Cop yelled at me for taking the lane

Sometimes I feel like such a ninny trying to bike in traffic. Today I was crossing a somewhat scary (to me) intersection and it's one where taking the lane is simply safer. I know it annoys people. A cop who was directing traffic starting yelling "Move to the side, lady. Move to the side."

If I were a pedestrian or in a car or on my Xootr I wouldn't even notice but on the bike it scared me. I was 95 percent sure I knew what he was yelling about, but the other five percent of my brain wondered if I was about to get crushed by something. Of course I wasn't, and I was completely legal.

Gah. I'm just venting. No one is forcing to do this.

Pam

You are doing what you feel is right and safe and that cop is just plain wrong. In my neighborhood (in the Santa Monica Mtns) all the fun rides are on narrow hills where you can't see far around the turns. I always worry that some idiot will just barrel around the curves (and yes they do that) and not see me if I am off to the side. And frankly it's narrow so the side is not out of the lane so I always take the lane at stops. I don't care if people flip me off as I look carefully before crossing; I'm trying to save my behind here. A cop should know better. Vent away.

Years ago when I commuted in urban traffic, there was a cop that yelled at me every single day for not being in the right side of the right-turn lane when I was going straight. :rolleyes: Sorry to the cops here, but IME most of them are as clueless about the law - and about traffic safety for non-motorized vehicles - as your average layperson.

just because they are traffic cops doesn't mean they understand bike rules of safety even if it's in your driving manual. Sadly, that gives you a clue as to how clueless the general population might be if even the "experts" are confused.

I just double-checked; I was on the official bike route, and the lane (the one I was in) is marked. It's not a separate bike lane, but it's clearly the lane you should be in to proceed to the bike path.

Now I'm even more annoyed. I really do appreciate getting support here, by the way. Eventually I will have biking buddies but right now I have not one single friend IRL who understands.

Pam

Pam: If you ever get called to task for this, politely remind them that it is their job to embrace and enforce the law...not to redefine it.

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Originally Posted by Mr. Silver

Pam: If you ever get called to task for this, politely remind them that it is their job to embrace and enforce the law...not to redefine it.

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In NYC? Mr. Silver, you are brave! I wouldn't mess with NYC's finest. ;)

Around here, the Bike Fed has printed up the state bicycle laws on little wallet sized cards (quite the bifocal eye test). I've actually heard it suggested that we should be carrying copies to hand to the cops if we get pulled over for taking the lane.

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

Years ago when I commuted in urban traffic, there was a cop that yelled at me every single day for not being in the right side of the right-turn lane when I was going straight. :rolleyes: Sorry to the cops here, but IME most of them are as clueless about the law - and about traffic safety for non-motorized vehicles - as your average layperson.

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Depends what city you are in, but you are in pretty dangerous water when you say "most of" anyone, then generalize like that.

There is a VERY easy way to deal with this particular officer. Complain. You don't have to be rude or nasty about it, just go up to the PD and speak with a supervisor. Tell him what happened. The supervisor's JOB is to handle stuff like this.

I PROMISE it will work out better for everyone, rather than handing out cards with information to them (that's funny) to officers, sitting around complaining about them, or whatever. Just get their name and point the issue out to the supervisor. I bet that puts an end to it.

Boy, there has been a lot of complaining about cops recently. Cops, just like everyone else, are far from perfect. There are a lot that abuse their authority, there are corrupt ones, there are stupid ones, arrogant ones. There are cops that are so sick of dealing with stupid people that they can't see that the majority of people are NOT stupid. People dwell on all this, but no one calls 911 and says, "Yeah, hey, someone with a large butcher knife is trying to break into my house. Yeah, yeah. He looks like Rambo. Oh, and by the way, could you send anyone but that guy who doesn't know the bike laws? Yeah. Anyone else would be good."

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Originally Posted by Thorn

Around here, the Bike Fed has printed up the state bicycle laws on little wallet sized cards (quite the bifocal eye test). I've actually heard it suggested that we should be carrying copies to hand to the cops if we get pulled over for taking the lane.

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Yep, I generally have a card with that says the same...but in Indiana, the code is basic and easy to remember...

