who has benn stopped by the popo?

[huskydave]

The other night (Thursday) I was coming home from work and I was stopped by the Police. They said "a suspiscious bike was spotted in the area" they asked to search me and my bags, they had no right or should I say reasonable and probable grounds to search me but I had nothing to hide so I obliged. they had no idea I was on an electric bike and they held me for about 20 minutes trying to find a reason to arrest me. He searched my bags my person and asked many questions trying to find something he could pin me on. I just smiled and gave him all the doucumentation I had and after he examined my cigarette package and smelled my pepsi bottle I was told to go straight home. Just before I left he said what is that battery for? I said for my lights he nodded and I went on my way. I pedaled for the first time ever for about 20 feet before turning on the controller and rocketing home. I was going maybe 18km/h average because it was cold out but someone called the Police on me and he wanted to lock me up in the worst way. Has anyone else had a similar experience? I work the afternoon shift every second week and this was at 2:30 in the morining but I felt very harrasssed but I have had two blowouts and I changed my tire and was back on the road within 15 minutes and don't mind a setback or two but I don't like being treated like a cimminal. I was trying to be civil but they really got under my skin as they would not let me go for 20 minutes or more and I " Let them search my bags and shake me down and they acted as if this was normal practice. I could have easily said I consider this harassment and you cannot search me because I am breaking no laws but they were busy trying to find someting I had missed. I was trying to conserve power and it is a good thing I was only going 20km/h when they stopped me and because it was dark they had no idea I was not pedaling but next time I will not be so forgiving to say the least.

 

[pwbset]

If it makes you feel any better I drive a 1986 Subaru wagon and a 1989 VW Westfalia camper van. I've taken both vehicles to Canada (only 60mi from me) many times and, literally, every time I try to enter the US again I end up spending, on average, 3+ hrs in a customs bay while they desperately try to find the Mary Janeâ„¢ they think I've got hidden somewhere. Dogs, panels removed... the whole nine yards. That's when I bust out the lunchbox and dive into a good book.

It doesn't help that I usually only go for a "couple days" with "about $20" in my wallet for "recreation" and have a girlfriend that is a decade+ younger than I am. I'm the frickin poster child of profiling where I live. God bless the good old United States. *sigh*

 

[nomad85]

I've ridden right next to the cops in traffic without any issues.I pedal a bit though, and my bike doesn't look electric. Maybe if you increase your stealth factor you wont have anymore issues.

 

[vanilla ice]

wtf. Sounds like somebody fed the popos a line.

 

[Link]

It was a pretty good line, IMO. :wink:

 

[TylerDurden]

Yeah, I smell a setup too.

Odd how oblivious they seemed regarding the e-assist... I think they were tipped that you were carrying contraband or pilfered goods from your work. (Anybody at work got a hardon for ya?) They spent twenty minutes to be able to say that "an exhaustive search" was performed with zero results.

It might just be a manager getting suspicious... seeing a loaded bike leaving. If there is a sh!thead at work out to get you, lock your bags so nothing can be planted in them and get a motion-sensor alarm.

 

[andys]

I find it very strange that people are made to feel they are doing something wrong by riding an electric bike. Something is really way too absurd about this. Has anyone been actually stopped and had their e-bike taken from them by some goose stepping idiot?

 

[monster]

does your bike look like a bomb?

 

[Link]

Yeah, it could be that they thought you were a terrorist. It's happened to me. :lol:

 

[hippiehunter]

For some of us, being made to feel like we're doing something wrong..... is because we are. granted I've not had a run in with the fuzz but it scares the shit out of me every time they go by. Its gotten so bad that I'm actually traveling almost legal speeds now

 

[pwbset]

For some of us, being made to feel like we're doing something wrong..... is because we are.

I don't buy it... it's just the way society tries to train us. I call it Wal-Mart Syndromeâ„¢. If you walk into a box store like Wal-Mart/Home Depot/Target/EtcAdNaseum and don't buy anything you will be corralled through their exit process and immediately feel like you're stealing something or become super guilty because you didn't actually purchase anything. Ever notice how you can't really easily exit a box store through the entry area? They are herding us like sheep! F&^% that. No thanks.

I'd rather buy from the local Mompopshop @ 2x the cost than support that kind of psychological manipulation.

 

[vanilla ice]

Try refusing the exit bag search... much fun to be had!

 

[hippiehunter]

I regularly refuse the bag search... my gf hates it and will no longer allow me to carry things out of stores.

 

[vanilla ice]

Nah I mean the one where they check off your reciept and look at all the crap you bought.

Anyway ditto what TD says, sounds like somebody don't likes you. I doubt it had anything to do with the bike. 2:30am, some people might assume you're doing something bad just because of the time. Maybe they had their car radio taken the night before or something lame like that.

 

[hippiehunter]

That's what I meant by bag search.

 

[dogman dan]

The cop simply thought it was suspicious that you were even out at that hour. He stopped you for no reason, and was stalling, waiting to see if a call would come in soon for anything at all, at which point he would have proceeded to "arrest the usual suspects" ala Casablanca. But wisely, you did not fail the attitude test, and were not shot and killed like a guy here was a few years ago. He chose to rabbit when the cops approached him at 2 am, so they shot him for a crime he did not do simply because he was out that night. He did not resemble the perp at all, he just didn't stop since he was mentaly disabled.
We deal with the border patroll here all the time, without leaving the country. One time when asked where he was going at a checkpoint 40 miles from the border, my brother said what's it to you? six hours later he was on his way, after reassembling his car. The correct resposnse to just about anything an officer says is YES SIR! It's not right, but I prefer not bleeding every time.

