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A thank you to the men in blue
We were out for a New Years Day ride near Hopkinsville, KY - a little chilly but fine once we had covered a few miles. Our group, almost 20 riders, had stopped at a road crossing US-41, a four lane divided highway. We were crossing straight across, not turning onto it. A Kentucky State Police car saw us, moved to the middle of the two lanes closest to us, turned on his lights and stopped. He motioned us across, we all waved to him, and continued on our ride. For the bad press that cops get, this was a nice gesture towards a safer ride for us, and frankly was a bit of a surprise. A pleasant one for certain, and a great way to start out 2019. I don't know who the officer was and probably won't, but a sincere thank you for the kind gesture towards our group of cyclists. |
Nice to hear. Usually only problems get attention. Cops are helpful!
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Originally Posted by 2manybikes
(Post 20728906)
Nice to hear. Usually only problems get attention. Cops are helpful!
Cops get a bad rap because usually peoples' interaction with them is because they got caught doing the wrong thing. Cops never get credit for you coming home alive because they took the drunk driver off the road who would have otherwise ran you over an hour later. |
:thumb::thumb:
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Originally Posted by speedevil
(Post 20728898)
We were out for a New Years Day ride near Hopkinsville, KY - a little chilly but fine once we had covered a few miles. Our group, almost 20 riders, had stopped at a road crossing US-41, a four lane divided highway. We were crossing straight across, not turning onto it. A Kentucky State Police car saw us, moved to the middle of the two lanes closest to us, turned on his lights and stopped. He motioned us across, we all waved to him, and continued on our ride. For the bad press that cops get, this was a nice gesture towards a safer ride for us, and frankly was a bit of a surprise. A pleasant one for certain, and a great way to start out 2019. I don't know who the officer was and probably won't, but a sincere thank you for the kind gesture towards our group of cyclists. |
A few recent posts were deleted as the thread drift belongs in P&R. Feel free to start a discussion there if you like. But this forum is about cycling content only. Thanks for understanding. The thread is about a nice jesture so let’s keep it on topic. |
Why not shoot a thank you note to the relevant PD? Who knows, a commendation might well filter thru to the HWPfella eventually - perhaps right on the day he really needs a cheer up. |
Originally Posted by Tamiya
(Post 20729327)
Why not shoot a thank you note to the relevant PD? Who knows, a commendation might well filter thru to the HWPfella eventually - perhaps right on the day he really needs a cheer up. |
Originally Posted by speedevil
(Post 20729402)
I called the Kentucky State Police and they transferred me to the post that handles the area. I spoke to the captain and asked him to pass along my appreciation for the kind gesture to the officer.
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Originally Posted by speedevil
(Post 20729402)
I called the Kentucky State Police and they transferred me to the post that handles the area. I spoke to the captain and asked him to pass along my appreciation for the kind gesture to the officer.
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A few years ago I made it a policy to call a company if one of their drivers was extra courteous in traffic...not just towards me, but towards others.
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My brother is a police officer in a suburb of Ft Worth. They're not all bad guys.
I live in a small town and enjoy ridding in hot weather, real hot weather, helps the COPD and the arthritis. I often have police check that I am OK and have water. They have water to pass out if needed. BTW, I also live in one of the most bicycle friendly places in the USA! Benton County Arkansas. We have over 70 miles of trails, one which is a block from my house and connects with all the others. This one is not quiet done, 4 blocks from my house, takes me downtown. https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/924/7HUcte.jpg |
Whatever else I may think about cops, they do seem friendly to cyclists in these parts. A couple years back I saw the lights of motorcycle cops on my rural road. Not something I ever see, so I went down to the road to have a look. By the time I got there, they were halfway up the hill but I could see at least half a dozen along with one patrol car flanking a group of riders. I fleetingly wondered if they were trying to "pull over" a club ride. They disappeared over the hill, but it's only another half mile to the county line and I could tell from the sound of the motorcycles that they were turning around and returning so I watched as they came back through and it became obvious they were escorting a group making a memorial ride for a cyclist who had been killed on a nearby road a few days earlier. I thought that was a very nice gesture.
