The Governor of Delaware doesn't give a f%$% about your bike lanes, DC

Update: Apparently, this is the car of DE Governor Jack Markell. Makes me fell less bad about all the times I was guilty of public urination at Dewey Beach.

Comments

[DE]

Hey, his flashers were on. Pretty much universal understanding among drivers that they can do whatever the eff they want as long as their flashers are on.

[Crickey7]

Send to the appropriate law enforcement agency in Delaware. Might get him into trouble.

[Matt C.]

He has no authority to tell him to move on, he has no jurisdiction in the District. He could have told him him to move along and he couldn't have gotten into any "legal" trouble.

[washcycle]

He may not have authority, but he has a gun.

[ja_friend]

In my opinion he clearly threatened physical harm to the person video taping, who was doing nothing illegal and was well within his right to report illegal activity.

I understand his desire to not be shot, but I think this guy needs to be reported.

[Rob]

I'm the cyclist in the video. To be honest, I had no idea the guy was a Delaware cop. When he flashed the badge, I thought he was a US Marshal doing sensitive judicial stuff (e.g., witness security). I figured he was telling me to back off so that I didn't draw attention and put his "protectee" in danger.

If I had known he was just a Delaware cop, I definitely would not have hung up the call with 911.

[Roach]

This is bullshit. I was going to say, "oh it's the Governor of Delaware down for a meeting", but no he has special tags. No other politician's get state troopers. It is some off duty police officer as security. That is a abuse of power. I get when Secret Service park in bike lanes, they are doing there job and this is Washington DC. But this is different in my book

[Bryan]

Talk about abuse of authority. The fact that he flashed his gun is grounds for assault. He obviously pulled his jacket back much further than needed to show his badge in order to ensure you saw the gun further down along the back of his belt. A less threatening and more appropriate response from his is simply stating he is a cop. And if he was there escorting someone under a private security contract as mentioned previously in these posts, he should not even be able to display a badge (although this is up to the Delaware police department, but I bet he is breaking an internal rule on the matter). I would first lodge a complaint here: http://dsp.delaware.gov/contact.shtml and then file assault charges (you can try the DC police, but they will probable protect their own, so maybe seek a civil judgement). Send a quick email to one of these guys: http://lawyers.findlaw.com/lawyer/firm/assault-battery-plaintiff/Washington/District-Of-Columbia and I sure they will let you know where you stand.

[Rob]

@Bryan I have already shown the video to MPD officers. They immediately recognized the vehicle as being for a VVIP due to the blacked out windows (according to the responding officers). They told me simply keep my distance next time I see something like that, and I apologized for wasting their time.

[SJE]

Jurisdiction and legal authority is not the issue: its being a douchebag that is the problem. He could have solved the problem without being obnoxious.

[Bryan]

Dont trust the DC MPD to out one of their own. I would still check with the Delaware Police. They also rent themselves out as private security so they most likely would not step in out of professional courtesy. And blacked out windows does not make it official. That looks like a civilian vehicle to me. If he was escorting some government type from Delaware, it would be in a state vehicle. The Delaware State Police Office Of Professional Responsibility can look into this for you and let you know one way or the other.

[Crickey7]

It may be worth contacting Delaware. Clearly MPD is not interested. Whether or not someone on official business for another state is permitted to choose to block the bike lane (or any travel lane) is a dubious proposition, but his response is totally out of line.

[Bryan]

Since DC does not allow concealed carry gun permits, personal security for VIPs is pretty much limited to off duty police, I guarantee that's what this guy is doing.

[Danny]

It seems likely it was the Del. governor's security detail from this Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/washingtondc/comments/396g0p/found_this_on_bike_dc_delaware_cop_threatens_dc/cs0w5ut

[Bryan]

If it is the Governor's protection detail, than I guess you know who to complaint too. Tell the governor that he needs to put a leash on his bulldog.

[jeffb]

@Rob

Did you consider asking the man if that was his vehicle and why was parked in the bike lane?

[washcycle]

From the Governor's schedule "Tuesday, June 9th at 9:00 a.m.

Governor Markell will speak at the “Making ‘College Ready’ Matter: College and Career Ready Policies in the States” event. 1899 L Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC"

[contrarian]

Delaware media might be interested in this.

