This morning sucked. It just plain sucked. There I was riding along, the first cool day of the summer. My tires were pumped up, I had a double espresso, and I was rolling. I was on the Monon trail, a rails-to-trails bike path and linear park. As usual, I was moving at a good clip, but my music was loud to alert pedestrians I was coming, and I beeped my VW horn as I approached.
I looked behind me, and there was a cop car with the red-and-blues flashing. He was pulling me over. He walked over, looked in, and talked on his radio. He didn't talk to me. So I asked, "why did you stop me?" From there, it got surreal.
YeloVelo, my ride to work
Cop - "according to my radar, you were doing 25."
Me - "Is there a posted speed limit?"
Cop - "No."
Me (after a long pause) - "And?"
Cop - "We had complaints about reckless driving by this vehicle (that turned out to be BS, see below).
Me - "I drive at the same speed as many bikes here. I ride on the right. My music is playing to alert people I'm coming. If they don't appear to hear me I beep my horn. I pass on the left, and wait until there's room to pass."
Cop - "Well, we had complaint."
Me - "I'm driving a legal bike on a bike path and obeying all the rules. Do you have any more questions, or can I go now."
Cop - "Can I see some ID?"
Me - "Am I being detained, or am I free to go?"
Cop - "I asked for your ID."
Me - "I know. And I asked if I was being detained or if I was free to go."
Cop - "Wait here."
After about 20 minutes, yes, 20 minutes, I asked if I was free to go. He said I wasn't, that he was investigating complaints of reckless driving. He wasn't doing anything other than waiting for a supervisor, so I asked, "you're investigating anonymous complaints about an infraction that did not occur in your presence, for which you can't issue a ticket nor make an arrest, and I'm not free to go?" "No," he said, "I'm investigating a complaint of criminal reckless driving, and that's a misdemeanor." Somehow, it became criminal when I didn't give him my driver's license.
Another 40 minutes passed. In that time 7 police cars and a park ranger showed up for a guy in shorts trying to get to work on a bike path.
When the supervisor finally showed up he told me they have four complaints YESTERDAY about a bike like mine driving recklessly on the Monon. I wasn't even on the Monon yesterday. Unfortunately, Officer Putz failed to even mention that little tidbit.
I told the supervisor it was apparent to me that Officer Putz was abusing his power to unlawfully detain me because I asked if I was being detained. Then I asked if Officer Putz wanted to apologize, or if I should file a complaint.
I filed a complaint.
And now I'm worried these (fill in the blank with the descriptive expletive of your choice) are going to harass me on my ride home, or in the morning, or both, and suddenly the joy of riding to and from work turns to nervousness.
I like police officers. I worked with them for years. But this guy was a (again, expletive of your choice) on a power trip.