Bike Fun
From:
Matty Lang
Date:
May 05 19:28 UTC
Short link
phaedrus (jason.goray) wrote:
>Also, please educate the police in the laws.
ML:
My favorite was a conversation I had with a Minneapolis Police Officer on the
2200 block of Lyndale Avenue South last spring. My partner and I were cycling
northbound past the Parisian Flats apartments construction dumpster and its
debris when an officer drove up on our rear wheels and instructed us over his
loudspeaker to get single file and over to the right as far as possible. I
calmly turned to him and pointed out the obstacles we were avoiding and
reminded him that state law requires cyclists to ride no more than two abreast.
The officer's reply was, "not on a road like this." The officer then asked me
if I wanted to continue the conversation. I politely declined and we went on
our ways.
Needless to say we cannot assume that all of our officers are properly trained.
Here's a pretty good (although a bit corny) 10 minute training video produced
by the San Fransisco Police Department and the San Fransisco Bicycle Coalition:
The video covers dooring, motorist intimidation and how officers should deal
with bicycle/automobile collisions among other topics. It would be swell to
see the MPD put some resources into officer training regarding bicycles and
traffic law enforcement. Perhaps the Minneapolis Bicycle Ambassador program
will have a police force education aspect to it.
Minneapolis, by the way, was just awarded Silver status as a Bicycle Friendly
Community by the League of American Bicyclists. This is a very difficult
designation to earn. Congratulations to the City of Minneapolis! Let's work
to join Davis, CA and Portland, OR at the Platinum level.
http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/communities/bfc_minneapolis.php
Matty Lang,
Midtown Phillips
.