[CyclistPedestrianMotorist]

"They told me simply keep my distance next time I see something like that, and I apologized for wasting their time."

Corrupt police backing corrupt police? What a surprise.

[DE]

I would not want to put much pressure on Rob to take this further since I'd be reluctant to take it further myself. It would be pretty wonderful though if the media, especially the Deleware media, somehow were made aware of either this WashCycle post or the youtube video. I would have a good laugh if this ended up on a Deleware news channel.

[SJE]

This was in the 11pm news last night, and apparently it is hot on social media.

[Steve]

"If I had known he was just a Delaware cop, I definitely would not have hung up the call with 911."
That cop was wrong. Abuse of authority and cars in the bike line both drive me insane. Having said all that, though, please don't use 911 for a situation like this. 911 is for imminent threat to life or property, not for parking issues. I'll preempt all the inevitable, "but he flashed a gun," comments by saying the call started before that happened. Please - use the non-emergency number, so someone who is in real trouble does not have to be placed on hold.

[DE]

Really, it made the news? Awesome. Wouldn't be surprised if that officer were thrown under the bus.

[DE]

Approaching 20k views on youtube, and 300 comments on Reddit that I'm not going to read. Smart of the youtube poster to disable comments. Nothing will ruin your faith in humankind like anonymous youtube comments--except cycling in DC and being threatened for it, of course.

[washcycle]

This was in the 11pm news last night

Which channel?

[SJE]

NBC

[T]

Leave it to MPD to defend another cop. What, are they too cheap to pay to park? Or do they really think there is a security threat against the Governor of Delaware (who I will guess maybe 1 in 10,000 Americans can even name on a good day)?

[SJE]

OK, I understand that the Governor of Delaware is extremely busy and needs security. But why does his body guard have to park in the bike lane? Why not park around the corner?

A few other questions
1. Tinted windows are generally illegal in DC.
2. Handguns are illegal without specific permits. Same with respect to concealed carry.
3. These rules do not apply to the Feds.
4. Do they not apply to state police?
5. If the body guard is police, where is his uniform and badge number?

[Smedley Burkhart]

Parking has long been an important way of denoting and asserting privilege in this society. Mess with it at your peril!

[SJE]

The Governor is a bike advocate
http://www.1stbikes.org/2014/09/governor-jack-markells-8th-annual-bike.html

So, he should be in our camp. Perhaps a gentle talk to his pitbull is more productive

[Roo_Beav]

I don't see any reason for the vehicle to be parked in the bike lane. Why can't the vehicle be parked in the left lane of car traffic? When entering/exiting the vehicle, it's plenty easy for someone to stand in the bike lane to stop traffic and we'll figure it out. If security desires to get as close to the building as possible, why not just drive up on the sidewalk and park next to the building?

[SJE]

Why not drive through the plate glass doors and straight into the foyer? After all, the governor doesnt give a $%#^ about your DC doors.

[DE]

I sense a meme: things the Governor of Delaware doesn't give a feck about.

[DC]

"please don't use 911 for a situation like this. 911 is for imminent threat to life or property, not for parking issues."

No. This is such an incorrect statement that I honestly think the original comment should be corrected or deleted.

Ever since Fenty took 311 away from the cops, it has been MPD's official policy that 911 is to be used even in non-emergency situations. Cops lament the original decision because people, like the commenter here, have this view that 911 is some sort of a taboo, but it isn't anymore. Call 911 whenever you want to report anything to the police. Period. No emergency needed.

[Roach]

Guess it was the Governor. I stand corrected, but still think it is bullshit to flash your gun. This is not the wild west. And even more, I would bet that Governor Markell could walk for hours in the District and no one would ever even know who he is or care. I used to see Teddy Kennedy walking his dogs through the hill with no security and look at his family history.

[Paulwiggins]

For sure don't use the 911 service. But don't apologise to MPD officers for wasting their time on showing the video of the security action. The appropriate response would have been. I apologise but it's necessary for the governor's security. Language used speaks to a larger systemic problem. MPD should have said can't promise anything but leave it with me. Failure to do so not grounds for complaint but does indicate an opportunity to improve.

