Santa Monica Hates Bikes
Thread started by
Joe Borfo at 10.2.09 - 11:49 am
Retweet from seanbonner:
Live in LA and ride a bike? Avoid Santa Monica unless you want a $1000 fine and be sent to jail for 6 months. Assholes.
http://bit.ly/wIbPH
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So, Manslaughter is only a little bit longer of a sentencing, right?
Joe Borfo10.2.09 - 1:43 pm
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6 months jail time... yeah, right...id like to see them try to keep someone who actually is a threat to society in jail for 6 months...
this is just a way to profile people...
md210.2.09 - 1:46 pm
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Lets continue to focus on laws that DONT make sense:
Age of consent, anyone???
"Kids are growing up so fast these days, and that's why the legal age of consent should be lowered to fifteen. Some sixteen year-old kid with zits all over his face who pops after twenty seconds gets to fuck them, but I 'm a grown man with skills. That 's selfish!"
--David Cross
md210.2.09 - 1:53 pm
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santa monica(a song/poem)
santa monica hates santa clause
santa monica let give them a big round of applause
santa monica hates my beater bike
santa monica i really dislike
santa monicaaaaaaaa,santa monicaaaaaaa
your cops can suck my dick
and up yours gos my polo stick
cuase i ran your red lights all last night
with no front lights
santa monicaaaaaaaa,santa monicaaaaaaa
i hate santaaaaaa monicaaaaaaaa
louisiana10.2.09 - 1:58 pm
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"up to" is the key words here........... has anyone in the history of this law actually been ticketed for $1000?
Roadblock10.2.09 - 2:45 pm
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I doubt the full extent of the punishments defined in this law have been used, but why is that crap in there is the question. When I was digging around some of the other crap SM has buried in it's municipal code I didn't see such severity of punishment as an option for things such as riding a horse at an improper or dangerous gait on the road way. What is really wrong about this is situation is anyone riding in Santa Monica, resident or not, is doing so illegally without with this bogus sticker that doesn't do anything and can easily be scratched off by thieves.
GarySe7en10.2.09 - 3:01 pm
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$3.00, dog...
thats the point... they need your $3.00... every 3 years... thats $1.00 a year.
do you think you're one of the privileged souls who can avoid paying $3. while all other law abiding cyclist fork out their hard earned $3.00?
We must support this paper-work nightmare....
md2 responding to a
comment by GarySe7en
10.2.09 - 3:09 pm
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3.20.020 License application.
(a) Any person desiring to operate or use a bicycle upon any of the streets of the City shall apply therefor to the City Clerk or bicycle retailer (authorized agent) who shall record the name and address of the owner thereof and a description of said bicycle. The City Clerk or authorized agent shall issue the license requested upon payment by the applicant of the fee herein required. Said license when issued shall entitle the licensee to operate said bicycle for which said license has been issued upon all the streets, exclusive of the sidewalks thereof or elsewhere prohibited in the City.
(b) Any person violating this Section shall be guilty of an infraction, which shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding two hundred fifty dollars, or a misdemeanor, which shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars per violation, or by imprisonment in the County Jail for a period not exceeding six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. (Prior code § 3401; amended by Ord. No. 1026CCS, adopted 2/24/76; Ord. No. 1813CCS § 1, adopted 9/12/95
md2 responding to a
comment by Joe Borfo
10.2.09 - 4:22 pm
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Never did like SM anyways!
User110.2.09 - 4:28 pm
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1. Infraction cannot exceed: $250
2.Misdemeanor cannot exceed: $1000
this is a strange aspect, which you think would be defined... by that.. I mean.. its either an infraction or misdemeanor (e.g. driving an auto w/o a license is a misdemeanor). What is operating a bicycle w/o a license (can it be both)?
