Pulled over for speed this morning - No ticket (2 Wheels + 2 Legs Good)

"Moves-Like-Senna" (moves-like-senna) 08/18/2014 at 09:53 • Filed to: None

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I'm an avid fitness enthusiast and sunny days I like to get a 30 or 60 mile ride in after work. Typically, I bring my bike to work and today I did just that. At one stretch of road, there are often police targeting cyclists.

Last week, I was ticketed for not adhering to traffic signals. I had two pedal strokes before the light turned green (wasn't even on the cross walk). I took the ticket and sucked it up.

Today, on that same strip, I hit the lights right and was just under 30mph. I see the cop flag me down and bam, an marked Charger cuts me off and I t-bone it softly slowing down. No lights or siren on and it ran a red light to do so.

I was being yelled at for speeding as the cycling lanes have a limit of 12.4mph. I was then instructed to drop the bike, a several thousand dollar road bike which I refused to just "drop" and put down slowly then step to the side. They then started writing a ticket and requested ID.

At this point I stated there was no legal reasoning for them to give me a ticket and I would like to call 911. I showed them that I was not in the bike lane but on the road which has a 30mph limit. The cruiser was not moved and the ding/tire mark on it from my bike was clearly well outside the bicycle path and in the right lane instead.

They then began to inspect the legal requirements of my bike such as reflectors etc which I had in place and at that point I requested they call another unit. After refusal, I dialled 911 and reported a car running a red light and I had been involved in a collision.

Another unit showed up and took the report. I couldn't believe a police officer would think it was good judgement to run a red light, and stop to force a cyclist to hit him without any warning whatsoever. I follow every law required, get treated like shit by other drivers (glass bottles a few times a week, garbage daily) and they still try to target me and in this case could have killed me.

Have a SkyTeam Jaguar F-type for your time. Thanks for listening to my morning rant.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Moves-Like-Senna 08/18/2014 at 09:58

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Please throw bottles at your fellow cyclists who ignore red lights and "no turn on red" signs in the road. I'm going to accidentally run over someone one of these days and I will make sure to laugh a bit before calling 911. It sucks they were brutal on you but it scares me how often cyclists will put themselves in danger and then pick and choose which laws apply to them.

Out of curiosity, does that road have a dedicated bike lane? What are the local ordinances about bicycle traffic? Are you required to stay in that path if it is available?

Mosqvich > Moves-Like-Senna 08/18/2014 at 10:00

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Absolutely ridiculous. Seriously. I used to ride my bike to work about 12 miles each way back in Ashburn/Herndon, Virginia and never had a problem. I simply cannot believe cops are wasting time on such trivial matters.

Rainbow > Moves-Like-Senna 08/18/2014 at 10:00

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It pisses me off to no end how violent drivers tend to be toward cyclists. Yes, some are assholes, but the worst they do is hog the lane while going under the limit. That's not worth attempted murder, but too many drivers will go that route without even considering it. I mean, if one of those glass bottles happens to strike your head, especially if it's coming from an oncoming car, the best you can hope for is a coma. It's sickening.

As for the cops, it doesn't really surprise me. For every decent officer, there's another one who's worse than half of the people he arrests.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Moves-Like-Senna 08/18/2014 at 10:00

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Being a cyclist sucks. Because such a large number of cyclists break the rules motorists and police think we all are, even those of us who follow every rule. Other cyclists blow by me at every red light I stop at and hurl abuse for me impeding them. Actually on that thought, motorists seem to account for me better than other cyclists do.

CalzoneGolem > Moves-Like-Senna 08/18/2014 at 10:01

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I got pulled over by a cop while I was on a bike once. Lights, siren the whole bit. I didn't stop because I didn't think he was stopping me. I had no idea what was going on. I had never even heard of that happening before. Where do you live that they have such a hard on for cyclists?

jvirgs drives a Subaru > Moves-Like-Senna 08/18/2014 at 10:01

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Who woulda thunk you could get "pulled over" for "speeding" on a bicycle. Don't cops have more important things to worry about than a cyclist doing more than 12mph in a bike lane?

ncasolowork2 > Moves-Like-Senna 08/18/2014 at 10:04

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How on earth can a bicycle lane have a 12mph speed limit? Also since I don't need a license to operate a bicycle I don't carry ID with me when I ride. If I do need one that's news to me.

Finally i would fight the ticket. If you were still on the bike path and not in the crosswalk or even still at a red light as long as you hadn't entered the intersection that isn't a reason for a ticket.

And yeah... no need to run a red light to stop you on a bike. I mean a car should be able to catch you no problem.

oldirtybootz > Moves-Like-Senna 08/18/2014 at 10:06

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Police targeting cyclists? Where is this magical place? They run rampant around here, breaking traffic laws and hogging lanes.

Moves-Like-Senna > Rainbow 08/18/2014 at 10:06

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I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels this way. I've been hit many times and not once was it my fault. Ironically only once did a vehicle stay on the scene. Even the damage the glass bottles do is dangerous and expensive. I've spent roughly 500$ this summer alone doing repairs done by glass bottles. Drivers don't seem to understand that they're driving something that weights thousands of pounds and we're riding something between 10 and 35 pounds....

