What the hell????

[UKrider]

http://www.greencycles.blogspot.com/

Sorry if you've already heard about this.

[althegud1srtakn]

wtf!? that's outrageous! this guy really needs to press charges against the cops, they had no reason for any of their actions.

[RacerK]

Holy crap, that is really scary. I hope this blows up and becomes known nationally, so that at least the Mpls. Airport Police get some public scrutiny, if nothing else.

Forward the link to every cyclist you know!

[OTBSkinloss]

I'd like to see all the evidence, before I jump to any conclusion. I have no love for Cops, but even they are innocent until proven guilty. Nice one sided write up, though.
:rolleyes:

[RacerK]

Good point. This could be an undeserved smear campaign...

[UKrider]

Whilst i (obviously) have no real knowledge of, or experience of the Minnesotta State Police Airport Police, this does seem somewhat excessive.
As you probably know, British Police are not armed as a matter of course, but some Forces are currently experimenting with Taser guns - the Greater Manchester Police will be issuing them to selected officers in the coming months.
Therefore i'm a little worried when i see this sort of thing reported.

Does anyone have any more info on this case?

[rockrider]

The whole thing sounds pretty bad to me. First let me say that I have had the opportunity to be Tazered (just for fun) and it is not a pleasant experience at all. Dropped me like a 220lb rock.
Hope things work out.

[nogearshere]

i wanted to zap him halfway through reading that...

[OTBSkinloss]

i wanted to zap him halfway through reading that...

Nothing I like better than cops beatin up hippies. :D

[myron]

i wanted to zap him halfway through reading that...

Could some one with a long enough attention span please tell me how many times the cop said "I'm gonna taze you" before he actually got tazed?

[mimbresman]

Could some one with a long enough attention span please tell me how many times the cop said "I'm gonna taze you" before he actually got tazed?

At least 4, maybe 5.

I once got stopped by the Orange County Sheriff's Dept. in front of BIKE magazine head quarters in San Juan de Capastrano. All it took was one time for an officer to say, "Put your hands where I can see them or I'm going to shoot you. I am going to shoot you right now." This was all while looking down the barrel of his Glock. I knew I was innocent but in that situation the best response is is "Yes sir, Mr. Officer...Whatever you say, sir." You can read about this encounter in the April 1997 issue of BIKE.

[nogearshere]

Could some one with a long enough attention span please tell me how many times the cop said "I'm gonna taze you" before he actually got tazed?

s'all i'm saying...innocent or not, quoting the law to johnny law in the heat is dumb...

in hind sight the whole thing seems a bit silly, in present sight he seems a little too willing to resist 'potential' abuse.

[davkatreb]

Donut-scarfing shitbag should do hard time for this. That said, the cyclist could have handled himself better. Still, I hope he sues the bastards blind.

[davkatreb]

At least 4, maybe 5.

I once got stopped by the Orange County Sheriff's Dept. in front of BIKE magazine head quarters in San Juan de Capastrano. All it took was one time for an officer to say, "Put your hands where I can see them or I'm going to shoot you. I am going to shoot you right now." This was all while looking down the barrel of his Glock. I knew I was innocent but in that situation the best response is is "Yes sir, Mr. Officer...Whatever you say, sir." You can read about this encounter in the April 1997 issue of BIKE.
I looked for my copy in the shitter. No joy. So what did you do, mims, to threaten the officer to the point where he was ready to use deadly force?

[mimbresman]

I looked for my copy in the shitter. No joy. So what did you do, mims, to threaten the officer to the point where he was ready to use deadly force?

Wrong place at the wrong time...looking like a dirt bag in Orange County...ask CMC how they react to hippie-looking scum. :rolleyes:

Actually they thought I was a bank robber. Me and my car matched the witnesses description. White Honda with NM plates...what are the odds? :o

BTW the issue is either March, April, or May...sometime in the spring of 1997. I think Garro is on the cover. My copies are in storage.

[OTBSkinloss]

Actually they thought I was a bank robber. .

Yer not? I thought that's why you fled to South America.
My bad.

[mimbresman]

Don't have the cojones for it.

In a expat townhall meeting a couple of years ago, US ambassador to Venezuela, William Brownfield, a good ole' boy from west Texas, said he didn't care why we were down here. "...but you might have some difficulty when you go back if yer running from the law."

[dangerousdave]

anyone read the guys profile? I mean, shit, he isn't exactly phokin Rambo there ya know.... I'm no fan of pushy tuff guys with badges and I'll tell ya that from experience, as I used to live off of Woodale ave. in Minneapolis, Hennepin county boys in blue don't like anybody that questions their authority in any way shape or form... I Hope the guy sues their asses to the hilt and the pieces of punkshyt-with-tin-badges loose their jobs.

[UKrider]

A tale from the other side as it were...

Last Friday (8th June) i happened to be cycling home from work down a narrow single-carriageway road with vehicles parked either side.
Bloke coming the other way suddenly decided to pull over onto my side of the road in order to park - needless to say he didn't use his indicators & pulled over right on top of me.
I took emergency avoidance action whilst yelling "F***in' Idiot! What the bloody hell are ye playin' at!"

Whereupon he decided to U-turn & come after me.

