Top 10 - RULES FOR RIDAZZ

 Thread started by 
ingipet at 06.24.08 - 3:29 pm
Top Ten -Rules for Ridazz
1.   SAFETY FIRST! Keep enough distance between Ridazz! 
      Eyes on the Road!
2.   Hold your LINE! Especially on those corners and down those hills!
3.   Communicate – Call out dangers in the road – “Tracks!”, cars
      approaching - “Car back!”,  fallen ridazz - “Rida down!” and 
      upcoming turns or stops. Pass it on!!
4.   Act responsibly. Your actions have consequences! They also 
      reflect on the group as a whole…so please…DON’T BE STUPID!!!!
5.  Ride predictably – Signal your intentions (verbally or physically), 
     NO sudden stops!  No silly tricks!
6.  Watch your speed. If you want to ride fast do NOT except the 
     group to follow at yourpace. Stay behind the music trailer 
     or ride leader.
7.  If the police show up, do NOT antagonize them. Comply with their 
     requests in a civilized and respectful manner. If you get ticketed 
     and think it is unfair, DISPUTE IT!
8.   If you see anyone failing to observe these basic guidelines, 
     TELL THEM!
9.   Leave no TRACE! Do not litter. SRSLY.
10.  Most importantly, have F.U.N!!
This list was compiled by condensing the information found in the thread "Group Riding 101".   The suggestion was to include this information on the back of spoke cards and to announce it before and during the ride.
Here is the PDF of the list
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DON'T RIDE A FUCKING FIXED GEAR BIKE.
if your not in to sky diving, bungee jumping, extreme sports, etc.  dont try it.  its probably not for you.
if you aren't a extremely capable rider already, dont ride fixed.
if your just starting to ride fixed, DONT DRINK AND RIDE, especially near other people, example, CRNAK mob.
get a fucking brake too.
 mikeywally
mikeywally06.24.08 - 3:37 pm
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11.  Keep your distance from Mikey Wally unless you are deaf or have the patience of a nun.
 City Hobgoblin
City Hobgoblin06.24.08 - 3:38 pm
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Ingrid, one you have a type, on the one about riding fast, you say except where you mean expect,
and there's one that needs to be incorporated in:
If you need to stop (you drop something, crash, flat or something breaks) do so safely and gradually (do not just slam on your brakes, check behind and to the sides of you) and IMMEDIATELY GET OUT OF THE TRAFFIC LANE, you WILL either get hit or cause an accident.
Or better yet, remove yourself from the traffic lane BEFORE stopping.
 FuzzBeast
FuzzBeast06.24.08 - 3:50 pm
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yup, thanks fuzz!!   that typo is just on here, not on the PDF..i just changed it....
but yeah, adding something about how to stop when it is necessary (mechanical trouble...emergency...etc... sounds good....
 ingipet
ingipet06.24.08 - 3:52 pm
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and fuzzy.  you spelled typo wrong.
HAHAHAHAHAH!!!
 ingipet
ingipet06.24.08 - 3:53 pm
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slowing and stopping cyclists should stay on the right
 spiraldemon
spiraldemon06.24.08 - 3:53 pm
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12. If you can read this, and are reading this, you probably don't need to read this.
 PC
PC06.24.08 - 3:55 pm
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agreed PC,
the culprits who need to be reminded of these simple things probably don't care enough to read about it
 spiraldemon
spiraldemon06.24.08 - 3:56 pm
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yup. that's why we need to BRING this message to the ride....
how about ---
5. Ride predictably – Signal your intentions (verbally or physically),
NO sudden stops! No silly tricks! 
If you DO need to stop (mechanical issue, flat, etc.) move into the RIGHT lane with caution, looking over your shoulder.  Find a safe place to STOP outside of the flow of traffic.
 ingipet
ingipet06.24.08 - 3:58 pm
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Great job Ingrid!
Now  if you could print those up and bring them to LACM this Friday.  We can start the long process of educating the riders...
 skd
skd06.24.08 - 4:00 pm
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PC-   i luv ya man, but what is so hard about editing a list together?  obviously the people who need this message are not reading the forums. that is exactly the whole point of this...
grrr... cynicism can be very VERY annoying sometimes.....
but expected (spelled correctly)
very much expected.
 ingipet
ingipet06.24.08 - 4:00 pm
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Yes, stopping for fallen rider is very important. As is NOT STOPPING (at least not in the middle of the street) if the rider already has help.
