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Video: Cyclist Asks Cop To Stop Blocking Bike Lane, Cop Gives Him A Ticket
By
John Del Signore
Published Jul 20, 2012
Modified Jul 20, 2012
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jul 20, 2012
Modified Jul 20, 2012
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Why, if we had a nickel for every time we've bitten our tongues over a bike-lane blocking cop, we'd have enough to pay for the (allegedly!) stupid summons cyclist Ben Kopciel got while bicycling in Brooklyn last week. Kopciel was biking merrily along Ocean Parkway—on America's oldest bike path—when he was forced to swerve around a policeman who'd parked his squad car in the bike lane. Kopciel scolded the officer as he passed by, and he says the cop retaliated by giving him a bogus ticket. Here's his trippy image-stabilizing video:
"I asked him to move back as I passed," says Kopciel. "The next block he pulls me over claiming I passed on red while the video clearly shows that the 'don't walk' sign was blinking and traffic still moving (hence it was green). I got a ticket which I intend on fighting with this video." Kopciel also filed a complaint with the Civilian Complaint Review Board, alleging unfair retaliation, and he's lucky to have video evidence on his side. But before we rush to judgment, let's all stop and consider that the officer could very well have been in the middle of an emergency Papa John's run.
Tagged
bike lanes
brooklyn
cops
ocean parkway
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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