Jan Feetz

Friday night in the Artsy District of Santa Ana, a person on riding his bike was ticketed because he should have been walking his bike. Perhaps just a warning would of sufficed? It sort of ticked me off, because of the recent cyclist muggings on the SART. The two officers who ticketed the guy were on HORSES and sort of looked like dudes from the 7th cavalry in full regalia. What posers!
Perhaps they would have been better served on bicycles, cause the expense of horse maintenance.....one officer look quite fat, poor horse.

LOGICK ONE

Was he on the sidewalk? If so, were there signs? If there were they were in the right. A lot of "art districts" and what not have no cycling signs for the safety of the pedestrians.

Also, if there were signs and he was given a ticket, the cyclist was clearly in the wrong and has absolutely has nothing to do with the SART muggings.

On the other hand, if there were no signs and he wasn't on the sidewalk—DAMN THOSE COPS!!!!

Jan Feetz

I did not see signs, it was in the evening, just bugged the heck out of me. IMO, just give him warning! And get those fatso's off the horses and put them on bikes, makes alot of $ sense to me. Just seemed like they were on the horses to pose.

TrojanHorse

Maybe the cops are selling stolen bikes to finance the horses?

Jan Feetz

Perhaps these cops should be patrolling the SART on their horses!

mjsocal

That's funny.

I've only seen NBPD do this. The tickets, not the horses.

Jan Feetz

I really wanted to say something like, "Dont you got nothing better to do like catch a mugger on the SART" But my wife collared me.

GP

The officers provide their own horses. They probably patrol where their supervisor tells them to.

Jan Feetz

Yah! Buzz Kill! I wonder who picks up the apples!

calamarichris

I'm glad you have a wife to collar you, for your and all our sakes.
Your righteous indignation will not win us any friends among the SAPD:
~This has NOTHING to do with the recent SART muggings.
~The recent SART muggings do not give us cyclists license to flaunt laws and inconvenience innocent motorists in Santa Ana who also had nothing to do with the recent SART muggings.
~The weight of the citing officers has NOTHING to do with either the SART muggings, or the guilt or innocence of the violating cyclist.
~What are the specifics? Should the cyclist have been walking his bike because he was in a crosswalk? Or because he was drunk? Or because of generally douchy riding?

Jan Feetz

The "cyclist" was really just a person on a beach cruiser, getting from here to there. The area is sort of a plaza type setting, it was not crowded. No, he was not drunk. And of course I know it has nothing to do with the recent SART muggings. However, it seemed to me, that the SAPD should concentrate on real crime, rather than ticket a person on a bike for something really minor, IMO.

surfrider

All police departments I know of are responsible for traffic enforcement, most do parking enforcement too, in addition to regular crime/violent crime. Check the area again and see if there really are signs prohibiting bicycle riding, the City's municipal code to make sure it doesn't prohibit bikes on sidewalks unless specifically allowed, or if bicycle riding is prohibited in the 'plaza' area. Also, was there a special event going on on Friday evening where they prohibited bicycles for the duration of the event?; cops on horses kinda lead me to believe that might be the situation.

CbadRider

Provided the cyclist was in the wrong, it's no different than getting a ticket for jaywalking. I wish the police would issue more tickets for minor things like talking on the phone while driving.

PhotoJoe 

MANY (not all) PD's have reserves on horseback. They make $1/year.

LOGICK ONE

It's easier to get a cyclist for no lights, etc. Than a driver on a phone.

Wulf

Was this on the promenade near 4th street by the Gypsy Den Cafe? Lots of pedestrian traffic there and it is clearly a sidewalk.

mjsocal

Nice!

CritEastwood

that all depends on who the cyclist is and where they are at

the op is a victicrat

too bad for them

Jan Feetz

So if the SAPD patrolled the "mugger section' of the SART, they could keep us safe AND ticket us for going faster than the posted speed limit of 10 mph! Looks like a win/win to me!