I suggest filing the report and then calling the Mayor's office of Neighborhood services to follow up. The Mayor is the only way to get a thing done in this town, but you have to go through the regular rigamorale to get there. I would also call the police captain for that police district personally. <br><br>Please get back to me on what occurrs when you do this. I'm a reporter and I know the system, but I'm interested to see how it deals with this one. It could really illuminate some stuff for all the bike advocates who are reading this. <br><br>recall the whole argument about who needs to change first, cars or bikes. Well when shit like this happens, nobody has respect for anybody. <br><br>I think it's really important that you follow this up...<br><br>-Pete<br><br><br><b><i>Jon Ramos <jontramos@yahoo.com></i></b> wrote:<blockquote class="replbq" style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"> <div class="MsoNormal"
style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Please gather around in a circle and listen to my tale.<span style=""> </span></font></font></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style=""></span>But before I start I will preface this true story with these few statements:<span style=""> </span></font></font></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">- I am a bicycle commuter, not a messenger, but I carry a messenger bag with my work clothes every day. </font><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">My sympathy to all you bicycle messengers for having to put up with the <st1:City><st1:place>Boston</st1:place></st1:City> police department.</font></div> <div class="MsoNormal"
style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">- I sometimes say more than I should, I realize this but I believe my point is still valid.<span style=""> </span>I will recount my story truthfully, I will not hold back all of the stupid things that I did say just to make me look like a victim.<span style=""> </span>So in other words don’t read this if you don’t want to read curse words.</font></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"></font></o:p> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p></o:p> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Today, like any other day, I am following my normal bike route which dumps me into <st1:Street><st1:address>Purchase
Street</st1:address></st1:Street> in downtown <st1:City><st1:place>Boston</st1:place></st1:City> near south station.<span style=""> </span>As many of you surely know that area is under construction, and loaded with both pedestrian & vehicular traffic.<span style=""> </span>The roads are full of gravel and potholes on the right side, but nonetheless I endure and ride as close to the construction cones as feasible plowing through the gravel (street sweeping in <st1:City><st1:place>Boston</st1:place></st1:City> is another discussion).<span style=""> </span>I don’t mind the gravel because today I am riding my new mountain bike as opposed to my normal commuter bike – besides the point.<span style=""> </span>As I approach the intersection that will let me cross <st1:Street><st1:address>Congress Street</st1:address></st1:Street> I pass (on the right) several cars that are waiting in traffic.<span style=""> </span>The light turns green and I
prepare to pedal through, when a disgruntled guy in blue Chevy pickup decides that I have no right to be on the street, let alone passing him… So naturally he yells something at me that I couldn’t quite make out, and when I look over he glares at me with his window down.<span style=""> </span>So I glare back, and continue to pedal through.<span style=""> </span>So the guy peels out in his truck spewing up gravel into my face (which didn’t really hurt physically) but it was clearly intentional.<span style=""> </span>He also jerked his truck to the right faking like he was going to side swipe me into the curb.<span style=""> </span>Fortunately I was on my mtb and I could get onto the other side of the cones onto the unfinished brick sidewalk.<span style=""> </span>But I wasn’t about to let that shit slide.<span style=""> </span>I yelled profanities at him essentially calling him a redneck asshole, but I still didn’t want to make a big
scene because I know that there is a cop that directs traffic up ahead, and I could just have the police officer talk to this guy so that I would not have to be as involved.<span style=""> </span>After all the police are public servants, and are here to protect people like me.<span style=""> </span>So this is a good time to mention that today I was wearing my helmet, reflector, and actually obeying all the rules of the road.<span style=""> </span>I will be honest and admit that I don’t obey ALL the rules ALL the time; but today I was.<span style=""> </span>That said… The pickup truck was behind me again still in traffic (yes he peeled out, just to stop again in less than 15 yards).<span style=""> </span>I pull up to the police officer to let him know about this aggressive driver in the Chevy pickup… pause take a deep breath… I quickly described to him about what happened… pause … deep breath… and his reply was:<span style="">
</span>“You probably deserved it” followed by “You bike messengers get what you deserve”<span style=""> </span>“You’re lucky he didn’t run you over”</font></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">I was baffled by this response.<span style=""> </span>It caught me off guard and I was already frazzled by what happened with the truck guy.<span style=""> </span>Stunned I replied “what?!?!”<span style=""> </span>“How can you assume that I ‘deserved’ that!<span style=""> </span>This guy nearly runs me down and that’s all you have to say!” Then I said (this is where I get his attention) “Hell of a public servant, you fuckin’ pig!”<span style=""> </span>THAT WORKED… sort of… He grabs my bag and shit and pushed me up against a street pole and says that he is going to
arrest me.<span style=""> </span>I ask “what the fuck for, calling you a ‘bad’ name?”<span style=""> </span>“you gonna arrest me for speaking my mind!”<span style=""> </span>He replies “for disorderly conduct”<span style=""> </span>so I say “give me you name and badge number, so that I can get it right in MY report of your behavior” He refused to give it to me.</font></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">At this point the guy in the pickup truck sees that I am “talking” to a cop.<span style=""> </span>He gets out of his car & walks up to us.<span style=""> </span>(I assume he thinks he might be in trouble for his driving) He immediately tells the cop that I was mouthing off to him back at <st1:Street><st1:address>Congress St.</st1:address></st1:Street>
