The Thug · 12:34pm Jun 14th, 2015
Now, I'm sorry if this seems ranty, but something happened on my way to work last night that I felt I just had to talk about.
Last night, I was on my bike, going to work. I was biking on the sidewalk. You can probably already see where this is going.
I don't know about anywhere else, but in Canada, in my specific town, the law is very clear.
Cyclists are to ride on the road... UNLESS
1. There is a designated bike lane.
2. The cyclist cannot keep with the flow of traffic.
3. The cyclist doesn't feel safe biking on the road.
There was no bike lane, and there was very little traffic, BUT, it was about 10:30 pm, and on the bad side of town. People come out of the bars, get in their cars, not paying attention. I've nearly been run over three times in the past year walking my bike across the crosswalk of an intersection by someone not paying attention. So, I ride on the sidewalk. I go slow, I'm careful, and I give pedestrians plenty of warning when I'm coming up behind them.
I've been doing this over a year now without problems.
That's when I met HIM.
Now, generally, I don't have an issue with law enforcement. I've never committed a crime, or been arrested, and on the whole I feel as though the police who are out there doing their jobs, protecting people, upholding justice, are the good guys.
This guy...
He got out of his police SUV and walked up to me, all 300 lbs, 6.5 inch tall, dirty neck beard. He told me cyclists have to bike on the road, and started pulling out his notepad to write me a ticket.
I tried telling him that cyclists are permitted to ride on the sidewalk so long as they obey pedestrian law. He told me to be quiet, don't quote laws I don't know, and to not be mouthy.
I DO know the law because I researched it in advance specifically in case something like this happened. I wasn't 'being mouthy', I was defending myself from a false accusation, and I'm allowed to do so by the constitution. I didn't say any of this, because from all the video's I've seen of corrupt cops, they HATE it when you use your rights. Anywho, back to the story.
He then stuck his face in mine, started breathing heavily, and gave little snarl to boot. He told me he could fine me for not having lights or reflectors on my bike, and not having a horn as well.
....
...
...
My bike HAS lights and reflectors on it!
In Canada, (I'm pretty sure America too) You only need a grade ten education to be a cop. Even high-school students aren't this blind.
Then he backed off and told me that since he's a nice guy, he'll just let me off with a warning this time, but I had to walk my bike the rest of the way home.
See, what happened was, I was wearing a hoodie, on my bike, with a backpack. To this guy, I probably seemed like some high school student, biking around the bad side of town, looking to get in trouble. The sidewalk thing was just an excuse to pull me over. Maybe my backpack, (that had my work clothes and lunch in it) would contain drugs?
Then, when the idiot tried to fine me, I completely blew his reasoning out of the water, so he got mad and decided to get up in my face. The goal of that was so I'd get aggressive, shove him to get him to back off, and he could arrest me. Obviously, that didn't happen, because I'm not so stupid as to assault an officer. That, and he didn't seem like he would arrest or fine me, he seemed like he would take out some of his clearly pent up aggression by beating my ass.
Seeing as how I wasn't some punk kid, I KNEW THE LAW, unlike the officer, I clearly wasn't under the influence of anything, and I wasn't going to get violent, he went back to his police cruiser.
He drove away, I waited for him to go around the corner, got back on my bike, and rode the last bit till my work. I didn't want him to see me get on it and pull me over again.
A block away, on the same street, a group of underage girls were loudly inviting a group of guys across the street to a party where they could get drunk, but the guys declined because they were going to go set off illegal fireworks.
Two streets over, a man and a woman were driving their black sedan, piss drunk, with a cooler full of ice balls and pelting pedestrians with them. I know this because I had just been there and they narrowly missed me. (Yeah... again, I said it's THAT side of town)
Where was Mr Bicycle Rage then? Did he really have nothing better to do than harass random pedestrians?
A 300 pound, angry, dirty man, taller than I am, carrying a gun, heavy breathing right in my face, threatening to fine me for obeying the law and riding on the sidewalk because I'd be a danger to myself and other traffic if I was on the road, while three REAL crimes go on behind his back.
