And so it is written. And so it is done.

Ok, but the women got 14x more than the men??????

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

The story I read said only the women were strip searched. The men just had to spend 2 days in jail (as did the women).

This is either really ironic, or I have a bad memory. Okay, so perhaps it's both. Anyway, didn't the LA Sherriff's dept used to sponsor a pro roadie team?

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<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
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Proud member of the Smartasscrew, MONSTER CLUB
Get your FIX today?

Come on - this a Cali-fony-a deal?

These people were there to create trouble. Call me what you want but those Cali wacko's seem to often get what they deserve. I cant recall the name of the cult "group" of people out there that want to do every thing from ban cars, smoking, leather and any other thing they decide that week they dont like (like popcorn poped in oil at theaters). I think they are called "Mass" something - Critical Mass or some crap like that.



I tell you what, I love cycling and all that - however I also live my twin turbo sports cars that burn 11 mpg of premium fuel. I love to live in a country where I am able to say what I think - when I think it.

Those people - Critical Mass if that is them are just a bunch of whiny dogmatic idiots who have not had an original thought and just like to bitch about what ever they can find on any given week. Such a shame that there was ANY money going to them moaps.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

Remember that old song "Only in America". It certainly applies here.

Those LA cops are a bunch of storm troopers who were way out of line strip searching the female cyclists. They deserve a reprimand but a multi-million dollar lawsuit award is a bit much.

naw your memory is fine Chevrolet /LA Sheriff's cycling team was their name

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"on your Left"

From my, a woman's perspective, a strip search with visual cavity search is not a fantasy (as my husband keeps asserting - and probably the cops involved) but may cause serious psychological damage (including damage to sexual relations, something I'm sure you guys wouldn't want to happen!!). Since psychiatric counseling maybe required, and since that can be expensive, in my opinion damages should have been awarded. The amount maybe in question, but definitely not just worth a slap on the wrist.

Caroline J

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Alex Jonker

I agree. It's no light matter but likely not quite as extreme as you are suggesting unless there was an underlying psychological problem to begin with. The cops were unprofessional jerks, plain and simple but the award seems a bit questionable as you suggest.. On the other hand we live in a culture of everybody claiming to be a victim in one way or another. .

What happened to the rest of my post?



huh...

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

Civil lawsuits are the only way many people can get relief from government actions, and big business. The reason you do live in an enviorment loaded with toxic chemicals, houses not painted with lead based paints, and in a world where your children will not be more likely to develope birth defects, is because of civil lawsuits.

If a civil lawsuits was not used by these cyclists, the LA Sherrif's Deputies would be slapped on the wrist and returned to work. Without the threat of such lawsuits, if they arrested your wife or mother for cycling in a manner they felt was "improper" they would be more likely to take her to jail and perform a cavity search. This time it may not be visual, however. If a guy were stopped for the same offense, and the deputies did not like his attitude, they might just beat the crap out of him. Why not, they would only get a slap on the wrist. And if they cyclist was permenantly injured, and could no longer cycle or work, too bad for him.

Remember the recalls of bad stems and forks that have taken place over the years by larger bike manufacturers? Why do you think that happened? Not because the executives at all these companies cared about you, but because some had an actuary or a statistician worked up a report that said replacing these products was going to be cheaper than dealing with the lawsuits and awards on the percentage that may fail. While their are some small companies that would replace the product because they care about their customer, many would not.

When I am going down a mountain at 50 miles an hour, I like knowing that the bike parts I am on have been tested because a company is afraid of a lawsuit. When I go to the doctor, I like knowing he is going to double check any test results because he is scared of getting his butt sued by my family if he transplants the wrong blood type organs in me. When I swim in a lake, I want to know that the companies upstream have proper filtration and treatment installed for the waste they are dumping into our public water supply because they have read about Love Canal.

I posted that link because I thought it was interesting from the cycling / no respect from the law angle. For people to use that story as an illustration of why the common man should surrender one of their last defenses against government and big business is hilarious. That story is one of the reasons we should keep it. Those cops got in trouble not because of what they did, but because of the money they cost the city and the bad PR that resulted out of the lawsuit. I only wish that a certain portion of that money had to be paid by the deputies themselves, not just by the department / city / county / and taxpayers.

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"Remember: a bicycle is an elegant and efficient tool designed for seeking out and defeating people who aren't as good as you."

--BikeSnobNYC