I ride quite a bit - sometimes, for various reasons, I prefer to push my bike. I get many snarky comments about this, people demanding to know why I wasn’t riding. I didn’t think much of it, until I was pulled over by the police, and they hit me with the same paranoia. They were really convinced I must be up to no good, and kept reminding me of the fact that I chose to push, rather than ride, my bike.
So, is there some stereotype I’m unfamiliar with, a ‘‘certain type’’ of person who does this?
Bicycle thieves, once away from scene of the crime. They may find the bike they just stole is not sized properly to comfortably ride and/or the seat needs to be adjusted.
I think this is because people never get around to it when they’re younger, and then they’ve eventually passed the age when it’s socially acceptable to learn.
FWIW, I learned when I was 19. I was sick and tired of being looked down on for not being able to ride a bike, so I took it upon myself to learn.
No, the police stop, investigate, and move on. They are supposed to check out unusual and suspicious activity. It’s what we want them to do, in general. Anything out of the ordinary should get their attention, and as long as their investigation is legal and not harassment, it’s a good thing.
I regularly cross an overpass with a very narrow sidewalk and two lanes of traffic whizzing by. I sure wouldn’t want to ride in the roadway on a bike and few do, but many ride on that sidewalk and expect me to make room for them to pass (often come up from behind too). It is illegal of course, but few will walk their bike across. SOBs.
Would you make room to let someone walking faster than you get past? A rider on a bike is no wider than that, and considerably less wider than while pushing the bike from beside it? Would someone passing you while walking their bike be an SOB? What is it, the space they take up, the inconvenience of moving to the side, or just the fact that they are violating the law, that pisses you off?
A pedestrian takes up considerably less room than a cyclist trying to balance on a narrow sidewalk while avoiding:
getting snagged on a walking cyclist and his/her bike
trying to avoid either falling off the sidewalk into traffic or slamming into the bridge railing if on the other side
trying to leave enough room on the car side of things to avoid getting nailed by a passing vehicle’s side mirror
Pedestrians must consider these obstacles as well but are considerably more nimble, maneuverable, and less likely to spectacularly crash than a mounted cyclist.
No but if someone actually bothered to report their stolen bike, and it matched the date and time of the stop, then the info on the id could be useful.
Also, if someone was a bike thief, then they may have a criminal record or outstanding warrants.