cycling spokane forum

I was pulled over by a police officer on Mother's Day.  I deserved it, but I suspect that it had more to do with what I looked like than what I actually did.  Has anyone been pulled over recently?

This was in Spokangeles? Haven't been pulled over. What did you do/look like? What was the outcome?

That morning I was wearing my lawn mowing shoes, a tee shirt and shorts I had helped somebody move in the day before, my green Superman ball cap (no helmet) and an old REI day pack.  I needed a shave and a shower indeed.  I was riding my old Moab to Fred Meyer to find something to eat since my wife was out to Mother's Day breakfast with her daughter.  After finding some yogurt and breakfast cassarole in the deli at Fred's, I shot out the driveway approach snickering at the 6 cars all trying to wave each other through the driveway approach to 5th Avenue.  I looked to the west an saw what I thought was a Chrysler 300 or something about two blocks away heading east bound...so I proceeded to the intersection of Ray and 5th noticing that the east bound signal was red and that there were no cars on Ray...so I shot through the red (which I never do during my commute trips) and heard a siren right behind me as I was riding past the old health food store...looked behind me and saw that the Chrysler 300 was actually a police officer...he asked me for ID...at this point I am thinking if he asks to look in my day pack am I going to let him...luckily I had my drivers license and he ran it while he made me sit on the curb...just like one of the guys on a bad episode of COPS...and since I had no warrants I got a terse lecture on traffic safety and the need to wear a helmet...I thanked him for not citing me and pedaled home still not sure if I was going to let him look in my pack or not if he asked...

The cynic in me thinks that the helmet law was really about providing an easy way for the police to circumvent the 4th ammendment. For the most part, drunkards, homeless, bmx burnout dudes, etc are the ones that ride pretty consistently without helmets. They are the interesting ones for the cops. The description of your attire could match any of those stereotypes, but then running the red light kind of destroys the theory in this case.

I agree the red light was a big hook...although as I explained to my spouse later when I got home, had I an outstanding warrant I was going to make his morning paperwork easy...just like on tv...interesting point on the helmet law and 4th amendment...I came to the conclusion that it was more about liability...

I don't think laws are written for the express convienance of the police. Laws like seatbelt, driving cell phone and bicycle helmets are written because too many people think that there are too many stupid people and we need to somehow control them. In the situation described I can't imagine any other outcome regardless of whether the rider was wearing a full length nun's frock. Some would argue that the cop should have written a ticket and by not doing it he was failing to uphold his mandate. I have been pulled over for shooting through a stop sign at night without any front headlight. Once again (I have done similarly reckless things with the same result 6 other times in the last 20 years) I was not given a ticket but they ran my license (each time).

Riding thousands of miles a year in all levels of unshaven and uncleanliness (that was me with the dreadlocks and Peter Tosh t-shirt flying down Grand BLVD in 1989) I have never experienced anything that suggests harrasment. 

So is this a ride report or a rant? When cyclists break the law what should the police do? Sounds like the Spokane Police have been pretty cool about not writing tickets. Kudos to them. 

...oh, don't misunderstnad me...I deserved it and I knew it when I heard the siren give out a whelp to pull over...this retelling was more of a musing I thought it was worth sharing...like I said I found myself sitting on that curb feeling like an episode of COPS feeling somewhat sheepish and bemused...I still can't decide if I was going to let him look in my day pack...

Over the years the only people who have wanted to look in my bag were Nordstrom's security guards. It happened twice (both times I declined and left the store).  But to be fair I was coming out of the bathroom that was behind the Brass Plum (teen girl) section in the old building. It was the best secret bathroom in downtown. Now I prefer the Davenport's luxurious men's room.