[SJE]

Governor O'Malley still sings in pubs, and I'm pretty sure that they don't take away all the glass drinking mugs and pool cues before he performs.

[Steve]

"No. This is such an incorrect statement that I honestly think the original comment should be corrected or deleted."
It looks like you're correct. In DC. This is an incredibly boneheaded policy. It incentivizes dangerous behavior. Don't call 911 for non-trivial stuff outside DC.

[Steve]

Sorry - Don't call 911 for non-emergency situations outside of DC. DC creating such ambiguity with something as important as 911 is a major facepalm. WTH, DC?

[Brendan]

The bike lane is one lane. Use another lane if one's blocked. We're not helpless. Taxis and delivery trucks block regular lanes all the time too. Cars just go around. They don't call 911. The police don't take us seriously for important things like death and road rage. Don't waste their time with this silliness.

[washcycle]

Brendan, that strategy seems like a good one for making your life easy, but not a good one for effecting change.

[DE]

Brendan, maybe calling 911 in this situation isn't the best idea, but what is? If you speak to people directly, they get angry. If you let everyone park in the bike lanes, it creates unsafe situations where cyclists, who are generally traveling more slowly than passing cars, must merge back out into traffic. The speed differential and vulnerability of a cyclist relative to a merging car are what make this unsafe. Better to not have the bike lane at all and just take the lane at all times than this situation.

[Crickey7]

Bike lanes are kind of like the broken window theory. If drivers see other drivers block them, they are more likely to block them. If every driver who blocks them gets the clear message that it's not okay and gets asked to move, you don't get the first broken window, so to speak. The bike lanes are ours to use, and ours to lose.

[hmm]

Enforcement could help too. When they first installed both L and M they had heavy parking enforcement presence for the first few weeks. Doing a similar initiative every few months may help change people's mindsets about parking in the lanes.

[T]

Sure, Brendan, so I can ride down 395 too, right?

[Brett Young]

On Delaware radio station Website
http://www.delaware1059.com/blog/post.php?postid=553

[Brett Young]

http://helenair.com/news/national/delaware-police-probe-blocked-dc-bike-lane-video/article_4faa6f2d-5815-5ba8-bea4-a80723818c56.html
Delaware policy will investigate incident

[washcycle]

The thing is that this is mostly a story because the police officer overreacted. You know what the proper response to a cyclist stopped behind you in the road talking on their phone is? Absolutely nothing. That's what would have happened if he'd been a pedestrian 8 feet to the left. Or if he'd been stopped in his car. Did the officer even know that the cyclist was calling 911? Or what he was doing at all? Probably not. But it should have been clear that he posed 0% of a threat to the governor. The bike lane violation and gun flashing is just add-on at that point.

[DE]

Yup, it's just more bullying by police of people they are supposed to be serving. Some of them think they are above the law, and judging by the rarity of prosecution, they are. With so much publicity lately due to cameras catching them at it, perhaps that will change.

[Brett Young]

Philadelphia ABC 6 picked up the story
http://6abc.com/news/delaware-police-investigating-blocked-dc-bike-lane-video/776593/

[Brett Young]

On that link there is a statement from the DE Gov's office:

Governor Markell's Office released the following statement to Action News:

As an avid cyclist and governor of the third most Bicycle Friendly State in America, the Governor knows keeping bike lanes clear is critical to the safety of everyone on the road. He understands the concerns being expressed regarding yesterday's incident in D.C., in which a State Trooper assigned to protect the Governor idled his vehicle in a bike lane while waiting for him to exit an event. Law enforcement officers must sometimes block lanes of traffic in order to do their job effectively and the Delaware State Police will be looking at how the officer handled this situation. The Governor appreciates all that our law enforcement officers do and trusts the Delaware State Police will handle their response to the incident appropriately.

[CyclistPedestrianMotorist]

Showing a badge, then a gun and saying "Listen here, don't play with me" is assault. That is even without considering jurisdictional issues and gun laws in DC.

The officer should be fired and charged.