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Originally Posted by mickchick

In NYC? Mr. Silver, you are brave! I wouldn't mess with NYC's finest. ;)

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I respect the police and will always be respectful...but I am brave too! It's my civic responsibility to educate the uninformed;)

I haven't done so for cycling reasons, but I've done the following in similar situations:

- Note the time and the intersection (if possible badge or car #)
- Call the non-emergency police line (NOT 911)
- identify the officer using the above and VERY POLITELY explain the situation and that you would like the officer to be reminded of the applicable law(s)

I've done this for sudden and illegal U-turns (without siren/lights) and other questionable acts by officers. The people I spoke with are always polite, understanding, and even sound somewhat grateful that this is being reported. I think they realize that their officers are only human and can use occasional "policing" themselves.

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Originally Posted by witeowl

I haven't done so for cycling reasons, but I've done the following in similar situations:

- Note the time and the intersection (if possible badge or car #)
- Call the non-emergency police line (NOT 911)
- identify the officer using the above and VERY POLITELY explain the situation and that you would like the officer to be reminded of the applicable law(s)

I've done this for sudden and illegal U-turns (without siren/lights) and other questionable acts by officers. The people I spoke with are always polite, understanding, and even sound somewhat grateful that this is being reported. I think they realize that their officers are only human and can use occasional "policing" themselves.

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LOL. This makes me laugh. An officer telling a cyclist to go straight from a right turn only lane is putting that cyclist in jeopardy and his department needs to be aware of that action so that he may be re-trained.

I would hate to be the poor LT. though who has to field the calls from people who would like the police to "be reminded of the applicable laws." I don't know how many he takes a day, because we never hear. Someone needs me, I turn around, I get there a quickly as I can, and I don't run code, as per policy, unless the situation dictates (lots of situations are jeopardized by lights and sirens..robberies in progress, crazy people, drug busts, people with guns...all are alarmed by sirens). When responding to a call or attempting to stop a vehicle, we are, BY LAW, not held to the traffic code, regardless of whether we are running code or not. If I am just tooling down to the QT to get myself a smoothie, I adhere to the posted speed limit and make only legal, safe turns. And God help the officer who does otherwise on his way to lunch or a break and gets complained on. Our department is very clear about that. But 95% of all complaints come in on officers who are trying to get somewhere to help someone.

And, again, if someone is scratching on your window in the middle of the night, you want me to wait to make the next legal U-turn and proceed at the posted speed limit? Or you want me to whip it around, get my butt there, and hook him up?

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Originally Posted by kenyonchris

LOL. This makes me laugh. An officer telling a cyclist to go straight from a right turn only lane is putting that cyclist in jeopardy and his department needs to be aware of that action so that he may be re-trained.

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OK... So you agree with me that it should be reported, but then laugh? :confused:

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And, again, if someone is scratching on your window in the middle of the night, you want me to wait to make the next legal U-turn and proceed at the posted speed limit? Or you want me to whip it around, get my butt there, and hook him up?

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I'd like you to at least turn on your lights before or while whipping an unsafe U-turn from the far right and across four lanes of traffic (as was the case here). Sure, I'd also expect lights while speeding to reach the scene (except when the situation dictates a stealth approach). I don't believe that this is unreasonable, and I'd be surprised to hear that this is any different from departmental expectations.

The only other phone call I can recall had to do with the request that an officer signal a turn so that I didn't sit like a jackass waiting for him to come one direction to find him going another. I don't believe any shooters would have been alarmed to hear an indicator blinking off in the distance.

Sure, my phrasing of "remind him of applicable laws" may have been a little awkward (I was trying to say complain, but complain NICELY), but let me throw it back at you: How should this officers' department be made aware of that action so that he may be re-trained if not with a phone call to the station? I'm honestly left scratching my head.

A few weeks ago I was biking along on a fairly quiet upcounty road, one lane each way with a double yellow divider. I had a cop car come up along side of me, put down his window and tell me that I should be staying more right so as not to impeded the cars. I felt he was endangering me by doing this and I was fairly pissed but I did not say a thing. The law around here says I should stay as far right as "practicable", whatever that means, but meaning it's pretty much up to me to determine what's safe. Cops are not always right!