So I had an encounter with the 1st district cops tonight

[homer13j]

For those that do not know I traded my loud, smokey, and wicked fast '91 YZ250 dirt bike for a much more quiet & mellow '08 WR250R enduro that just happens to be my first street-legal bike ever.

I'm still on a temporary motorcycle permit so technically I'm not allowed to ride after dark. I needed to make a quick run to the corner store earlier tonight so I decided to take the (mud-covered) bike as there were still a few minutes of daylight left. I turned toward W.130th and a cop car was coming the other way. At the last second the cop suddenly swerved the car left directly into my path forcing me to lock up my brakes to avoid slamming into two tons worth of Crown Victoria. I threw up my hands in the international gesture of double-u tee eff?!!

Both cops got out and walked towards me. The female (driver's side) shouted "YOU GOTTA LICENSE FOR THAT?!!

"Uh... yeah..." I responded - and instantly produced all my official government-issued legal-type paperwork. "Shut it off and step off the bike," she demanded. I complied.

The cop on the passenger side: "I never saw a WR250 that was street legal."

"So?..." I respond.

He looked at the plate: "No way that came from the factory like that."

"They've been out for two model years now," I informed him. He read my plate number in over the radio. Of course it came back legit. He became noticeably agitated.

The female explained: "We have been getting complaints about dirt bikes around here, and you're riding a dirt bike, so that's why we stopped you." In Ohio they always have to give a reason.

Both cops started peppering me with questions. Where I live, where I'm going, etc. The female cop realized they have nothing on me and softened a bit. The other cop got more belligerent. He questioned the validity of my temp permit, my insurance, etc, but it became obvious he had nothing on me.

"If I catch you out here after dark I'm towing the bike." He said.

I turned toward the female cop. "What's with the attitude?" I asked.

The male cop became defensive. "Well, you're the one who threw up your hands when we pulled you over."

I asked how he might feel if some idiot pulled a "Starsky & Hutch" maneuver like this (gesturing to their giant Ford sedan parked sideways blocking the entire street and the growing lines of cars waiting to pass in each direction - wish I had a camera).

He handed me back my papers. "We're just trying to keep your neighborhood safe."

I literally laughed out loud. "Safe from what?"

The female cop interjected. "You don't care that there are dirt bikes in your neighborhood?"

(Remember, I'm standing next to my dirt bike) "No. Why should I?"

Now in retrospect I should have said I would rather have the teens in the area riding dirt bikes then the teens in my old 'hood who had little to do but ingest drugs, join gangs and shoot at each other. I specifically moved to this neighborhood because the teens here actually have things to do besides cause trouble. I should have also mentioned that the vast majority of the folks who live here feel just like I do, and only one or two people have a problem with dirt bikes & ATVs - and those one or two people are the ones lodging all of the complaints that these cops are forced to respond to.

But I didn't. If/when this happens again I will not fail to point this out.

Anyways, the female cop continued: "What if they were dealing drugs, would you care then?"

I was now howling with laughter: "You actually want to compare dealing drugs to dirt biking?" The male cop muttered something like "Don't bother - he's one of 'them'," or something conspiratorial like that. Then the female automaton blurted out the final howler of the day:

"You should be glad were chasing dirt bikers." I just shook my head, started my dirt bike and waited rather impatiently while they started the car (took a while ) and got that behemoth vehicle out of everybody's way. She waved to me as I rode past and I resisted the impulse to respond with a gesture of my own.

Someone please remind me: Why am I still in Cleveland?

[MaximilianMayrhofer]

Because your dirtbike doesn't have enough gas to escape.

[BillGeek]

Does make for a funny story... When they eventually pulled off, was there still a bit of daylight? It would've been quite a story if they pulled you over, left, and pulled you over again to tow your bike.

[timeshifter]

The city I live in has this really dumb ordinance... something about alternating which side of the street it's legal to park on with absolutely no criteria. I've picked up 6 parking tickets from parking on the left side of a one-way street, when (catch this) the entire right curb is a marked no parking zone. Needless to say, they haven't gotten a penny from me, nor will they.

