I Got a Ticket on my Bike!

Triathlon Forum
1

So I figured I would share my story. I am generally a pretty safe rider, I don’t do anything stupid, I will go through 4 way stops signs if I don’t see any other cars, will ride through a red light after stopping to look both ways, but always stop at a 4 way if there are other cars never assuming they see me and the same thing with red lights. Am I perfect, no, but do I ride safe, I try to as much as possible.

I live in DC and was riding across the Mall and then down towards Hains Point (a big park with relatively traffic free roads where lots of cyclist and triathletes go to ride and run). After you get past the mall and before you get to the park there is a relatively traffic-heavy area where you have to pay close attention.

So I am riding and as I approach this biggest intersection (it is like a 5 or 6 way intersection) I see a Park Police car across part of the road and a tour bus making a 3-point turn, so traffic from all directions is stopped. I approach sort of slowly, look around, see there is no traffic moving in any direction and the crosswalks have timers on them so I see I have about 5 seconds before traffic merging in from another direction will be right on my butt. There is one section where there is no shoulder, lots of tourists on the sidewalks, so the safest thing to do is ride with traffic for about 1/4 mile. You have to make a left hand turn to enter the park so it’s better to be in the left of two lanes. The speed limit is 35mph in the area so you aren’t really holding up traffic behind you, occasionally someone behind you will beep, but if you hustle it’s only a 1/4 mile and you turn left into the park.

So I see I have a clear path and the officer is making a waiving gesture, I thought it was for me, apparently not. I zip through the intersection and then really fly for that 1/4 mile as traffic is right behind me as I just barely beat that direction of traffic getting the green light. I enter the park, sit up, catch my breath, get a sip of water, then get down in the aerobars to start my ride. About 1 mile or so later I hear sirens behind me and think “Oh, better get over.” So I slide to the right and keep peddling, but then hear “You, pull over!” Uh oh.

The officer asks me why I ignored his order. I said I did not know what he was talking about. He described the scene at the intersection and then I gave my side of the story, saying I saw it was clear and thought he was waiving me through. He was not in a very good mood, so I was very polite and just kept my mouth shut unless he asked me a question. He repeated everything that happened and then said after I went through the intersection another officer ordered me to stop. I apologized again and said that I would never disobey an order from a police officer and that I was riding fast and there was a lot of traffic and that I simply must not have heard anything. He was still pretty pissed and not friendly, but I think he probably realized I wasn’t a total ass.

So he is in the car for a LONG time which always has you worried. He comes back out with a ticket for “Disregarding a traffic device/stoplight.” He indicated that he had to chase me all the way into the park and that was a very serious offense but was just writing the ticket for the stop light. At first I was pretty pissed, thinking, “What an a$$, I really wasn’t trying to do anything wrong and I explained that and he still wrote me a ticket and was sort of a d!ck about it.” But at the same time, I sort of understand why he was so pissed, he thought I blew past his hand signal, ignored another officer’s order to stop, and then made him chase me over a mile in a busy traffic area and into the park. I am sure it sort of looked like I was trying to get away, because as I said, as soon as I got through the intersection I knew traffic would be on my butt for about 1/4 mile so I really started flying, which to him probably looked like trying to get away. So I am sure he was fuming by the time he caught up with me. I again apologized and said that I realized I made a mistake and that I accepted it but that I wanted him to know I never meant to seem like I was ignoring him or trying to do anything stupid.

So, in the end, I got a $25 ticket, really not too bad considering how pissed the guy probably was. It doesn’t have my driver’s license number or license plate number so I think I just pay the fine and that is the end of it. If it was bigger I might try to argue my case, but for $25 it’s not worth it. However, he didn’t have me sign the ticket, which is the acknowledgement of receipt, so I think I could get off on that, but I am not going to push my luck. Afterwards, all the other cyclists who rode by when I was stopped wanted to know the story, haha. I had a good ride after that mostly fueled by adrenaline.

2

'bout two years ago I got yelled at by a cop because I didn’t come to a stop when he threw both his hands straight up in the air (not even palms forward). I had no clue what the hell he was trying to do and continued on my way. He comes up and puts his hands up in the air again and yells “what does this mean?” I didn’t say anything and he yells back “stop, this means stop” and then just looks at me as I continue on.

funny, I though one hand forward, palm facing out means stop. I’d say, unless the cop was doing that, you’d have no problem getting out of this ticket - but as you said; it’s $25.

3

It’s a Badge of Honor in my book.

I got a “warning” for going over a bridge last year and frame the citation. The doughnut muncher wrote “Make/model of car:bike” and in the speed section he wrote “Excessive for a car or bike on this bridge.” It was hilarious.

Bob

4

He was definitely making the “Come on” waiving motion, back of the hand facing forward, fingers do the “come this way” curl motion. I guess it just wasn’t for me. Like I said, he was out of his car, so had to get in his car, stop traffic, chase me into the park and then stop me. So I sure he was really fuming by the time he caught up with me.

For that, $25 isn’t too bad.

One of the cyclists at the park who saw what happened goes: “Dude…you were in a police chase.” HAHA, that made me laugh.