A possible addition for the "leave no trace" section: no tagging or stickering at businesses we stop at.
And do we have to say no stealing? That should be a given, but......
 theroyalacademy
theroyalacademy06.24.08 - 4:00 pm
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i'll definitely bring some to critical mass this friday....
 ingipet
ingipet06.24.08 - 4:01 pm
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Don't know how it applies but in roadie group rides, raising one's hand indicates your slowing down for a mechanical or whatever.  Raise your hand and safely make it to the side.
 sc_nomad
sc_nomad06.24.08 - 4:01 pm
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i still say we need a "Safety Play" to be performed!! hahahahah!!
we really need to spell out what it means to say, 
DON'T BE STUPID!!!
 ingipet
ingipet06.24.08 - 4:02 pm
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 11. Keep your distance from Mikey Wally unless you are deaf or have the patience of a nun. 
WoW!! Now that's a compliment you can take to the bank!!
(but you still need a job hippaiiiiiiiie)
 Eric Hair
Eric Hair06.24.08 - 4:04 pm
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On the stopping thing, I'd make sure it emphasizes if you DROP something as well. The main reason I see people stop suddenly is they drop something (usually a beer or a phone) and they stop hard to go get it.
Maybe a short version of the whole list thing could be:
"When on a group ride, treat the bicycles as you would when driving amidst fast moving traffic on the freeway, don't do anything you wouldn't do there."
 FuzzBeast
FuzzBeast06.24.08 - 4:20 pm
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fuzzy----i hope your getting your crew ready for the SAFETY PLAY!!!
 ingipet
ingipet06.24.08 - 4:21 pm
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1. post the these rulez on upcoming ridezz pages.
2. as responsible riderzz, role model good behaivior, especially during the beggining of rides.
awareness, and role modling.
that being said, who has a helmet when they ride?
 mikeywally
mikeywally06.24.08 - 4:24 pm
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well thanks you you mikey walley...Drooby and i found out helmets were sexy and ran out and got some!
good rulz...
 MOM_RIDAZ420
MOM_RIDAZ42006.24.08 - 4:29 pm
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i love how i accidentally made all the text in the whole thread BOLD.
yeah!
the rulz can be easily attached to upcoming rides, spoke cards....etc. but also shared live and in person.....
acted out.... modelled....
 ingipet
ingipet06.24.08 - 5:02 pm
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/b
yeah, helmets are good, and can be as cheap or expensive as you need them to be (basically you pay for more venting). They can also save your skull, face and other parts of your body.
Also, learning HOW to fall is important. There are things you should and shouldn't do in those fleeting moments between when you go from riding a bicycle to laying on the pavement, and those things can mean the difference between Whambulance and the continuation of a ride. 
The main thing is to NOT PANIC!
The second thing is to stay as limp as possible, stiffening up is the first way to get hurt. The third thing is, don't put your arms out in front of you to "catch yourself" this may be your first instinct, however you should be using your arms to shield your face as much as possible (and tucking your head down can help too).  Your body weighs much more than your little wrist bones, collar bones, and such can handle when the fall is fast enough and the bones WILL break.
The fourth and final most important thing, whilst in the air, twist yourself, you will hit the ground rolling and use up your momentum that way, rather than grinding off skin on pavement like sandpaper.
Oh yeah, and never slam your front brake... use it with a light touch. This is PARTICULARLY true for people who ride a fixed gear bike with a front brake only, as it is the only lever, people who panic tend to slam it and go over the bars. 
If you ever do find yourself going over the bars, wither from hitting something or from locking a front brake or a front flat, or whatever, and this sounds counter-intuitive, but lean forward into the fall, you will actually rotate yourself and are more likely to end up on your back or ass or whatever, pretty much anything is better than your face, pretty much anything is more durable to impact too.
 FuzzBeast
FuzzBeast06.24.08 - 5:17 pm
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I have a helmet, but I'm a semi-boring, semi-old phart. 
But Mikey Wally, he has a helmet and it's PINK!
And I've seen a lot of cool dudes like SkidMarcus, B-Rad, Roadblock, and LaHarr (just to name a few) wear helmets on many occasions. 
 mr rollers
mr rollers06.24.08 - 5:19 pm
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No littering.  At Crank Mob I saw people stick cans into the bushes.  How lame.  I also see trash thrown onto the floor etc.
 Ken C.
