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What ID do you carry with you on rides?

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What ID do you carry with you on rides?

Old 03-20-23, 06:26 AM
  #51  
eduskator
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Originally Posted by RB1-luvr
I don't know if this was good advice or not, but a lawyer told me not to carry a driver's license when riding because it's a motor vehicle license, yet police will ask for it if they think you did something wrong and attempt to write a ticket to it. Can anyone comment on this? Seems to make sense since one does not need a license to ride. If a person didn't have a driver's license at all, what would the police do? I don't know. I'll probably regret posting this.
Not at all. I do the same. I don't carry ID unless I'm driving. I don't live in your area / country, but here they can't ask you to identify yourself if you did not commit or are not suspected to having committed an infraction, felony, etc.

If you commit an offense (IE running a stop sign) while riding your bike, then you may be required to identify yourself, and may be arrested if you refuse to do so.
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Old 03-20-23, 06:28 AM
  #52  
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Originally Posted by RB1-luvr
I don't know if this was good advice or not, but a lawyer told me not to carry a driver's license when riding because it's a motor vehicle license, yet police will ask for it if they think you did something wrong and attempt to write a ticket to it. Can anyone comment on this? Seems to make sense since one does not need a license to ride. If a person didn't have a driver's license at all, what would the police do? I don't know. I'll probably regret posting this.
Happened to me. I was on a commute and had my wallet with military retired ID, which is legal, but my DL was on showing and that's what I offered. Guy wrote me a regular traffic warning which I assume will pop up the next time. Also happened once before, but that was in the pre-mobile computer era. I was asked for my license, but only got a verbal reaming.
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Old 03-20-23, 06:41 AM
  #53  
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Originally Posted by Koyote
If you want first responders to have a contact name and number or other info, get a Road ID. Something stuffed in your jersey pocket is likely to go unnoticed, or to end up separated from you after, say, being hit by a motor vehicle.
Road ID is a very good idea, however, it's unfortunately something that not all ER personnel are aware of.
When I was hit by a car 4 years ago, I was taken to the ER by ambulance. Luckily, I had my DL and medical insurance card (along with a few $$) stored in a zippered mini-pocket in my jersey, because the doctors and nurses attending to me didn't seem to notice the florescent green wristband with my information tag on it. When I pointed it out to them, they stated they had never heard of Road ID before. My wife had been notified by my Garmin Edge that an "incident" had occurred, and she called me on my cellphone while I was being transported and met me in the ER.

For the record, I bring my DL, medical card, $$$ (enough to grab a ride home if needed) and my Road ID when I go out riding.
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Old 03-20-23, 06:57 AM
  #54  
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Originally Posted by Bald Paul
Road ID is a very good idea, however, it's unfortunately something that not all ER personnel are aware of.
When I was hit by a car 4 years ago, I was taken to the ER by ambulance. Luckily, I had my DL and medical insurance card (along with a few $$) stored in a zippered mini-pocket in my jersey, because the doctors and nurses attending to me didn't seem to notice the florescent green wristband with my information tag on it. When I pointed it out to them, they stated they had never heard of Road ID before. My wife had been notified by my Garmin Edge that an "incident" had occurred, and she called me on my cellphone while I was being transported and met me in the ER.

For the record, I bring my DL, medical card, $$$ (enough to grab a ride home if needed) and my Road ID when I go out riding.
This has always been my concern about these things. I love EMS and ER folks, but they tend to get stuck in their algorithms and suffer from tunnel vision. I have a little plate on a necklace with some basic info on it, but I figure there's an even chance they'll just snip it off without a look and throw it in the bag with my bloody clothes. I also have doubts about anyone looking for a jersey pocket unless they happen to know about them.
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Old 03-20-23, 08:02 AM
  #55  
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Neither the ambulance ER's or people in the emergency room are going to worry about your insurance if you really and truly need emergency care. Nor will they care who you are.

But it might help some passer by that isn't trained if they can easily figure out who you are if they find you passed out from a concussion and have use of your phone with properly set up emergency contact procedures.

Last edited by Iride01; 03-20-23 at 08:06 AM.
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Old 03-20-23, 08:19 AM
  #56  
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Originally Posted by Iride01
Neither the ambulance ER's or people in the emergency room are going to worry about your insurance if you really and truly need emergency care. Nor will they care who you are.