 

[huskydave]

Im over it now I usually put up a fight but it was late and my bike is not exactly legal where I live it is supposed to have a 500w motor and be pedal first and have some sort of sticker that says it complies with Ontario laws other than that it is legit. I don't know who called the Police but it wasn't fun. I am glad he bought the "that battery is for my lights" line I fed him hahaha. I just hate it when they say If you have nothing to hide than let me search your bags I felt like saying I consider this harrasement and it is illegal to search me unless I have broken a law but I had a feeling the Rookie cops would have given me a very hard time so I just let them waste their time.

 

[dogman dan]

Wise decision. Cops get very different after dark. There would be no witnesses to whatever his story would be over your unconsious body. Come on, you really think there was any call? He just stopped you for existing at 230 am.

 

[huskydave]

Oh I didn't even tell you guys the best part he called backup! I had two cruisers facing me from both directions. I don't know if someone called or not probably not he saw me rounding the corner and turned around and put the cherries on. I was worried because they were all young guys and were on edge and I didn't want to make any sudden movements or reach for anything I just stayed still. I have 2000km on the bike now and I am loving it. I usually go for a nice ride around town in the evening to cool off. I have covered more ground with the bike than I ever did with a car because you explore side streets and take differant routes a lot more. It has cost me only about $50.00 for repairs so far a couple of tubes a couple co2 cartriges brake pads and two tires. I put semislicks on and they are better for coasting than the knobbies and do ok on gravel. I had them at 70 psi but found that was abit too much and run 55psi now all the time. I like driving through the rich neigbourhoods and checking out all the big houses and dreaming of owning one lol.

 

[Tiberius]

..I just hate it when they say If you have nothing to hide than let me search your bags ....

When they try to remove a civil liberty, our politicians always used to come out with the line "If you have done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear."

Strange, but ever since someone recently tried to use the freedom of information legislation to look at their expense accounts, we haven't heard that one. Now the hot topic in the UK is the infringement of privacy.

Nick

 

[AussieJester]

The correct resposnse to just about anything an officer says is YES SIR! It's not right, but I prefer not bleeding every time.

Have had many a run in with the Police over the years (riding a motorbike seems to attract attention) and soon learnt the "Yes Sir or Yes Officer" is the only approach to take. All you need is a Cop who didnt get a root the night before from his other half and has an attitude and your his worse enemy. When i get me e-trike on the move i know the first cop that sees me will be pulling me over, without a shadow of a doubt, i just hope common sense prevails when this happens :-S

 

[kbarrett]

I just hate it when they say If you have nothing to hide than let me search your bags I felt like saying I consider this harrasement and it is illegal to search me unless I have broken a law but I had a feeling the Rookie cops would have given me a very hard time so I just let them waste their time.

You are in Canada. That American illegal search and due process stuff just doesn't apply there. Your rights are what Parliament says they are ... with a small amount of moderation by the Charter.

If you refuse a search, he can summon a supervisor, who has been given a "Warrant" ... a blanket permission to search anyone, anywhere, for any reason. If all else fails, a Canadian judge can put your ass in jail for a day short of a year simply because he decided he didn't like you.

 

[dogman dan]

Living too close to the mexican border, we're pretty used to illegal searches. Probable cause is either you did look em in the eye.... or you didn't.... At least a illegal search gets thrown out in court if they find something , but you get to pay for a good lawyer. That's all in the past for me now anyway.

 

[stew007]

I have never been pulled over on the bike yet touch wood, but have been in the jeep a few times, had the car searched etc. We have to remember, they are servants of the state, they have no real interest in protecting the average man going about his business like you and me.

 

[I AM 0Z]

First of all folks let's think about all the people the police have to deal with that you never see and how often these people lie to the police on a continuous and on going basis. You just gotta know after having been lied to so many times that now they have to pick everything you say to them to pieces first because at this time you are not innocent until proven guilty. For me, it's even more fun because i don't have a drivers license though i do have a valid ID and this leads to why don't i have a license because the first thing they think just like everyone else is i lost my license due to DWI or DUI or because i have violated some other law that would cause me to loose my driving privileges soooooooooooooooooooooooo................ right off the bat i am a criminal. I try to be patient with them but they do tend to push alot of buttons trying to maintain control of the confrontation. And let's also consider the fact that my appearance is somewhat menacing over 6 feet tall over 260 pounds and extremely long hair. I look like i should be riding a harley. It's actually fun to watch them as they tend to stay far out of arm reach from me, but that flash light in the eyes gets annoying after awhile. I simply try to remind myself that i am the one in control here not them and i actually pay these guys to do this to me so i better be getting my money's worth. So go easy on them. Let them earn the money you pay them. Most of these police officers have someone near and dear to them waiting for them to return home and they owe it to those certain people to return in the exact same condition in which they left. Here's an idea go to the cop shop and tell the police you are out and about at night on your E-Bike and want to enlist in a "watch" program. Then, if they have something like that and most place they do then you get a sticker to display on your bike and maybe, just maybe a little more consideration when they pull you over to check you out.