Was stopped by a cop for "riding" 2 bikes.
 

Well, not really riding 2 bikes, rather riding 1 and holding the other so it would coast beside.

So I buy a bike from this guy who collects bikes on garbage days and has a ****load of them
in the backyard.
Quiet morning, suburban street, no cars. I am riding slowly. Then I hear this car creeping
behind me. Turns out to be a cop. Pulls me over. Asks for an ID and serial of the bike I am "towing".
I am like "what's the problem"? He goes "have you heard of the bike theft?".
Anyway, I spent half an hour answering his questions, like where I work, live, phone # and so on.
I told him that I bought the bike for $20 from a trash dude. Then he kinda looked at it and said "if it was a better looking bike I'd take it to the station".
The funny thing is, the bike I WAS riding was much "better looking". And he didn't even look at it.

The whole thing is just so silly.
I don't think that bike thieves transport their stolen goods in such a fashion.
And what if I had 2 bikes in a car, would he suspect them stolen too?
Most of the time they don't even give a **** when you report a bike stolen.
Anyway, I tried to be understanding and he let me be.
But I still have this crappy feeling......

at least he's trying, unlike portland cops

Here they do.

I thought they just ride the stolen bike. Plus being a crack head is not conducive to one's coordination

Man, I sure hate it when cops try to prevent bike theft too...

Yeah, I hate when cops try to prevent bike theft too...

I don't know what hood you live in but seeing as we live in statistically one of the worst cities for bike theft, him questioning you on it was a good thing. Your answer of purchasing the bike from "trash dude" probably grabbed his attention as well. I would be thankful as cops being ******s isn't all that uncommon here and his ******baggery was at least in pursuit of a noble end.

in such "effective" way

I'm having a hard time deciding which "cop thread" is worse.. This one, where a cop is trying to prevent bike theft, or the one where the guy yells cop to his friend on meth and then whines about being questioned.

BTW, if you read the beginning you'd see that I am just telling a story in which I am not being negative about the cop in particular.

+1 to the cop. Actually I just read your post and it does come across like you felt the cop was being silly for pulling you over.

wait, i thought mounties ride horses...

It was a silly situation (from my perspective) that raised many questions about effectiveness of police' actions in dealing with bike theft in general.
What if it was a bike I found in a trash? I often do and some of them are very "good lookin'".

I don't even have to explain myself to a cop as my actions were not suspicious in any way.
How else am I supposed to transport a bike if I don't have a car?

It is just weird and annoying that if a cyclist carries a frame or another bike he is perceived as a thief.

I am saying this because I often get rednecks shouting "thief" at me from their trucks when I ride with another bike. Now a cop.

When I lived in the dregs of New Haven I'd see kids on bikes with an extra "in tow".....good for the cop for at least checking.

Yeah, it sucks you had to undergo questioning for legitimate behavior, but if every guy towing an extra bike alongside gets questioned by the cops, and the end result is less bike thieves getting away with their crime, I think you can agree it's probably not the end of the world.

I ride with my bill of sell in my wallet. I definitely don't look like i should be on any of the bikes that belong to me.:rolleyes:

Thieves seem to mostly steal front wheels, rear wheels, or bikes without the front wheel. Generally if you see some crackish looking fellow with an incomplete bike then I think it's a lot more suspicious than someone riding with two completes.

Unless...wait...two and two together...4 wheels!!! :eek:

I don't know what to say other than ya, guys steal bikes and tow them beside another bike. Hang out east of Moss Park on Queen (between Seaton and Berkeley) and you can watch all these guys selling them on the sidewalk.

I've personally seen people wandering up w/ multiple wheels, towed bikes, seen them painting bikes, etc. etc.

I'm glad the cop at least made some effort to see what was up.

You should have been thanking the LEO for giving a sh*t instead of complaining about his actions.

It sounded like he was polite to the cop... but I can hardly blame the guy for pulling you over... that does sound like pretty suspicious behavior.

From a campus police log:
"Sept. 5: Mass. Ave. Bridge, 1:15 a.m., Report of juveniles pushing bikes while riding others; two juveniles arrested for receiving stolen property and possession of burglarious tools."

Sounds like in this case it worked out okay, even if it did take a while for you to sort things out....

I'd better go memorize the serial numbers of all the nice bikes around town.

What no exact location on the bridge???

I want smoots!!!

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

Awesomeness.