5

I’m not sure what your ticket is actually for, ie the exact charge, but 1) you not signing it is meaningless and can’t get you off, 2) depending on the charge, just paying could make your auto insurance go up 40% or so 3) depending on how the data base works there, not having your license # on it does not insulate you at all. Personally, I ask someone local who knows, ie a traffic court lawyer, so you don’t wind up with a surprise insurance increase.

On another note, I got stopped recently for alledgedly running a red light (which I didn’t do). When I expressed extreme disappointment that he wasn’t stopping me for speeding he laughed and let me go!

Best wishes,

6

This guy wasn’t the donut muncher type, more the pro wrestler look. Young guy, big, bald head, etc.

I am sure he didn’t look to kindly to the skinny guy on the bright orange bike wearing spandex.

7

He put a code on the ticket indicating it was on a bicycle. I asked him if this would effect my insurance or points on my license and he said no.

I have a buddy who is a cop and he said little things like not signing it can effect the outcome in court, I wasn’t saying it would surely get me off, and I am not even going to push the issue, just mentioned it.

8

Unfortunately, in my 22 years of experience as a lawyer, cops are the source of much misinformation (innocently enough), particularly on insurance/points issues. Whether it is on a bike or not has no effect on the charge or conviction (guilty plea by just paying), which in turn affects your insurance rates. A bicycle code doesn’t hit the judgment books that are used for record checking and thereby rate setting. You certainly may be right, but I’d check with a reliable source b/f just paying and getting a surprise later when it is too late.

9

Well, here is my question…Why would you pay the ticket at all? Unless you gave him your ID and cotact information, I would simply let it go and let the guy get laughed at by his superiors when they look at his log book…Or, even better, take it to court and make him justify wasting a ton of time giving a ticket to a cyclist.

I mean he’s supposed to be protecting us from the evil-doers Shrubya says are coming to attack us, not some lycra clad cyclist…

10

Who should I check with? The DMV?

And what if it is? There’s still nothing I can do about it. Are you saying go to court and try to get out of it?

I don’t think that is going to work as the cop was very pissed and felt I did several things wrong but only wrote me a ticket for the least serious of the violations.

11

Crap, take this thing to court and fight the guy. I mean, serisously, he’s taking a bad day out on others by ticketing cyclists for crying out loud.

12

Well it does have my name and contact info on it, including my social security number.

He asked me what my driver’s license number was and was shocked when I didn’t know it. Does anyone really have their driver’s license number memorized?

He was Park Police as well. I always find, city, state cops to be decent. The lower down the cop food chain the get the worse their attitude.

13

I would check w/ a lawyer who does traffic court…personally I’d give free advice on it here. Talk to your cycling buddies and find out who a cycling lawyer is. Fax or e-mail them the ticket for review/advice. If it is going to cost you $600-750 of increased insurance over the next 3 years, then pay the lawyer the $200 or so to “take care” of it. I don’t know all of the protocols and customs there but this is a pretty easy one. If it is a no harm ticket, pay the fine. I just wouldn’t do so b/f knowing the potential ramifications, that’s all.

14

I would never, ever give that information to a police officer. Seriously, color me cynical, but no cop gets that from me unless they have a good reason, not some bullshit about hand signals.

Park police? Holy shit those are the guys who couldn’t become normal cops, FBI, or US Marshals, so they go to the parks. Nope, no way, no how, I would’ve simply told him to get a supervisor there and discuss the situation further.

I mean, c’mon what a joke.

15

what would you do then? give out false info and when he goes back to the car to check it is now going to arrest you? tell him you’ll follow him to the station? seriously, what would you do?

16

There are three options in this situation…

  1. Call for a supervisor care and let a cooler head talk the cop down from the ledge
  2. Let him arrest me or
  3. Take the incident to court.

When I was teching in grad school I asked me kids what they would do if a cop stopped them on a street and asked for ID. 90-95% consistently said they’d give the ID. The correct answer? Refuse and ask why he wants to see it. A cop asking for your ID and not providing an explanation as to why is the equivalent of the stasi in a totalitarian state asking “Papers please.”

Seriously, color me old school at 34, but if we simply let the cops and authorities run over us and obey simply because it is what they say, then we are live in a country no better than any of those we profess to be fighting.

Bob

17

I agree with David. I would normally not advocate hiring a lawyer (I am one) for something small like this, but I’ve found that the local guys (at least in Texas) who do the traffic court scene generally do that exclusively, and do it well.

18

Bobcatbob,

What’s a good reason to ask for an ID? Who decides what reasons are good and what reasons are not?

19

Simply put, a police officer cannot come up to you on the street and say “Let me see some ID.”

If you’re in a bar or a place you legally shouldn’t be, that’s one thing, but on the street, nuh uh…Your first reaction, if this happens on a street is to say “Why?” If they don’t answer you or give a reason (Probably cause to think you’ve done something wrong) you are allowed by right to have a second officer present, provided there is no immiment danger.

Bob

20

"Simply put, a police officer cannot come up to you on the street and say “Let me see some ID.” "

Bob,

I actually agree with your principle, but in the case presently he was stopped for an alleged violation which is a much different senario. Doesn’t matter if he is Park Poilce or Dick Tracey, I think I advise cooperating even if P’d when there is a stop for a supposed violation.

Now, just stopping and asking for ID, period, is a different story. Although, with current Washington policy we made not be far from the horrors you reference above.