It's been a year & a half so I guess I was due for it.
I got pulled over today on my way home from the doctors office. First thing out of his mouth was "That's a moped, right?" I said "NO, it's a Motor-Bicycle." And to his surprise I whipped out my copies of the state statutes governing the definition of a Motor-Bicycle & the legality of operating them on the roadway just like any other bicycle. He said something like "Wow, you're prepared with all of this." I explained to him that I was pulled over a year & a half ago and had forgotten to bring them with & had to spend 20 minutes going through the statutes book with the other officer. He took my license & my copies of the statutes & called it in & then spent 10 minutes going through the statute book in his car trying to find a way to give me a ticket. There was no way. I am 100% legal under the law. Then he said he would type up the report and send it to the city attorney & see what he says. He explained that they (the Officers) were instructed to go after anybody riding those little scooters down the sidewalk or in the rode. I told him that I agreed with that, I've seen kids almost take out mothers pushing strollers on those things, but this is a Motor-Bicycle. He told me that he doesn't agree with the law & he doesn't think that the public should be allowed to ride Motor-Bicycles around on the street, & that he would get back to me with the info from the city attorney. I told him no problem, I would like to know exactly what the city attorney says so please get back to me & let me know. I doubt that I will ever hear from him again. I never heard back from the other Officer a year & a half ago. The irony of all of this is that I ride by the Police Station at least once a month. One thing that they all have in common is that they all seem genuinely interested in the bicycle itself. They always have that grin when they start looking it over.
I got pulled over today on my way home from the doctors office. First thing out of his mouth was "That's a moped, right?" I said "NO, it's a Motor-Bicycle." And to his surprise I whipped out my copies of the state statutes governing the definition of a Motor-Bicycle & the legality of operating them on the roadway just like any other bicycle. He said something like "Wow, you're prepared with all of this." I explained to him that I was pulled over a year & a half ago and had forgotten to bring them with & had to spend 20 minutes going through the statutes book with the other officer. He took my license & my copies of the statutes & called it in & then spent 10 minutes going through the statute book in his car trying to find a way to give me a ticket. There was no way. I am 100% legal under the law. Then he said he would type up the report and send it to the city attorney & see what he says. He explained that they (the Officers) were instructed to go after anybody riding those little scooters down the sidewalk or in the rode. I told him that I agreed with that, I've seen kids almost take out mothers pushing strollers on those things, but this is a Motor-Bicycle. He told me that he doesn't agree with the law & he doesn't think that the public should be allowed to ride Motor-Bicycles around on the street, & that he would get back to me with the info from the city attorney. I told him no problem, I would like to know exactly what the city attorney says so please get back to me & let me know. I doubt that I will ever hear from him again. I never heard back from the other Officer a year & a half ago. The irony of all of this is that I ride by the Police Station at least once a month. One thing that they all have in common is that they all seem genuinely interested in the bicycle itself. They always have that grin when they start looking it over.