Ask A Cop!!! Post Your Questions Here!

[H2Andy]

I assure you, you were not in my mind when I wrote the above

 

[Cacia]

Is it illegal not to carry ID?

the metro police told my son it was

they cited him for having his bike too close on the platform

 

[mike_s]

Is it illegal not to carry ID?

the metro police told my son it was

they cited him for having his bike too close on the platform

see that's the thing... sometimes cops try to show 'their dominance' by writting a ticket for something stupid. in this case it seems your son comitted a case of "contempt of cop"

 

[Cacia]

I felt that way

and the metro isn't cream of the cop crop

but try and find a clear answer to that question, I can't

cyclists are harrassed, I was pulled for not having a light the other day before dark

he tried to say I was required to have a light on my bike and asked me where I lived, went into this thing about how it would be dark by the time I rode 15 miles IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT

I consider this harrassment...or boredom

 

[Sinbad the Diver]

Is it illegal not to carry ID?

the metro police told my son it was

they cited him for having his bike too close on the platform

There are usualy two sides to every story and when a teenager (I'm assuming your son is a teen) gets in trouble, I've always found the facts tend to wander. While it is possible a bored cop with an inferiority complex started making up laws and harrasing your son, it's also possible your son was doing something he shouldn't have been, cop saw it and your son decided to be a smart mouth and mouthed his way into a petty citation.

It's also possible when your son was asked to identify himself, he refused or something similar and the cop told him it was illegal to refuse to identify yourself to a police officer (may be for all I know) and your son turned that into "he told me it was illegal not to carry an ID".

My experience has always been if you treat cops like they are facist pigs, they will respond as facist pigs. Treat them like you want to be treated, you don't have problems. Kinda like most people.

 

[TJcop]

Is it illegal not to carry ID?

the metro police told my son it was

they cited him for having his bike too close on the platform

For my response, just read Sinbad's above mine. Exactly my thoughts.

 

[mike_s]

My experience has always been if you treat cops like they are facist pigs, they will respond as facist pigs. Treat them like you want to be treated, you don't have problems. Kinda like most people.

if that was only true going both ways....

I've seen cops treat people like crap before they ever gave the person the ability to say anything... like I said, it goes both ways.

 

[Cacia]

That is why I am asking

I don't doubt my son was too close to the tracks and that he could be cited

What I am saying is that I see a trend in my life with being over-policed over trivial things that are not the types of crimes I would like to see the police emphasis on.

It's not LAPD, for example.

Can you ride a bicycle without ID? Does anybody know?

I've never treated cops like facist pigs, my dad was FBI

I give / support the police organizations every year

I see a change in enforcement. I'll be at a youth police explorer function all weekend in ventura, I have many friends that are officers and family friends. I don't think what I am observing is due to my behavior.

 

[Thalassamania]

Blonds have more stops ... it's true!

 

[Hallmac]

but try and find a clear answer to that question, I can't

Pull up the city ordinances. A search will give you the facts you need.

cyclists are harassed, I was pulled for not having a light the other day before dark

he tried to say I was required to have a light on my bike and asked me where I lived, went into this thing about how it would be dark by the time I rode 15 miles IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT

I consider this harrassment...or boredom

Again, I would pull up all the city ordinances regarding bicycles. You may find that there is one on the books. Most major cities have many laws covering bicycles as a large percentage of riders believe they can do anything and go anywhere they want.

Harassment is the repetitive action after being told to stop. If you are breaking the law and happen to do it around somebody who's job it is to enforce it, that does not qualify as harassment.

If he is bored enough to have to look for small infractions to enforce, you should feel blessed. Solving the problems when they are small is much easier than when they are beyond control