[tego]

There was plenty of room and traffic was thin enough that the cyclist could have gone around the SUV safely and have forgotten about the "transgression" 2 seconds later. When other cyclists spazz out about trivialities like occasional double parking, it makes us look bad and unreasonable. And anyway, the cop was showing his badge and not making a threat with the gun. Get over it.

[Brendan]

@WashCycle: Not sure what change you want to effect. That no one can double-park anywhere? That's not changing a law or reg, that's changing a culture. Not going to happen.

@DE: going around the obstruction, whether it's a double parked car or a pothole, is the right idea. Take the other lane. That's good enough for the 90% of roads without dedicated bike lanes and staying out of the door zone. Cyclists aren't helpless. It's one of our best attributes.

@T: Don't be silly.

[DE]

Brendan, that may be fine for you and me. I do that of course, though it annoys me, but not every cyclist is that confident. The tourists using bikeshare--I'd like to see them in the street and off the sidewalks, but if the streets don't feel safe for them to ride in, they aren't going to use them.

The system only works if people use it properly. Parking in the bike lane is doing it wrong. The cyclist who called in about this may have been overreacting, I dunno. But the cop was WAY over the line, and that's the other point here. I'm so glad this has blown up in his face.

[Brendan]

I don't know. An officer on security detail showing his badge and telling someone to move along is par for the course. I suspect he would have said the same to a pedestrian who put his face up against the glass to look into the car. The words he chose is a simple matter of rudeness.

Maybe it's because the youtube vigilantes annoy me and I think ultimately harm the movement by making cyclists look limp, whiny and helpless. Stop trying to concoct mountains out of molehills. The youtube vigilante thought he was a hero, but he got put in his place. Observe how he managed to use the lane on the right without saying a word and without getting killed. What he ultimately did is what he should have done to begin with.

[washcycle]

There was plenty of room and traffic was thin enough that the cyclist could have gone around the SUV safely

I think we're all aware of the cyclists other options. But to be clear, the cyclist did nothing illegal, nothing rude, nothing unethical and nothing dangerous. In other words absolutely nothing wrong.

The cop parked illegally and then used his badge to intimidate a citizen who was doing absolutely nothing wrong. And all hundreds of miles from his jurisdiction.

So it's odd that you want to focus on the cyclists behavior. He could have done a lot of other things. But what was wrong with what he did do?

[washcycle]

Not sure what change you want to effect.

Probably getting people to not illegally park in the bike lane by encouraging enforcement of existing law.

That's not changing a law or reg, that's changing a culture. Not going to happen.

Stirring words from MLK's "I'm going back to sleep" speech.

[DE]

I wouldn't have called, myself, but we all handle these things differently. I think it's commendable that the cyclist moved along without a word of protest once the cop got in his face (I have problems with authority that get me in trouble), and that he then posted the video such that the publicity made this clown look bad. I also think it takes a kind of courage (or something) I don't have to stop and call to begin with.

Whether we're conceived of as limp or not no longer concerns me after having read innumerable anti-cyclist rants on comment boards. Some of us are whiny, some quiet, some angry--just like the general population. I'm all for differing opinions, viewpoints, and strategies. I'm unlikely to ever just lie down and accept whatever sh*t gets thrown our way.

[washcycle]

I suspect he would have said the same to a pedestrian who put his face up against the glass to look into the car.

I think it's clear that that is a very difffernt thing from what happened. There was no need for the cop to say anything to the cyclist. At all.

Maybe it's because the youtube vigilantes...

Vigilantes don't dial 911.

Observe how he managed to use the lane on the right without saying a word and without getting killed.

No one is arguing that he couldn't (except one confused cyclist interviewed on ABC7). That's not the point. The point is that we need the law enforced. And one way to get there is to report these violations every time. This informs the police of the problem, and creates a record that can be used to make a case to the politicians. If you want to roll over and take what is given you like a whimpering dog, that's fine. But not everyone is content to live like that.

[Brendan]

Oh well Wash, I agree with you most of the time, but not on this one. But if we're going to MLK our place in things, you're starting at the wrong end.