[System_Error]

The city I live in has this really dumb ordinance... something about alternating which side of the street it's legal to park on with absolutely no criteria. I've picked up 6 parking tickets from parking on the left side of a one-way street, when (catch this) the entire right curb is a marked no parking zone. Needless to say, they haven't gotten a penny from me, nor will they.

You're lucky. Normally if you have 3 or more unpaid parking tickets they lock your wheel with a "denver boot".

[timeshifter]

I'm thinking about collecting them and turning them into some form of art... maybe an oversized middle finger that I'll pack up and send to collections. The parking situation in my area is absolutely horrible, and everybody knows it. I can't imagine anybody with a brain actually pays the tickets. It's a law that can't truly be enforced, and they only hand out the tickets in the hope that some dumb shmuck will pay. Just goes to show how corrupt the system is.

[crptcblade]

For those that do not know I traded my loud, smokey, and wicked fast '91 YZ250 dirt bike for a much more quiet & mellow '08 WR250R enduro that just happens to be my first street-legal bike ever.

I'm still on a temporary motorcycle permit so technically I'm not allowed to ride after dark. I needed to make a quick run to the corner store earlier tonight so I decided to take the (mud-covered) bike as there were still a few minutes of daylight left. I turned toward W.130th and a cop car was coming the other way. At the last second the cop suddenly swerved the car left directly into my path forcing me to lock up my brakes to avoid slamming into two tons worth of Crown Victoria. I threw up my hands in the international gesture of double-u tee eff?!!

Both cops got out and walked towards me. The female (driver's side) shouted "YOU GOTTA LICENSE FOR THAT?!!

"Uh... yeah..." I responded - and instantly produced all my official government-issued legal-type paperwork. "Shut it off and step off the bike," she demanded. I complied.

The cop on the passenger side: "I never saw a WR250 that was street legal."

"So?..." I respond.

He looked at the plate: "No way that came from the factory like that."

"They've been out for two model years now," I informed him. He read my plate number in over the radio. Of course it came back legit. He became noticeably agitated.

The female explained: "We have been getting complaints about dirt bikes around here, and you're riding a dirt bike, so that's why we stopped you." In Ohio they always have to give a reason.

Both cops started peppering me with questions. Where I live, where I'm going, etc. The female cop realized they have nothing on me and softened a bit. The other cop got more belligerent. He questioned the validity of my temp permit, my insurance, etc, but it became obvious he had nothing on me.

"If I catch you out here after dark I'm towing the bike." He said.

I turned toward the female cop. "What's with the attitude?" I asked.

The male cop became defensive. "Well, you're the one who threw up your hands when we pulled you over."

I asked how he might feel if some idiot pulled a "Starsky & Hutch" maneuver like this (gesturing to their giant Ford sedan parked sideways blocking the entire street and the growing lines of cars waiting to pass in each direction - wish I had a camera).

He handed me back my papers. "We're just trying to keep your neighborhood safe."

I literally laughed out loud. "Safe from what?"

The female cop interjected. "You don't care that there are dirt bikes in your neighborhood?"

(Remember, I'm standing next to my dirt bike) "No. Why should I?"

Now in retrospect I should have said I would rather have the teens in the area riding dirt bikes then the teens in my old 'hood who had little to do but ingest drugs, join gangs and shoot at each other. I specifically moved to this neighborhood because the teens here actually have things to do besides cause trouble. I should have also mentioned that the vast majority of the folks who live here feel just like I do, and only one or two people have a problem with dirt bikes & ATVs - and those one or two people are the ones lodging all of the complaints that these cops are forced to respond to.

But I didn't. If/when this happens again I will not fail to point this out.

Anyways, the female cop continued: "What if they were dealing drugs, would you care then?"

I was now howling with laughter: "You actually want to compare dealing drugs to dirt biking?" The male cop muttered something like "Don't bother - he's one of 'them'," or something conspiratorial like that. Then the female automaton blurted out the final howler of the day:

"You should be glad were chasing dirt bikers." I just shook my head, started my dirt bike and waited rather impatiently while they started the car (took a while ) and got that behemoth vehicle out of everybody's way. She waved to me as I rode past and I resisted the impulse to respond with a gesture of my own.

Someone please remind me: Why am I still in Cleveland?