Ken C.06.24.08 - 5:22 pm
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i think ESPECIALLY when we have a ride called -
THE SAFETY RIDE 3 - SAFETY FIRST
it would be an excellent opportunity to demonstrate these new rulezz...
good cop -  ingipet
bad cop -  Joe Borfo
mad-cap orchestrator/art professor - Fuzzbeast
come on everyone!  pick yur parts!!!!
 ingipet
ingipet06.24.08 - 5:26 pm
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 422_1214268616_1214269496_1214353573.jpg)
Rollerz I too wear a helmut! As is in evidence in the photo -->
 FuzzBeast
FuzzBeast06.24.08 - 5:26 pm
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i take all proper precautions.  
note - helmet + safety vest
 ingipet
ingipet06.24.08 - 5:30 pm
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I will add the rules on the back of the next Midnight Ridazz' Grateful Dead/Tie Dyed Shirt Ride next month.
Thanks!
 stevo4
stevo406.24.08 - 6:15 pm
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sweet steveO!
as i edit that pdf, the link will stay the same, so you can always download the most up-to-date version....
the actual link is:
http://www.4sbb.com/rules_for_ridazz_TOP10.pdf
wooot!
thanks for the nudge ashira!    hopefully we can integrate some of the rulezz into our ride!
 ingipet
ingipet06.24.08 - 6:48 pm
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OOOH i want to be a nurse for the safety ride!
 steph
steph06.24.08 - 6:53 pm
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WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HELMET LOOK NEATO
neon colored zip ties
cover it in newspaper
strap a stuffed animal to it
LEDs
stickers
stripe with masking tape
 steph
steph06.24.08 - 6:58 pm
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oh my gawd Stevo - I totally have my GD shirt ready. couldn't get rid of it when going through my storage in NY (shhhhh)
@Ingi - GREAT JOB consolidating and getting this out so fast!!  lets try to edit it down so it can actually be printed for spokecard backs maybe?  I can help with that.. 
@ Rollerzz.. you are definitely NOT boring or old or a phart.  I have been wearing a helmet for the last 4 years after 2 friends went down and damaged themselves in ways that a helmet would have protected them from.  It's probably time for a new helmet for me though... at least i has no cracks that I can see tthough..
 redridinghood
redridinghood06.24.08 - 7:03 pm
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w.O.O.t !
 hey, no problem.  i had it ready.  just needed a bit of a nudge.
 wurd.   when we gonna throw down and edit this shit so tight!
wurdsmithin!
i could ride by aglago sometime, or you could come up here to echo parque.....
wordsmithin jam.    rules of the ridazz edit.
 ingipet
ingipet06.24.08 - 7:06 pm
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 422_1214268616_1214269496_1214353573_1214360392.jpg)
yes! take all precations! when someone is gonna stick it to ya, use protection!  and in this instance, you'll need more than a bicycle helmet.
 meandmybluebike
meandmybluebike06.24.08 - 7:19 pm
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12. DON'T use YOUR when you mean YOU'RE
13. ride fixed if you want to.
 indigis
indigis06.24.08 - 7:43 pm
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@ meandmybluebike
Fuzz can use a helmet for protection his vagina is huge and gaping
 steph
steph06.24.08 - 7:45 pm
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you're is "you + are"
Your is a posessive pronoun. I have used it correctly every time in this context.
dude.
woah.
 ingipet
ingipet06.24.08 - 7:46 pm
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ingipet, it was directed at mikeywally
 indigis
indigis06.24.08 - 9:11 pm
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We do need some basic rules announced, and some encouragement to call people out on bad behavior before every ride.
4 head injuries, one guy having abdominal surgery, at least two incidents of theft from retail stores, and multiple reports of malicious vandalism of other riders' property, all from ONE ride, is not so good.
I'm not trying to troll here, or destroy the festive anarchic spirit of crankmob, but crankmob can't go much further without getting regulated.
Either the participants / leaders / more experienced riders do so, and set a tone in which festive abandon is tolerated, but malicious/reckless/abusive behavior is not, or it's only a matter of time until outside forces provide the regulation, either through law enforcement, or through someone getting litigious.
I KNOW that you all claim these things are leaderless masses with no organization, etc., and disclaim all responsibility, but it wouldn't take a personal injury lawyer with an internet account more than 5 or 10 minutes to figure out who some of the major players are, and only a few minutes more to file a claim and serve you.  While you might ultimately prove your point in court, you'd probably have to hire an attorney to respond to the suit, and blow a couple of grand in legal fees just to prove that you're not involved and not liable.
