Tucsonbikelawyer has a jury trial he is preparing for and didn't make the Tuesday Night Ride because he is working late . . . but lots of calls are coming in that police have swarmed the ride and are ticketing people. Sounds like a real mess out there! We'll have more tomorrow I am sure. Write in with your comments below if you were there and let us all know what happened.
--Erik Ryberg
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Lots of cops apparently citing people on the Tuesday Night Ride
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I was not at the ride either, but I did talk to a few people who were there. From what I gathered from people I spoke to, cops were apparently out to cite people tonight. Apparently, they showed up about halfway through the ride and started following it. At intersections, they were directing people to walk their bikes across. I was told that the ride then took a turn onto a bike path so that the police could not follow, but at the end of the ride by the docks the police were waiting with at least 3 police cruisers, at which point they started ticketing anyone without a front light. Most people seemed to think that it was a pre-meditated bust.
Maybe we should start giving out those cheapie gel lights at the start of the ride so they'll have to make up another excuse for citing us.
a friend of mine, whos first Tuesday night ride was tonight (unfortunately), was cited for no head light AND impeding on traffic. I gave him this site so I hope he stops by and gives us his account. Apparently there might have been fliming or atleast photos? But this is all second hand. I luckly left unscathed.
TPD tagged us throughout the ride. They showed up at the franklin docks(3-4 cars) and spoiled the foot down. I didn't see anyone cited. There seemed to be an issue with bike lights and lane usage. The usual B.S.-- Crazy good ride though. Personally, I don't ride at night without lights and some people don't even have reflectors, but with so many people in that "pack" It's not so important. They( motorists) can see us a mile away. IMHO the TPD were once again doing their slacking thing that they're very good at. You know--pretending to enforce the law.---DG
http://todaysphotos.livejournal.com/869.html?mode=reply
photos from tonight...
just scroll down a little and you'll get to the ride/cops.
thanks tom.
Ahh- yes, the ride of silence is coming up. They have to start CYAing for all the negative publicity that’s sure to be tossed around – perhaps in front of TV cameras – about their rather “uneven” enforcement methods, by having lots of dashcam footage on hand for demonizing the victims. Everyone watch yourself over the next couple of weeks or you might wind up as part of the video “rebuttal” showing why “cyclists bring this on themselves.”
It was really bad. We were coming up from to the west into the Dunbar-Spring neighborhood when they started following us. First it was 2 squad cars, then quickly went up to about six or seven. I was with Nick at the time; I asked him why in the heck we were being followed (fairly dangerously, as you can imagine; the cars segmented the pack), and before he could reply, a squad-car's loud speaker responded that "Many of you will be arrested or ticketed tonight for having no lights". by the time we got to the foot-down spot at 9th across from BICAS, several cars had parked and police were getting out to address the crowd. This was when it became absolute pandemonium. People started leaving in twos and threes; it turns out there were back-up cars on stone and on 6th avenue. Everyone was running away as fast as they could. They last thing I saw before I got out of there was a group of about seven cyclists being boxed in by two squad cars on stone avenue, with their lights and sirens on.
I'd be interested to see how many violent crimes were reported last night and the response times to these calls were. Glad to see harassing cyclists is high on Tucon's finest's priorities. Your tax dollars at work.
it wasn't that bad, the cops picked up the ride while it went under the highway after we got off the river path.
i had no light and was not sited, but had they said anything i would have run.
way to ruin a good time yet again cops.
lights aren't cheap and i still won't ride with them
"lights aren't cheap and i still won't ride with them"
Dude! Bones aren't cheap either! Nor are funerals! Red blinky lights are really cheap and you can scrape together a front light too. If you ride at night you need these things the same way you need a pair of shoes on your feet.
EBR
just a note, "red blinkies" are not part of the law. the only thing nessiary is a res rear reflector.
It is true that i may be to bike tough, but you couldn't pay me to ride with a light.
One other thing: if you do get hit after dark, having lights on your bike can easily make the difference between a huge settlement and nothing at all.
If you didn't have a light when you got creamed by the text-messaging dingus in the Hummer, any insurance company will jump on that as the reason you were hit, and refuse to pay your medical expenses or anything else. But if you had lights they all of a sudden start talking settlement.
And yes to anonymous above, it is true, you only need a rear reflector to meet the law. And a headlamp.
EBR
http://veloroutes.org/bikemaps/?route=10598
The first cop dangerously pulled us over on Speedway as we were under I-10. Many people were later ticketed for "impeding the flow of traffic" at this location, but as you can see, we were only on Speedway for 1000 ft.
