bicycle won't trigger a stoplight to change. If a police officer wants to jump out from a bush or billboard and ticket me then so be it. I would probably say something like "oh great, you have foiled the great bicycle mystery".........."I bet they are proud of you downtown"............"we can all sleep safe knowing your keeping cyclist in line"....................."did I use the wrong hand signal, here is one"..................... JK I wouldn't say that but I would want to, ya know.

No, and I hope it stays that way. My city has bicycle patrol, but they all ride really really old Trek mountain bikes on the paved city trails and they are all out of shape, so you never see them. I did just notice a week ago that there is a 20MPH speed limit. I think it would be funny as hell if someone got pulled over for speeding on a bicycle--even if it was me. :lol:

Yes, it was years ago, and he was off duty at the time. I was coming home from the First Friday concert in Downtown St. Petersburg. I was riding in the right side tire track and he accused me of riding in the middle of the road, as well as not having had lights on my bike.

Also around that time I had another cop make a motion with his hands as I came around a corner and I lit him up that I can only presume meant that he wanted me to dim/turn off my lights.

Does your city have a bicycle/pedestrian safety coordinator or traffic engineer that you can contact? If so, then contact them and report the malfunctioning light(s).

It seems as if more states are passing some sort of "dead red" law for just such an occurrence.

Agreed, the laws/rules of the road either apply equally to EVERYONE or they don't apply to anyone at all.