car starts to weave into your lane, you knock/bang to get their attention... they are a cop...

I saw a car stoped askew and a bicyclist down when I got to Desplanes and Washington this morning. I recognized the cyclist as someone whom I had passed a bit further back on Milwaukee and who must have then passed me up again when I stopped to fidget with my chain. I was amazed to see a police office already there until I realized that the cyclist was in handcuffs. I didn't actually witness what happened but from hearing what the cyclist was saying and what the officer was telling dispatch on his cell phone and what a witness who did actually see some of this said something similar to the following must have occurred:

The officer was off duty, likely on his way home from work in his own civilian car.

the cyclist was riding in the bike lane on des planes.

The officer was weaving lanes a bit and driving a bit aggressively (according to the cyclist and the witness the officer said he was stopped and not moving to the on duty officer who arrived later but had indicated he was in motion when initially calling dispatch)

A witness showed up who said she saw the cop weaving as he drove and asked if she should stay to give her information the cop told her that he did not need her information and she could (/should) go. The cyclist said he did need her information and she should stay. This was a red flag that caused me to stick around. I got her number on two of my business cards and tried to give the cyclist one. The officer told me I could not give someone who was under arrest anything, I said its just a business card. He took the business card from me.  I told the cyclist I would post something to thechainlink.org so he can locate me if he doesn't still have her info. in the hopes of making this searchable I'm putting his name in the Tags, but I do not know if I have the spelling correct.

The bicyclist says he saw the officer weave a bit into the bike lane and knocked or banged on the car to alert the officer to his presence, the degree of force used for this knock was of some discussion ('a light tap?' 'no, loud enough that he could hear me' - 'he banged on my car hard, for no reason I was stopped')

Clearly blood was running hot, voices were raised but everyone was civil enough.

The cyclist asked what he was under arrest for the officer cited 'reckless conduct' or something vague and could not cite a statute number. The cyclist said he is a  lawyer, threats of lawsuits for improper arrest/detainment were issued.

What a mess...

For what its worth:

I don't think any cyclist bangs on windows unprovoked. Your hand is worth more than the glass and is more breakable, that's pretty clear even when road rage of getting cut off runs high.

The cop probably was tired coming off a hard shift doing thankless work and did not have any patience left.

No damage was visible to the car or the cyclist.

I'm glad no one got hurt, but what are you supposed to do when a car cuts into the bike lane... and its an off duty cop!

If you are the cyclist, and you need the witnesses phone number, call me at: tree one too, cinco quarto tres, eighty seven, 41.

I wrote this up within an hour of what I saw, but I arrived too late to see the events leading up to the arrest and even now my memory grows fuzzy... I wish my gopro hadn't been out of batteries, or that the cyclist had had one. ugh.

Streetsblog article http://chi.streetsblog.org/2015/11/09/cyclist-arrested-by-allegedly...

Most recent Streetsblog article: http://chi.streetsblog.org/2015/11/13/witness-officer-drove-reckles...

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Permalink Reply by Todd Nelson on October 19, 2015 at 4:29pm

Unfortunately, assault implies a perception of a threat. Perceptions are in the eye of the beholder. The poor, defenseless off-duty cop felt threatened by the big, bad cyclist. NOT.

Permalink Reply by Mike Schwab on October 19, 2015 at 6:39pm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Renisha_McBride

Driver wrecks car.  Knocks on windows and door.  Shot, homeowner convicted.

Permalink Reply by Ben R. on October 20, 2015 at 2:49am

probably has very much to do with perception and convention. 'knocking on a door' is something people are familiar with (though as someone points out somehow can get you shot) , 'knocking on car', not so much. I actually think that a lot of the 'road rage' out there comes from the fact that communication between cars is so very limited, there's  the 'horn' and there's 'the smile and wave' and a couple other hand gestures and that's it...

Permalink Reply by Todd Nelson on October 25, 2015 at 7:50am

I agree. So much of that, I think, is due to the car culture that has evolved in this country. Road rage confirms it. Motorists want to believe that they are somehow insulated from the consequences of their actions while operating in that metal cage. Bicyclists are vulnerable to that. Reading in this article how motorists resent that they are exposed to the risk of injuring someone, i.e. a bicyclist. 