At Main, we got out and walked our bikes across the intersection because the police were clearly waiting for us to screw up. They followed us down to the docks at 6th and Stone, forced the ride to disband, and ticketed stragglers who didn't have lights.
Tom
"just a note, "red blinkies" are not part of the law. the only thing nessiary is a res rear reflector.
It is true that i may be to bike tough, but you couldn't pay me to ride with a light."
and the Darwin award goes to...
The minimum reqired by ordinance is: white light in front,
reflector in the back. It's simple.
Whether or not TPD gets it right is a whole other matter. Their uneven enforcement really makes me boil. This raid was not to encourage bicycle safety, but to intimidate participation in the Tuesday night ride. Totally disingenuous. I see regularly unlit cyclist on University Blvd. and 4th Ave. ride right by officers
and it promotes a feeling of impunity. Then BAM, they do this in an event where unlit cyclist are least at risk (do not get me wrong, I don't advocate unlit cyclist for any reason). What can I say...lights cost a lot less than citations. But the consistant definition of the wrong way= the TPD way leaves me shaking my head.
They let the cyclists ride the whole ride unlit, then cite them. They knew where the ride ended, they also knew where it started and could have done appropriate enforcement then! JEEZ LOUISE.....
Erik - you missed a good one. It was definitely exciting at the end. I know of at least 3 'no headlight' tickets that were given, so I'm sure there were several. It's a shame because lights that meet the legal requirement are really inexpensive.
Corking the intersections just isn't going to fly, and there was lots of that last night. The people getting the 'impeding traffic' tickets were the ones doing the corking.
It is possible to do this ride, have fun, and not break the law all at the same time. The anarchy approach isn't going to work.
With this kind of police action, it's no surprise we didn't get platinum... Me and my crew were not feelin' the ride last night, looks like it wasn't such a bad idea to sit it out...Anyway, I'm pro light! Just pick up knog frogs front and back which will only set you back about $25 w/ tax, a small price to pay for lots of visibility and safety, plus they are so small and light you won't even notice 'em. Just remember to stick 'em in your pocket when you lock up...
dear anonymous--
it's really OK with me if you don't ride with a light. what is not OK is that you put other people in the group in a bad situation because of your stupidity.
also--if you are going to post, please learn proper spelling and usage of the english language.
thx~
anonymous bike mechanic
The 99 cent store near my house (1st and Grant) has headlights (and blinky taillights) for a BUCK. No "it costs too much" excuse anymore, OK??!
I also know that a citation for not having a bike light can be waved (completely, no fine and nothing on your driving record) if you prove that you have purchased bike lights since the incident.
I've been on the Tuesday Night Ride since it started almost a year ago, and I feel that the mindset of the ride has changed since the beginning. It's great to see such a large turnout, but it's very difficult to coordinate such a large group through traffic. There are also a lot of motorist who don't understand cyclist and their rights to the road (listen to the 911 tape). I hesitate to suggest any kind of "leadership" or "organization" to the ride, because the freedom of the TNBR is what makes it so great, but to kept the cops from ruining this great thing we have going, I think we should collectively make an effort to ensure everyone on the ride has lights (or at least a rear reflector and white front light), preferably some helmets, and an understanding of our relationship to traffic. Help out by setting a good example.
Remember, the TNBR is not about protest, but community and fun.
I agree with Thomas. I have been doing the TNBR since last September and have watched the numbers grow. The ride has seemed to have gotten a little wild as of late. The things I like about TNBR are it's lack of political agenda, it's peacefulness, and it's feel of community. When people ask me about it I tell them that it's not a "critical mass"-just a community ride-- for the fun of it. I think if we all extend a bit more courtesy to motorists and others, they will too. Let's try and gently remind each other of that and stress the peace part. As far as lights are concerned-- even a cheap led flashlight from the hardware store taped to the handlebar will work. Bicas I'm sure has plenty of reflectors lying around. I always use a light at night 1- so others can easily see me 2- so I can dodge those potholes that seem to love me. Lets make this thing work. Peace-----DG
I would probably not push the lights issue. It's no big deal to get some cheapo lights for the front and back.
But, I would fight the "impeding" charge. The syllogism goes something like this: Bicycles are defined as vehicles that operate in traffic. Traffic only moves as fast as the slowest component of traffic. If bicycles are traffic, they can not impede traffic because they move slower than motor vehicles.
To charge bicycle drivers for impeding traffic is tantamount to banning bicycles from the roadway. Trotwood v. Selz, 139 Ohio App. 3d 947 (2nd. Dist.-2000).
It's worth the fight.
Paul - they're aren't ticketing for riding slow, they're ticketing the riders that stop in front of cars and block the intersections while the group runs a red light or a stop sign. There's no legal ground to fight this one from.
Steve
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