That would suck a lot more than printing up a few flyers before every ride (or putting the rules on the backs of spoke cards) handing them out, announcing what is OK and what's not, and encouraging people to behave accordingly.
Can't wait for the next crankmob!  Can't wait to hear that the next one was completed without any follow up trips to the hospital even more!
 JB
JB06.25.08 - 2:29 am
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Here's a suggested edit, which you are free to use, incorporate partially, or ignore as you see fit.  I tried to consolidate and trim it a little more and turn some of the don'ts into dos.  I converted all the all-caps parts back to lowercase on the assumption that these points may be better emphasized with contrasting color, or bold type, or something (whether on or off the Internet, people tend to interpret all-caps as shouting).
-- [Catchy, fun title goes here] --
* Hold your line, especially around corners and up hills.
* Watch the road, and communicate what you see!  Call out dangers--“Tracks!” “Car back!” “Rida down!”--and upcoming turns or stops. 
* Think of the people behind you.  Don't stop suddenly in the middle of a group.  
* Chill!  We're not in a hurry.  The party is right here, not up there somewhere.  Stay with us!  When in doubt, let the music trailer set the pace.
* If the police are trying to be cool, try to be cool to them. If you are ticketed unfairly, dispute it.
* Your actions have consequences! They also reflect on the rest of us, so please be smart.
* You are important.  If you see anyone failing to be smart, speak out!
* Leave every place without a trace! Clean up after yourself. SRSLY.
* Most importantly, have F.U.N!!
 PC
PC06.25.08 - 4:02 am
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How about:
Take responsibility for your actions.
i know, sounds like a parent, doesn't it.
 stevo4
stevo406.25.08 - 6:29 am
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:)
"be smart"
instead of "don't be stupid!"
aw yeah!
still might need a demonstration!
 ingipet
ingipet06.25.08 - 7:34 am
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1. The first rule of Crank Mob is you do not talk about Crank Mob
2. The second rule of Crank Mob is YOU DO NOT TALK about Crank Mob
3. The third rule of Crank Mob is consider carefully who you invite.
4. ?????
5. PROFIT!!!!
 monovsstereo
monovsstereo06.25.08 - 8:11 am
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monovstereo, you should make that into a t-shirt, and sell it at crank mob. there is your profit.
 ephemerae
ephemerae06.25.08 - 8:25 am
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I feel like it should also say 
Always
Be
Closing
 stevo4
stevo406.25.08 - 8:30 am
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i think is might be important to empahasize that you are always responsible for your actions...whether riding or not.... drunk or not....rules rules rules rules rules
cops.
rules.
 ingipet
ingipet06.25.08 - 9:43 am
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"it's nice to be important
but it's more important to hold your fucking line"
 dannyzuko
dannyzuko06.25.08 - 9:47 am
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other safety guidelines--
*don't ride on the sidewalk
*try to stay with the flow of traffic (certainly, don't ride against it)
*remember all of your friends who have had accidents!! and how much it totally SUCKS!!!
*educate people about the guidelines!  they may ignore you, but that is their own problem to deal with.  many MANY people will listen!!
 ingipet
ingipet06.25.08 - 10:41 am
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bzump!
hopefully we have enough to finalize the edits... thanks!!!
 ingipet
ingipet06.25.08 - 12:04 pm
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The fewer words, the better.  Getting your target audience to read anything at all is enough of a challenge.
 PC
PC06.25.08 - 1:45 pm
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Anybody up for a "Back to School Ride"? This fall?
It would be a great opportunity to playfully put these Rulezz onto a spoke card (say on a chalk board or some lined paper) w/o seeming too authoritarian.
Of course a back to school ride would be a great opportunity for dress up and would offer tons of great thematic destinations.
Anyone? Anyone? 
Bueller?
 trickmilla
trickmilla06.25.08 - 1:50 pm
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love it!
sounds like stev0 will put them on july's ride... plus a safety ride, plus a back to school ride.....ample opportunity to educate the masses.  more humor the better.
i want to see crank mob's version of this list!!!
