Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Mass Confiscation: Cited Riders Reclaim Their Bicycles
by Daniel DeBoom | Steal My Soul | 11.03.10 | 
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3:00pm | A few days after the Long Beach Police Department stopped, cited and confiscated bicycles for various violations, members of that Critical Mass ride near the campus of Cal State Long Beach on Friday night arrived at a department-owned warehouse to reclaim their bikes.

If bikes were not previously registered, owners paid a $3 fee to register them on the spot.

More than 70 citations were handed out and at least 20 bicycles were confiscated shortly after the large group of riders left the campus of Cal State Long Beach on Friday night. Organizers say that attempts to secure an event permit
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were unsuccessful, while the Police Department says that contact was made but organizers didn't want to pay the permit fee. Either way, riders were cited for violations including rolling through a stop sign, riding bikes not equipped with hand brakes and failing to license their bicycles. The Long Beach Post will be following up on this story as it progresses.


Members of last Friday night's Critical Mass ride gather in the parking lot of Santa Fe Imports before heading to pick up their confiscated bikes at the LBPD Bike Warehouse.


Members of last Friday night's Critical Mass ride gather in the parking lot of Santa Fe Imports before retrieving their confiscated bikes at the LBPD Bike Warehouse.


Riders who had their bikes confiscated on Friday night by Long Beach police arrive outside the LBPD Bike Warehouse only to find it closed.


Members of last Friday night's Critical Mass ride look through the window of the LBPD Bike Warehouse trying to spot their rides.


Sierra Wendt arrives at the posted hour to pick up her confiscated bike only to find the building closed.


Officer Davidson arrives shortly after the posted hours of operation and gathers information from riders to begin the process of returning confiscated bicycles.


Travis Horne exits the LBPD Bike Warehouse with his newly freed bicycle to cheers from those waiting on line.


Travis Horne exits the LBPD Bike Warehouse with his newly freed bicycle to cheers from those waiting on line.


Ken Lewis exits the LBPD Bike Warehouse with his confiscated bike to cheers from the crowd waiting on line.


Comments
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18 Comments so far.
Sander
Great shots, Daniel! I'll post mine tomorrow.

LB Resident
I'm glad their bikes were returned.

Aren't those like cars?
I wonder if anyone asked them if they actually learned anything and if they are going to be riding without brakes, on public streets, while running stop signs. I'm glad they got their bikes back, but is isn't free to get a car out of impound...do the same rules apply to bikes? Now, I would suggest the City re-evaluate their "bike-friendly" policies to preclude such an event in the future. If they act in such a manner in the future, I would suggest that the bikes NOT be returned!

BUGGA BOO BOO
Awwwwwwwwwww - poor baby's

Joe Weinstein
A deliberate night journey (by foot, bike, or car) is scarcely credible as a promotion of 'safety'. However, that fact does NOT excuse the arrogant policing, even less the inconvenient confiscations. Apparently the bikers two real crimes were (1) trying to work with the city (2) and being bikers not drivers. If they had only just shown up without clueing anyone in advance, likely no problem. If they had been drivers, they would have been applauded - or anyhow been left alone by police - for being just another part of late rush-hour congestion-fumes generation.

Lame
Lame story. They broke (the) law(s), plain and simple. I'm just glad they don't do these rides in my area; I'd be pissed if they stopped traffic. Every time you see someone on a fixie they are always looking for attention. If you were riding around in SF (with all of the hills) or NY (heavy auto and foot traffic), I would give you some respect. But LB is pretty flat - no skill required to ride a fixie here. It's just a fad here.

Cool!!!
If I get a fixie can I be cool too?!?

Ed
Another police event to generate revenue for the cash-strapped city. Next, they'll be ticketing pedestrians for not making it across the crosswalk in time, walking while using cell phones, and walking with unsafe shoes (no reflectors on them or untied).

esteban
Most the time these rides are harmless, and happen around 10 pm, don't last more than an hour. However, the groups have been getting louder and later. In the Netherlands (bike capital of the world) bike riding law isn't laughed at like it is here, and all bikes must have working brakes and lights. I saw guys in business suits leaving in the rain on them to go to work. Different culture. Cite the kids, try and work with them to do a monthly ride, let a squad car lead. Ask them to be finished in mass by 11 or something. Most part these are good kids.

