Being Opressed sucks.

[Into the blue]

Yeah, the police round our way are cool too.
I've never been pulled by the fuzz.
(Maybe that needs rephrasing).

[maxisback]

well thats when u need to go wild, take ur pants off and ask them if they like that ? then scream rape rape rape so everyone comes then start to cry and say the police touched you between the legs.. thats my piece of advise and I say you try it out.

[tholub]

Originally Posted by ThisGuyIKnow

It's all about percieved danger. As unicyclists we ofter ride closer to pedestrians than the pedestrian feels is safe, because we know our limits and our manuverability but they do not. Although we often also ride closer to pedestirans then we should and don't leave ourselves enough room and it causes problems. I would say that someone who regularly races their vehicle would say that they have complete control over their vehicle, and don't feel that they are being a danger to others. To an impartial observer both look dangerous. It's jsut an example, by taking his reasoning to a greater extreme shows the hole in his logic.

As I said, it's a ridiculous example that adds nothing to the discussion. Any impartial observer would think that street racing is more dangerous than unicycling, even if you're doing something as extreme as hopping up a picnic table!. What's more, street racing is a significant danger to public safety, not just the safety of the people doing it.

[Spudman]

Originally Posted by ThisGuyIKnow

I think that's because you're cool with the police so they are cool with you.

When someone is not cool with the police, like Owen here, the police are not cool with them.

That depends. If a cop thinks you are doing something reaaaaally bad (or if they are just an arse) they will give you attitude when they make the first statement, then it doesn't matter how nice you are to them because they are seriously pissed off.

"What the he11 are you doing you little punk!" (no joke, some of them say things like that)

*innocent tone* "I'm sorry officer, I didn't know it was wrong. If it's not allowed then I'll stop doing it righ..."

"Your d@mn right you will! You Blah Blah Blah!! Yada Yada Yada! <insert lecture and ticket here>"

[Goats_On_Unicycles]

Originally Posted by Spudman

"What the he11 are you doing you little punk!" (no joke, some of them say things like that)

*innocent tone* "I'm sorry officer, I didn't know it was wrong. If it's not allowed then I'll stop doing it righ..."

"Your d@mn right you will! You Blah Blah Blah!! Yada Yada Yada! <insert lecture and ticket here>"

Ok, that sounds kinda like my parents when i'm in trouble.

[monkeyman]

Originally Posted by tholub

As I said, it's a ridiculous example that adds nothing to the discussion. Any impartial observer would think that street racing is more dangerous than unicycling, even if you're doing something as extreme as hopping up a picnic table!. What's more, street racing is a significant danger to public safety, not just the safety of the people doing it.

I agree.
Worst case scenarios:
Unicycling: Assuming Owen isn't a total moron, and the tables he's jumping on are empty (no stuff or people on them), the worst thing I can think of happening, is him (or someone else) somehow flipping the table onto himself/onto someone else.

Street Racing: I don't think it's even possible to find a worst case scenario here....there's so many bad things...miss a turn, plow into a house, or a crowded restaraunt...hit a unicyclist in a blind turn, plow into a crowd due to loss of control....and that's a small list....

To use an analogy to describe an analogy, your example was like comparing the dangers of a gun to the dangers of a pencil. Both can be deadly, but one is obviously much worst.


Back to the original topic, Owen was completely right in what he did. I might have gone about it differently, but that doesn't make what he did any less right. Whether he was an ass or not, the cops can't change the rules. He was within his rights to unicycle in that park, and if he wanted to just ignore her and ride away, he would be within his rights to do so. Would that be smart? No, it wouldn't be. However, that doesn't change the fact that because of his court case, he is not considered a bicycle, and is therefore allowed to jump on all the benches he wants to until a law says he can't

[terrybigwheel]

Originally Posted by monkeyman

To use an analogy to describe an analogy, your example was like comparing the dangers of a gun to the dangers of a pencil. Both can be deadly, but one is obviously much worst.

Hmmm...it would be far "worse", and potentially lethal, to be stabbed through the eye with a sharpened pencil, than being shot in the foot!

[ThisGuyIKnow]

Originally Posted by monkeyman

Back to the original topic, Owen was completely right in what he did. I might have gone about it differently, but that doesn't make what he did any less right. Whether he was an ass or not, the cops can't change the rules. He was within his rights to unicycle in that park, and if he wanted to just ignore her and ride away, he would be within his rights to do so. Would that be smart? No, it wouldn't be. However, that doesn't change the fact that because of his court case, he is not considered a bicycle, and is therefore allowed to jump on all the benches he wants to until a law says he can't

I highly doubt his court ruling includes riding on top of picnic tables or other structures. Had he been riding on pavement I doubt any of this would have happened.

[onewheelnatural]

yeah ive had a cop pull out his badge on me for the exact same thing. i simply starred him out for a few seconds, before riding off and ignoring him. they've got nothing better to do! i wasnt hurting/hastling anyone. i came back to the bench later that afternoon anyway.