AW.....  SHNIT!
 ingipet
ingipet06.25.08 - 1:53 pm
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new rule -
if you can't make this bike roll, you *might* be too drunk to ride.
mandatory shoe bike tests!!!
now i want everyone to calmly stand in a line...single file....
people,  people...please....i'm going to need an orderly line here people...
 ingipet
ingipet06.25.08 - 3:29 pm
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furst rule of deez rulez is "deez rules are teh suck"
obey KNITTENS, dis number one feng
 Knittens
Knittens06.25.08 - 3:31 pm
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i knew knittens would hijack this thread.
knittens has bad spell.
my cat is much cuter than knittens.
 ingipet
ingipet06.25.08 - 3:32 pm
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Knittens is a rule hater!!
Knittens is an anarchist!!
 ingipet
ingipet06.25.08 - 3:34 pm
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I like PC's list.  There's just one small change I would do, instead of ....
* If the police are trying to be cool, try to be cool to them. If you are ticketed unfairly, dispute it. 
Me -
I would change the last part to dispute it court or by legal manners.  something like that.  It sounds like dispute it while you're there in front of the cop.  And we all know we don't do our best work at that moment, yeah?
 User1
User106.25.08 - 6:18 pm
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+1 on PC's edits (and Al's edit thereupon). Shorter and more specific is better.
 theroyalacademy
theroyalacademy06.25.08 - 6:24 pm
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How about: "Dispute the ticket in court (chances are you'll win)."
i like that one.  shortest and sweetest of the bunch.
not to mention true!   indigis threw down some awesome advice on how to do it....   
:)
Chances are you will win people!!!
 ingipet
ingipet06.25.08 - 7:40 pm
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speaking of crank mob and idiots...i can't remember the end of the night but my right leg is painted black and blue from ankle to thigh...did i fall hella hard off my bike?
did anyone go to hospittttal?
not me.
 later.means.never
later.means.never06.25.08 - 8:41 pm
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I purposely left the "dispute" part ambiguous because it's not my place, or anybody else's, to tell somebody not to engage a cop in debate--especially underneath a title that contains the word "Rules." 
 PC
PC06.25.08 - 9:20 pm
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You could still leave it open-ended by saying "If you dispute a ticket in court, chances are you'll win," or something like that.
 nathansnider
nathansnider06.25.08 - 9:23 pm
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...which brings us back to the question of how verbose we want this thing to be, and what disputing tickets has to do with ride safety in the first place.
 PC
PC06.25.08 - 9:43 pm
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How bout..............
If the police are trying to be cool, try to be cool to them.  Do not escalate the situation.
Speaking of which, I just got pulled over tonite for running the red light downtown LB.  I ran the red light crossing three lanes going the same way.  It just so happened that one of those lanes had a cop rolling.  I saw him but it was too late.  I played it the best I could.  I used a little humor and agreed that I did run the light.  What saved me was my squeaky clean driving record.  It probably helped that I have a motorcycle license too.  Anyways he let me go with a warning and I asked him to be careful out there.  End result is he may give the next guy on a bike a break too.
 User1
User106.26.08 - 12:23 am
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God that sounded like a pussie!!!
Shit, I never said that!!!  I told the cop to fuck off and rode against traffic to ditch him.  I kept making a left and then a right.  I ended up loosing the motherfucker!!!  HAHAHAHA...  On the way home I was singing Fuck Da Police..... all the way home!  That's what really happened!!!!  REALLY!!!!
 User1
User106.26.08 - 12:39 am
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c.r.a.n.k. mob REWIND: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA9N01gnWe4
remember when -->> let's bring it back, rumble about and spit it out!
saturday - all day play!
 bondink
bondink07.16.09 - 2:06 pm
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I miss Old Crank Mob.
New one is ok. 
but the old one rocked my boat. 
 Jazzy Phat Nastee
Jazzy Phat Nastee responding to a 
comment by bondink
07.16.09 - 2:18 pm
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Yeah, far too many hot-shot, rookies trying to turn everything into a race and screaming "COPS!!!" like they're being bitten by a ghoul or something.
Defend 'em as much as you want, but until they eat a chill pill and throttle back, we'll continue hold our own.
 bentstrider
bentstrider responding to a 
comment by Jazzy Phat Nastee
07.16.09 - 3:01 pm
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Me thinks I need to make another video
 jonnyboy
jonnyboy07.16.09 - 4:18 pm
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and we'll promise to bring the FUNNRnesses!
 bondink
bondink responding to a 
comment by jonnyboy
07.16.09 - 5:53 pm
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 TIMESARECHANGING
TIMESARECHANGING responding to a 
comment by bondink
08.19.09 - 2:59 pm
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 TIMESARECHANGING
TIMESARECHANGING08.19.09 - 4:05 pm
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