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I cycle in Long Beach every week, and I know the cops need to be educated about bicycle rights (a lot), but this is ridiculous!
The "Most Bike Friendly City in the Country" has a loooong way to go with its out of control P.D.
Everytime I ride in L.B., I see cars "blow through" stop signs, but I've never seen one get pulled over for it.
From the L.B. Press-Telegram:
LONG BEACH — Critical Mass or critical mess?
That depends on which side of the story you hear.
About 100 bicyclists from "Critical Mass," a monthly bicycle ride to celebrate cycling and to assert cyclists' right to the road, caused a bit of a mess as they rode through the streets of Long Beach Friday night, according to police reports.
Long Beach members of the group met at Cal State Long Beach's Pyramid between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. for a bike ride that turned out to be shorter than planned when they were stopped by police and cited. Several bikes confiscated for city violations.
The group was stopped in the area of Anaheim Road and Palo Verde Avenue when they "blew through a stop sign," said Lisa Massacani, spokeswoman for the Long Beach Police Department.
"They were cited for violating other rules of the road as well as safety issues," she added.
"We obeyed all laws and stopped at all stop signs," said Jerome Podgajski, organizer of the event. "They (cops) didn't even cite for the same things, and some got cited for things they didn't even do. It was really bad. I couldn't believe everything."
Link to the whole story and photos:
http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_16479969
LB is the most bike friendly city in the country? That's news to me. I used to live in Davis. Now that's the most bike friendly city in the whole state.
Sucks about the cops at LBCM. Any chance of forming some kind of alliance with LBPD or at least a mutual understanding so they don't go around shutting rides down? This should definitely highlight the need to train the officers of this "bike friendly city" on bike safety and allowances under the CVC. That crap about riding 2 abreast is bogus. Especially if they were taking the lane (which I'm guessing they needed to do if they had a lot of people on the ride). Some paint on the street does not make a bike friendly city.
There's a good conversation going on on LaFixed.
I'm too lazy to repost what I wrote there and what I feel is the general consensus of the veteranos in the scene.
But, it's along the lines of:
The people that "put together" October's LBCM were uneducated in the history of LBCM and it's run ins with the authorities.
There was a gentle balance with LBCM in the last year or so.
This kid tried and "blow it up," which is good.
But, he went with it the wrong way.
He was basically egging on the authorities by phone blasting city hall, pulling over cops and teaching THEM the law, and asking for an escort.
Fun!
I hope he does better on next month's ride.
I wish him good luck.
And, here's to YET the next incarnation of LBCM.
get all of their badge numbers and names and mention that you will be taking this info along with all citations to the aclu for a class action lawsuit of harassment against lbpd. f*#$ the POlice! a badge and a gun doesn't give you power or two dicks. most police in other civilized nations don't carry arms. our cops are cowards that hide behind their brotherhood, badge and gun. take all that away and they were the most frightened nerds on the playground growing up.
More from Press Telegram: >a href='http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_16487931"> http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_16487931
Members of the Long Beach Police Department last week cited and confiscated bicycles from members of the organization Critical Mass along East Anaheim Road. (photo: Stephen Carr / Press-Telegram)
LONG BEACH — Two days after police stopped about 100 bicyclists, cited most and seized the bikes of about 40 members, organizers of the ride were planning their response.
Ronnie Sandlin, a promoter of the inaugural Critical Mass Ride in Long Beach and one of the cited participants, said he had been on the phone all day with fellow riders who had been ticketed and/or had their bikes seized Friday.
Sandlin said he and supporters were compiling a database of the citations and seizures. He said organizers were also arranging to arrive en masse to pick up the impounded bikes and that riders plan to attend the Nov. 9 City Council meeting.
As of Sunday, Long Beach Police could not say how many citations had been written or the number of bikes seized for city violations when the group was stopped in the area of Anaheim Road and Palo Verde Avenue. That information is entered by hand and had not been tabulated, said police spokeswoman Lisa Massacani.
The Friday night ride, which had been publicized in advance and planned, didn't last long.
Sandlin said that five minutes into their excursion, riders saw police with flashing lights at an intersection and presumed cops were holding the area open for them.
"We thought they were facilitating us," said Sandlin, adding that for a month and a half, his group had tried unsuccessfully to gain a permit for the ride.
"Instead they pulled us all over and proceeded to give almost everyone a ticket," Sandlin said.
Massacani said the riders "blatantly disregarded other people's safety," did not obey traffic rules and ignored stop signals.
Sandlin said all riders are given rules of the road before the ride and told to obey rules and share the road.
Riders say Critical Mass is a celebration of cycling and a way to promote rider rights to the road. There are more than 300 cities that hold rides, usually on the last Friday of the month.
Police Chief Jim McDonnell said Friday that Critical Mass, "engages in dangerous conduct, violating every rule of the road and endangering the public."
When the riders were pulled over, Sandlin said, it was a mass of confusion with riders receiving seemingly indiscriminate and contradictory citations.
Worst, riders said, was the seizure of bikes, which organizers claim are the only transportation for those riders.
"Our issue is what we consider this illegal seizure of our property," Sandlin said.
They also said the action is a big black eye for a city that touts itself as the most bike friendly city in the U.S.
"It appears being bike friendly only applies to a limited part of the city," said June Kaeswith, one of the organizers.
Riders who had bikes seized can pick them up at the city of Long Beach Bike Warehouse at 1400 Canal St., Long Beach. Appointments for pickup can be made by calling 562-570-1075.
I am sure most of the seizures were because of this little fact:
How do I obtain a bicycle license?