Yea, out here it seems more cops are the latter. They have more authority than in many cities unfortunately.

Moves-Like-Senna > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 08/18/2014 at 10:08

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I do warn them. There was a guy back in June. He kept running stop signs and red lights, passing me repeatedly to do it. I finally told him, "you're going to get hit if you don't stop." Next red light, BAM he was hit by a car.

There aren't specific ordinances for staying inside the bike path if they are available. Most riders do, however, actual road cyclists who can maintain the pace of traffic tend to avoid it as it's illegal to go that fast, and the other cyclists become a hazard.

Rainbow > Moves-Like-Senna 08/18/2014 at 10:09

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It's nuts, yeah. I haven't ridden at all since I had both of my brake cables snap after being cut off by a driver who failed to yield before turning left. To be fair, that was partially my fault for never bothering to replace them, but still. They should have been good for ordinary use without any panic-braking.

Moves-Like-Senna > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 08/18/2014 at 10:10

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Very true! I rarely see a cyclist besides myself use hand signals. Personally I do them in short form so I don't lose a limb, however, that alone and actually slowing down or stopping at stop signs would make it safer for all parties. It barely adds a few minutes to a 40 minute commute.

Sam > Rainbow 08/18/2014 at 10:14

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I knew a guy whose dad was a cop and he always said the biggest criminals he ever encountered were the people he worked with.

Moves-Like-Senna > CalzoneGolem 08/18/2014 at 10:14

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Hahahaha I've had a similar case. In Tokyo, I was pulled over in similar fashion and then arrested, and charged. I faced 3 months in prison and a 700$ CAD fine for having a single braking machinism instead of two. I got out of that one after it became clear the arresting officer was targeting me for not being a "full Japanese". (I'm half japanese).

Currently, I live in Montreal. The SPVM is known for their brutality and I don't expect much out of them. I had a cousin run over by an officer here running a red. Both the officer and bus driver who witnessed it lied and then got caught lying about it.

Right now they are "at war" and they are wearing camo pants to show that. They're protesting pensions but their protests are out of hand and they act like a gang. Regular drivers here tend to drive aggressively so the abuse on their end I take into account normally.

Moves-Like-Senna > Mosqvich 08/18/2014 at 10:15

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I agree. That's police 6 salaries for an hour being wasted on this instead of targeting something actually dangerous.

Moves-Like-Senna > jvirgs drives a Subaru 08/18/2014 at 10:16

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Sadly it's not the first time for me. I got a ticket exiting a 30kph zone at 32.5kph. I've actually never gotten a ticket driving and I have enough moving violations now on a bicycle that if I had a car (at this time I don't since I'm trying to relocate and parking here is impossible) I couldn't afford the insurance.

It's a joke among my friends. I'm a "fast" and "assertive" driver but I only get tickets walking or on a bicycle.

Moves-Like-Senna > Rainbow 08/18/2014 at 10:18

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That sucks! Sorry to hear.

Moves-Like-Senna > oldirtybootz 08/18/2014 at 10:18

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Montreal Quebeckistan.

Sam > Moves-Like-Senna 08/18/2014 at 10:20

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Makes me wonder what they would've done if you were plastered across the side of the car. I mean, it's like pulling over someone for speeding by running the light in front of their car and hoping they stop in time.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Moves-Like-Senna 08/18/2014 at 10:25

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I commute daily on a bicycle and I have seen people have some very close calls due to skipping reds, one even clipped the curb avoiding a car and went down. It adds maybe 5 minutes to my journey which to me is worth it for the safety and just generally avoiding being a dick on the roads.

Hand signals I sometimes just stick my hand out far enough to be visible, you cant always extend your arm on the road.

Alfalfa > Moves-Like-Senna 08/18/2014 at 10:28

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Everyone hates getting stuck behind the slow guy in a car, but for some reason cyclists are expected to suck it up and ride behind grandma in the bike lane. Drives me crazy.

Moves-Like-Senna > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 08/18/2014 at 10:29

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Exactly! Safety first. I've only crashed once over my last 3000 miles cycling (since last summer) and that was because I was hit by a car running a red. Using common sense and patience prevents many accidents.

That's about what I do. I just stick my hand and a finger out behind me but still clear since the roads can get too tight.

Moves-Like-Senna > Alfalfa 08/18/2014 at 10:33

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hahahaha

JGrabowMSt > Moves-Like-Senna 08/18/2014 at 10:34

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I'm glad I don't live in your area, damn. I don't carry ID with me when I'm on my bike for exactly those reasons though. I just wear a RoadID.

After hearing a few stories about people carrying their ID, I decided not to. Can't write a ticket for someone you can't confirm, right (I know it doesn't actually work like that, spare me).

The saving grace for me is that my area hosts a number of cycling competitions throughout the year, so cops tend to leave us cyclists alone. Many are high dollar fund raisers, so they don't want to discourage the events.

CalzoneGolem > Moves-Like-Senna 08/18/2014 at 10:37

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That's messed up.

