Robert Anderson

On 7/9/07, gschreckchat@comcast.net wrote:
>
> Evan,
>
> While I may not have liked his personal response to you, as long as the
> police treat bicyclists are cars equally, I really cannot see why we are
> getting worked up. Yes, the fine is high (same for cars), and yes, we may
> cause less damage by breaking the law (if you assume our getting hit becuase
> we took a risk does not cause some emotional damage to the driver who hits
> us), but really what we should be asking for is equal treatment. There is a
> good and bad side to it, and this is the bad side. Big deal. Just stop at
> the sign, as obeying the law really should not be based on the potential for
> harm. I am not necessarily perfect at stop signs, but if I get caught, I
> have to be prepared to accept the consequences, just as I will defy anyone
> who says I should not ride on the road. If he tickets cars for breaking the
> law, then accept the same if a cyclist breaks the law.
>
> I really think all the whining that has taken place only makes us look
> ridiculous.
>
> --
>
> George Schreck
> gschreckchat@comcast.net
> (503) 502-0425
>
>
> -------------- Original message --------------
> From: "Evan MacKenzie"
>
> Officer Whitehead:
>
>
>
> I was hoping I might receive a response. I got one (attached below), and I
> thank you for it.
>
>
>
> I have forwarded your response to Bikeportland.org, the Bicycle
> Transportation Alliance (BTA), and also to the Oregon Bicycle Racing
> Association (OBRA). Your response says a lot about your view toward
> cyclists, and possibly also your capability to operate as an unbiased public
> servant.
>
>
>
> My "attitude and thinking" is that bicyclists should be treated fairly.
> Same roads, same rules, same rights. You run a stop sign, you get a ticket.
> But before you jump on me for being a hypocrite, consider this: bicyclists,
> with the exception of those who ride on the road wearing earphones, are in a
> much better position to judge the safety of an intersection before entering
> it than drivers. Bicyclists are not insulated from their surroundings by a
> safety cage of thousands of pounds of metal, plastic and glass, which
> happens to allow such distractions as cell phones, cigarettes, radios and
> rolled-up windows to even further remove them from their surroundings, and
> thus their awareness of others. Bicyclists can come to an intersection, look
> around, listen, and know that "the coast is clear." Does this mean that a
> cyclist should be able to cruise through an intersection without stopping,
> like man y cars do? Of course not. Does this excuse those on bikes who ride
> in such a way, blowing through intersections with wild abandon? Of course
> not. I think that if you were to try riding a bicycle on the road, you would
> understand the great distinction between entering an intersection in a car
> and on a bike. You might realize that coming to a stop sign, slowing to 1-2
> miles an hour, having a good look and listen around, and then proceeding
> through the intersection, is a lot easier (and in fact safer) on a bike than
> in a car. Without all those distractions that come from INSIDE a vehicle, it
> is much easier to concentrate on the potentially harmful ones on the
> outside. The other point I was trying to make, and one that was obviously
> lost on you, is the fact that a vehicle breaking the law has a much higher
> potential to cause harm than a person on a bicycle. I think the majority of
> police officers either don't realize this fact, or simply don't care.
> Unfortunately, many drivers do know this, and that is why most cyclists have
> taken such a negative attitude toward drivers (Yes, I include myself in this
> group). Many drivers look at a cyclist and somehow detach the person on a
> bicycle from their existence as a human being with the same rights as
> everyone else. You've probably never had glass bottles or nails thrown at
> you from the window of a moving car, or been called "faggot" for being on a
> bicycle, sometimes without even wearing lycra! People don't rev their motor,
> honk their horn, swerve toward you and yell things out the window at other
> cars because they know they might potentially damage their own vehicle, and
> because it's not as fun or cool to threaten somebody in a car. If you doubt
> me, I invite you to go on a ride with me and see what it's like. I'll come
> all the way back from Baker City and ride with you. Heck, I'll even lend you
> a bike and try to get some lycra for you to wear. I think that your
> experience as a police officer would benefit from some time "behind bars,"
> as it were, so you might understand what it's like to ride a bike, and why
> some riders become so anti-establishment…and why so many people choose not
> to ride at all. It doesn't help that many police officers side with
> motorists when there is an accident, often ignoring the cyclist's concerns,
> even when the driver was clearly at fault. Or in the apparent case of the
> City of North Plains, the entire Police Department viewing cyclists as "the
> problem" rather than a very legitimate solution to a plethora of
> environmental and transportation problems facing the entire planet today. In
> spite of attitudes like this, I still prefer to ride my bike rather than
> drive a car.
>
>
>
> I might also suggest that you brush up on your grammar before you call
> someone an idiot. "Your" is an adjective which denotes ownership. "You're"
> is a contraction of "you" and "are." To put the two words in context, one
> might say: "Mr. Mayor, you're an intelligent person, but your Chief of
> Police is an idiot." I have a Master's in Urban Planning and an Bachelor's