The cops around here would have just beaten you to death.

[Siddharth Rout]

I was now howling with laughter: "You actually want to compare dealing drugs to dirt biking?"

Join the Gang you Drug Dealer !!! See we have one cell empty for you Homer

[timeshifter]

I'm actually quite astonished I'm not in that jail...

Oh wait... I'm the sheriff

[kleinma]

at least you were peppered with questions and not spray

[Siddharth Rout]

I'm actually quite astonished I'm not in that jail...

Oh wait... I'm the sheriff

No you are not. The last Sherrif was shot by Bob

[MaximilianMayrhofer]

How the heck did MartinLiss land up in VBF County Jail?

[wossname]

I demand a south-facing cell.

[zaza]

I demand new neighbours.

[MaximilianMayrhofer]

I've spoken to the other inmates, and we've agreed to split the remaining years of his sentence between us if you'll agree to get rid of him.

[homer13j]

See we have one cell empty for you Homer

Just one of the many reasons I change my avatar regularly.

[EntityX]

Is anybody on death row? And you inmates how's the VBF County Jail food? Standard prison grub?

[demotivater]

The cops around here would have just beaten you to death.

Same here. Last time I was pulled over I got pulled out of my car trough the window. Fortunately, the matter was settled when he agreed not to arrest me for a few things and I agreed not to call his boss who happened to be a friend of my aunts.

[Siddharth Rout]

Fortunately, the matter was settled

Good!! We don't space for you in the VBF County jail yet....

[soso3]

For those that do not know...

Uh...this pisses me off that cops still treat certain bikers with this attitude.
I bet if you had been on a big, [illegally] loud Harley, they wouldn't have given you a second glance.

Were you wearing a helmet and riding gear by chance? Maybe you looked like a hooligan.

On the otherside of the cop attitude spectrum:
I got pulled over last year while riding my new-to-me DRZ400 home (with no plates ). The cop followed me right up to my house, then turned his lights on.
He asked the usual questions then said "Have fun on it!" and drove off. He didn't even care about the no plates.

And the reason I had no plates is because the only way in Ohio to legally ride a new (to you) motorcycle home after a private sale is to have already purchased the bike, gone to the BMV [wait forever, if even open] and get plates/title, then go back and get the bike.
That's gov't for you.

Congrats on the new bike. I will have a WR250X for a second bike/commuter next year hopefully!

[soso3]

bump....how's the WR treating you? I'm really jonesin' for a small bike again and the WRX's are hitting the used market now.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Homer's in jail due to that "Cops are Pigs" tattoo he recently got.

[homer13j]

Homer's in jail due to that "Cops are Pigs" tattoo he recently got.

I think you have me confused with Timeshifter... No tats on me - I'm way too easy to identify as it is.

how's the WR treating you?

I love it! My only complaints are the cheapo handlebars...



I was only going about 15 mph and went down after hitting a rut. New Pro-Taper bars arrived yesterday and were installed during the Cavs game last night...



And of course the Bridgestone Trailwing tires that came with the bike. No good in soft dirt and mud. I bought a much more aggressive Dunlop D606 for the rear and I'll put it on first chance I get.

My only other complaint? The fact that the abandoned Erie Railroad is now off limits...



And no run-ins with the cops lately...

[Shaggy Hiker]

What a good use for a rail bed. Wouldn't want anybody to fall and get scratched, or something.

[homer13j]

What a good use for a rail bed. Wouldn't want anybody to fall and get scratched, or something.

I blame the quadtards who seem to be genetically incapable understanding how tearing up adjacent private property really pisses people off. When the county gov't got tired of hearing landowner's complaints they put up the fences and signs thus ruining it for everyone - including hikers & mountain bikers who don't bother anybody.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I'm with you on that. We get more complaints about the quadtards than anything else. I think the hard core backcountry motorbikers are nuts, but they do tend to stay on trail. I was passed by a couple of those guys on a legal, but VERY remote, trail. They were dressed in armor like modern knights, and I can understand why, since a bad injury out there could be a dire situation.

We have similar situations regarding canal banks, though I can understand the canal companies point of view, since we also have regular drownings in those canals. Still, they would make good bike paths if people would be a little responsible.