[tego]

Sorry, washcycle, but expecting "the law" to be enforced for EVERY SINGLE INCIDENT is utterly unreasonable and actually childish. The cop double-parked, so what? It happens all the time, sometimes you get a ticket sometimes you don't (if you're a cop transporting a VIP-- you probably won't, SORRY, but that's reality). And anyway most people occasionally break the law whether they are on a bike or in a car. To be honest my only concern about these bike lane "video-lanties" is that they may actually get what they ask for-- strict enforcement of bike lane violations. The flip-side of which would be hostile treatment of cyclists outside of bike lanes and anywhere else where there aren't "designated" paths. If we as cyclists want to be tolerated, it means we have to match that tolerance in return.

[washcycle]

Sorry, washcycle, but expecting "the law" to be enforced for EVERY SINGLE INCIDENT is utterly unreasonable and actually childish.

We do it for speeders and red light violations with cameras. And we enforce parking meter violations pretty ruthlessly. I think all cyclists are asking for is that bike lane violations be treated similarly.

The cop double-parked, so what?

It's illegal and harms cyclists.

if you're a cop transporting a VIP-- you probably won't, SORRY, but that's reality

As someone who lived in the world's most corrupt country, it makes me sick to see it here. But yeah, that's probably true. I don't see how it's relevant since Rob didn't know he was a cop when he called, but it's probably true.

But after the uproar over this, I bet this cop does it less. And I bet DE State troopers do it less.

To be honest my only concern about these bike lane "video-lanties" is that they may actually get what they ask for-- strict enforcement of bike lane violations. The flip-side of which would be hostile treatment of cyclists outside of bike lanes and anywhere else where there aren't "designated" paths

Harassing people who don't break the law is not the flipside to enforcing the law aggressively. The flipside would be 100% enforcement of all laws. That would suck for the Idaho stop fans, but in the end cyclists would be the big winners.

[dynaryder]

@Brendan and tego;just curious,but do you think the officer's actions were appropriate? You don't think he could've just flashed his badge and said something like,"official business,please move along"? I've never been with law enforcement,but I'm retired military. If someone brought me video of one of my troops behaving like that,they'd be standing tall for it. There's no excuse for such a lack of professionalism.

As for the cyclist's actions,please explain how he did anything wrong. He saw an illegal and unsafe act,and was reporting it. This is what good citizens do. He was then threatened by someone with a gun and a badge that doesn't look like the ones our local law enforcement wear. So he went and contacted the police. Again,he did what he should have. When the police wouldn't do anything,he went to the media. And hopefully the officer's conduct will be corrected.

This isn't about cyclists being whiny,this is about a police officer acting in an inappropriate manner. How would you feel if the next officer you had an interaction with behaved like this one?

[washcycle]

Actually, just to set the record straight, when the badge was flashed Rob said that he thought the guy was a U.S. Marshall transporting a criminal and didn't want to interfere with that, which is why he quickly left. It was only later when he reviewed the tape that he realized that it was a DE officer.

[Brendan]

@dynaryder: The officer's actions were appropriate. Maybe the title of this post is confusing people and they think the officer actually said, "doesn't give a f%$% about your bike lanes." He didn't say that though.

Here's what I see/hear
Cyclist: pulls up behind the car.
PO: observes cyclist from sidewalk position
Cyclist: begins phone call.
PO: walks towards cyclist saying, "Hey let me explain something." Cyclist: Does not respond. Continues phone call.
PO: repeats "Hey" and arrives face to face with cyclist. Simultaneously, opens suit jacket and with points to badge on belt with both hands. This is the first indication that PO is a police officer. "Pay attention OK?"
Cyclist: Sees badge. Ends phone call
PO: "Don't...don't play with me OK." Turns and begins to walk away. "Keep it moving."
Cyclist: Gets moving.

The Officer's actions may not have been polite, but they were authoritative, measured and appropriate.

[washcycle]

PO: walks towards cyclist saying, "Hey let me explain something."

Why exactly was that appropriate? Why did he have to explain anything to the cyclist? The cyclist didn't ask him anything. What was it that he wanted to explain?

[Crickey7]

It's not Rodney King, but I don't quite see how flashing a badge (and, depending on how you view it, possibly a gun) is anything other than impersonating a LEO (illegal) and conveying a threat, if not of physical harm, then arrest (totally beyond any powers granted to out-of-jurisdiction LEOs in DC). Either way, the cop is wrong legally, and displaying poor judgment.