I apologize to all the legitimate officers of the law who just want to do the right thing, but there's a reason people call cops pigs, and with no proof of being harassed by a cop, my only recourse is to be passive-aggressive and write about it in this blog.
Excuse me while I emit a blood-curdling scream of frustration.
Again, police officers are upstanding people who protect the citizens from harm.
Then why did a conversation with one, in which I committed no wrong, feel like I was being cornered by a thug?
LOL, firstly im not a cop. Im just your adverage 230 lbs security guard. When Im on patrol, or sitting post Im looking for things that are unusual. In a place like that a kid riding bike is unusual. All that other stuff is normal and kind of fades into the background so it gets overlooked. If I saw you id think that you either needed help or were up to no good. So id talk to you. Unfortunately I know cops, and a good number of them have this I'm always right mentality. Even if they are wrong the cant let anyone know they are. The reason for this is it goes to the Justification for their actions. Their mentality could be the difference between a conviction or a perpetrator getting away with their crime. Any sign of being unsure or any other kind of weakness can be used by attorneys to claim unlawful arrest.
You can take the guy to court for that. From personal experience most police officers don't like it when they are forced to defend themselves in a small claims court (mostly due to bad PR and the fact it just demonizes them further) You do have a case and you can take them to court for discrimination.
3148596 Well, I do see your point there, however I ride my bike down that same street every day, at the same time every day, and have been doing so for the past year. I wasn't just 'riding around' I was clearly headed somewhere specifically. I wasn't going fast, and I wasn't going remarkably slow either, like I was looking for something. Just a regular, moderate pace.
Also, if he was looking out for something abnormal, why didn't he catch the
"HEY GUYS! Wanna go to a party? We got booze!"
"Nah, We're gonna go set off fireworks in the park!" Being shouted 30 feet down the road?
Point is, he went super aggro for no reason.
3148638
Too true, and epic douchbags are douchbags. It all comes down to personal image. I value friendly interaction so ill usually start with that. But some people only respect/fear assholes, and Police trainers will actively seek out and reward cadets with this trait. (at least the ones where I live do)
3148602 Could, but won't.
1, No evidence. Didn't even get the cop's name. He didn't get mine either. He asked for ID and I didn't have any on me.
2, When cops break the law, especially in minor cases like this, it gets tossed out so fast it leaves an after image, and then they put you on a list where they stealthily make your life a pain in the ass.
Ex
Oh, that's that guy, we're gonna stop him to check his bag for drugs EVERY time he's on his way to work.
3148596
There's no need to be a stuck-up arsehole about it though. You can make sure someone isn't doing any wrong and uphold your law enforcement state of mind without using low-life intimidation tactics.
3148644 I get that you need to be intimidating somewhat in order to demand respect from criminals. Criminals only respect force, so you have to show force or else they'll resist you every step of the way. That being said, turning into a monster over something that's less than a parking ticket is just absurd.
3148655
Yes but every one is innocent until proven guilty, so if you only treat criminals like crap you are violating their civil rights by prejudging them.
3148654
Because nice and friendly is seen as weak. if you spend a second too long trying to find the diplomatic situation you could end up getting you or your partner killed.
3148682 Now you're just being silly. It's not about 'treating someone like crap' it's about different behaviours for different situations.
Does a police officer kindly ask the bank robber to stop? No. They have to do more than that.
Does a police officer pull a gun on someone for littering? No. They have to do less than that.
For what would have amounted to less than a parking ticket, he behaved like he was gonna beat the shit out of me.
He should have just written the ticket and handed it to me if he was really gonna write a ticket. Point is he wasn't going to write a ticket because he knew he didn't have a leg to stand on, and he wanted to go on a power trip using the authority he has as an officer of the law to intimidate someone.