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Police only want to help and live to serve the community. I recommend waving or saying thank you while riding and that will promote a positive reflection of all cyclists.
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Overall nice post and thread. Even from the admin to remove non-relevant stuff.
The police too often have to deal with tragedy that we rarely know anything about. Making an effort to protect a group of road users such as cyclists is outstanding for reasons we probably don't have a clue on. |
Originally Posted by BHOFM
(Post 20729850)
My brother is a police officer in a suburb of Ft Worth. They're not all bad guys.
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Only praise is allowed, I see. Well one only needs to look to the news and history to see the real light.
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im lucky are police are decent people in this town but im sure they know me as the crazy guy who always waves at them
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I most likely have more experience with the police than most posters here. Far from all of it was good. I have met every kind of cop from the ones who lie on the stand to the ones that will give you a real break to the kinds which are only there to make things better for everybody.
In my experience, it is people who have difficulties with the notion of “authority’ who have the most negative view of cops—even if none of their thinking is based on actual experience. It is the people who never came to terms with being a sovereign individual in a world full of individuals and groups of individuals—a lot of people who couldn’t manage their relationship with their fathers, teachers, etc.—who have all the trouble. These are the folks always looking for someone external to blame—the police, the government, whoever. They always feel like they have to act big, because they are not secure enough to be both decisive and vulnerable. Mostly angry, mostly angry because inside they are scared. There are some bad cops. There are some awesome cops. Most are just people—another thing a lot of anti-cop people forget. Most people who have trouble with cops simply are not mature enough to be intelligent when interacting with cops—they cause their own problems. Not always—myself and at least two people I know of have been screwed by cops lying on the stand. But … in a huge number of interactions, both personal and vicarious, I still see that most cops are decent and honest. Act right, they respond right. I have been robbed at gunpoint while just walking down the street, by a pair of black guys, but if I said, “Black guys are dangerous and evil,” everyone would get on me—and rightly so. But people who are afraid of police can say that about police and nobody seems to say, “That is simply your personal problem in one situation.” Cops are sadly, a necessity. Criminals won’t go away if there are no cops. I used to tell people, “Move to Somalia.” Now maybe Libya might be a better option … but move anywhere where there Are no cops, no effective power structure … where gangs of kids with machine guns control the streets and older gangsters control the kids. Go see what it is like when there is no medicine in the hospitals, there is no fire department, no police, no ambulance … where any time you get anything more than subsistence quantities of anything, you are robbed. Tell me how wonderful it is it not have to deal with cops. Or … tell me how it feels to have your bike stolen, and No One Cares. Are there bad cops? I have met some. Does that mean cops are bad? Only to people who have not addressed their own issues and project them outward. There are bad cyclists, too, from salmon ninjaing to kids who ride around carrying guns and selling drugs. But if I said “All cyclists are criminal and hoodlums,” nobody would tolerate that here. Well .. I have met more than my share, in all kinds of situations … and I won’t accept it when people say “Cops are bad.” Save your energy to fix the real problems. Find the few bad cops. Do whatever … but grow up and solve your personal problems before you try to solve everyone else’s, eh? |
I remember my wife and I training for a ride on our tandem. Riding in the hills then descending down a road in San Dimas. We blew a stop sign at the bottom of the hill where there is usually no traffic. There was a cop standing there and I was hoping he did not see me but sure enough he turned around as we rolled through. He looked at us and said, NICE STOP! Thank you Man in Blue for not writing us a ticket. :D
Another time, wife and I were riding out with a racer friend. I signaled, wife signaled as we turned left. Racer friend was not paying attention then rolled right into my wife's back wheel. Both went down in the middle of a 4 way stop sign intersection. There was a cop sitting at the stop sign to our right ready to cross after we made out turn. He watched as they both went down. Luckily we here turning up a 5% grade so it was a slo mo fall. The cop got on his loud speaker and said, Is every one OK? Yes, thank you for your concern Man in Blue. :D |
I understand fully the OPs thinking in starting the thread. Most of us would have done the same, so I don't really know what caused some members angst, as any trouble must hae occurred durring the night here.