[Brendan]

@dynaryder: The cyclist didn't do anything wrong, but he made a low-benefit choice that bit him back. Parking in the bike lane is illegal, but that alone is not necessarily unsafe. The cyclist parked in the bike lane to make the call. The cyclist ultimately changed lanes and passed safely. He could have done that in the first place.

The cyclist, in no common sense way, was threatened. He was commanded.

I can't tell you how I'd feel about the next officer I interact with, because I don't know the details yet. So I'll tell you about the last one.

I was on Metro Green line train standing near a door. Train stopped at Shaw/Howard U station. Doors opened a teenager stormed in on a dead run, brushing me back. A full-grown man was chasing him. Everyone scattered. The man pinned the teenager in a bank of seats, got on top of him and started wailing on him. I mean full swing, closed fist, punching him in the head without a hint of stopping. I was going to stop him. I timed the cadence of his punching arm and grabbed it. I prayed that other people would help me break it up, but I was at least going to try by myself.

Someone pulled me back by my shoulder. Another person, gun drawn, pointed to the badge on his belt. Other men had guns drawn and badges on. They most certainly did tell me to get the F%$# out of there. I did.

I was proud I tried to help someone getting beat up. I was glad the police didn't start beating me. I often wonder what that kid did and how bad they beat him. I wonder if I did the right thing.

[washcycle]

The cyclist didn't do anything wrong, but he made a low-benefit choice that bit him back.

In what way?

The cyclist, in no common sense way, was threatened. He was commanded.

Under threat of arrest.

[Brendan]

He chose to call 911 instead of going around. Calling 911 for a blocked bike lane will: achieve nothing, abuse the purpose of 911, and make cyclists look silly. The benefit of calling 911 is negligible to the point of making cyclists look ridiculous. That public opinion, that we're ridiculous, outweighs any data point that might be collected by calling 911.

He was not threatened with arrest. I typed up the transcript, see above. He was commanded to move on. He did.

[Crickey7]

Someone with jurisdiction and actual authority giving you a command to withdraw from a dangerous situation is in no way parallel to someone lacking both giving a command to cease lawful activity.

[washcycle]

Calling 911 for a blocked bike lane will: achieve nothing, abuse the purpose of 911, and make cyclists look silly.

And yet, it is what MPD has asked cyclists to do.

He was not threatened with arrest. He was commanded to move on.

And if he had not...? Pointing to the badge while giving a command is an implied threat of arrest for non-compliance, IMO.

[SJE]

I don't see this as cyclists making a mountain out of a molehill or being weenies. We have situation where the cop appears to be clearly in the wrong. He is being called on it. It is getting attention because it is the governors security details.

Cyclists complain about bias from the MPD, lax enforcement of bike lane blockages, and abuse/threats/assault from drivers. The only way to address this is to get video and apply pressure. This video is part of the solution.

[Crickey7]

I don't think anyone wants the guy fired. Just a short talk in the briefing room to the entire security detail before the next jaunt down to DC, to explain best practices for doing your job in another quasi-state.

[SJE]

There has to be some accountability. I think retraining and attitude adjustment, plus a fine for parking in the bike lane.

Too often we see either (A) nothing done or (b) criminal charges. This is not helpful.

[Brendan]

@SJE. This is not the only way. Another way it to change lanes, get in the road and slow everyone down. Then when they yell at you to get in the bike lane where you belong, you point to the blocked bike lane. Throw in a WABA or DDOT survey too because then you have data and not contrived anecdotes.

Also, tell your non-cyclist co-workers about the time the cyclist called 911 about the blocked bike lane. See how far you get before they laugh out of their chair at the cyclst.

[Washcycle]

Fact is, nobody really knows what cyclists can do to get people to stop parking in the bike lane. Maybe this. Maybe Brandon's ideas. Maybe public shaming a la "look who's parking in the l street bike lane." And anyone who tries to tell you that they know what works or the relative efficacy of different strategies is talking from a place of pure ignorance. So, as long as what one is doing doesn't hurt anyone else, we probably shouldn't criticize them for trying to do something, even if our opinion is that it'll be jnaffective or even counter-productive. Get some facts and data to back up your opinion and you can criticize from a place of knowledge instead.

