Hi, this is a law related question, tonight i was out on my bike at 00:00, i have...

  • Thread starter Thread starter phoenix
  • Start date Start date
P

phoenix

Guest
...no lights on my bike, a cop? pulls me over and gets out the car, he asks me to get of my bike, i oblige grudgingly, i ask him what the fuck this is about, he gets pissy and says he could have run me over (he was driving on other side of road btw) i point this out, he aint happy, he says "dont think i wont charge you", and starts getting wide, tried to use his physical presence to try intimidate me, doesnt work on me though, anyway, he asks if iv been drinking and was going to breathalise me, but didnt, i hadnt been drinking anyway, just smoking a bit of weed, could he have actually "charged" me with no light cycling, and also, how best should i deal with pissy/cocky cops, all the cops near my area are assholes, id love it if an actual police officer on here could tell me how to deal with their "kind"....thanks in advance, all advice is welcome
 
children shouldn't be allowed out on their bicycles after dark.

no lights. offence
weed? mm how grown up are you smoking weed and cycling home, why not have a wee drink too and be REALLY cool

if it hada been me, id have arrested u for being a tw@t

wind ur neck in and give it a rest
 
Bicycles are vehicles and must obey the law including lights at night.


By the way, great job pissing off the cop. Your attitude will go a long way when you land in jail.

Its hilarious that you a looking for a way to deal with "their" kind, when they are already perfectly capable of dealing with you. Do you honestly think that you are the only punk wanna be poser that cops ever deal with. You aren't special.

I so look forward to seeing your debut on youtube as the star of a police training video.
 
He got pissy because of your less than courteous 'what the **** this is about' I would think. Best way to deal with cops is to use courtesy.

It can and often does pay you dividends. FACT!

Better to get his lip than end up splattered all over the road.

One day you might run into some **** who will deliberately kill you and just say 'he didn't have lights - I didn't see him!'

Fact is, you aren't impossible to see but if nothing other than courtesy to other road users, its easier for motorists when a cyclist is properly lit.

Cycling without lights has been an offence since as far back as I can remember - I cant imagine they've repealed that law. Sounds like you got off lightly.

If I was a copper I would have stopped you.
 
It would be useful to know if you are in the UK or the US or somewhere else...
in the UK - Yes technically you can get done for having no lights on your bike on a public road at night and you can also get done for drinking and riding a bike, though most police will simply give advice in these circumstances rather than you report you for the offence.

You were breaking the law so were in the wrong and the copper had good reason to stop you, your attitude towards him probably made matters worse for you - next time you get stopped when youve done something wrong - try and be a bit more civilised and you'll likely get a more civilised reply

i presume that you were on a pushbike rather than a motorbike (if not then you were lucky to get away with a warning)
 
I'm not a copper but I've been stopped by them many times.
I'm not saying you have to bow and scrape but did you have to ask "what the **** is this about"?. all you need to do is be patient calm and not get on the defensive straight away, they stop people for a living man thats what they do. when i was in my teens my mates were all nervous of coppers and when we got stopped they'd make such a meal of it. Like you I was always stumbling home from my mates at 2 am after a bong session and got stopped routinely. so what. your a teenager out late at night more than likely carrying a bit of puff, mate theyd be stupid not to.
a couple of months ago i turned right where there was a no right turn in my car, I got pulled over, apologised, told the guy I missed the sign because there was a bus in the way,he thanked me for being so good about it while he checked my insurance and said he didn't want to do anything about it.
I actually got pulled over for speeding that same night and got away with that too it was a fair cop ond I apologized
don't be too proud. hide your puff well, be polite and get it over with if you still get gyp from them don't complain about it to THEM there and then, because if they ARE in the wrong and YOU point it out to them they will provoke you until you give them cause to arrest you and then you can complain all you like but you committed a crime so no one cares.
complain after the event. It all gets logged and stays on their record
 
the only way to "deal" with them is to go to the pd and file a complaint if you really think you were wronged.

yes, they can charge you with no bicycle lighting.

in reference to pistolavirus stupid remark...

then we want a raise!!!!!
 
First, don't smart off to a cop. That's what gets them "pissy."

Treat them with respect and you'll find they will do the same to you.

Cops are like anyone else. Smart off to them, and you'll regret it.

You never win an argument or a "pissing match" with a cop.

Don't be a smart aleck. Be respectful.

I hope this helps you.

Go in peace.

And always remember: Jesus loves you!!

Sincerely,
Uncle Floyd
 
Most of your questions can be answered by watching the ACLU's "How Not to Get Arrested".

#1. Don't talk back. Cops interpret this as a threat, and they will respond accordingly.

#2. Don't try to prove a cop wrong. The street is not a courtroom. If you have a problem with anything you're accused of, talk to the judge.

#3. Don't swear. Be respectful. You treat cops with respect, and 95% of the time they'll treat you with respect.

#4. You will have to look at your local statutes to find out if there is such law as unlighted transportation being illegal. In my area, it most definitely is.
 
As far as I know you are legally obliged to have lights on your bike and also wear a helmet here, or you can be fined. I know someone who was rattled by the same scenario, so I understand how you feel.

I guess if you had been run down and killed by a car that didn't see you and the cop had ignored advising you earlier, it probably would have played on his conscience. So, in all reality, he was just telling you and you are lucky he didn't fine you. It's not pleasant having to advise relatives of road deaths - So I think you should try to be understanding. If he wanted to he could have fined you, so maybe he wasn't so "pissy/cocky" after all?
 
It sounds to me like he was giving you the "attitude test". You were in violation of the law, but he didn't feel like writing a ticket. You gave him some attitude getting off your bike, so he leaned in on you (one of the tools of the trade) to get you to run your mouth and admit to something stupid.

There are times (especially at night) and places where cops will do this to check people out; like pulling someone over for having something dangling from the rear view mirror. Nobody cares, (including the cop) but it's a moving violation, so it's a reason to check for drunk driving. Get used to it. They're on our side.

Advice: be respectful to police officers. They have a tough job to do and they have to deal with a lot of jerks, weirdos and druggies. Show the cop that you realize that you should have been more careful and he'll leave you alone.
 
You were disrespectful to the cop and what did you expect from him? To deal with them, just be polite. In some states, bicycles are considered motor vehicles and subject to all the same laws, including headlights. He wasn't being pissy or cocky, just responding to your disrespect-fullness.
 
Back
Top