Trouble in ONT

On a ride in perfect weather down in Ontario today - had a flat, broke a spoke and, AND got pulled over by a cop!

All of this slowed me down enough so that I returned to the Hot'L with just 17 minutes before I was to be downstairs for the airport van for this afternoon's flight. Made the van.

So everyone gets a flat now & again, not so frequently I break a spoke - but it happens, I've never ever been pulled over by a cop - on my bike anyway. No sirens, lights or hovering helicopter though - that would've been too harrowing, just a wave of the hand to pull over. I was thinking of running for it, needing some sprint intervals, but I complied. Lump in the throat, heart still beating fast, mind racing a little - WTF?

He indicated right away that he wasn't issuing a citation but wanted to discuss my actions at the intersection I just pulled through. Huh? Oh, discuss I can do.

To set the scene I was approaching an intersection in a bike lane where the stop light just turned green and 4 vehicles were just starting moving - the last being a green Volvo with its right turn signal on. From a coast I resumed my spin and quickly pulled alongside & moved ahead of the Volvo well before it neared the intersection for its turn as I went straight.

The cop asks me about who I think has the right-of-way in regards to the Volvo & myself. In my best Perry Mason impression I tell him I think he just answered his own question - the vehicle to the right. He looks at me disapprovingly & says that Perry Mason was a defense lawyer always looking for excuses to defend his client; and says that he believes I made an illegal pass to the Volvo's right.

I told him that was ridiculous, Perry Mason was just like Joe Friday & all about the facts & solved more cases than the DA & offer up a hypothetical. If there are 2 parallel lanes of traffic, and one has 10 vehicles waiting for the first to make a left turn & the lane to its right is moving freely, what you're saying is that a vehicle in the right lane can't pass the 10th vehicle to its left because it's stopped or moving slowly, is that what your saying?

He looks at me with a puzzled expression, I think letting this sink in. He says after a pause - that the Volvo had its signal blinking and that I should have given way. I countered with how that would work with 2 cars, just because a car in the left lane has its blinker on it has the right to move into the right lane in front of any other car without making sure it's clear to do so?

I mentioned that the Volvo was moving across a lane of traffic, just like every other lane of traffic except that particular lane was a painted bike lane is solely reserved for bicycles. And all other vehicles must treat the cyclists in that lane just as they expect to be treated while in their lane. Vehicles endanger us all the time turning into or coming out of driveways & parking spaces across our designated lane. Just because it's there doesn't give them a right to dive into it. We get yelled at & crap thrown at us - just because we're perceived as vulnerable. Cyclists have the rights & responsibilities to the rules of the road just as everybody else does & deserve the same respect. Just because we generally move a little more slowly (at times) than the flow of traffic doesn't mean that everybody can take advantage of us (even though they sure as hell always try).

I forgot to mention that this guy was a motorcycle cop. I asked him how many times he's been put at a disadvantage by a car or truck trying to occupy his space or not noticing his presence. He says it happens almost every day. Welcome to my world brother.

I said I would've given the Volvo his right turn had he been even the slightest bit in front of me near that turn, and in fact the #2 vehicle in that lineup was a panel truck who failed to signal his right turn - and I'm on the lookout for that too. I've got 3 little kids waiting for Dad to come home every night. And like you, every day some knucklehead is trying their best to prevent me from doing that - whether intentionally or obliviously.

The advantage he has however is speed, lights, sirens and a badge - that he can cite drivers for their offenses - and serve them a monetary reminder to pay attention & slow down in this fast paced world. He said he doesn't ride a bike in traffic, but has been witness to too many bike/larger vehicle collisions; and the cyclist never comes out the winner.

He shook my hand, asked me a couple of questions about my clown bike, where I was riding and told me in his best Hill Street Blues Sgt Esterhaus' to be careful out there.

So I was.