[Crickey7]

We will have to agree to disagree. My preference is to stop every single time I see someone blocking the bike lane and ask them to move, and for others to do the same, so that there is never a time when a driver pulls into a bike lane without having it in the back of their mind that the very next cyclist to come along will challenge, in some fashion, their lawbreaking. Only that way will the lanes be kept clear, since I do not believe I am exaggerating when I say that the alternative is the video showing some blockage of the bike lane on every single block. I happen to think there is nothing to criticize in the way this cyclist handled matters. He was impressively composed.

[dynaryder]

@Brendan,the incident you were a part of is completely different from what the cyclist encountered. You really can't see that?

abuse the purpose of 911

Welcome to DC. Do you think it's appropriate to call 911 for a noise complaint? Well it is. I called the local police station for a loud party and was told by an officer to call 911. I also had to call 911 to report a stolen bike. That's how the system works in DC.

[plus.google.com/115543224244645939988]

911 systems in a big city can "handle" large call volumes. Their operators are well-trained in prioritizing calls so that valuable police resources are focused where they are needed. If you see something that is an immediate, happening problem it is perfectly fine to call 911 and let the operators and police sort out the priority. Just accept that many cases, like this one, will likely be ignored or given a comically long time window for response. This is because the police are responding to problems like accidents, murders, robberies, and other nontrivial emergencies.

[plus.google.com/115543224244645939988]

Some people have been stressing repeatedly that the guy who took the video did "nothing wrong". Well no, he did do something wrong. He did not break any traffic laws nor do anything that was even worthy of a citation. He is guilty of something else entirely: cringe-worthy, over-the-top SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS. Looking at the guy's video feed, I see 80+ videos of confrontations over a couple of years. Sampling a few, I see a lot of self-righteousness, harsh scorn for novices (eg "f'ing shoalers"), something about "muppets" wtf is that, riding down the new M street cycletrack on a Saturday night indignant **gasp** that there are people spilling out to it?. To be fair some of these incidents show dumb and inexcusable behavior. But.... to make a hobby out of it is a bit too much. I'm sure this guy is all about being the self-ordained mr safety patrol, unfortunately, that's a step backwards for cyclist advocacy.

As for the incident itself, I ride in Philly everyday. When I saw this video I had to really think if I had encountered blockages of bike lanes. Then, yesterday, I was riding down 10th street on a bike lane and passed a mail truck that had pulled over onto the bike lane. Then I realized, these blockages don't even register to my memory, I don't even think of them as an obstacle. I find it unimaginable that somebody would take the time to stop, call 911, or haggle over something like this. This person must have a LOT of time on their hands as will as a lot of vitriol.

I think some of you need to put these kinds of things into the proper perspective.

[dynaryder]

@plus.google,come down to DC and see what it's like. Cyclists are 2nd class citizens. 'Whining' is pretty much the only way we can get things done. We've had numerous issues with parking in and u-turns across the cycletracks,some of which have led to injuries.

BTW,here's a good example of what we have to deal with:
http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/19284/it-must-have-been-your-fault-cmon-you-are-a-biker/

DC is also a contributory negligence jurisdiction;having a camera is pretty much the only way you can get 'justice' around here.
http://dcist.com/2012/06/driver_who_ran_down_cyclist_last_au.php
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Bicyclist-Disappointed-in-Hit-and-Run-Sentence-201514801.html

[SJE]

Good point dynaryder. With contributory negligence, they only need to say that a cyclist looked funny to deny any sort of relief.

[Rob]

Yo Angelo, lets get one thing straight: Those videos are not a hobby. Yeah, I get it, you've been riding for years and Philly is a tough place. But I spend more time patching tubes each year than it takes for me to upload those videos. Which is why I don't take time get imaginative with the names and descriptions.

I put those videos up to have evidence of failed infrastructure and enforcement. The DC gov't is championed for being such a strong ally of cyclists, but it is merely lip service when their paint is ignored. DC's cycling culture/infra is OK but there is a long way to go. Just because you feel comfortable with mediocrity, doesn't mean everyone does. My goal is to make old ladies want to ride in the same city as me. Is your goal to make them terrified? Are you so self-centered as to only focus on what affects you? I'm ashamed to have even wasted time reading your response.