I'll say one thing, though, that the title made me sit up. The noun "men" is seldom used in Europe any more wthout an "and women" tacked on, so for me a happier choice of title. given the forces here aim to have equality. |
Originally Posted by Maelochs
(Post 20730203)
I most likely have more experience with the police than most posters here. Far from all of it was good. I have met every kind of cop from the ones who lie on the stand to the ones that will give you a real break to the kinds which are only there to make things better for everybody.
In my experience, it is people who have difficulties with the notion of “authority’ who have the most negative view of cops—even if none of their thinking is based on actual experience. It is the people who never came to terms with being a sovereign individual in a world full of individuals and groups of individuals—a lot of people who couldn’t manage their relationship with their fathers, teachers, etc.—who have all the trouble. These are the folks always looking for someone external to blame—the police, the government, whoever. They always feel like they have to act big, because they are not secure enough to be both decisive and vulnerable. Mostly angry, mostly angry because inside they are scared. There are some bad cops. There are some awesome cops. Most are just people—another thing a lot of anti-cop people forget. Most people who have trouble with cops simply are not mature enough to be intelligent when interacting with cops—they cause their own problems. Not always—myself and at least two people I know of have been screwed by cops lying on the stand. But … in a huge number of interactions, both personal and vicarious, I still see that most cops are decent and honest. Act right, they respond right. I have been robbed at gunpoint while just walking down the street, by a pair of black guys, but if I said, “Black guys are dangerous and evil,” everyone would get on me—and rightly so. But people who are afraid of police can say that about police and nobody seems to say, “That is simply your personal problem in one situation.” Cops are sadly, a necessity. Criminals won’t go away if there are no cops. I used to tell people, “Move to Somalia.” Now maybe Libya might be a better option … but move anywhere where there Are no cops, no effective power structure … where gangs of kids with machine guns control the streets and older gangsters control the kids. Go see what it is like when there is no medicine in the hospitals, there is no fire department, no police, no ambulance … where any time you get anything more than subsistence quantities of anything, you are robbed. Tell me how wonderful it is it not have to deal with cops. Or … tell me how it feels to have your bike stolen, and No One Cares. Are there bad cops? I have met some. Does that mean cops are bad? Only to people who have not addressed their own issues and project them outward. There are bad cyclists, too, from salmon ninjaing to kids who ride around carrying guns and selling drugs. But if I said “All cyclists are criminal and hoodlums,” nobody would tolerate that here. Well .. I have met more than my share, in all kinds of situations … and I won’t accept it when people say “Cops are bad.” Save your energy to fix the real problems. Find the few bad cops. Do whatever … but grow up and solve your personal problems before you try to solve everyone else’s, eh? |
My cop experience was when the police blocked a two lane road with no sidewalks due to an accident. It was a farm road and there was plenty of room off the road to walk. I asked a cop and said I could walk around the whole thing.
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Reposted because YES!!!!
Originally Posted by Maelochs
(Post 20730203)
I most likely have more experience with the police than most posters here. Far from all of it was good. I have met every kind of cop from the ones who lie on the stand to the ones that will give you a real break to the kinds which are only there to make things better for everybody.