Thank you esteban
That's what we're striving for. Just a little cooperation.

Cody
Yep. No hipsters in the crowd. =)

PDQ
@Joe Weinstein: Oh c'mon! If it had been a group of motorcyclists riding around town at night with no license plates or registration, some with no brakes, running stop signs would that be okay too? Or is it just okay for large groups of bike riders? And when the bike riders have a run-in with a car and someone gets hurt or killed because they ran a stop sign on their bike will it be the driver of the car's fault? The rules apply to everyone - even bike riders!

Helicopter Lover (not)
Not much for the whole hipster movement, but the city is really sending mixed messages here - all this bike friendly crap and then a crackdown? The premeditated ticketing and confiscation of bicycles is just assinine. Are the police profiling and discriminating against the Hipsters?

beach cruzer
why is everyone piacking on fixies? Many of these bikes are road bikes with gears. On the other hand, if you're going to promote biking, you need to follow the law, and they didnt. And now they're just going around slandering the cops who were just doing their job. Stupid and sad

dora
its kew that peoplez actually got their bikes back awsome that is sooooooooooooooooooooooo gee

register
I am going to figure out how to register my bike! Am I going to be charged? Will my bike be impounded if I don't register it?

please give up a Saturday
"Bicycle licenses are issued every Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 12 noon at most fire stations in Long Beach. Although we make an effort to be in the station during those hours, Saturday and Sundays are regular work days for us therefore we have regularly scheduled training and company business to attend to. Note that these locations do NOT sell bicycle licenses: Fire Headquarters, Beach Operations, Fire Station 6, Fire Station 16, Fire Station 20, Fire Station 21 and Fire Station 24. The cost for a license is $3.00 for each bicycle licensed. If available, please bring proof of purchase to make registration easier."

Helicopter Lover (Not)
I've had it with this whole city government-first they clog all of the streets with bicycle lanes- (FYI Greenies)--The cars are sitting there idling, people are wasting time and resources (could be some real influential planet savers sitting there in traffic!!). I know, I know - you see a world where we all use only bicycles for transportation- Imagine! BTW - my drive time to work (7 miles away) has increased 7-10 minutes because of the bike lanes and construction. That sure cut down on the pollution!! The bike lanes also cause a lot of confusion for drivers turning merging, and exiting driveways or intersections--the net safety benefit of bike lanes is ZERO! The environmental effect is NEGATIVE if you have a 2 lanes of traffic idling for a 1/4 or a 1/2 mile with one bicyclist whizzing by the smog from the pack of cars - in the assumed safety of the bike lane - just waiting for an impatient driver to pop in. Without the lane, the bicyclist would have been on the shoulder (more conscientiously watching out for his own ass) anyways! Good to know the PO-PO are monitoring this po-post- I had a couple of safety questions--Not sure about the bike lane rules - if I have a bicyclist approaching on my right, do I have the right of way to turn in when the dashed line starts? If I'm going 45 MPH on PCH, should I slow down to 10 MPH so I can make the turn only after the dashed line starts? Bicyclists remember - no amount of painted lanes, bike friendly signs, or other politically correct "right of way" BS that your professional bicycle club told you will ever over rule the laws of physics between a car and a bike (or the fact that I am fully insured in my car for these kinds of mishaps!!!) I encourage you all to look out for yourselves and not get complacent based on some perceived protection of painted lanes, laws or signs, or even the fact that the police are acting like they will protect us from our own selves. (Nanny State!)

Steal My Soul
STEAL MY SOUL is a weekly photo column featuring a collection of interesting, funny or just plain bizarre photos from everyday life that Daniel de Boom comes across in his travels as a Long Beach citizen and freelance photographer.

Daniel de Boom was born and raised. A restless boy, he left his home at the tender age of 15 for the life of a Carny when a traveling fair rolled through town. It was with this adoptive family that he developed a taste for the absurd. And Cheese On A Stick.

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