Montreal cyclist gets $651 ticket for "obstructing" ticket blitz

[fiamme red]

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/montreal-cyclist-fined-651-for-warning-fellow-cyclists-of-police-operation-1.1364347

A Montreal cyclist is planning to fight a $651 ticket he was given for warning others a police operation targeting cyclists was in effect.

Chris Lloyd was issued a $40 ticket by police after running a red light near the city’s Mount Royal Park.

After receiving the fine, Lloyd decided to hang out around the corner to warn other cyclists of the police operation.

“I was standing at the bus stop and when the light would turn red … I would make eye contact with a cyclist who looked like they weren’t going to stop or give a wave,” Lloyd explained to CTV Montreal.

But officers told him he was obstructing a police operation – an illegal act...The Montreal police sound even worse than the NYPD. :rolleyes:

[gdw]

"The Montreal police sound even worse than the NYPD."

He broke the law and get caught... TS. If cyclists want to have equal access to the roads they should expect to be treated the same as a motor vehicle operator when caught running red lights.

[goonster]

I'm not familiar with Canadian law, but I would guess that this activity is legal in most U.S. states.

Historically, drivers who flashed their headlights to alert oncoming traffic of speed traps have been cited for "improper headlight use", not alerting to the presence of enforcement per se. Some states (e.g. FL, iirc) now explicitly permit that warning.

I can see how this ticks off the cops because it screws up their coughquotascough, sorry, I meant metrics, but I'd like to hear the citing officer explain to a judge how reminding other traffic users to obey regulations constitutes obstruction.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . is that these types of operations have the (stated) goal of increasing compliance with the statute being enforced. If that is REALLY the goal (rather than simply handing out tickets for revenue generation) then this cyclist was doing nothing wrong, as he was actually aiding in increasing compliance with the law by warning other cyclists who might otherwise have run through the red light and broken that law.

But of course, the cops are just ticked off that he cost them numbers on their quota.

BBD

[witcombusa]

Good for him

Cops should have something better to do than crap like that. Point them toward the local Tim Hortons :banana:

[chengher87]

"The Montreal police sound even worse than the NYPD."

He broke the law and get caught... TS. If cyclists want to have equal access to the roads they should expect to be treated the same as a motor vehicle operator when caught running red lights.

Yep. Sounds like sour grapes on the part of the cyclist too. I think it should be enforced because really...Canada doesn't really have all that much crime compared to other countries anyway. What else can the mounties do on a slow day. Cyclists SHOULD be treated like cars and shouldn't choose to treated like an automobile or pedestrian solely when it benefits them.

[gdw]

"I would guess that this activity is legal in most U.S. states.

Historically, drivers who flashed their headlights to alert oncoming traffic of speed traps have been cited for "improper headlight use", not alerting to the presence of enforcement per se. Some states (e.g. FL, iirc) now explicitly permit that warning."

It isn't legal in quite a few states. There's a variety of ways to deal with the offender... ticketing, "improper headlight use", up to arrest on a charge of something like hindering government administration. Charges are rare since most people are smart enough to just flash their lights at approaching drivers as they head away from the trap. This twit choose to stay around and play with the cops...ie he f***ed with the bull and got the horns.

[avalonracing]

then this cyclist was doing nothing wrong, as he was actually aiding in increasing compliance with the law by warning other cyclists who might otherwise have run through the red light and broken that law.

So very true.
Like the signs that announce speed photo enforced.

[bicycletricycle]

Maybe the cops could have just asked him to continue to remind people to stop for the rest if their shift, that way they could have gone and taken a nap or arrested more dangerous criminals .

[Louis]

Typical scofflaw cyclist blowing through the red light. Maybe if he had stopped at that light all this would not have happened.

[jmoore]

$40 for running a stop sign on a bike?


I got one in Dallas and it was $228. The same ticket for running the same stop sign in a car was $198.

[norcalbiker]

I remember someone got cited here in San Francisco Financial District for putting money on a parking meter that doesn't belongs to him. He saw a meter maid and decided to put some coins in few meters that are expired. I did not even know that, that was an illegal act. I thought he was being a good citizen or Samaritan. :eek:

[fiamme red]

From John Allen's blog: Police repression of cyclists in Montreal (http://john-s-allen.com/blog/?p=5489)

[DarkStar]

Cops here in Montreal can be dicks, slapped with a $38 ticket for coasting along at 30km in a 20km zone.