In my experience, it is people who have difficulties with the notion of “authority’ who have the most negative view of cops—even if none of their thinking is based on actual experience. It is the people who never came to terms with being a sovereign individual in a world full of individuals and groups of individuals—a lot of people who couldn’t manage their relationship with their fathers, teachers, etc.—who have all the trouble. These are the folks always looking for someone external to blame—the police, the government, whoever. They always feel like they have to act big, because they are not secure enough to be both decisive and vulnerable. Mostly angry, mostly angry because inside they are scared. There are some bad cops. There are some awesome cops. Most are just people—another thing a lot of anti-cop people forget. Most people who have trouble with cops simply are not mature enough to be intelligent when interacting with cops—they cause their own problems. Not always—myself and at least two people I know of have been screwed by cops lying on the stand. But … in a huge number of interactions, both personal and vicarious, I still see that most cops are decent and honest. Act right, they respond right. I have been robbed at gunpoint while just walking down the street, by a pair of black guys, but if I said, “Black guys are dangerous and evil,” everyone would get on me—and rightly so. But people who are afraid of police can say that about police and nobody seems to say, “That is simply your personal problem in one situation.” Cops are sadly, a necessity. Criminals won’t go away if there are no cops. I used to tell people, “Move to Somalia.” Now maybe Libya might be a better option … but move anywhere where there Are no cops, no effective power structure … where gangs of kids with machine guns control the streets and older gangsters control the kids. Go see what it is like when there is no medicine in the hospitals, there is no fire department, no police, no ambulance … where any time you get anything more than subsistence quantities of anything, you are robbed. Tell me how wonderful it is it not have to deal with cops. Or … tell me how it feels to have your bike stolen, and No One Cares. Are there bad cops? I have met some. Does that mean cops are bad? Only to people who have not addressed their own issues and project them outward. There are bad cyclists, too, from salmon ninjaing to kids who ride around carrying guns and selling drugs. But if I said “All cyclists are criminal and hoodlums,” nobody would tolerate that here. Well .. I have met more than my share, in all kinds of situations … and I won’t accept it when people say “Cops are bad.” Save your energy to fix the real problems. Find the few bad cops. Do whatever … but grow up and solve your personal problems before you try to solve everyone else’s, eh? |
Originally Posted by Maelochs
(Post 20730203)
I most likely have more experience with the police than most posters here. Far from all of it was good. I have met every kind of cop from the ones who lie on the stand to the ones that will give you a real break to the kinds which are only there to make things better for everybody.
In my experience, it is people who have difficulties with the notion of “authority’ who have the most negative view of cops—even if none of their thinking is based on actual experience. It is the people who never came to terms with being a sovereign individual in a world full of individuals and groups of individuals—a lot of people who couldn’t manage their relationship with their fathers, teachers, etc.—who have all the trouble. These are the folks always looking for someone external to blame—the police, the government, whoever. They always feel like they have to act big, because they are not secure enough to be both decisive and vulnerable. Mostly angry, mostly angry because inside they are scared. There are some bad cops. There are some awesome cops. Most are just people—another thing a lot of anti-cop people forget. Most people who have trouble with cops simply are not mature enough to be intelligent when interacting with cops—they cause their own problems. Not always—myself and at least two people I know of have been screwed by cops lying on the stand. But … in a huge number of interactions, both personal and vicarious, I still see that most cops are decent and honest. Act right, they respond right. I have been robbed at gunpoint while just walking down the street, by a pair of black guys, but if I said, “Black guys are dangerous and evil,” everyone would get on me—and rightly so. But people who are afraid of police can say that about police and nobody seems to say, “That is simply your personal problem in one situation.” Cops are sadly, a necessity. Criminals won’t go away if there are no cops. I used to tell people, “Move to Somalia.” Now maybe Libya might be a better option … but move anywhere where there Are no cops, no effective power structure … where gangs of kids with machine guns control the streets and older gangsters control the kids. Go see what it is like when there is no medicine in the hospitals, there is no fire department, no police, no ambulance … where any time you get anything more than subsistence quantities of anything, you are robbed. Tell me how wonderful it is it not have to deal with cops. Or … tell me how it feels to have your bike stolen, and No One Cares. Are there bad cops? I have met some. Does that mean cops are bad? Only to people who have not addressed their own issues and project them outward. There are bad cyclists, too, from salmon ninjaing to kids who ride around carrying guns and selling drugs. But if I said “All cyclists are criminal and hoodlums,” nobody would tolerate that here. Well .. I have met more than my share, in all kinds of situations … and I won’t accept it when people say “Cops are bad.” Save your energy to fix the real problems. Find the few bad cops. Do whatever … but grow up and solve your personal problems before you try to solve everyone else’s, eh? |
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