3148656 Yeah, well, when I took off my hood and he saw that I was a mid 20's white guy with a beard, that removed any chance of me 'resisting arrest'
3148734
You can say that because you know better. But to him at the time he wanted a reaction from you. Either you are provoked into give up your rights, or you back down and everyone goes about their day. Until he interacts with you he doesn't know if your a criminal or not. Most people who are righteously accused act differently from thoes who are trying to hide something. If he's open and friendly it's harder to determine which.
sadly a lot of cops are turning dirty thees days even in the us. they like to follow the "no physical evidence no crime" theme. not to say the law it'self is turning dirty, but the enforcers are and in some states there taking the road to make it harder to charge theme with a crime by banning the recording of cops. anyway i know how you feel after i got jumped, the group got a slap on the wrist and told not to do it again and i was the second to be jumped by this group. after they got away with a third attack a local biker gang attacked them. two are now missing along with the cop that let them get away with it. all i'm saying here is if the cops don't do there job right, anarchy is the result. cops that treat law abiding citizens like shit normally have bad things happen to them long term. if this cop gets away with small things like this than he's probably doing more illegal things on the side. i'd still put in a formal complaint about him if that's a thing in Canada.
It sucks that for every good cop in the world, there at least three who are 'badge heavy' and like to throw their weight around. My old man is a solicitor, and I often get to look at police reports from cases. I genuinely once saw this written down in a report for a TWOC-ing case:
While I have nothing against cops, a lot of them are now coming from military backgrounds and aren't that bright. This is compounded by the steady militarisation of the police. My local police station is now an 'Operational Command Unit'
. I wish I was joking, they even took away the blue lantern. This kind of action encourages the aggressive behaviour of some officers. A lot of them seem to forget that they are only 'civilians in uniform' not the militia. I don't know if the officers of Canada take the police oath, but all officers should remember this:
3148682
It's nothing to do with being nice and friendly. You can be stern without being a total shithead. Is it any wonder the law enforcement have gotten the nickname 'Pigs'?
3148815
It is the world we live in, law enforcement persons are held to a unreasonable standard. When they do their job every one sees their fuck ups. We expect the best but we give them hell when we don't know shit about what they do.
Some are bad, and they deserve to be punished. But at the end of the day it's just a guy trying to do a job. And like your McDonald server or your Starbucks batista there is only so much smiles you can give before you decide I don't get paid enough to be nice.
3148829
No, you don't get paid to be nice. You get paid to act reasonably. Intimidating random guys on their bicycles for no apparent reason is NOT reasonable action. There is no way in hell you can pass it off as simply saying "The worlds not all sunshine and rainbows." We know that, we get that, we've all experienced the shit that humanity is able to produce. We don't need some snarky self-righteous police officer who acts like he writes the laws to tell us that.
If you think someone is being inconvenient by riding on the pavement, you approach them and ask them to ride on the road, because that's the law. IF they disregard your comment THEN you can start getting stern and think about writing tickets. You don't just immediately act all tough guy and belittle them just because you have a shiny badge and they don't.
Not far from where I live a cop pulled over a truck driver for bad plates, found out he was missing an alcohol tester of some sort and had his car searched by a K9 unit and found $16,000 cash (for tractor parts, it was Montana) and some beef jerky. So they took the money.
"No charges were filed. But, because Ayala’s attorneys couldn’t prove that the cash was unrelated to criminal activity, a judge ordered that it be forfeited to the state"
How's that for your innocent until proven guilty, eh?
You just completely shattered my stereotypical perception that all Canadians are ridiculously polite. I guess I needed to learn eventually.
3148840
how do you know that this person is not trying to commit a crime, or has just committed one? You don't, not unless you ask and look for clues. How the police asks questions will provoke a response from the suspect. Sure we know Our friend here was within his right and was of no ill intent but how is the cop to know that at a glance? In the 10 seconds it takes you to see someone a cop has to decide if that person is a threat, is innocent, hiding something, or in danger. Based on the info gathered in that time he must decide how to approach.
