Beware of Bike Cops In Pasadena

In reply to OP:

I've been stopped a couple of times by the same LASD deputy in the Pasadena area a couple of times. The first time he ticketed me; the fine came in at ~ $200 but I fought it with a Trial by Written Declaration and it was dismissed. The second time I had my wits about when he stopped me and didn't even bother with a ticket.

 

There are many such laws in many countries. None of them are the USA though, where there is no legal requirement to carry an ID card.

 

When do I have to show police my ID?
This is a tricky issue. As a general principle, citizens who are minding their own business are not obligated to "show their papers" to police. In fact, there is no law requiring citizens to carry identification of any kind.
Nonetheless, carrying an ID is generally required if you’re driving a vehicle or a passenger on a commercial airline. These requirements have been upheld on the premise that individuals who prefer not to carry ID can choose not to drive or fly.

From here, ID laws only get more complicated. In Hiibel v. Sixth Judicial District Court of Nevada, the Supreme Court upheld state laws requiring citizens to disclose their identity to police when officers have reasonable suspicion to believe criminal activity may be taking place. Commonly known as "stop-and-identify" statutes, these laws permit police to arrest criminal suspects who refuse to identify themselves.As of 2008, 24 states had stop-and-identify laws. Regardless of your state's law, keep in mind that police can never compel you to identify yourself without reasonable suspicion to believe you're involved in criminal activity.But how can you tell if an officer asking you to identify yourself has reasonable suspicion? Remember, police need reasonable suspicion to detain you. One way to tell if they have reasonable suspicion is to determine if you're free to go. You could do this by saying "Excuse me officer. Are you detaining me, or am I free to go?" If the officer says you’re free to go, leave immediately and refrain from answering any additional questions.If you're detained, you'll have to decide whether withholding your identity is worth the possibility of arrest or a prolonged detention. In cases of mistaken identity, revealing who you are might help to resolve the situation quickly. On the other hand, if you're on parole in California, for example, revealing your identity could lead to a legal search. Knowing your state's laws can help you make the best choice.Keep in mind that the officer's decision to detain you will not always hold up in court. Reasonable suspicion is a vague evidentiary standard, which lends itself to mistakes on the officer's part. If you're searched or arrested following an officer's ID request, always contact an attorney to discuss the incident and explore your legal options.

 

I honestly don't get your logic. Sharing the road also means, sharing responsibilities. I see bikes blow through stop signs all the time and not even bother looking. Hell, I'm guilty of it myself at times but if I did get popped, I certainly wouldn't dump on the PD for my irresponsibility and carelessness. You play, you pay. In Sierra Madre, it's a very common problem among cyclists. Somehow, we feel the need not to stop or yield to cars but we want the same consideration and respect on the road. Doesn't work that way. My g/f's son blew threw a red-light in Monrovia on his BMX bike and got popped with a $450.00 fine. No different then a car.

 

The key issue here is that that the rider was NOT a road hazard and did not at any time endanger himself or any other person. Yes, he violated a law.... An incorrect and stupid law. In some states a bicyclist does not need to make a full stop at a stop sign as long as there are no other vehicles at the sign and the cyclist has taken reasonable precautions, in which case they can roll through the sign slowly. Which is what seems to have happened here. The solution in CA is not to ticket people like this but to instead change the law so that what he did is no longer illegal.

I do also agree that cops need to take a look at priorities. I would think that the citizens of Pasadena would rather have the cops who's salaries they pay with their tax dollars deal with real criminals that truly endanger the public. How many drug dealers could this cop have busted while he was sitting there waiting to bust cyclists. Let's see , should I go after drug dealers, or cyclists. I think I'll go after cyclists because they are a much bigger threat to public safety...... Please....

 

The last time I perused the Calif. Vehicle Code, traffic laws pertained to bicycles as well as motor vehicles. "Stop" means stop. JoeTruth's reply sums it up well.

If you think that cops are out there simply to "protect & serve" (i.e. busting drug dealers instead of cyclists running Stop signs, etc), you may be a tad bit out of touch with reality. They are also out there to write tickets in order to generate revenue. Far be it from me to defend cops, but the one writing these tickets in Pasadena is probably not doing this as his own idea, but is most likely assigned to do so by a superior officer. Here in Laguna, there's a cop who's out at the north end of the 133 (just south of the 405) ticketing motorists for speeding. He's out there nearly every day. It is petty (folks doing 70 instead of 65 aren't a safety issue either), but its the law AND an easy revenue source for the city. The solution is that those who know never exceeed 65 where that cop can clock them through his radar gun. By the same reasoning, cyclists in Pasadena (and elsewhere) can avoid tickets by obeying the law... and if they're ticketed for running a Stop sign, shouldn't complain about it.

