This morning, on our group ride, we had a run in with the local law enforcement...it was on the way back, after a lovely group ride, on a really warm sunny clear day. We were all having fun, and we were cooling down and chatting as we rode back. We made sure to stop at the lights in Summerland, notorious for bike tickets...although we didn't see anyone. Sometimes we see the cops there, as they like to catch cyclists (nothing better to do I guess). When we do see the cop on his motorcycle, and we are stopped, he always makes fun of us, saying things like "wow, cyclists stpped at a light, it's a miracle..." and things like that. Today, he must have just missed us, and decided to come after us by going on the freeway. We were headed back towards SB coming up to a stop sign, when someone alerted--MAKE SURE YOU STOP...there's a cop on the freeway... He was looking in at us from the freeway...(we were on a frontage road)! The front people didn't hear in time and rolled through...the rest of us stopped. Sure enough...at the next freeway exit we hear the sirens. He ended up just going after one guy...and the rest of us got to go. Ack! That was close!!! I guess it pays to be wearing the jersey of the ride...so that you won't be singled out! :-)
close call...I really didn't need to start out my day with a $200 ticket!!
A bit frustrating that they don't have anything better to do...where are they when cars do stupid things? Picking on the bikies is just not fair.
Ciao!
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4 comments:
Now that Michael Jackson doesn't live there anymore, they just don't have anything to do. I mean it's not like there's ANY crime in
SB now is there?
The MAN is always watching.
Well, if he watches just for bicyclists then perhaps someone needs to talk to him or his superiors about the finer points of what is called 'discriminatory enforcement', which is verboten in the state. I think cyclists need to be responsible, and that includes following traffic laws, but since studies show that few motorists actually stop at stop signs ......
clearly running a stop in a bike is not an equal crime to running in a car in the ethical analysis.
however, assuming they are doing equal enforcement, us cyclists have to nut it up and take the ticket if we do it....just what goes along with the equal rights/equal responsibilities concept of road law.
on team rides, we make a point to at least do a track-standing stop and foot-down if it's contested. it just makes good diplomatic sense in the world of motorist on cyclist hostilities.
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