Reposted with new date for blogger inclusion.
I was going to take the time today to write my six month eval of both myself as a rider and my bike. Instead I’m moved to write a story about a cop who had nothing better to do than profile me because I was on a bike. I’ve had my share of speeding tickets while driving a car and while I wished cops had something better to do I’m reasonable in the belief that I deserved every single one because I was, after all, breaking the law. Today was a different story.
On my way home from work I generally hit traffic and today was no exception. I had errands to run but needed to go home first so I could sign for a package from UPS. There is a right turn lane on the road where the traffic is and obviously I used it since I was turning right. It’s a very long lane and people often use it to cheat their way farther up into traffic but that wasn’t my intention. When I approach the yield for the right turn I slow down considerably (maybe 15 mph) since it’s a very tight turn. As I’m slowing I notice there is a cop sitting in traffic (A) waiting to turn left. He stares me down as I’m going around the turn but whatever, everyone always stares at bikes.
I hear a short blip of his siren and look in my mirror to see the cop, with his lights on, making a 5 point turn to end up in my direction. “He got a call from dispatch” I figure and prepare to turn left out of his way. After I complete my left turn I look in my rear view to see his lights/siren are off and he’s making a left as well. The road we were on is a major shortcut through town so I told myself he was just sick of sitting in traffic. Careful not to exceed to 25 mph limit I eventually make a left into my neighborhood. Through traffic turns right so I was surprised to see him go straight, seeing as how it’s a dead end. It was becoming more apparent that he was following me but I didn’t care, I was home.
Fast forward 45 minutes.
After my packages arrive I gear back up because I need to go pick up some pictures I was having printed in town. Having completely forgot about the cop I pull to the stop sign exiting my neighborhood. Look left, right, left and see no cars so I set off straight down the hill into town. By the time I reach the first cross street I look in my mirror to see the same cop turning from his hiding spot (B) and follow me down the hill. “Great,” I think, “I do the teeniest thing wrong and I’m busted ’cause this guy clearly has it out for me.
At the fourth intersection there is a stop sign that I usually roll through in first at about 5 mph. There’s never any cross traffic and no one ever stops. By the time I get there this guy is right on my ass and I realize I’m going to have to put a foot down or I’m getting a ticket. I do that and proceed along the longish straight, never going over the 25 mph limit. I get to the stop light at the next intersection and almost wish him to follow. I signal to turn right and he moves a lane over to turn left. We both stop at the red light (C) and I look over, to pretend like I didn’t even realize he was there. I’m watching him for a good 20 seconds (eternity at a stop light) and never once does he look in my direction. It was almost like he thought if he didn’t look over I wouldn’t realize he was trying to trap my ass that whole time.
We go our separate ways and I curse him in my helmet. Bastard.