I got to a set of temporary traffic lights in front of a bridge tunnel that is only just wide enough for one car.
Lights were on red, so i stopped (as you do!).
Mr Knobhead screeches up behind me & starts yelling obscenities at me, telling me i "don't pay road tax" & that i "don't have any f*****g rights!"

(Nobody pays 'Road Tax' in the U.K. Highways are funded by local taxes, Vehicle Excise Duty is paid into the central taxation & is dependent on the amount of emissions.)

He then says " Do you want me to run you over?" repeatedly & at volume before dropping the clutch & accelerating right towards me!

I'm still clipped in, so i just threw myself to the side - bike & all - as he hurtled past me, through the red light & into the tunnel at 30+mph, fortunately no-one was coming the other way.

I've reported him to the cops for attempted assault.
They are going to interview me on Wednesday.

Gee, thanks for the speedy follow-up to my complaint fellers! :mad:

[davkatreb]

A tale from the other side as it were...

Last Friday (8th June) i happened to be cycling home from work down a narrow single-carriageway road with vehicles parked either side.
Bloke coming the other way suddenly decided to pull over onto my side of the road in order to park - needless to say he didn't use his indicators & pulled over right on top of me.
I took emergency avoidance action whilst yelling "F***in' Idiot! What the bloody hell are ye playin' at!"

Whereupon he decided to U-turn & come after me.

I got to a set of temporary traffic lights in front of a bridge tunnel that is only just wide enough for one car.
Lights were on red, so i stopped (as you do!).
Mr Knobhead screeches up behind me & starts yelling obscenities at me, telling me i "don't pay road tax" & that i "don't have any f*****g rights!"

(Nobody pays 'Road Tax' in the U.K. Highways are funded by local taxes, Vehicle Excise Duty is paid into the central taxation & is dependent on the amount of emissions.)

He then says " Do you want me to run you over?" repeatedly & at volume before dropping the clutch & accelerating right towards me!

I'm still clipped in, so i just threw myself to the side - bike & all - as he hurtled past me, through the red light & into the tunnel at 30+mph, fortunately no-one was coming the other way.

I've reported him to the cops for attempted assault.
They are going to interview me on Wednesday.

Gee, thanks for the speedy follow-up to my complaint fellers! :mad:
And you mean to tell me you'll issue a driver's license to someone like that, but a law abiding citizen can't own a gun. Nice country ya got over there. pal.:rolleyes:

[UKrider]

Just imagine what these feckwit drivers would be like if they were allowed to carry a gun in their car...


...Oh, wait...:rolleyes:

[OTBSkinloss]

Just imagine what these feckwit drivers would be like if they were allowed to carry a gun in their car...


...Oh, wait...:rolleyes:

Much rather live where, everyone can own and carry a gun, than where nobody can.

[S. cerevisiae]

Much rather live where, everyone can own and carry a gun, than where nobody can.

Archie Bunker logic, but I completely agree w/it.

Having said that, I don't carry a hand gun for this very reason. Have been known to fly into raging fits at referees, umpires, and unreasonable drivers in the past.

[tryandgetme]

moot. if you can't carry a gun people just kill everyone with what you can carry. knives, tire irons, baseball bats, motor vehicles...all quite popular road rage weapons. (guess you can't normally carry a car...)

[davkatreb]

moot. if you can't carry a gun people just kill everyone with what you can carry. knives, tire irons, baseball bats,
Jeeze Chris, I thought you were smarter than that. What you obviously meant to say was, "if you can't LEGALLY carry a gun".

That doesn't stop the bad guys from going abroad armed to the teeth. What, you think they're going to play fair? Or do you normally take a knife to a gun fight?

[tryandgetme]

it's not just criminals prone to road rage. You're right, they're not likely going to use knives for drive by shootings.

[nogearshere]

That doesn't stop the bad guys from going abroad armed to the teeth. What, you think they're going to play fair? Or do you normally take a knife to a gun fight?

duh.
you ask them not to point it at you...its the only civilized way.

[davkatreb]

duh.
you ask them not to point it at you...its the only civilized way.
Only works on Canuckistani bad guys.

Trust me.

[rockhound]

I've reported him to the cops for attempted assault.
They are going to interview me on Wednesday.


I guess there are road raging pr*cks everywhere...Glad you weren't hurt. I don't know if I would have sat there and waited for him...

Now get those bloody bobbies to catch that bugger and throw him in the back of a jam sandwich!

[UKrider]

Copper came & spoke to me t'other day.

Not a lot they can do to be honest, they can try to do him under the Public Order Act but without independent witnesses ( i forgot to get a statement from the bloke in the car behind) there's only my word against his.
Cops will visit him & give him a bollocking & that'll do for me - not like i got hurt or owt.

Hound, didn't actually wait for the clown, he drove at me & i dove out of the way!

Perhaps - just perhaps - he will think twice before ignoring a cyclist on the road?

---------------------------------------------------

As for the gun thing, well, in 40 yrs i've never even seen a handgun anywhere but on the hip of a Police Officer at Manchester Airport, so the chances of someone carrying (whilst there) is so small as to be microscopic - but i accept it's not the same over there.