Pulled over for Trespassing
So yesterday, on my way to work, I was pulled over by an Illinois State Patrolman on my bike. I had taken a shortcut (on my bike--this is on a bike, mind you) through a train yard because of construction on a certain street that I always ride through. The detour for the construction puts me six blocks out of my way, and I'm not that into my daily bike ride to work. Usually I just ride through the construction site (nice and carefully, I'm not a daredevil) but sometimes they're pouring cement, or lifting heavy things into the air, under which I would have to ride, and that doesn't make me feel very good. So occasionally I cut through an old trainyard. There's a bike path, then I have to get out and walk my bike over two sets of tracks.

On this particular day, yesterday, I took my shortcut and came upon two kids riding their bikes. I didn't say anything to them, nor did they say anything to me. I rode past them, then to the tracks. A train was coming from either direction, so I hustled across.

Unfortunately, on the other side, was an Illinois State Sherriff (or whatever they call them), and he started yelling at me. "Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing with those kids? You wanna get em killed?"

"They aren't with me," I told the cop, who obviously didn't believe me.

So he asks for ID, radios it in, all while being a fatass and smoking a cigarette. I just stood there and took it--he'd threatened me with a $500.00 fine. After it was all said and done, he handed me back my driver's license and a warning, acting somewhat chagrined.

"I just thought those kids were with you," the cop said. "They would follow your example."

"Ok, fine," I replied, "but who do you think is in more danger here: me or the kids?" The kids, I did not add to the cop, that you totally ignored and let go. "You should yell at the kids, not me."

"Yeah," the cop agreed, "I'm gonna wait around here for a little while and see if I can find them."

Yeah right. His fat ass was going to sit in his car and do whatever the fuck it was doing in the first place. He obviously wasn't there on patrol, and the train people have their own cops. Leave it to a cop to pull an adult out of a situation where a couple of kids were in greater danger.
- posted by frank crist @ 3:17 PM