[Eddbmxdude]

To the people that are badmouthing the police: I bet you wouldn't be saying half the stuff you are saying if you were being mugged or raped and a policeperson (Just trying to be PC!) walked round the corner.

One of my friends dad is a policeman, he's OK, if a little boring, but hes fine. Although it was satisfying to cover him in flour at our local village carnival!

Rock on!
Edd

[Loosemoose]

ThisGuyIKnow, your reasoning amazes me...

You started by complaining he had no right to ride where he was and the cop was in the right. Owen comes back with his court outcome stating he is not a bike therefore the bylaws stating he cannot ride do not apply.

So you obviously move on to make some silly comparison between the frequently fatal, high speed activity of street racing and unicycling, where (AFAIK) there hasn't been a single fatality, everything occurs at low speed and Owen wasn't putting anyone else in danger, while simultaneously attacking owens character knowing nothing about him? Just the fact that he's tired of having to argue with every law enforcer that comes along over the same thing over and over again?

His court outcome states a unicycle is not a bike and the cops are incorrect in treating him like one. It does not cover issues of public safety, or how 'dangerous' YOU think Owen is being.

How about you stop trying to be so damn clever and read both threads properly?

Loose.

[ThisGuyIKnow]

Originally Posted by Loosemoose

You started by complaining he had no right to ride where he was and the cop was in the right. Owen comes back with his court outcome stating he is not a bike therefore the bylaws stating he cannot ride do not apply.

I am never said he had no right to ride there. I was saying he was wrong and unreasonable in his response.

He is wrong for acting like the security person had no reason whatsoever to be concerned about his activity. He is wrong with arguing with police. He is wrong for his general perception that the cops are out to get him.

He's behaving like a teenager, but expects us not to treat him like one. I am sorry but that doesn't cut it.

As for the street racing example, it wasn't to prove that he shouldn't ahve been there, but that his reasoning for being allowed to be there was flawes. Let me give a better example. How about juggling fire. Juggling Fire in a public place certianly is a quesitonable activity. IT has a very high preceived danger. Some of the rules on open fires apply some don't. Typically we take it upon ourselves as jugglers to decide where is safe or what isn't and go ahead until told otherwise, but when told otherwise, say for example by a security or police person (or really anyone who happens to be in the park) I am going to either stop, or go elsewhere.

With something like juggling fire or unicycling even it's okay to assume it's legal unitl told otherwise, but when you're told otehrwise (even if you are in the right) you DON'T argue.

The only reason why Owen was being oppressed here, was because Owen was being a smart-assed teenager in the face of authority.

The moral of his story is not "down with the man" it's "don't be a smart ass to authority"

[Jerrick]

I dont care what anyone has to say, and will continue to do so for as long as I ride street and trials.

If I cant ride in a skatepark, or able to build my own trials courses in my yard form some messed up law, then I will ride at parks, schools and anything that looks rideable. I will hassle cops until I get what I want, which is a place to ride, I mean, skaters did the same thing, the got together and hassled until they were allowed to build parks. We can do the same.

As for me, I wont stop, cant stop, and will never stop riding wherever I want to ride, until something is done about it, I will gladly help set up and organize a place to ride at, but I will also be glad to tell skaters off when I am in 'their' spot or cops when they try to kick me out of a place just for riding.

In short, Once I have a park that allows unicyclist, I will ride every inch of my town.

I hope i sparked an argument, cause thats what us teens want, to create problems and never look at something the right way, and always have to snap back and be bitchy about everything that doesnt go our way, right?

[Unitik908]

Originally Posted by Loosemoose

ThisGuyIKnow, your reasoning amazes me...

You started by complaining he had no right to ride where he was and the cop was in the right. Owen comes back with his court outcome stating he is not a bike therefore the bylaws stating he cannot ride do not apply.

So you obviously move on to make some silly comparison between the frequently fatal, high speed activity of street racing and unicycling, where (AFAIK) there hasn't been a single fatality, everything occurs at low speed and Owen wasn't putting anyone else in danger, while simultaneously attacking owens character knowing nothing about him? Just the fact that he's tired of having to argue with every law enforcer that comes along over the same thing over and over again?

His court outcome states a unicycle is not a bike and the cops are incorrect in treating him like one. It does not cover issues of public safety, or how 'dangerous' YOU think Owen is being.

How about you stop trying to be so damn clever and read both threads properly?

Loose.

aahhh finally someone who isn't lazy typed this!

Chase

[ThisGuyIKnow]

You know thinking about it, the fact that he had a unicycle really makes no difference in this case at all. Had he just been jumping up and down on top of the picnic table in just his sneakers the security might likely have still come over to him and asked "What he was doing?" as a starter to the "Could you please not jump up and down on top of the picnic table?" conversation.