While waiting in the car for the Critical Mass cyclists to pass, I pondered how the situation could escalate horribly wrong exponentially fast. EMTs or LEOs speeding to an incident with lights and sirens still would not have been able to safely proceed. Or on the other end of the spectrum a disgruntled thug in a car with a gun opens fire for being held up. Either case, or somewhere in between, is bound to happen.

Wow. Last time I checked, wearing a helmet was optional – unless you are under 18.

“When I returned to work today, Commander Greer, his staff and I discussed the incident. There will be an investigation into the matter. Today will be my last working day until the new year…

Andre Dawson
Office of the Chief of Police
Community Relations Section”

Well, not according to “everyone else.”

From the top of the article: “I was obeying all traffic laws, she just fucking grabbed my upper arm while I was riding by at about 15 mph” And from Greg Thomas, above, “[...] the female officer grabbed my arm without warning as I passed by at about 12-15mph [...]“

Perhaps that’s why you weren’t grabbed–you were bicycling slowly by the police.

Frankly, these people are the exception. Most motorists are good. Most bicyclists are good.

One interesting difference between bicyclists are motorists and bicyclists, though, is what happens when they do something wrong.

From what I’ve seen, most motorists who get busted going through a stop sign will recognize that they did something wrong. They may rail about how the police have better things to do with their time than hassle them or complain that the stop sign wasn’t visible or something like that. But they recognize that they did something wrong.

Bicyclists who are pulled over for the same offense will complain that they shouldn’t have to stop at the stop sign. They’ll claim they have better visibility than cars and can see that there is no traffic oncoming. They’ll talk about how it’s problem for them to stop because they have to unclip or how it breaks their pace. They’ll talk about how they’re smaller and lighter and can stop faster and won’t do as much damage as a car. They’ll say, “Cars do it, too! Why can’t I?” They’ll talk about how they’re saving the environment and how these laws shouldn’t apply to them because they’re doing such good.

I thought the story about the gentleman who got a ticket for not having a light on his bike was a particularly demonstrative. He complained that he’d just paid a ticket for having this problem. You would think that he would actually consider getting a light for his bike, but no–that would mean that “The Man” wins. By God, he’s going to show The Man and not get a light for his bike and bellyache over every ticket because The Man can’t tell him what to do.

In regards to the whole “group ride” argument, bicyclists must follow the same rules as motorists. If I get together some 300 of my closest friends and have them all go driving down the street in order to promote driving, should I be allowed to block traffic at intersections because I want to keep the group together? Should we all be able to run stop signs so that we can keep up a good speed?

There used to be a group of Lamborghini enthusiasts who would do a “Cannonball Run” from San Diego. I’m not sure where their final destination was. But I encountered them a for a couple of years on the 405. They’d have a police escort along the left lane and carpool lane. They didn’t somehow believe that, just because they drove Lamborghinis, they were excused from the traffic laws. The police kept them all grouped together along with their support vehicles (at one point I pulled in with them and was immediately yanked out by a cop. Later, when they passed, I pulled in behind them but–unfortunately–in front of their support vehicles and, again, got yanked out by the cops).

If you want to keep your group together, get a police escort. It’s a pretty simple concept. Even Lamborghini owners can understand it, and they’re stupid enough to pay $250,000 for a car!

(By the way, the same rules apply for funeral procession. Everybody can’t just form a caravan.)

In regards to the LAPD actions, I’d point out that the people who are saying that the police should have told people to stop that you’re riding by at 15 MPH. That’s pretty fast, believe it or not. By the time the cop says “STO–” you’re past them. Then the excuse is, “I didn’t know they were talking to me!” And once you are past, how is a foot cop supposed to catch you?

Your “priorities” appear to have lead you to the irrational conclusion that it’s okay for some bicyclists to ignore the rules of the road AND inconvenience others just because some motorists are not as careful as they should be. Maybe you need to learn to THINK straight.

Sure, some of the motorists caught on the road during such late-night rides may just be out on the town, with no particular place to go…

But some of these “impatient motorists” are surely WORKING PEOPLE – “doctors” perhaps, but likely working for way less than you yourself make, and are either on their way home after a long day, or worse, on the way into work at a very late hour, people who indeed can’t afford to be “2 minutes” late, and who probably don’t appreciate being made late by a bunch of arrogant bicyclists with an inflated sense of entitlement (i.e. “yuppies” who can afford a nice bike, and with the free time to ride around this city we all share like it’s their personal playground)

All that I and some of the other posters here are asking is that EVERYONE obey the rules of the road. Frankly, I too would prefer a city of more bikes than cars. In fact, I myself own a nice bike, as well as a car, but usually get around the city on the bus, the subway, or on my own two feet

Oh, woe is me. My Buddha you’d think all these impatient motorists were doctors on the way to deliver babies at the hospital. Instead they’re the same impatient assholes who blaze past the elderly or handicapped who can’t make it across an intersection within one signal cycle. I have zero sympathy for them. When I’m in my car and I encounter something like Midnight Ridazz I sit back and enjoy the spectacle. I mean, give me a fucking break, is 2 minutes out of your day all that big of a deal? It’s not too me.

AAA also supported Prop 1A in 2008.

Get yer demons in order!