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Conference noted::bicycle

Title:	Bicycling
Notice:	Bicycling for Fun
Moderator:	JAMIN::WASSER

Created:	Mon Apr 14 1986
Last Modified:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	3214
Total number of notes:	31946

3130.0. "Palo Alto bicycle cops get their man" by CALDEC::ALVIDREZ (She makes me write checks) Fri Jul 26 1996 13:38

Bicycle cop nabs suspect after chase, scuffle

-- Wild ride: A simple bicycle traffic violation ends in arrest
 and felony charge.

By Jake Batsell
Mercury News Staff Writer

Memo from police to Palo Alto cyclists: Leave the world-class speed records to
the Olympic pedal-pushers in Atlanta. Especially if a bike patrol officer is on
your tail.

Palo Alto police said Thursday that cyclist Douglas Scott Dixon, 25, was
arrested after allegedly leading Officer Sandra Brown on a five-block chase that
began with a simple red-light violation, led to a hand-to-hand scuffle and
culminated in Dixon's arrest on a felony count.

Detective Jim Coffman said the buzz at the police station was that Dixon said he
was ``having a bad day'' and wanted to ride down the street unimpeded.

Brown said she was waiting Thursday morning at a red light at Bryant Street and
University Avenue when Dixon, riding a Waterford racing bicycle, pedaled right
past her and several other cyclists into the intersection.

``I was kind of surprised,'' Brown said, ``because I had a jacket on that said
POLICE in three-inch letters.''

Brown said she took off in pursuit of Dixon, who waved her away. When the
officer caught up to Dixon and got close enough to tap him on the shoulder, he
allegedly swung his arm around at her.

Thinking that Dixon might be an international student who didn't understand
English, Brown said, she shouted ``Police'' in two or three languages and
pointed to her clearly marked helmet, to which Dixon responded that he
understood.

``Then I grabbed him, and the fight was on,'' Brown said.

She said she wrangled with Dixon at University and El Camino Real until
additional officers arrived by car and took Dixon into custody.

Dixon, a Palo Alto resident, was booked at the Santa Clara County Jail on
charges of assaulting a peace officer, a felony, and failing to yield to a 
bicycle officer, Coffman said.

Dixon could not be reached later for comment.

If Dixon had stopped in the first place, Brown said, she would have either
warned him or issued a bicycle traffic ticket.

Coffman said he was uncertain what penalties Dixon would now face but added
that jail time is unlikely.

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
3130.1	un-enforcable	DELNI::DSMITH	Can you see the real me	`Fri Jul 26 1996 14:01`	8
	>If Dixon had stopped in the first place, Brown said, she would have either >warned him or issued a bicycle traffic ticket. I've never heard of such a thing? Are they serious? A bike traffic ticket? Hah! Good luck getting an ID or a real name for that matter!
3130.2		BUSY::SLAB	Antisocial	`Fri Jul 26 1996 14:10`	7
	He ran a red light. That's illegal no matter what you're rid- ing when you do it. Ask Mr. ::SHAW what happens when you ride the wrong way down a 1-way street, even on a bicycle.
3130.3	They gotta catch ya first!	DELNI::DSMITH	Can you see the real me	`Fri Jul 26 1996 15:15`	2
	So, Shaw, what happened?
3130.4		PCBUOA::KRATZ		`Fri Jul 26 1996 15:38`	1
	Palo Alto is strict; I really stuck out jaywalking.
3130.5		MPOS02::HARRISA	Living in alternative reality	`Fri Jul 26 1996 16:09`	12
	similar stuff is happening here in minnesota. a popular route includes a downhill entrance to fort snelling state park. there is a nasty stop sign at the bottom ofthe hill. i've been told that in the spring the park police were at the bottom near the stop sign and giving warnings to bikers who flew past the stop sign. i've never seen the park police there myself ... ann
3130.6		BUSY::SLAB	Audiophiles do it 'til it hertz!	`Fri Jul 26 1996 16:26`	12
	RE: .4 A friend of mine got a jaywalking ticket in San Diego, and then 5 months later was arrested in MA on a warrant because he never paid the ticket. He was going to refuse to pay it and force them to "extradite" him so he could get a free vacation out of the deal until I told him they might just charge him for whatever expenses he incurred them. 8^)
3130.7	Ugly memories....	SALEM::SHAW		`Mon Jul 29 1996 07:27`	7
	RE: so shaw what happened... It all in note 1647 that was a long time ago... Shaw
3130.8	Did somebody mention Waterford?	HYLNDR::OUELLETTE	Buddy Ouellette	`Mon Jul 29 1996 13:43`	11
	Palo Alto is a great place to ride, but it also has a lot of car, bike, and pedestrian traffic downtown at University Ave. I'm glad he got nabbed. He could have nailed somebody pretty good doing something like that. That said, on the lighter side... On a Waterford, hugh? Hmmm... And she caught him from a dead stop after he zipped past her? Doesn't deserve a Waterford, IMO! ;-) -Buddy
3130.9	Different note number?	NHASAD::WINDHAM	"Living Life Without a Net"	`Mon Jul 29 1996 15:29`	15
	Note 3130.7 > RE: so shaw what happened... > It all in note 1647 that was a long time ago... > Shaw I streaked over to 1647 being ah-hem naturally curious (not nosey you understand) :-) and found this note to be "Nishiki parts...", was there perhaps another note number? __ Sue
3130.10		CONSLT::MCBRIDE	Idleness, the holiday of fools	`Mon Jul 29 1996 16:04`	1
	Try 1645 instead. The gory details are in there.
3130.11		WMOIS::GIROUARD_C		`Mon Aug 12 1996 11:31`	5
	Actually, you're supposed to have valid identification on you at all times. If you're stopped for an infraction and can't produce identification, that's another charge and you could be going in. Chip
3130.12	just call me Bundles	HERON::virenq.vbo.dec.com::HEMMINGS	Lanterne Rouge	`Mon Aug 12 1996 11:45`	4
	and in France, you can be arrested for being a vagrant if you have less than 100 Fr ($20) on your person ... I just thought you'd like to know that.
3130.13		WMOIS::GIROUARD_C		`Tue Aug 13 1996 06:11`	4
	-1 Well then, in case I'm ever in France I'll be sure to carry a little on me. Hey, are you speaking from experience? :-)
3130.14	a vagrant in Lycra ???	HERON::virenq.vbo.dec.com::HEMMINGS	Lanterne Rouge	`Tue Aug 13 1996 07:19`	7
	re -1 No, but then I'm the flashiest vagrant in 06, maybe the flics think I have more than that on me ....... BTW, Yves' French translator gives me "vagabond" - sounds better than tramp somehow.
3130.15		MPGS::MILLS		`Sat Aug 17 1996 12:45`	4
	I would have thought "Clochard" to be correct. Since Carte Bleue is accepted everywhere in France, maybe it would suffice? Or France Telecom cards?
3130.16		SX4GTO::OLSON	DBTC Palo Alto	`Mon Mar 10 1997 21:39`	10
	The Palo Alto bicycle cops are pretty quick. In my car, I was approaching the intersection of Hamilton and Bryant, planning a right turn onto Hamilton- when some bozo made a left turn directly in front of me- I honked, he proceeded anyway, and this blazing streak of police blue sprinted around me and hauled him down to the curb within a block- riding to his left and hollering in his window to pull over. I waved at the nice officer as I went by ;-) but she was too busy lecturing him to notice. DougO
3130.17		WMOIS::GIROUARD_C		`Tue Mar 11 1997 06:00`	3
	Cool. Did she look like any of the babes on Pacific Blue? Chip