Park police disturbs me

[denny]

How would you suggest that the officials stop 40 riders riding in a pack through a public park after dark at over 30 mph?

Perhaps the answer is for the riders to stop breaking the law.

How about the hazard these guys represent to everyone else on the road, vehicles, pedestrians, even animals?

Hey Zen- they come through at 6:15PM. It's not dark yet. However, assuming they are riding single file or double file then speed would be the factor and yes, slow down is the correct answer. I still believe that the maneuver is an over reaction and is rarely used by state and local PD unless there is an immediate danger to public. This does not rise to such a level as it is a 5 mile strip with a fairly low presence of vehichles and pedestrians pretty much stick to the designated areas.

[Zen]

Please do not confuse the original Zen with the ZenSojourner.
I offer guidance only, never admonition.

Thank you and I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

[Cataboo]

It's a moving violation... if you're in a car and police want to stop you, then they chase you, turn on the lights, etc... If a police officer has a speedtrap on the side of the road or whatever and steps out into the road to motion you to stop.... you stop and pull over. This isn't something that car drivers complain about.

What are the reasons that the park police are upset at the riders? I'm guessing its for riding after sunset more than 2 abreast since that's what you mentioned?

If it's after sunset, the roads are empty, and I'm in a park... I can't drive 100 mph hour just because noone's there. I can't drive on the wrong side of the road just because noone's there.

Most parks around me close at sunset. Most parks around me also have pretty anal park rangers and police, but... they're doing their jobs and they're enforcing the rules, because quite a few people think they don't apply to them.

You're afraid to complain about these incidents because bikers may lose the priveledge of biking through the park... So... why can't the bikers follow the rules that the park has set on them riding through the park?

Yes, it's unfortunate that some riders got hurt... but you also have to realize that if you're on a bike and you can't stop when there's an obstacle in the road, or you're in a pack of bikes that can't stop when there's an obstacle in the road... be it a police car or a human... Then something's wrong, you're really not biking all that safely on a public road.

[Irulan]

t is beyond me how such tatical maneuvers can be deemed necessary even if the riders were in violation of riding more than 2 abreast after sunset.

well, there's your answer right there. Perhaps if your group contacted the authorities ahead of time for an event permit or special road closure or what ever it takes to not be in violation of the laws, the cops wouldn't do what they did.

[ilima]

Isn't Stone Mountain technically a private park? They're probably not 'real' cops and they probably don't give a crap.

Now, I do think the two abreast thing is a little silly to get in a huff about as if they're going with traffic, you can have way more than two abreast in a single lane (and the cyclists should be worthy of a full lane if they're going at the speed limit), which would make the group more compact and easier to pass in the left lane.

[Irulan]

easier to pass in the left lane.

you can't always pass in the left lane. Some roads are blind, or slow or there's too much on coming traffic. Or, maybe you are like my mom, 80 years old and terrified to pass a group of cyclists on a curvy road....

[Cataboo]

Assuming stone mountain is a theme park, this is what it says on their FAQ:


* Do you have bike trails or somewhere for me to ride my bicycle at the Park?
Bicycles can be ridden along the roadways inside the Park. There is a dedicated bicycle lane on Robert E. Lee Blvd., on the back side of the mountain. Bikers must ride single file and follow all traffic laws.


If it's a theme park, I'm assuming it's private land & roads.

[ilima]

you can't always pass in the left lane. Some roads are blind, or slow or there's too much on coming traffic. Or, maybe you are like my mom, 80 years old and terrified to pass a group of cyclists on a curvy road....

Yes, but the context of my post was cyclists traveling at the same speed as cars. Why would your 80 yo mom need to pass the cyclists in that case?

Also, left lane implies two lanes going in the same direction. If your mom is afraid to drive he left lane-that is going the same direction as the right lane-perhaps your mom shouldn't be on the road at all.

[uforgot]

I offer guidance,only, never admonition.

Thank you and I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

You forgot to add wonderfully witty sarcasm!

[Cataboo]

You forgot to add wonderfully witty sarcasm!

I've seen her admonish a helpful shaggy man in a kilt.

[crazycanuck]

Yep our original Zen has a wicked sense of humour & plays an accordian

[Zen]

I've seen her admonish a helpful shaggy man in a kilt.

He was a hazard in himself.
But that's another story.

[Cataboo]

He was a hazard in himself.
But that's another story.

True that.

I'd've kicked him in his kilt if he'd run over my litespeed.

[SadieKate]

Here you go. http://stonemountainpark.com/faq/

Do you have bike trails or somewhere for me to ride my bicycle at the Park?
Bicycles can be ridden along the roadways inside the Park. There is a dedicated bicycle lane on Robert E. Lee Blvd., on the back side of the mountain. Bikers must ride single file and follow all traffic laws.

I'm guessing that since the park is owned by the State of Georgia, state traffic laws apply and that there is traffic through out the hours of operation.

What time do the Park Gates open? What time do the attractions open? Park Gates are open daily, 6:00 a.m. to Midnight. Attraction hours vary. Visit the Operating Dates & Hours page for attraction hours on the day of your visit.

[ZenSojourner]

Hey Zen- they come through at 6:15PM. It's not dark yet. However, assuming they are riding single file or double file then speed would be the factor and yes, slow down is the correct answer. I still believe that the maneuver is an over reaction and is rarely used by state and local PD unless there is an immediate danger to public. This does not rise to such a level as it is a 5 mile strip with a fairly low presence of vehichles and pedestrians pretty much stick to the designated areas.

Originally you said:

even if the riders were in violation of riding more than 2 abreast after sunset.

Which makes it sound like they're riding after sunset.

The problem is this has happened twice, which seems to show a disregard on the part of the riders in this group for warnings already given.

If they're speeding, they're speeding, they need to stop doing that. If they're breaking other rules, they need to stop doing that as well.

Whatever the rules are they need to comply with them. There's no excuse for drag racing by cars on isolated stretches of road, even if there isn't "usually" much traffic there. Same rules apply to bikes. Using the same tactics to stop bikes that are used to stop cars isn't a fault on the part of the police. If you're going to fast to stop, whether in a car or on a bike, you were already in the wrong. There IS an immediate danger to the public when you've got a peloton zipping down a public access road like this.

The point is its not a race track, it's a public road, and there are plenty of reasons people might be walking along a well-lit, public road, with kids and dogs in tow, or kids might be walking along there. It's an issue of public safety. It would appear this has been happening on a regular basis, hence the concern and intervention of the local gendarmerie. In order for the cops to be there on two occasions in the right place at the right time, there must be a pattern of disobeying the rules to which they are responding.

Nobody wants anyone to get hurt. But I don't see how much choice the cops had. At the very least, the first attempt to stop the peloton should have been considered a warning, and yet the group repeats the same offense again?