by 
Another one that warms the heart.
From: david
Subject: cars rule
Just ask the Beverly Hills PD: digg.com
He ain’t lyin’. Check the story:
I was riding to work as a graduate research assistant for my PhD studies at UCLA at around 10:40am Tuesday morning (August 21, 2007). I was westbound on Wilshire preparing to make a left turn onto Spalding from the left turn lane when a black Ford Explorer swerved into my right of way, nearly knocking me over into oncoming traffic. I was just able to maneuver out of the way to avoid a collision. At this point I was close enough to Spalding that it was my judgment that the safest course of action was to continue a few more feet along the yellow line and then make the left turn onto Spalding rather than trying to force my way back into the left turn lane. As soon as I made the left onto Spalding the black Explorer quickly accelerated and drove right up to my rear wheel and began to honk at me. I slowed down to pull over and then stopped. She stopped behind me and then I asked, “Why are you honking at me? You nearly killed me back there.”
She then told me that I don’t belong in the road and that I shouldn’t be riding my bike in the first place. I responded by saying that is no excuse to put my life in danger by pulling a stunt like what she did back there. I told her that what she had done could be considered vehicular assault and that I had not broken any law. She said she was calling the police and she rolled up her window and then held down her horn for a few minutes and would not speak to me any more.
It gets better.
A police officer arrived a few minutes later and immediately yelled at me to go sit down on the curb with my bike without asking either of us what had happened. I started walking to the curb and told him that this woman had nearly killed me when she swerved into my lane. He then angrily yelled, “How stupid are you? What are you doing riding in the middle of the street with your bike blocking the road?”
I said, “Excuse me, but aren’t you going to listen to me so I can tell you what happened? And why are you being so hostile to me before you even hear me out?”
He wouldn’t listen to me at all and he then went over to the driver and talked to her for a few minutes. When he came back over to me a second police officer had arrived and was standing near me, but he wasn’t really getting involved. It seemed like he was just observing things.
After speaking with the woman for a while the first police officer walked over to me and then started yelling at me in a very abusive and degrading tone. He yelled (before he had even asked for my version of what had happened), “You idiot! You’re lucky I wasn’t here to see it because if I had seen even a tiny bit of what happened I would have arrested you on the spot!” (I don’t know what exactly the woman told him that I did.)
I said, “Why? This woman tried to hit me with her car and nearly killed me. Why are you taking her side before you even talk to me?”
He said, “Oh, so you’re saying she’s lying?”
I said, “I can’t say either way because I don’t know what she told you.”
He said, “I can’t believe how stupid you are! You shouldn’t be riding your bike like that and if I had seen you in the road in front of her car I would arrest you for illegally detaining her.”
I said, “Why are you talking to me like this? I’m a safe cyclist and I obey all the laws when I’m riding my bike. She is the one who broke the law by swerving into my lane nearly killing me and then honking at me even though I was legally riding on the street. I’m not a criminal.”
Then he just started laughing at me and he then mockingly said, “Oh, now you’re gonna cry?! Look at you, you’re really going to start crying?! How old are you?!”
I guess making a left turn in the left turn lane on a bicycle is akin to “detaining” the automobile behind you in line for the same turn. Gotta love the logic. I suppose it’s true I did the same thing three or four times myself just today. Bike in the roadway slowing you down? You were “detained” and the cyclist should be arrested.
And then the cyclist got a ticket.
The ticket says: “22400 VC – Deft used bicycle to block vehicle traffic movement” and “21955 – Ped in roadway”
Source: laist.com
by 
FUCK Beverly Hills. Cash rules what goes on in that little section of LA. I worked there for a bit (Whole Foods) ad man, I can’t even tell you the shitheads I used to have to deal with day in and day out.
I’d contest it in court, and bring a copy of the vehicle code with, just to rub that fucking smug cop’s nose in it.
also consider a follow up action with the PD. The officer’s behavior towards a citizen sounds unacceptable. Most PD’s have a review board who will follow up and recommend disciplinary action in some cases. If for nothing else than to establish a pattern of behavior for this officer it will be worth it. Anyway, you already got the ticket, so now he has more to lose than you do.
Good luck. Fight the fight.
Pingback: RocBike.com » Links Of The Day: 5 September 2007
Get a lawyer. There’s no way that charge should hold up in court. If you pay the fine your doing every cyclist in your town a disservice.
cops are predisposed to play judge on the street when they think money (driver of vehicle) will win out over transient (cyclist). definitely worth taking this to the courts, esp. since the victim is such a well spoken individual clearly within rights. were there witnesses? Bobbo’s right….
I’m impressed with your patience with the “officer.” I would’ve ended up in jail. I agree…fight the fight.
Goddamn. Aside from giving these fucking pigs a savage beating, I think the best and easiest thing to do is to blog the shit out ouf this story. Tell EVERY elected official you know. Remember – Election Day is creeping up, and if this shit is gonna happen to someone in Beverly Hills, it could happen anywhere else. I’ve gotten enough shit for skating in traffic and on the sidewalks, and while most cops are good people, there’s a lot of stupid motherfuckers out there with badges like Citing officer D. Prenesti #421, serial no. 74700.
Let’s draw up a shitstorm of attetnion on this motherfucking pig.
Ironic that at the August cyclo-mob happening known in LA as Midnight Ridazz, the whole ride was mysteriously escorted by a cop in a fully lit and marked Ford Explorer who corked intersections and cited drivers that hassled the Ridazz, even though there were between 600-1000 freaky cyclists knotting up traffic around the city on a hot Friday night. I agree that it’s election time and Bev Hills officials and Officer Prenesti should be made aware that law abiding citizens have a right to ride, and to have their story heard without being tried and judged on the spot by a cop who didn’t witness the event, but tone down the cop hate and hyperbole. Last I checked fighting a cop anywhere, Korea and LA in particular; not such a great idea.
This isn’t a fucking cop. This is an ignorant asshole with a badge. I sure as shit wouldn’t fight a thug with a gun and a badge, but I sure will draw a LOT of attention to “Officer” Prenesti’s employers:
Mayor Jimmy Delshad – JDelshad@beverlyhills.org
Vice Mayor Barry Brucker – Bbrucker@beverlyhills.org
Councilmember Linda J. Briskman – LBriskman@beverlyhills.org
Councilmember Frank M. Fenton – FFenton@beverlyhills.org
Councilmember Nancy Krasne – NKrasne@beverlyhills.org
City Manager Roderick J. Wood – RWood@beverlyhills.org
BH Police Chief David L. Snowden – DSnowden@beverlyhills.org
And for the record, I live in NYC where we know about corrupt thugs with badges.
Click on this lovely little link, and apparently the licence plate for the SUV is listed. http://www.illuminatela.com/.
Black Ford Explorer, 5JCK353
in case anyone finds themselves in Beverly hills with a U-lock in hand..
…every new police recruit should be assigned to a large city bicycle detail for at least two years…
… fitter cops, but more importantly, better understanding of just what is going on as regards cyclist / vehicular interfacing…
…PROPS TO D.C., BIG JONNY…YER PEOPLE DO SOME DIGGING & COME UP W/ GOOD WORKABLE MATERIAL…LOTTA E-MAILS TO THE RIGHT SOURCES MAKE PEOPLE PAY ATTENTION…
Hi,
Make sure you challenge the tickets.
If you have the money, make sure you get an aggressive competent asshole lawyer and DRAG that PIG through the mud in court. Make him look like the ignorant dumb f*ck he is in front of the judge. They hate it.
Charles