fuck laws
Thread started by
oodlesofpoodles at 12.21.09 - 10:11 pm
the cyclists of los angeles can quote laws studies until we're blue in the face. it's not going to do a bit of good against a public, a police department and a judicial system that reinforces the belief that bicycles belong in the gutter. and that belief makes it true.
just a few weeks ago, i was riding in culver city, using the full lane and going at about the speed of traffic. i was visible and i felt safe. a cop pulled up next to me and told me to get out of the street.
i knew that if i did what i knew was best, if i asserted my rights, it would mean hours of research, hours at court, and more than likely, hours of appeals when some hot-tempered judge dismisses my evidence on the grounds that "this just doesnt sound right."
cyclists have rights, but only on paper.
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To be fair, I've seen lots of cops salute rides with siren blips and joke playfully over their speakers. A few rides I've been on they followed us to rest stops only to leave us be after a chat with ride leaders.
The bad experiences are just so frustrating because you literally have no recourse whatsoever when a cop feels like screwing you. Cops know
their word is law in court, not the CVC.
So... can we spread the word on cyclist rights and the letter of the law? ...yeah. But the cops and the courts are supposed to be experts on the law. So... can we stamp out corruption among those who are sworn to uphold that law? ...not so much.
outerspace12.21.09 - 11:15 pm
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i knew that if i did what i knew was best, if i asserted my rights, it would mean hours of research, hours at court, and more than likely, hours of appeals when some hot-tempered judge dismisses my evidence on the grounds that "this just doesnt sound right."
No, it wouldn't. What kind of defeatist shit is that? You already know how the law works; all you would have had to do is file a Trial by Written Declaration and explain it to the judge. I would have helped you. If the cop doesn't file a statement (which they sometimes don't because, unlike going to court, they don't get paid for it) you win automatically anyway. And if you lose the TBD, you automatically get a second chance in court, which, because it's months and months later, often means that the cop won't show up.
PC12.22.09 - 11:52 am
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Ridazz Roulette!