(he failed to mention the part where he tries to run me down) </font></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">The cop says “You are on MY STREETS, you have to follow MY RULES” so I reply “How did I break ‘your rules’ officer?!”<span style=""> </span>“I came to you with a complaint and you made assumptions about who I am.<span style=""> </span>I’m not a messenger, I am a COMMUTER, I ride past you every god damn day!”<span style=""> </span>then I shout in his face, “Even if I was a messenger, you still need to serve the public and listen to my complaint about this guy.<span style=""> </span>HE TRIED TO HIT ME!, so you’re saying that in ‘your rules’ its OK to hit messengers!?”<span style=""> </span>I sense that this stubborn prick isn’t going to hear me, so I try to
walk away.<span style=""> </span>He then grabs my arm and pushes me up against the pole again and says that if I try to walk away again he’ll knock my teeth in.<span style=""> </span>Then he said “maybe I should let this guy (pickup truck guy) do it for him”<span style=""> </span>So I say, “Go ahead… I’m not resisting arrest!<span style=""> </span>Go ahead hit me; it’ll be like a white Rodney King!<span style=""> </span>I’ll be on the news, and you’ll be fired!” then I say, “Which will be a good thing ‘cause you obviously hate your job, and you don’t care about the public… hell I’ll be doing a public service!”<span style=""> </span>He says, “You think you could do my job? I’m out here every day doing this…”<span style=""> </span>he goes on to moan about how difficult his job is and that if I think I could do it better that I should go fill out the papers to become a cop.<span style=""> </span>But before he could finish his
saga, I interrupt him telling him that it was HIS choice to be a cop, and that if he doesn’t like it he should fuckin quit.<span style=""> </span>(He didn’t like that).</font></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">A little more arguing occurred, but then it settled down a bit and eventually I told him that I am leaving unless he still wants to arrest me.<span style=""> </span>I am sure that he had no real intention of arresting me, because if he did he would have done it by now.<span style=""> </span>I walk away, collect my bike and head further into town.<span style=""> </span>Still heated, I decide that I really want his name and badge number so that I can file a complaint.<span style=""> </span>I just couldn’t let go how boldly he assumed that it was the
cyclist’s fault and not the motorists fault whatsoever.<span style=""> </span>I felt that I needed to make clear to him that we all use the roads, and it is his fuckin job to help keep them safe.</font></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">This time I calmly approach him and ask again for his name & badge number.<span style=""> </span>He tells me to get lost.<span style=""> </span>So I reply that he has to, (I was pretty sure that he has to) and that if he didn’t that I am sure I could call and find out.<span style=""> </span>He tells me that it is pointless to file a report because they won’t believe me over him.<span style=""> </span>(yes we have a good public service system… sarcasm)<span style=""> </span>I say, that I don’t care and that I
want it anyway.<span style=""> </span>He eventually gives it to me, and then he tells me to relax and that he did ME a favor by not arresting me.<span style=""> </span>He obviously didn’t want me to file a report.<span style=""> </span>So I take this as an opportunity to tell him (more calmly this time) the error of his ways.<span style=""> </span>Basically I told him that we cyclists need to be able to come to an officer just like anyone else if there is trouble.<span style=""> </span>I told him that I came to him because the guy in the truck was dangerous and that I needed authority to intervene.<span style=""> </span>All I got was a slap in the face from the public figure that I was told I should trust.<span style=""> </span>Now who am I supposed to go to next time… I tell you this, not a fucking cop!<span style=""> </span>I was more physically threatened by the cop than the guy in the truck.<span style="">
</span></font></font></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">My question is who is looking out for us?<span style=""> </span>If not the police then who?<span style=""> </span>This cop even said that I’m not “really” supposed to be riding on <st1:Street><st1:address>Purchase St.</st1:address></st1:Street>, which is total horseshit because it plainly says which roads (Pike, 93, 95, Rt2, Storrow) cyclists aren’t allowed on.<span style=""> </span>I find it ironic that a policeman who doesn’t know the rules of the road is directing traffic.<span style=""> </span></font></font></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times
New Roman" size="3">Sorry for chewing everyone’s ear off with this story… </font></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"></font> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">I realize that not all cops are like this one... b</font><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">ut beware of Officer Gonzalez who directs traffic near south station on Purchase St where Summer St intersects (in front of the Dunkin’ Donuts)</font></div> <div> </div> <div>- Jon</div><div> </div><hr size="1">Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. <a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/mail_us/taglines/postman1/*http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=39663/*http://voice.yahoo.com">Make PC-to-Phone Calls</a> to the US (and 30+ countries) for 2¢/min or less._______________________________________________<br>Boston Critical Mass mailing list<br>list@bostoncriticalmass.org<br>http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list<br>To
unsubscribe email list-unsubscribe@bostoncriticalmass.org</blockquote><br><BR><BR>Check out my blog at http://www.petestidman.com .<br>You can read my latest stories, connect to non-commercial internet radio and browse recent stories about the media.<p> 
<hr size=1>Yahoo! Groups gets better. <a href="http://pa.yahoo.com/*http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=41142/*http://groups.yahoo.com/local/newemail.html">Check out the new email design.</a> Plus there’s much more to come.