Paul threw algorithms at them while I insisted they calculate the algorithmic complexity. Stephen came up with clever names for their mistakes, and Enci helped them improve their stage presence.

Believe me, I'm very aware of how we would be treated differently if had different ethnic backgrounds.

You guys are all high and mighty trying to fight for cyclists rights - but you should be wary of f**king with the LAPD. This is the department, after all, that is still modeled after the United States Marine Corps. They once ran one of the most racist big city police departments in the country for decades.

I wonder what would have happened if y'all were a bunch of black guys on bikes, or if you kept asking questions in Spanish instead of English. Maybe a nightstick to the head, a dime bag shoved in your pocket, and a drug war sentence to tide you over for a few months in the pinta.

Reference: 148. (a) (1) Every person who willfully resists, delays, or obstructs any public officer, peace officer, or an emergency medical technician, as defined in Division 2.5 (commencing with Section 1797) of the Health and Safety Code, in the discharge or attempt to discharge any duty of his or her office or employment, when no other punishment is prescribed, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.

Talking to an officer does not fufill any of the above conditions, and is protected by the 1st amendment. Police are capable of ignoring vocal observers, as Harrington demonstrated by ignoring completely me after we disagreed about the right to observe. In that sense, he demonstrated a proficiency that his subordinates lacked.

If you want to know why the person was stopped, you can inquire at the police station. But not at the time of the arrest.

Oh, and as an aside, if the officer noticed that you were riding your bicycle without a light, it doesn't matter that you walked up to him. If I drive my car without headlights, I can get a ticket. If the cops see me drive down the street without headlights on and I pull into a parking lot and stop, they can still give me the ticket.

"Educated" Law Enforcement also means that they should know when bicyclists are in the wrong.