> in Journalism. That doesn't necessarily make me any smarter than anyone
> else, but I have at least been taught to think critically. I prefer to
> evaluate a situation based on information, not emotion. I also prefer to
> offer constructive criticism rather than unfounded personal bias or
> conjecture. Just because a person doesn't agree with you does not make that
> person any less intelligent. In fact, opening a dialogue with people you
> don't agree with is usually a pretty good way to learn something, and maybe
> even to solve a problem.< /o:p>< /SPAN>
>
>
>
> I do not believe the tone of your response was very professional, nor was
> it becoming an officer of the law, who is sworn to protect and to serve. If
> your response to a concern from the public is to call the complainant an
> idiot, I have to wonder how your department treats those whom you cite. I,
> too, am a public employee, and I know better than to imply to anyone, either
> in person, on the phone, or by email, that they are less intelligent or in
> any way not deserving my consideration. I would quickly hear from my
> superiors for doing so, and I would also diminish my personal and
> professional status. Your town is even smaller than mine, and I have a hard
> time believing an attitude like your could persist for long. Perhaps you
> should consider leaving your job and becoming a private security officer,
> where you could practice your one-sided view of the world with even less
> discretion.< /FONT>
>
>
>
> In spite of all this, my offer to ride with you still stands. Although I
> might suggest that we meet somewhere outside your jurisdicition.
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
>
>
>
>
> Evan Mackenzie
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Mr. MacKenzie,
>
>
>
> I can see where your part of the problem and not the solution. It's people
> with your attitude and thinking that place bicyclists in danger by listening
> to your abstract views on things. I will continue writing citations to
> everyone who disobeys a traffic control device whether in a motor vehicle or
> on a bike. Maybe someday your bike friends will respect the traffic laws
> that they spend so much time complaining about.
>
>
>
> After reading your email again, your a complete idiot!!
>
>
>
>
>
> Scott Whitehead
> Chief of Police
> North Plains Police Department
> Office: (503) 647.2604
> Fax: (503) 647.2031
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *Sent:* Friday, July 06, 2007 1:44 PM
>
> *Subject:* Cops and bikes
>
>
>
> I just heard that your Police Department has stepped up enforcement
> against bicyclists after the recent death of a cyclist.
>
> I have to ask – is this the best way to prevent reckless drivers from
> killing a cyclist… by punishing cyclists?
>
>
>
> As one of the ticketed cyclists pointed out, it's a little ironic that the
> three riders, who were each ticketed for rolling through a stop sign,
> received a combined penalty almost the same as the person who was driving
> without a license or insurance and KILLED someone.
>
>
>
> As a former resident of Hillsboro who used to ride through North Plains a
> lot, I now have another reason to be happy I am no longer a resident of the
> area. The area around North Plains is a wonderful place to ride, but not if
> the local police practice a skewed "Dukes of Hazard" observance of the law
> and general disregard for cyclists' safety. You may not realize it, but
> working with cyclists to make the North Plains area a better, safer place to
> ride can actually benefit your town. Instead, you have decided to give
> yourself a black eye.
>
>
>
> What would you do if a local store owner was shot during a robbery? Ticket
> all the other store owners for not wearing bullet-proof vests?
>
>
>
> For the record, I was once pulled over by a North Plains police officer
> for speeding on Hwy 26. I went to court and very politely informed the judge
> that I was not in their jurisdiction when I was ticketed. In fact I believe
> it was very near the new bridge at Jackson School Road, a couple miles
> outside town. The ticket was thrown out. I wonder how many other people
> simply paid the fine? Have all those people been refunded their fines, and
> their records stricken of the improper citation?
>
>
>
> I hope the affected riders go to court to contest the citations. I hope
> they are able to bring along support.
>
>
>
> I hope you are pursuing problem motorists in 5,000 pound SUVs who smoke
> and talk on the phone while driving just as diligently as you are pursuing
> 150-pound cyclists on 16-pound bikes. About the only way a bicyclist would
> really be a threat to a driver is if the rider is being thrown through the
> air at 50mph after being hit by an errant truck, and happens to hit another
> car.
>
>
>
>
>
> Evan MacKenzie
> Baker City, OR
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: "Evan MacKenzie"
> To:
> Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2007 15:35:48 +0000
> Subject: [OBRA Chat] North Plains response - Cops and bikes
> _______________________________________________
> OBRA mailing list
> obra@list.obra.org
> http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
> Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org
>
> _______________________________________________
> OBRA mailing list
> obra@list.obra.org
> http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
> Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org
>
>
F!@# the police! F!@# the government! Anarchy!

But the next time I roll through that intersection in North Plains, I will
come to a full stop and put my foot down.

--
Rob Anderson
riznob@gmail.com