Bicycle licenses are issued every Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 12 noon at most fire stations in Long Beach. Although we make an effort to be in the station during those hours, Saturday and Sundays are regular work days for us therefore we have regularly scheduled training and company business to attend to. Note that these locations do NOT sell bicycle licenses: Fire Headquarters, Beach Operations, Fire Station 6, Fire Station 16, Fire Station 20, Fire Station 21 and Fire Station 24.
The cost for a license is $3.00 for each bicycle licensed. If available, please bring proof of purchase to make registration easier.
Seems like LB needs to follow LA and get rid of bike licenses which are just another tool for the man to take yo shit!!!!
Of course it is bullshit. You think they check all the spandex roadies on PCH for licenses? Nope. It's a punitive measure against CM.......just like NYC.
Fight the power!
Foldie responding to a comment by majaco
11.1.10 - 2:59 pm
Looks like the cops were being pricks at this event.
DOnt list the route, you are just giving the PD intelligence on how to shut down your ride. If anything give ride maps to 10 or 15 people, or announce the route at the start.
DOnt admit to being ride leader if it is going to be a problem, unless you are down to be cited or goto jail.
Organize a protest in front of the mayors office. Hopefully the mayor will tell the coppers to back off and go back to harassing old ladies again.
Contact the Media. NOone likes bad press.
ORGANIZE !!!!
From the Ling Beach Muni Code...
"10.50.020 - Conformance required.
No person shall ride or propel any bicycle upon any street, alley, park or bicycle path or other public place in the city which is not registered, or for which the appropriate fee has not been paid or which does not bear a bicycle plate as required by the provisions of this chapter."
Here is a link to the other registration laws in LB...
I've only read speculation that this was the reason for mass impounds, is that the reason that the cops gave, and is lack of compliance with the registration law an impoundable offense?
Long Beach's bicycle registration law is itself illegal, and therefore unenforceable.
California Vehicle Code section 39002, which gives municipalities the authority to have license laws, reads as follows:
39002. (a) A city or county, which adopts a bicycle licensing
ordinance or resolution, may provide in the ordinance or resolution
that no resident shall operate any bicycle, as specified in the
ordinance, on any street, road, highway, or other public property
within the jurisdiction of the city or county, as the case may be,
unless the bicycle is licensed in accordance with this division.
The key words there are "no resident shall operate." Not "no person shall operate." No "resident." It's common sense--after all, if cities were given the authourity to require all *persons* riding within their limits to have licenses, people who lived in cities that don't have license laws wouldn't be able to cross the border into cities that do! More to the point, it's the law, and cities are not allowed to make restrictive laws concerning bicycle use on public streets unless expressly given the authority to do so by the CVC.
Long Beach's law is null and void.
PC responding to a comment by majaco
11.1.10 - 8:30 pm
Cities can require licenses of residents of their cities so it's not null and void it just only applies to residents of the city. Maybe the ones who got their bikes confiscated were residents?
On another note... Wow. Confiscating bikes? What thugs.
The cost of a license is $3.00. Considering how much a firefighter receives in pay and benefits (and that bloated retirement), this doesn't sound like the city is making any money on it. Try flooding them with bike licenses, maybe get a cash strapped city to have to spend more money to hire people to issue licenses. That might catch the attention of the city council to see this is really a stupid law to keep on the books.
You are correct, Sir.
The registration fee is 3 bux, to impound someones bike for a 3 dollar registration is nonsense!!
For LBPD to impound anyones bike is stupid.
majaco responding to a comment by Roadblock
11.1.10 - 9:33 pm
But my point is that issuing bike license is a money loser for the city. Three bucks is chump change but the pay of the fireman issuing that license isn't. Then there's all that administrative cost of maintaining the records.
It's a money loser and just another chore. If you can get a lot of people to show up at the same time to get a bike license, you really end up being a pain in the ass for the LBFD. Maybe the city council will figure out that dropping the requirement for a license will save them money even if that will be one less reason for the LBPD to hassle you.
mk4524 responding to a comment by majaco
11.1.10 - 9:45 pm
I hear ya!
But, Im not going to put an ugly ass sticker on my hand made bike :)
Im moving from Long Beach next month for Austin, Tx. So they aint getting my $3
majaco responding to a comment by mk4524
11.1.10 - 9:59 pm
Citing people for no license is bullshit and illegal.
Impounding a vehicle for a minor traffic infraction is bullshit. And illegal.
We should get a lawyer on this one ASAP. I remember a guy who was harassed by LAPD after the 2000 Democratic Nat'l Convention (searched, taken into custody, bike thrown over the Blue Line fence) got around a $1,000,000 settlement. Long Beach is going to learn one way or another, let's hit'em hard. In the pockets.
When myself and a couple Ridazz got harassed and ticketed by LAPD for bike licenses, I looked into getting a license and found when I got to the precinct that the cops hated doing them and tried to shoo me away. I stuck to my guns and asked for the watch commander to complain that they were trying to turn me down. Realizing what a pain in the ass it was for the cops I organized bike rides to get registered on here. Soon enough the LAPD joined the chorus of people asking for the licensing law to be repealed or ignored. It worked. Let's overwhelm long beach with bike license requests and kill their bullshit.
Your actions initiated the stupid law to get repealed. Not by some lame and unrealistic excuse that dedicated818 had invented about why it got repealed.
Let's give LBCPD the lesson they need.
Joe Borfo responding to a comment by Roadblock
11.2.10 - 12:24 pm
Turns out the ride got just 0.7 miles before being pulled over. Eleven of the bikes were impounded for the crime of being brakeless. Guess fixie-haters are everywhere. Interestingly, the interview reveals just how hard the non-organizers tried to get support from the city for the ride. Also, there is some speculation that LBPD used the route submitted by the non-organizers to pick strategic points from which to ticket cyclists.
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