Seriously trivelli, what is your investment in DC cycling? Are you planning a move down here? I don't complain about nonsense when I visit family up in Philly. Why do you feel it is necessary to rag on me and my friends for trying to improve things in the city?

[washcycle]

He is guilty of something else entirely: cringe-worthy, over-the-top SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS.

That's a pretty weak claim. Especially since your evidence relates to OTHER events. So he wasn't self-righteous in the case we're all talking about, but there were other times he was? Even if true, who cares and how does it matter?

Personally, if the worst thing people can say about me is that I was self-righteous at times, I'll be pretty happy about that.

And, why are you taking the focus off the person who actually did the bad things here, instead of focusing on the person who posted video of it? That's messed up to me. Defend the cop or don't, but all this blaming of the guy who made the video is sad.

[plus.google.com/115543224244645939988]

@dynaryder, probably a bit on the dramatic side to say that cyclists are "2nd class citizens". Car-bike accidents happen everywhere and as far as I know there is no place I'm familiar with where cyclists always get a fair shake. It will be that way, IMHO, as long as car-traffic far outnumbers bike-traffic.

In general though, being a "whiner" (that's your word choice), is no way to get things to change in a meaningful way. It doesn't work for 2 year olds and it doesn't work for adults in DC.

[plus.google.com/115543224244645939988]

@rob, I would like to see more folks riding bikes as a form of transportation. That's why I care about this stuff, that's why I care about the impression that people get about cycling. Given your history of videos, if there were a bunch of old ladies riding in DC, you'd likely video them and call them "f'ing shoalers".

[plus.google.com/115543224244645939988]

@washcycle, the cop was reacting to having 911 called on him for having pulled over in a bike lane. As far as I know this kind of stuff happens everywhere there are bike lanes-- not just cops but also delivery trucks, people dropping off groceries, etc. And of course it happens on car traffic lanes as well. Get over it, there are far more pressing matters to be concerned about. The cop could have been a little nicer, but the really bad judgement was displayed here by the videographer.

[CyclistPedestrianMotorist]

"The cop could have been a little nicer, but the really bad judgement was displayed here by the videographer."

Making a phone call is worse than flashing a gun?

That is quite a perspective.

[DE]

Isn't there a PhillyCycle page somewhere you can make irrelevant posts to?

You're not going to agree with everyone's approach, so what, but your opinion that he came off self-righteous doesn't have much to do with bike lane blockages in DC.

[Crickey7]

I agree that being condescending to novice riders is not cool, but what does that have to do with shoaling? Shoalers come in all stripes, and have only one thing in common--being inconsiderate.

[washcycle]

As far as I know this kind of stuff happens everywhere there are bike lanes... Get over it

That's one strategy, but not one likely to change anything. Normally, "get over it" is good advice for things that can't be changed. This can be.

there are far more pressing matters to be concerned about.

Such as the fact that someone in a city I don't live in is posting self-right videos on the internet?

The cop could have been a little nicer, but the really bad judgement was displayed here by the videographer.

The decision to make a phone call was worse than the decision to park illegally?

[SJE]

Washcycle: more than the decision to park illegally, its flashing the badge and the gun to get special treatment that is not justified under the law or the circumstances. That is corruption.

This may not be a big deal, but is emblematic of the issues that we raise as part of getting things improved. The places with great bike facilities got them through hard work, and "whining." They werent just provided by some omnipotent benefactor.

[dynaryder]

@plus.google probably a bit on the dramatic side to say that cyclists are "2nd class citizens"

Not at all. Come down here and see how we're treated. See how people treat bike lanes and cycle tracks,see how drivers deal with us in traffic,and read a few articles about folks who have been hit. MPD(DC police) have been known to only take info from the driver when a cyclist is sent away in an ambulance,and even show up at the hospital to give them a ticket for not wearing a helmet(unnecessary for folks over 16).

To put a fine point to it,you've no idea what it's like riding around here,so you're in no position to judge.