Moves-Like-Senna > JGrabowMSt 08/18/2014 at 10:40

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RoadID is an interesting concept! Out here if you don't have a piece of ID on you, you can be charged. It's ridiculous.

That's really lucky! Here we have a few events in May and the island tour in september with crits for the summer but there really isn't much unless I drive out of town for an hour or two.

jariten1781 > ncasolowork2 08/18/2014 at 10:47

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Also since I don't need a license to operate a bicycle I don't carry ID with me when I ride. If I do need one that's news to me.

Depending where you're at that's playing with fire. It widely varies, but in some jurisdictions you can be detained if suspected of violating traffic laws and ID can't be verified. That means instead of just a talking to or a ticket you get to go down to the station and sit there until someone brings in your ID or vouches for you. There's no charges associated with it since it's not required, but sitting in a room in a police station isn't my idea of a good day, and there's very little chance you'll end up with a warning at that point.

davedave1111 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 08/18/2014 at 10:51

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I don't know what it's like in the US, but here in London the problem is that the road laws and junctions were (almost) all designed without taking cyclists into account, so in many, many cases obeying the laws too rigidly as a cyclist is a recipe for being knocked off. Traffic lights are just one of many examples: generally, as a cyclist, you're better off anticipating the green so you can get clear of the junction before the traffic moves off.

Ride with common sense and courtesy for other road users and you'll stay safe without bothering anyone reasonable.

JGrabowMSt > Moves-Like-Senna 08/18/2014 at 10:52

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The RoadID is something I found out about on a cycling forum. I used to just cycle with nothing, I don't usually go more than about 30 miles from home anyway, and even after a fall, in the past I've always just limped my way home as long as the bike is fine (so far I haven't wiped out hard enough to need anything else).

But the RoadID gives peace of mind to my family and girlfriend, so whatever makes them happier. I only recently put a saddlebag on my bike, so I haven't yet added any tools or an inner tube. I've gotten a couple flats, but usually close enough that a friend of mine could shuttle me home. Since I can take the wheels off, I can get my bike into a lot of different cars, and learned plenty of tricks to make it a quick process for my friends with no roof racks.

I've never had any bad experiences with cops, but I follow the road rules to the T because I don't trust the drivers. I've been nearly wiped out by cars a couple of times, even with that. My area also only just got bike lanes, so up until this past year, there were no laws about the lanes or speeds, I'm sure that will come into effect soon.

davedave1111 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 08/18/2014 at 10:53

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Hand signals are a funny one. I had one idiot blast his horn at me for signalling that I was about to turn. Most of the time there's no need, though, because your road position should signal your intentions anyway.

buford-t-justice > Rainbow 08/18/2014 at 10:54

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I have to drive along side cyclists every day driving in down town Ottawa, some of them are asshats, but so are some drivers. I just take my time, enjoy my wheel time in the FoST. It only adds 5 minutes to my drive.

I have seen drivers intentionally swerve towards cyclists, that is a frightening scene.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Moves-Like-Senna 08/18/2014 at 10:58

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My last incident was around 4-5 years ago when I got pulled out on. I went over the bars but wasnt injured. Been fine since. The front of the guys passat was ruined, my bike needed a new front rim. I was back riding within half an hour on a new rim.

Moves-Like-Senna > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 08/18/2014 at 11:01

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Ouch! Glad you're okay and there wasn't too much damage.

I got hit from behind last year from a red light runner. My foot unlclipped when into the front tire and the rim shattered apart until my foot was caught in the fork. The car hit me with so much force my rear derailer/chain/wheel/cranks were shot.

Moves-Like-Senna > JGrabowMSt 08/18/2014 at 11:03

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I'm definitely going to check out getting RoadID and that's really lucky! I don't have too many friends in the city with cars so I'm stuck carrying a spare tub/c02 canister but I've never used either haha. Taking the wheels off makes such a huge difference! It's shocking people think a bike wont fit in a car but with those off it fits in most any car.

It's a good thing you do! It's always nice when others follow the rules as well .

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > davedave1111 08/18/2014 at 11:03

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I live in the UK in newcastle and if you don't stop at reds you're asking for trouble here. Motorists are actually quite good at accounting for cyclists probably because they're used to them. Running reds increases the risk of upsetting someone too and starting a road rage type incident. I've seen things like that happen.

davedave1111 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 08/18/2014 at 11:12

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Blindly running reds is just idiotic. Rolling through some a bit early is rather different. And really, it doesn't matter what you do, some drivers will just be raging idiots whatever happens.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Moves-Like-Senna 08/18/2014 at 11:19

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Man thats awful, glad you came out of that okay. Cant believe someone would just fly through a red like that.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > davedave1111 08/18/2014 at 11:24

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This is true.

Rainbow > buford-t-justice 08/18/2014 at 17:05

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Oh, definitely. Of course, just the other day I had a driver almost kill me by being too courteous. All of a sudden, I come around a corner and see a huge Silverado entirely over the double-yellows, barreling at me head-on. I had to slam on the brakes and he flipped me off when I honked. The cyclist was visibly terrified, too, but luckily no one was hurt.