“Drivers feel put upon by cyclists. They usually come up behind (bikes), because they travel faster than them on average, so they feel they have to negotiate or maneuver while taking all the responsibility for safety,” said Tom Stafford, a psychologist in England who has written about drivers’ frustration with cyclists. “Cyclists aren’t a danger to cars, but cars are a lethal danger to cyclists. Perversely, this can make drivers more angry because they feel like they are exposed to the risk of hurting someone, which they resent.”  http://www.pressherald.com/2015/10/24/crowded-lane-as-more-bikes-ta...

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on October 16, 2015 at 4:23am

Shelley, your comment, "I don't like this business of knocking on people's car windows or cars to 'inform' them of their bad behavior. It usually is in anger and is unnecessary. Nobody responds well to aggression, even if the aggressor is in the right. I'm going to get criticized for saying that, but banging and scolding is dangerous and silly. It seems arrogant."

There are many cyclists that warn distracted drivers by tapping or knocking on their car. It isn't ignorance or anger or to "inform them of bad behavior". Cyclists do it to avoid getting hit/hurt/killed. Personally, I have yelled/screamed in a similar position because I found it more effective but I know many cyclists that knock on cars not out of anger but self-preservation. There are many distracted drivers on the road on their phones, texting, and generally not paying attention. In this case, a witness backs up the cyclist, saying the off-duty cop was weaving in an out of the bike lane. 

Permalink Reply by Madopal (16.5 mi) on October 16, 2015 at 4:42am

Also, kinda hard to let logic prevail when a car is close enough that you can reach out easily and touch it. The DNA Info article closes with a quote from the witness cyclist saying:

"The best way to deal with this as a cyclist is not to bang on someone's window," she said. "It comes off as a threatening gesture."

Right, I guess almost being run over isn't a threatening gesture.We should calmly react to the impending collision with reason, calmly explain to the driver we're there, and give them space and a hug to let them know it's ok that their inattentiveness almost seriously harmed us. Then we can laugh about it later over a beer. Hey, happens to everyone.

Sorry, when someone's life is involved, politeness goes out the window.

Permalink Reply by Maurice on October 16, 2015 at 5:30am
Earlier, she describes the cop weaving into the bike lane and repeatedly getting really close to the cyclist with his SUV. But a couple of slaps are disproportionately threatening? Um, okay.

If the DNAINFO account is accurate, this is a clear case of contempt of cop.
Permalink Reply by Ben R. on October 16, 2015 at 4:23am

update: DNAinfo picked this up and has statements from Rachael who was actually there to see something in person before I showed up.

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20151016/west-loop/cyclist-bangs-on-...

Permalink Reply by Vilda on October 16, 2015 at 8:28am

Glad to see so many pro-bike folks over on the DNA info site. It has mostly devolved into the same "bikes suck" posts by people that didn't bother reading the article.

Permalink Reply by Steve G on October 16, 2015 at 6:08am

Well, since you're okay that's a pretty good story anyway. Were there any repercussions felt by the police officer?

Permalink Reply by Steve G on October 16, 2015 at 6:25am

I hear you.

It raises the question- is someone breaking the law by tapping on a car?

Permalink Reply by Ben R. on October 16, 2015 at 6:47am
I'm Not a lawyer.
I Certainly if you willfully damage someone's private property that would be a crime. But in a case like this it seems like 'self defense' would be a pretty valid counter argument. If someone neglectfully crashed into you and injured you, that would be a crime, or just 'an accident' depending on the judgement of the legal system. If you and the car make contact, I think that could be 'an accident'. The fact that your arm which is less a than 3 feet could touch their car signals that they were driving closer to you than the law allows and that would be a crime for them - and help establish blame in the event of an 'accident' I would love to be a fly on the wall for how this whole thing plays out in the courts.

Does anyone who knows more care to weigh in?

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