But it might help some passer by that isn't trained if they can easily figure out who you are if they find you passed out from a concussion and have use of your phone with properly set up emergency contact procedures.
If I'm unconscious, will the person figure out how to unlock my cell phone?

At any rate, I'm not really concerned about it. If someone finds me unconscious on the roadside, what good is it to call my spouse? She's not a medical doctor. I'd hope that the passerby would call 911 and render first aid rather than wasting time calling people who can't help me in that moment.
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Old 03-20-23, 08:24 AM
  #57  
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Originally Posted by Koyote
If I'm unconscious, will the person figure out how to unlock my cell phone?

At any rate, I'm not really concerned about it. If someone finds me unconscious on the roadside, what good is it to call my spouse? She's not a medical doctor. I'd hope that the passerby would call 911 and render first aid rather than wasting time calling people who can't help me in that moment.
All cell phones, at least here in the USA have an emergency feature that allows anyone to call the contact numbers you set up and 911. No need to unlock it.

At least all the cell phones I've used in the last decade or so.

The people that found me on the side of the trail back in 2019 used my locked cell phone to call my wife.... after they'd called 911 on their own phone.
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Old 03-20-23, 08:28 AM
  #58  
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Originally Posted by Iride01
All cell phones, at least here in the USA have an emergency feature that allows anyone to call the contact numbers you set up and 911. No need to unlock it.

At least all the cell phones I've used in the last decade or so.

The people that found me on the side of the trail back in 2019 used my locked cell phone to call my wife.
Good to know! I will have to see if I've done that on my phone. Thanks for the tip. However, pretty much everyone carries a cell phone now, so they won't need to use mine. And I'm not really concerned about someone calling my wife...That's not essential in that moment.
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Old 03-20-23, 09:31 AM
  #59  
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When I ride I change my phone wallpaper to my emergency contact numbers. don't need to unlock the phone at all.
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Old 03-20-23, 09:35 AM
  #60  
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When my dad was being transported to the hospital a few months back the EMS guys were able to call me (his emergency contact) on his cell while enroute to the hospital.
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Old 03-20-23, 09:46 AM
  #61  
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Originally Posted by RB1-luvr
I don't know if this was good advice or not, but a lawyer told me not to carry a driver's license when riding because it's a motor vehicle license, yet police will ask for it if they think you did something wrong and attempt to write a ticket to it. Can anyone comment on this? Seems to make sense since one does not need a license to ride. If a person didn't have a driver's license at all, what would the police do? I don't know. I'll probably regret posting this.
they ask for your DL for identification purposes, but violations on a bike don’t go on your driving record.

if you don’t have your drivers license, or don’t have one, they’ll ask your name and date of birth and/or address and look you up on their computer to verify identity and make sure you don’t have a warrant etc. then they’ll cite you for whatever you did, just like they would for a motor vehicle violation, or jaywalking, or public urination, or whatever…
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Old 03-20-23, 10:07 AM
  #62  
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Originally Posted by mschwett
they ask for your DL for identification purposes, but violations on a bike don’t go on your driving record.

if you don’t have your drivers license, or don’t have one, they’ll ask your name and date of birth and/or address and look you up on their computer to verify identity and make sure you don’t have a warrant etc. then they’ll cite you for whatever you did, just like they would for a motor vehicle violation, or jaywalking, or public urination, or whatever…
I've made that point several times in this thread, and people keep coming up with weird hypotheticals in which the cyclist is carried away in handcuffs for not having a DL handy.
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Old 03-20-23, 10:17 AM
  #63  
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Clear taped on helmet is name, address, phone number, ICE (In Case of Emergency) number.

This is in case I lose my helmet or myself.

Wallet contents depends on ride.
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Old 03-20-23, 10:40 AM
  #64  
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In addition to carrying my wallet, which is thin and light weight to begin with, I had a set of Dog Tags made with important information on them. That way if I get found unconscious in a ditch with no wallet, phone or bike they will at least have a name.

