Run-in with plainclothes cop

I had an unsettling encounter with a plainclothes officer recently and wanted a place to share my experience and invite opinions on the circumstances involved. First, the details:

I was biking home late Wednesday night, heading north on the Dearborn bike lane out of downtown, not loving the freezing rain but dealing with it. I was approaching Wacker Drive just as the lights started to change and pressed ahead, knowing that I wouldn't be able to stop before reaching the street (I was traveling too fast and the rainwater would have prolonged my brake time). I entered the intersection as the light for bike traffic turned red and the light for left-turning car traffic turned green. The driver in the first vehicle waiting for this light turns sharply into me, stops, and slams on his horn. I ignore him and proceed across the intersection. As I continue pedaling, I hear shouting behind me: "Stop your bike! Stop your bike!!!" Then I see the blue lights. I brake, but apparently not fast enough for the driver, who keeps screaming at me to stop and dismount. I look over to see a fat, red-faced cop leaning out of the window of an unmarked SUV, still bellowing angrily despite the fact that I was barely 4 feet away. "You shouldn't have crossed there!! Didn't you see the light?! Get yourself killed that way!! Better not see you do that again!!!" The abuse went on for about a minute. I responded with an instinctive, "Yes sir...No sir...Yes sir," and then he drove off and I continued on my way, part shocked, part angry, and part amused (the latter no doubt a means of coping with the shock and anger).

Now, my rant: I think it's outrageous that an officer of the law would single out a cyclist in this way (and pretend to be concerned about my welfare no less) when untold numbers of drivers get away with a wide range of infractions that impact my safety and that of other cyclists literally every second: talking and texting on their phones, throwing open their doors without looking, turning into us at intersections, drifting into bike lanes, double-parking in bike lanes, running reds, and on and on. Surely there are better ways to spend his time, if not more worthwhile targets over which to exert his authority? I suspect that this particular individual has some kind of grudge against cyclists, or was indulging an impromptu power trip, or needed someone on whom to unleash his fury after a bad day on the job, but whatever the case, he was seething with rage and if it weren't for those blue lights, I might have forgotten that I was being verbally assaulted by a policeman instead of some disgruntled asshat in an SUV. Not only was this behavior completely inappropriate for a law enforcement officer, but in my mind, it perfectly encapsulated the total disrespect with which cyclists are treated in this city, whether directly through infractions like those listed above (not to mention outright harassment) or indirectly through a traffic infrastructure that effectively marginalizes us.

Chainlink chums, I ask you: has anyone else had a similar (or otherwise) encounter with law enforcement while biking? How did you deal with it? Should I consider myself lucky that I didn't get ticketed? Is anyone as exasperated as I am by the marginalization of cyclists by our laws and infrastructure and the casual, everyday offenses of motorists that invariably go unpunished?

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Permalink Reply by haruspex on March 28, 2016 at 5:09pm

Thanks for the feedback Gene.

Someone else proposed a similar theory, and my response is still that a ticket would have been preferable to a tongue-lashing. Even if the officer was disinclined to write one (because of the weather, or because he was on a mission), he could have either 1) ignored me (which would have made the most sense if the latter were true) or 2) issued a clear, calm warning, which is a courtesy that most drivers enjoy if they've done something wrong but cyclists apparently do not.

The consensus so far seems to be that a hostile rebuke from the window of a car is appropriate conduct for an officer of the law. I would argue that this behavior neither qualifies as the officer really doing his job, nor is it especially effective at delivering the message, but maybe if I hear more paeans to our men in blue and how hard they have it, it'll start to sink in.

I really don't want to demonize the cops here. I started this thread mostly to invite other commenters to share their experiences with law enforcement, both positive and negative; whether they involve breaking the rules (as in my case), or following them. Instances of ticketing would be especially helpful. Has anyone ever been ticketed as a cyclist? Would it not be more comforting to know that we are truly regarded as equals on the road, in punishment as in law?

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on March 28, 2016 at 3:10pm
Are you looking to find a diatribe against bike hating/intimidating, rouge cops? Or a status report on how we are treated as cyclists by law enforcement? (I guess you already answered this while I was inputing a reply).

I as a cyclist have personally been treated in the typicaly expected manner. Maybe just yelled at during a Critical Mass Ride for just the typical things that massers get yelled at, like 'corking' to help guide and safely keep the mass together.

Now I might answer differently about how I have been treated in my non-cycling experiences. But I know you don't want to hear about that and I want to stay on topic and not cause any thread drift. No one tries to do that here.
Permalink Reply by haruspex on March 28, 2016 at 3:36pm

Thanks for the response, Tom. I'm really not interested in diatribes. Just other people sharing their experiences with law enforcement (like you said, just as cyclists here). Positive ones are especially welcome - cops being helpful when you report an accident or stolen bike, cops pursuing drivers who hit/door you, cops behaving respectfully in really any situation, etc. And when we do find ourselves in violation of the law, as in my case, what happened? What were the circumstances? How were you treated?