...i think its meant to cover other actions too (i.e. riding on sidewalk + not having a license)...
i dont know... ill let the legalese folks on the site explain
md210.2.09 - 4:31 pm
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it's not a new law. according to Gary's blog the law has been around for decades.
but also.... this is kind of making something out of nothing... I mean... even with the smcm tickets and arrests and harrassment... has anyone gotten anything near the punishment reccomended by the this law? sure, it's a draconian law... and it should be struck down.... but is it affecting anyone? is there a way to look up whether any judge has awarded the maximum or anywhere near maximum penalty for this?
Roadblock10.2.09 - 4:37 pm
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The law is not new. It was first created in the 70's, last revised in 1995. My guess is the city council probably has no idea it exists. But according to someone who informed they watch police blotters, occasionally cops will dig this out to ticket homeless people with an unlicensed bicycle.
GarySe7en responding to a
comment by Roadblock
10.2.09 - 4:39 pm
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Alex T has sent an e-mail to council informing them of this and inquiring about records of enforcement. At this time I do not know to what extent this law has been used, how often, or if the more severe penalties have been used.
GarySe7en responding to a
comment by Roadblock
10.2.09 - 4:41 pm
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of course...
its just one of those "the more you know" days.
if it were a real issue, people who have posted on here about the tickets received
md2 responding to a
comment by Roadblock
10.2.09 - 4:46 pm
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I don't see how it is making something out of nothing that thousands of people biking within and into Santa Monica on a daily basis are in violation of the law simply for riding without a sticker they didn't know they needed. Santa Monica has shown they are willing to use excuses to harass cyclists, and this particular law could give an officer an excuse to detain anyone on a bicycle to check if they have a valid bicycle license. Outdated laws with no relevance is one thing, like the speeding horses violation, but people ride bikes in Santa Monica in droves, and the laws that govern cycling here should be up to date and fair.
GarySe7en responding to a
comment by Roadblock
10.2.09 - 5:07 pm
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The reason I brought this up in the first place was a saw flier up in downtown police office, and it sounds to me they intend to start really enforcing this, as was confirmed in a phone call Zach of LAist made earlier with Santa Monica finance office, the number given on the SM website that mentions the licensing. I want this to get shot down before we end up with bogus tickets like we had in L.A. earlier this year. Just because no one we know has been ticketed as far as I am aware yet, doesn't make it right and doesn't mean it won't happen.
GarySe7en10.2.09 - 5:12 pm
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SMPD may also be using this tactic in response to the bike theft complaints from SM residents. It's probably easier to profile and try to catch thieves after the fact, than it is for them to be smart about preventing bike theft through detective work and sting operations.
jericho1ne responding to a
comment by Joe Borfo
10.2.09 - 5:33 pm
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Do you believe that this system actually works in preventing bike theft?
Joe Borfo responding to a
comment by jericho1ne
10.2.09 - 5:37 pm
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ditto thanks for explaining... It looks like a rediscovered tool to bust up smcm and other social rides....
a portion of the public hates social rides and it looks like the police are being directed to use whatever tools are available...
Roadblock responding to a
comment by GarySe7en
10.2.09 - 5:40 pm
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my initial thought was that if a thief is caught with a ton of bikes, none of which can be proven to be stolen without extensive resources or actual licenses, then the only other tool available is to cite the person for not having bike licenses.... and if the thief is egregeous the judge can look to prosecute to the full extent of the law. but for punishing commuters? I doubt a judge would be so harsh
Roadblock responding to a
comment by jericho1ne
10.2.09 - 5:43 pm
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I doubt a judge would be so harsh either, it would be simply foolish. However laws should not be so ambiguous, it's inviting misinterpretation. Some cop at some point is going to be flipping through his book looking for something to write someone up for as I have seen done, and they may stumble on this and write a ticket for it. And if this is truly for returning stolen property why is it a requirement to even ride a bike, this should be an optional program for people who wish to register their bike, but even in that case there are national private services that do it better job and are not limited to local borders. In the UK there is even a private service with RFID tags that can go inside the frame for identifying a bike so it's not some easily spotted sticker on the outside.
GarySe7en responding to a
comment by Roadblock
10.2.09 - 6:13 pm
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Ridazz Roulette!
next stop venice beach! 
Time for another one? 