Let's just say you can't get it right every single time. And of course we only remember when they get it wrong.
3148896 ... how do you know a person is not trying to commit a crime, or hasn't just committed one? You don't know until you ask for clues.
This is true, except it's operating on the basis of assumed guilt. Every person you pass on the street MAY have committed a crime. You gonna question all of them?
If he thought I was suspicious, he could have followed me in his cruiser, found that I just went into an old age home, since they let me in at 10:30 at night I'm clearly supposed to be there. Oh, I guess he's innocent.
That, or, you know, casually approached the situation? Not gone full rage mode the moment he saw me?
3148871 Oh shit! I forgot! I need to report to the bureau of manners that my hometown police force has been infiltrated by an American! I can get him extradited to Texas!
3148924
but have you ever seen that police officer before? I'm not saying that he's not a douchebag and I'm not saying that he doesn't deserve your scorn, I'm just saying keep in mind that there are many sides to a story. and there are reasons police officers do the things they do that might not make sense to most people.
3148929 Thank You.
Turns out shit heads with a dick directly proportioned to the side of their inferiority complex are drawn to jobs that make their balls feel big. Who would have guessed?
3148896
How is the cop supposed to know anything at first glance? Some things are blatantly obvious, but 99% of the time, that rule applies to everyone. We're not saying that such action shouldn't be permitted, but it's usage is meant for certain situations, not just when you feel like it.
3148937
And on another note, stopping Blackwing was not what made him angry, it was how he acted when he stopped him.
It's a good thing he didn't give you a ticket. You could have had his ass in a sling for harassment, abuse of power, false accusation, and probably several others.
I respect the police but sometime god theres some who are just dumb.
One day me and two of my friends were walking during night.
We where coming back from a Tim Horton.(With coffee and donuts in our hand)
Then a saw a police car passing.
So because i wanted to be nice i wave at them.
I swear,they directly did a u-turn and stop in front of us.
They accuse us of trowing a beer bottle on the lawn of some peoples,destroying propriety and of stealing a car.
I was fucking shocked and i kind of freeze
And then he ask my birthday date but because of how shocked i was,i said it a little late/slow(i was 17 at this moment)
Because of this he got angry and aggressively told me "Don't lie to me Tabarnak"(for those of you who dont know what tabarnak mean,its a swear in Quebec)
So yea he start swearing at me and i continued like this for about ten minute.Finally after insulting us and treating us like piece of crap they drove away.
I never hated cops as much as this night.
Anyway the lesson i learn is that some cop jump on conclusion to quick and because of these its no wonder theres such hate about them
And seriously can you tell me who go to Tim Horton and take a walk just after stealing a car and destroying proprieties.You need to be fucking dumb or some sort of genius nobody understand to do this.
3148929 man, why you gotta bully texas QQ
3149758 Ghost from True Capitalist Radio has made Texas my default state for this kind of thing.
3151550 rip
ya know my dreams are never the same
last year in a dream I experienced a situation kinda like this one
yes it was a wait what are those dreams where you control what happens in them called? was it lucid?
anyway it was one of those dreams and I literally had it set on replay to see every reaction I could imagine possible
and quite frankly this type of situation was the 3rd to last in the list of what happened
and there were 329 different ways I imagined it except in one a (I kid you not ) a volcano erupted
the person looked different than the last one and none of them ever looked alike
the 191st I imagined was me quoting the game "no time to explain" by saying "I am you from the future there's no time to explain follow me to (crab breaks through the wall) oh Christ!!!" I literally loved that part of the dream
but the feels are real thank you for helping me remember this dream
Wow, Canada's turning into my hometown. I'm so sorry.
3290981 And then today a DIFFERENT police officer says to me, in an EXTREMELY polite way, "You really should get light's on your bike. It's a fine if you don't have them, and I don't want to give you a ticket. I know stores are closed right now, but get one as soon as you can, cuz I don't want to see you get a ticket."
3299050 Someone should give that man a brewsky.