Ya get 15 letters on five lines for example:
  • Name
  • YYYY-MM-DD
  • SSN or Insur or VA
  • Home Number
  • Med Hx
About 8 USD: https://www.dogtags.com/

After wearing Dog Tags for 32 years it has not been a big deal...
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Old 03-20-23, 11:10 AM
  #65  
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Originally Posted by mschwett
they ask for your DL for identification purposes, but violations on a bike don’t go on your driving record.
Maybe depends where you are. I know my DL was suspended for lack of payment on a bike violation (forgot about it) - and as soon as I paid it, my DL was restored.
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Old 03-20-23, 11:19 AM
  #66  
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Originally Posted by MoAlpha
This has always been my concern about these things. I love EMS and ER folks, but they tend to get stuck in their algorithms and suffer from tunnel vision. I have a little plate on a necklace with some basic info on it, but I figure there's an even chance they'll just snip it off without a look and throw it in the bag with my bloody clothes. I also have doubts about anyone looking for a jersey pocket unless they happen to know about them.
I read some advice about writing on your Road ID bracelet what your RHR is so they wouldn't think that you were dying if your HR was below 50. It seemed like good advice, except that they'll never look at the bracelet anyway.
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Old 03-20-23, 11:37 AM
  #67  
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Originally Posted by Sy Reene
Maybe depends where you are. I know my DL was suspended for lack of payment on a bike violation (forgot about it) - and as soon as I paid it, my DL was restored.
interestingly, it looks like in california it’s up to the local jurisdiction whether they send bicycle violation info to the DMV. no idea if the DMV would ever do anything about it, but the two times i got pulled over while cycling the officers were very clear that it had nothing to do with and no effect on my driving record. the actual law looks a little murky.
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Old 03-20-23, 11:46 AM
  #68  
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Originally Posted by genejockey
I red some advice about writing on your Road ID bracelet what your RHR is so they wouldn't think that you were dying if your HR was below 50. It seemed like good advice, except that they'll never look at the bracelet anyway.
Yeah, people here like to brag about what the nurses said when they went in for their colonoscopy. But nah, aside from the irrelevance of HR in a trauma patient with an adequate blood pressure, your rate is going to be high in that setting anyway.

Beside, there's no such number as a person's "resting heart rate," especially a person who trains. Mine varies over at least 30 bpm, depending on my state.
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Old 03-20-23, 11:48 AM
  #69  
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the whole wallet goes in the rack trunk
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Old 03-20-23, 12:02 PM
  #70  
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Originally Posted by MoAlpha
Yeah, people here like to brag about what the nurses said when they went in for their colonoscopy.
Yah, that's pretty funny. At my last colonoscopy, I had this conversation with the nurse pre-op. Then, post op, my HR was pretty low (so what?), but then the next thing I know, I'm about to pass out and the nurse is yelling "vasovagal syncope!" They sat me down before I fell over, put me on oxygen, and I came out of it. My wife, who was in the room said that my HR went down to 25.
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Old 03-20-23, 01:07 PM
  #71  
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Originally Posted by genejockey
I read some advice about writing on your Road ID bracelet what your RHR is so they wouldn't think that you were dying if your HR was below 50. It seemed like good advice, except that they'll never look at the bracelet anyway.
Good idea. I do have a low resting heart rate. But I ordered the RoadID over the weekend and it has shipped today and I didn't get that info on it.

Mike
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Old 03-20-23, 02:54 PM
  #72  
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Originally Posted by MinnMan
$20 is.a bit spendy for a tire boot, but I suppose you'd get your deposit back.
Well, like I said, the $20 has a lot of other uses. It works as well as a $1 for a boot, but much better than a $1 for emergency snacks, water or BEER.

I did impress my riding buddies when I actually used it as a boot once.
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Old 03-20-23, 05:25 PM
  #73  
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I cut a thin piece of plastic in about credit card shape. On that I have taped a photocopy of my state-issued ID, with certain information blocked out on one side. On the other side, I have a list of emergency contact names and phone numbers. I have it laminated and keep it in a waste band strap. I also have a custom dog tag in the laces of one of my shoes also.
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Old 03-20-23, 05:27 PM
  #74  
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Originally Posted by MinnMan
Not every trip to the ER or urgent care clinic is because you're incapacitated. Some years ago I went down on a ride and broke my hand. I walked in to the nearest ER. I don't know if they would have treated me anyway for an injury that was not life-threatening, but in any case, it sure made things easier that I had my card to show them.

As to overthinking, bf would be a pretty empty place without it.
Similar story I posted last year. Crashed my bike. Broke my wrist. Rode four miles back to where I was parked and drove myself to the ER.
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Old 03-20-23, 05:46 PM
  #75  
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Originally Posted by MoAlpha
Yeah, people here like to brag about what the nurses said when they went in for their colonoscopy.
This gets my vote for strangest sentence ever written on this forum.
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