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on March 29, 2016 at 3:25am

I'm going to play devil's advocate here about the cop's reaction. Having been in a similar situation, I felt I was being intimidated and the cop was trying to pick a fight with me so that he could justify escalating it. As a woman, I was really scared of what he was going to do to me. As a human being, I found the cop's behavior unprofessional. Why is it that cops seem to get a pass for bad behavior because we attribute stress or "caring" to it? Many of us have/had jobs that have a level of stress to them. Granted, cops can be in life-threatening situations so that's much different but his life wasn't in danger. Is it so unreasonable to ask that a cop conduct himself or herself calmly and professionally? "Seething with rage" shouldn't be excused or considered acceptable. Put this cop in an actual stressful situation with his gun pointed at you and ask yourself if you'd feel safe with Officer Bad Temper. We need to stop considering this behavior acceptable or deserved.

On a side note, I wonder if he would be so angry if it was a car running a red or speeding or if this is directed at the cyclist because of the crappy perception people have about cyclists in general. We've been admonishing haruspex over and over for running the light and some of us have been saying the reaction was deserved. What happened wasn't deserved, it was crappy and uncalled for. The thing that's crossed my mind when it happened to me is how helpless I felt when it happened and going to the police to report the person that intimidated me would probably get me flagged as a trouble-maker. Our system is BROKEN. 

Permalink Reply by curt(is) locke on March 29, 2016 at 4:02am

No devil advocacy here, yasmeen -- I believe you're addressing the actual intent and spirit of the OP. And you're spot on in your observations.

Permalink Reply by haruspex on March 29, 2016 at 7:04am

Yasmeen,

Thank you once again for a perceptive and productive response. I appreciate that you came forward with your own story and addressed the crux of the argument. Regretfully, I believe I am the devil in this scenario. Inasmuch as I broke the rules, I am absolutely the bad guy (girl?) here. I guess I really just wanted some perspective about what is and isn't acceptable behavior for a cop in a given situation, and what that behavior says (or doesn't say) about how we as cyclists are viewed in the eyes of the law. This might just be typical behavior for a cop, regardless of the circumstances, but having experienced similar hostility/contempt in prior interactions with the CPD (none of which involved any rule-breaking on my part), I'm really not sure.

In any case...the more stories we share, the more complete the picture.

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on March 29, 2016 at 7:39am

When my beloved mountain bike was stolen back in 2001 (I did not have it locked up properly), a policeman was very kind and very nicely explained to me there really wasn't anything he could do because my bike wasn't registered and a lot of bikes get stolen. He was incredibly sympathetic. My experiences in the 80s and 90s with Chicago cops were mostly positive. I do think the younger officers are very different police - they don't seem trained on how to interact and communicate. I had an excellent experience with Oak Park and Chicago cops helping me recover a stolen car, following up on the leads I gave them and recovering the vehicle in a few hours. While it was a different situation, I have experienced what it is like to work with police that are kind, well-trained, and good at their job.

Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on March 29, 2016 at 8:22am

I have been through the Citizen's Police Academy which is the same 6-month training that Chicago Police recruits go through but in a super-condensed 8-week, once-per-week for three hours course. I know from this experience that our officers are trained well, and training is being added constantly for recruits and veterans. Despite extensivve training, background checks and psychological testing a few bad apples remain. But, by and large the officers that I know and have encountered are mindful, respectful, hard working and conscientious. I live in a city where I am glad that these folks have my back.

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on March 29, 2016 at 12:50pm

Thanks for the thoughtful response Gene. Good to hear. :-)

Permalink Reply by Joe Guzzardo on March 30, 2016 at 3:49pm

A few bad apples that have cost taxpayers over half a billion dollars since 2004, in a city that's already broke, supported by a systemically flawed administration. 

Anita Alvarez and Garry McCarthy lost their jobs and deservedly so, imo. Clinton and Sanders refuse to get near Emanuel. If Preckwinkle runs for mayor, Rahmbo will be looking for another job, too.

Permalink Reply by Mike Schwab on March 29, 2016 at 3:47am

Don't count on a mailman's uniform and postal truck to save you from the tyranny of undercover cops.

 http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Mailman-Arrested-NYPD-Officers... b

Permalink Reply by David P. on March 29, 2016 at 4:04am

I got a ticket on my bike earlier this year. It was at the stop sign on Milwaukee at Haussen, on my way to work in the morning. I deserved the ticket. Granted, I was riding safely and yielding to others who had the right of way, but I can't fault the officer for pulling me over. What's more, it was dumb because I *knew* that there is often a CPD unit there, watching for people runnign the stop sign. And I hate it when people run that damn stop sign. So I had no excuse, really. The officer was very professional and pleasant to deal with, and he also expressed understanding of cyclists, e.g. he did not expect us to come to a foot-down dead stop, but we did have to slow to pretty damn close to a stop (I rolled it at 10mph or so).

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