 

Please post-up a photo... this I must see!

(file under: More Traffic Signs We'd Like To See)

 

if youre riding on the sidewalk, do traffic laws still apply?

 

Riding a bike on a sidewalk is a fine in itself. Some sidewalks are posted bikes OK. There are some spots in Laguna that the road is so dangerous I ride the sidewalk and will fight the ticket in court claiming safety issues. Kids under a certain age can ride sidewalks. Sidewalk ticket in Newport is the same as riding in a crosswalk ticket. $386 not counting court fees and that was a year ago bet it is more now. Bike tickets do not go on your DMV point count.

 

The CHP sits in on 405 waiting to see people in the HOV lane either riding solo, texting or riding without a seat belt. The other 4 lanes are going 6 mph so nobody is speeding. They are raising money for this broke ass state we live in. Taxes piss me off but I have no choice, I can avoid fines by not breaking the law.

he said "blow a stop sign"

 

Would you say that this should apply to motor vehicles as well or are bicycles entitled to abide by some laws and ignore others as they choose? Let's turn this around, what if a vehicle was on a multi-use trail and someone said "I shouldn't have to yield to horses...blah blah blah." or "that 15mph speed limit doesn't apply to me that's stupid".

People always seem to side with what affects them personally more so than what's ultimately best for the general public.

 

How come then you can get a DUI on your bicycle? Or does that not effect your license either?

BTW, I can't believe this thread is still going.

 

I feel the ticket is lame, the cop could have used his discretion and gave you a warning. the ticket will stand in the court of law though, the judge will look at it and just see that you ran the stop sign.
You could ask for leniency. good luck brother

 

I find it funny how many are misinformed about what most cops do while on duty. One of the many duties a patrol cop perform is to handle call of service aka radio calls, traffic enforcement either by Spirit of the Law or Letter of the law, handling traffic collision, and a slew of other things unless the are in a specialized unit like vice or narcotics enforcement. Granted most cities are usually not busy especially those in Orange County vs the City of Los Angeles or LA County. So like I said one of their duties is traffic enforcement. And I don't know where most of you get your information from that tickets are there to generate revenues. In reality the city be lucky to see 16% of that citation. Most of the money goes to the state and county since its a vehicle code section which is enforced statewide. Unless its a municipal code, majority of the fines goes to the cities (parking tickets).

Like dstepper said any citation issued while riding a bicycle does not go on your DMV record with the exception of a DUI. Yes you can be arrest for DUI while pedaling. Also its also legal to ride on the sidewalk unless posted but only if you are not reckless and not disregard for the general public safety (pedestrian dodging you to avoid a collision). So I don't know what was written on the citation to the OP but if he/she didn't it should be written as "21200/22450 (a) VC" failed to stop at the limit line or fail to stop at a stop sign. Verbiage varies. The 21200 is the vehicle code section that applies to bicycle stating all rules of the road applies to bicycle including DUI. And 22450(a) VC is the stop sign violation. Hope that clears some misinformed information.

 

Not sure about DUI. My guess is that they will hammer you with the points. You can get many felony charges expunged from your record by DUI convictions are not one. Read a report that a guy in Montana got a DUI on his horse. He was passed out in the saddle and the horse was taking him home...back to the barn. Conviction go figure not public intoxication...DUI. I think he had a bad attorney.

I am dealing with a case now that a golfer in Leisure World was arrested for DUI in his golf cart on the golf coarse for running into a tree, bailed out, then did it again (different tree) the same day adding insult to injury same officer respond both times.

About fines maybe the cities don't see much but a % is a % they don't have. The court adds many more fines once you plead guilty.

 

I'm surprised this is such a hot topic.

There are rules and laws. You break the rules and/or laws, be prepared to pay the consequences.

I run the stop signs while running down the mountain climb behind my house, I usually drive 70 on the 14 (others drive 80+), I tow my toy hauler at 60/65, my cars have front side tinted windows, etc.

It's a risk...accept the consequences and move on.

 

Hot topic because laws can be confusing, very confusing law is how to transport a handgun in CA. These discussions can be very informative especially when the officers on the site chime in...I appreciate the their input.

 

Yes, they can but this is a running a stop sign on a bike not transporting guns thread.

 

Okay, I know this is way off the subject of the OP but, why is that? That has never made any sense to me. You don't need a license to ride a bike but if you do have a license and you get a DUI on a bike it will get revoked. That really doesn't seem right to me.
I do understand you are operating a vehicle and you can be a danger to others but to be able to get you license taken away for being drunk on a bicycle or a skateboard or a Razor scooter while a license is not needed to operate them seems unfair. I mean why not also make it so that if you are drunk in public you get your license taken away too.

 

I used they analogy because both are very subjective and open to interpretation by the officer.