[summilux]

I moved to Montreal last year and the cops here are real dicks. But law enforcement is weird. People can smoke pot relatively openly (at least in the Plateau), open alcohol carry is tolerated, but I got a ticket for J walking? And last month, police were giving tickets to cyclists who didn't have reflectors on their pedals.

[deechee]

I haven't heard of any of my friends getting tickets for the reflectors, but geez that's harsh. But yes, our cops have an image problem. And then, I think of "Bonjour, la police!". (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEx5ovtkivo)

[fiamme red]

I moved to Montreal last year and the cops here are real dicks. But law enforcement is weird. People can smoke pot relatively openly (at least in the Plateau), open alcohol carry is tolerated, but I got a ticket for J walking? And last month, police were giving tickets to cyclists who didn't have reflectors on their pedals.Which clipless pedals have reflectors, if you want to comply with the law?

[Jaq]

Clipless pedals implies road-shoes, or pedal-specific shoes. Don't most of them sport reflective material at the heel these days?

[summilux]

Which clipless pedals have reflectors, if you want to comply with the law?

That's the problem. The Canadian Highway Traffic act, which covers bicycles, was written in 1981. Back then, all pedals probably did have reflectors so like bells, reflectors on the wheels and seat, it's required. Although this old law is on the books and is the official rule, you would think the cops would use discretion at applying the rules. Not here man.

Bicycling in Montreal is overall fantastic, great bike paths throughout the downtown, great climbing in Mont Royal, opportunity to ride on an F1 circuit, Bixi's everywhere, but the cops sometimes can be a major PITA.

[spdcyclist]

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/montreal-cyclist-fined-651-for-warning-fellow-cyclists-of-police-operation-1.1364347

The Montreal police sound even worse than the NYPD. :rolleyes:

Perhaps you liked NYC when the crime rate was higher and the streets were unsafe for people to walk on? It always amazes me how people and the media rarely talk about the good that our police officers do but are so willing to bash them when a police officer catches them breaking the law.

Your bike is considered a vehicle. If you get caught running a light or a stop sign, man up, be polite, and think about all the times you didn't get caught.

Show respect for those who are ready to get in harms way to protect you. :cool:

[Black Dog]

Perhaps you liked NYC when the crime rate was higher and the streets were unsafe for people to walk on? It always amazes me how people and the media rarely talk about the good that our police officers do but are so willing to bash them when a police officer catches them breaking the law.

Your bike is considered a vehicle. If you get caught running a light or a stop sign, man up, be polite, and think about all the times you didn't get caught.

Show respect for those who are ready to get in harms way to protect you. :cool:

Police are one small factor among many that determine crime rates. Just because they are paid to get into harms way does not give them a free pass for poor behaviour. They hold the public trust and breaking that trust has serious implications for our society. Not all cops are good and not all cops are bad.

[Anarchist]

Yep. Sounds like sour grapes on the part of the cyclist too. I think it should be enforced because really...Canada doesn't really have all that much crime compared to other countries anyway. What else can the mounties do on a slow day. Cyclists SHOULD be treated like cars and shouldn't choose to treated like an automobile or pedestrian solely when it benefits them.

City of Montreal =/= "Mounties"

[spdcyclist]

?...Not all cops are good and not all cops are bad.

Agree. Same with cyclists. But we do focus more on the negative don't we?

[firerescuefin]

Agree. Same with cyclists. But we do focus more on the negative don't we?

I was glad you wrote what you did...far more good than bad in my experience of having to interface with them. A very high profile position, where your bad days are for all to see. No excuses for the bad ones...They should be "encouraged" to find something else to do.

Easy to pile on.....To those that do (like to pile on), see if you can do a ride along...Think you'd appreciate what they do a hell of a lot more.

[witcombusa]

Show respect for those who are ready to get in harms way to protect you. :cool:


It is not their job to "protect" you. Nor could they if it was. Do the math on the response times and ratio.

You are responsible for your own "protection"...it's up to you to decide if you are worth it.

