you’re really pulling me over?
The following story actually took place last night. I’ve edited out the umms, uhs, hmms and other conversational faux-pas on my end that might make me sound stupid.
All weekend, it has been cold and rainy (but isn’t it gorgeous today?!). Instead of grading papers or working on my own stuff, I’ve been watching movies (by the way, go watch A Night on Earth and Paris, je T’aime). On my way to Hastings last night, I was pulled over by a cop; I was on my bike. I was tempted, of course, not to stop. But as the red and blue flashed off the icy road in front of me, I knew running that red light wouldn’t be a big deal and I’d probably slip and get a stupid injury trying to get away.
I ran the light on the south side of campus where the speed limit is 15 (on Knowles, the light you hit going west just before the University St. intersection). There is no traffic besides bikes and walkers that cross there. I slowed down, there was nobody coming so I kept riding. The cop must have been right behind me. My stopping proved to be worthwhile, I think, for both of us.
“Do you have your license with you? Or an ID?”
“No. I’m on my bike.” He wasn’t interested in my Hastings rental card.
The cop was actually pretty cool and totally understood why I did what I did. “I understand, it’s cold and windy and you’ve got your momentum built up. It’s just that we’ve been getting some complaints from motorists about bicyclists not following the traffic laws,” he said.
“Well the traffic laws were never designed with bicyclists in mind. There are actually a lot of biking organizations in this country working to change the laws. You’re right though; there are irresponsible bikers out there. There are a lot of irresponsible motorists as well.
He agreed and we continued to talk as he wrote me up a warning. He asked what laws I would change to accommodate bicyclists.
“I think, for a bicyclist, stop signs should be treated as yield signs—slowing and proceeding when and if it is safe—and stop lights should be treated as stop signs—bikers should come to a full stop and proceed when and if it is safe.”
“Which would still make you in the wrong back there, right?”
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m ruining it for everyone!
“I can see it from both perspectives,” said the cop. “Sometimes it seems as though there is a battle going on between bikers and motorists. I understand it from both perspectives.”
I piped up immediately. “Lets be honest though, if everyone were out here on a bike, your job would be a lot easier.”
“Ain’t that the truth.”
Then there was a long pause: he finished writing as I looked at the traffic passing us by. I knew what a wanted to ask him.
“Can I ask you a question, just to satisfy my own curiosity?”
“Sure.”
“What would you have done if I simply kept riding? I mean, I know this area pretty well and I’m pretty quick on this thing. I could have got away if I wanted to.”
“Well honestly, you probably would have got away. I would have followed for as long as it were safe, but doing a big pursuit wouldn’t have been worth the risk.”
He went on to talk about the potential offenses I could have been cited with (i.e. fleeing, endangerment…etc), but also mentioned someone they did catch whom they released without charge. He thought for a second and concluded.
“I wouldn’t make this public information (so I will!), but yeah, there is a good chance nothing would happen to you.”
We each said thank you and goodnight; giggling to myself, I peddled away.
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December 2nd, 2007 at 6:53 pm
Thanks for writing up your story - I appreciate that those kinds of conversations can happen despite what the often-false “mainstream narrative” says the relationship between law enforcement and alternative transportation proponents should be.
And if enough of those conversations happen, the narrative starts to change.
December 2nd, 2007 at 8:18 pm
Next time, remember to ask him why he isn’t pulling over people who are breaking the speed limit in that area. I bike through this area every freaking day and am passed by as least 3-5 cars going well over the 15mph speed limit. I know this because I have a bike computer and usually average 15-18mph on my commuter.
I have not once seen a cop car patrolling the area’s vehicular traffic violators.
Oh, and don’t get me started on the idiot who rides his mini motorcycle over 20mph on the bike/pedway… and how even though there have been multiple complaints to the NAU PD about this, they are too lazy to post someone @ the union during lunch hour the same time EVERY day the guy rides through campus illegally.
Wait, don’t get me started on how the pedway has been merged with the bikepath on over 1/2 the campus making it pretty much dangerous to ride a bike on a MARKED BIKE PATH… which has forced me to ride on NAU roads this past 2-3 years. (Not that I’ve been riding a bike on NAU’s campus for over 10 years now.)
*GRRRRRR*
What this rant is trying to explain is that there are better things for the Flag and NAU PD to be doing… rather than “catch and releasing” bicyclists.
December 2nd, 2007 at 8:21 pm
What I meant to say is, congrats on only getting a warning, and and actually having an interesting conversation. Of course something makes me wonder what your attitude would have been if ya would have gotten a real ticket, etc.
December 3rd, 2007 at 7:25 am
If you want to ride on the road like the big boys then you have to obey the laws. You should have been given a ticket. It is the poor cyclist like you that give the rest a bad rap.
December 3rd, 2007 at 8:57 am
Yeah, he should have given me a ticket. That would have really taught me a lesson.
For real though. I don’t know how he would have given me a ticket anyway. I had no ID on me. I could have said my name was Chipotle Frank.
After that conversation though, I know if he did start writing me a ticket, I could just leave!
There is, btw, nothing poor about my cycling. I’m safer than retired person driving a Buick off the lot. But there is no reason why a biker should have to sit and wait at that light. I’ve never seen a biker stopped there and I ride through there every day.
December 3rd, 2007 at 9:08 am
There is in fact a reason you should have to sit and wait. It is called the motor vehicle laws of Arizona which include bikes. If you don’t like it, have it changed the legal way. By failing to adhere to the vehicle laws, you show that you have very poor integrity and moral values.
December 3rd, 2007 at 9:37 am
Like I said above, there are a lot of biking organizations that are working to have the laws changed…the legal way. I don’t operate a “motor vehicle,” and frankly, I think it is dangerous to put bikes and cars in the same camp with the same laws. It just doesn’t make sense.
Despite how this whole story sounds, I follow the law 99% of the time. Lets face it, the only thing that makes the roads unsafe (for motorists and bicyclists) is automobiles.
December 3rd, 2007 at 9:48 am
And not strictly following laws that were never created with me in mind has nothing to do with integrity or morality. It takes nothing but integrity to ride a bike–getting by on your own steam rather than the blood of our foreign policy and soul-less corporations. It takes integrity to challenge unjust laws and question the power relationships between a vulnerable (yet happy) biker in a world of stressed out brohams, encased in steel and a strong sense of entitlement.
In Flagstaff, there is approximately one bike accident every week. How many car accidents do you think there are? Don’t talk to me about morality. You should be talking about “mortality!”
December 4th, 2007 at 8:41 am
I have found that most of the traffic light sensor’s don’t “see” me on my bike. If no cars are around me, the light will never change. So I treat them as stop signs too.