[spdcyclist]

?.. Do the math on the response times and ratio..........it.

Police officers use their judgement every day on the job to work with the people in the community in a constructive manner. If they are not on top of an event quickly enough "everyone" complains. If "community" leaders/councils/people complain about traffic, speeding cars, bicyclists, and they institute a measure to show enforcement of laws, the "target group" complains.

What people fail to remember is that behind the shield there is a human being and even with all the training in the world, you still have the human element that is there.

You can say well they are paid to do that job, they chose to do that job, etc... I for one am grateful that they did. Grateful they are out there enforcing the laws... By the way, they did not write the laws, our elected politicians did... And we elected them.... I don't know if I could do that job and keep my cool with most of the general population out there.

If you think you can do a better job or improve things do it .... Just complaining is a waste of our breathable air.

[witcombusa]

If you think you can do a better job or improve things do it .... Just complaining is a waste of our breathable air.

You think that was a complaint?

It's a reality check for people that are misinformed.

There are enough donuts for everyone :banana:

[firerescuefin]

You think that was a complaint?

It's a reality check for people that are misinformed.

There are enough donuts for everyone :banana:

Most LEOs will put themselves in harms way, including sacrificing their own lives...to protect yours.

I know you find that as hard to understand as why someone would want to ride a bike made in the last 2 decades...but it's true.

Your act (seemingly disagreeing for disagreement's sake) is tired my man....

[spdcyclist]

?...There are enough donuts for everyone :banana:

Oh oh... I see your eyes glazing over... Quick somebody get this man a donut! :rolleyes:

[witcombusa]

Most LEOs will put themselves in harms way, including sacrificing their own lives...to protect yours.

I know you find that as hard to understand as why someone would want to ride a bike made in the last 2 decades...but it's true.

Your act (seemingly disagreeing for disagreement's sake) is tired my man....

Thankfully life has more than one viewpoint.

fyi, I was out on my '06 Ritchey just yesterday

[professerr]

Police officers use their judgement every day on the job to work with the people in the community in a constructive manner. If they are not on top of an event quickly enough "everyone" complains. If "community" leaders/councils/people complain about traffic, speeding cars, bicyclists, and they institute a measure to show enforcement of laws, the "target group" complains.

What people fail to remember is that behind the shield there is a human being and even with all the training in the world, you still have the human element that is there.

You can say well they are paid to do that job, they chose to do that job, etc... I for one am grateful that they did. Grateful they are out there enforcing the laws... By the way, they did not write the laws, our elected politicians did... And we elected them.... I don't know if I could do that job and keep my cool with most of the general population out there.

If you think you can do a better job or improve things do it .... Just complaining is a waste of our breathable air.


I get that there are bad apples in every group, but what I don't understand is why the bad apples among the police do not seem to ever be charged with a crime (much less convicted) when they are illegally violent. There's in investigation, the guy gets "disciplined" or at most discharged. Google "police brutality youtube" and you'll see dozens of obvious crimes being committed by police, but I challenge you to find any where the perp is charged, much less convicted of a crime.

Here's one that just popped up on the blogs: http://gawker.com/officer-of-the-year-caught-on-camera-attacking-man-wh-1006842061

Don't the good guys among cops just cringe when they see this from their own? Even if they don't, do they consider that it breeds mistrust, hatred and fear -- a combination that would seem to make their job not only tougher but more dangerous.

[oldguy00]

. . . is that these types of operations have the (stated) goal of increasing compliance with the statute being enforced. If that is REALLY the goal (rather than simply handing out tickets for revenue generation) then this cyclist was doing nothing wrong, as he was actually aiding in increasing compliance with the law by warning other cyclists who might otherwise have run through the red light and broken that law.

But of course, the cops are just ticked off that he cost them numbers on their quota.

BBD

Can't believe you wrote that...

Do you park your car away from a speed trap and warn people?? People don't learn compliance by fooling the police....all they do is go further down the road and commit the same 'crime'.
And, I know plenty of police officers and RCMP officers here in Canada. Been on many ride-alongs. Like any 'industry', there are a few pricks, but the majority of them are first class. AND, there is NO monthly quota to reach on tickets, etc. That is a myth.