Riders are halted on Anaheim Street shortly after their ride began. Officers stopped and ticketed riders at the first intersection once they had left university property. Photo by Ryan ZumMallen.
9:30am | Last Friday evening about 100 mostly local bicycle riders gathered at CSULB for a ride around Long Beach. The ride was organized by Jerome Podgajski, a Long Beach resident, and supported by Pedal Movement, a non-profit advocacy group that promotes cycling. Pedal Movement founders Ronnie Sandlin and Graham Baden also operate The H.U.B., located at 1740 Long Beach Boulevard, which is the first non-profit bicycle co-op in the City.
I think it important to explain that the ride was scheduled to coincide with hundreds of similar rides that take place in cities around the world. ‘Critical Mass‘ is a concept, not an organization, or a specific group of people. Individuals who share a concern for bicycle safety, advocacy, and motorist education ride under the ‘Critical Mass’ name to be part of something larger than themselves, something positive. Jerome, Ronnie, Graham, and many other Long Beach residents decided to support the idea that bike riders need to be seen in order to be safe.
Jerome felt that, because this was the first official ‘Critical Mass’ ride he’d been involved with in the City, he should follow the lead of riders in Los Angeles, San Francisco and other cities who work closely with law enforcement and other municipal agencies to make sure the riders are safe. He called the Special Events office, which would be the first step in getting a police escort for the ride.
At the time of the interview, Jerome was unavailable, so Ronnie took some time to explain what transpired. Jerome, however, was the person who had direct contact with the various City departments mentioned in the interview.
Sander: Who did Jerome speak with first?
Ronnie: He tried to contact Tasha Day [Special Events Coordinator for the City’s Department of Special Events and Filming] four days consecutively, but they said she was not at her desk. We got no call back.
Sander: Did he speak with anyone else in the Special Events department?
Ronnie: No, no one except for people saying that Tasha wasn’t in the office.
Sander: When did he made these calls?
Ronnie: The last week of September 27th, 28th, 29th, and 30th.
Sander: After failing to connect with Tasha, what happened next?
Ronnie: On Oct 5th, and again on Oct 7th, we contacted William Doll [Special Assistant to the Mayor] at the Mayor’s Office. Jerome spoke to him about organizing a Critical Mass ride for the city. We told him how Special Events gave us the run-around, and he assured me he was going to help facilitate getting the permits and police escort. He asked us for a route map, which Jerome delivered in person.
We were told by Doll to wait to hear back from him. He said that, with our route map in hand, he was going to try to push our event through the Special Events department. He also said he was going to contact and speak with the Police Chief’s office.
Sander: Did he get back to you?
Ronnie: No. We left messages every other day until October 27th.
Sander: After that last conversation with Doll, who did Jerome speak with next?
Ronnie: After that meeting with Doll, Jerome went, on October 25th, to the Police Department next to City Hall, and spoke with Sergeant Charli Alu. He explained our situation, and she told him to talk to Sergeant R. Kuroda, who he was told was the “Bike Sergeant.” We called him 4 times, and left messages, but we never got a call back from him.
Sander: Was that the last communication you had with the City?
Ronnie: That was our last attempt to contact the city.
Sander: What is your connection to the L.A. ‘Critical Mass’?
Ronnie: We just help promote and facilitate the Long Beach Critical Mass Rides.
Sander: What I mean is… Do you have a direct institutional relationship with the riders in LA, or are you independent and autonomous?
Ronnie: We’re independent and autonomous.
Sander: You’ve been on ‘Critical Mass’ rides in L.A. but, otherwise, there’s no real connection. Right?
Ronnie: Correct.
Sander: Were most of the riders who participated in this Long Beach ‘Critical Mass’ ride local to Long Beach?
Ronnie: Yes, nearly all of the riders in attendance were local residents.
Sander: Did you review the specific road rules, and talk about following them, prior to the ride?
Ronnie: This is the last email message we sent out to all of the riders:
SOOOOOOO EXCITED FOR TOMORROW !!!! Rally up people CRITICAL MASS LBC is here TOMORROW !! Remember to dress up and get ready to have some fun because this will be straight up epic !!
– ATTENTION ALL RIDERS –
1. PLEASE NO RIDING INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC OR LANES !!
2. PLEASE CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELVES AFTER ANY REST STOPS
3. PLEASE SIGNAL OR TALK TO EACH OTHER OUT THERE WE ARE THERE TO HAVE A GOOD TIME.
4. PLEASE HAVE A FRONT AND REAR LIGHT FOR YOUR BIKES FOR SAFETY.
5. NO HARASSING OF MOTORISTS BECAUSE WE ARE ARE THERE TO HAVE FUN WHILE MAKING A STATEMENT TO MOTORISTS THAT WE ARE OUT HERE TO AND TO SHARE THE ROAD FOR OUR SAFETY AND COEXIST.LAST RULE …… YOU MUST DRESS UP !!! ….. ps .. be on time
6:30 pm – Cal State Long Beach Pyramid – Meet in Front !
Sander: Did you talk about stopping at all of the stop signs, and otherwise obeying all the traffic rules?
Ronnie: When we were on the loud-speaker we made sure to reiterate that all riders must follow all of the traffic rules .
Sander: Were you concerned about moving forward with the event, since you’d not heard back from the City about police support, or a permit?
Ronnie: No, because there are several large rides that occur in Long Beach every week that go off without a hitch.
Sander: What made you think that you needed to get a permit in the first place?
Ronnie: We were trying to play by the City’s rules, we really wanted no problems or conflict with the police, or City.
Sander: Prior to this event, did you have any sort of track record with the City, either good or bad?
Ronnie: I was under the impression my standing with the City was top notch because of my community activism, and association with Pedal Movement.
Sander: So, on the day of the event, how many riders showed up?
Ronnie: Approximately 100 riders.
Sander: Is that what you expected?
Ronnie: Yes.
Sander: And what was the mood at the start?
Ronnie: The mood was excited. People were happy to have a ‘Critical Mass’ ride in Long Beach, instead of having to go to L.A. (The L.A. Critical Mass was the same day, and went off without a hitch, and they can have over 1000 riders)
Sander: Where did the ride begin?
Ronnie: The Pyramid at Cal State Long Beach
Sander: Did the police show up, and speak with you, prior to the ride?
Ronnie: The police were there from the beginning, but kept their distance. We were under the impression that, somehow, the Police came through with an escort after all. I mean Long Beach is the most bike friendly city in the nation!
Sander: But did you speak with them, or otherwise coordinate their operation with yours?
Ronnie: Yes, and we have a video of the interaction. We tried to let the officers know we were there to ride safely and obey all of the laws. We explained that we would like help with getting riders through intersections safely. We were then told that they were not there to act as an escort, but to enforce the law.
Sander: At that point, how many officers were evident?
Ronnie: Quite a few. There were at least a half dozen motorcycle cops and at least a half dozen or more squad cars. That’s what was visible.
Sander: After learning that they weren’t there as escorts, were you concerned?
Ronnie: Absolutely! We let all the riders know that they were not there to escort us, but to enforce the law, and to make sure to obey all of the rules. We figured they might hassle us a little bit but, as long as no blatant laws were broken, we should be in the clear.
Sander: How long was it after you started the ride that the police stopped you?
Ronnie: 10 minutes. Probably less.
Sander: How far had you gone?
Ronnie: It was about .7 miles.
Sander: And, when they stopped you, were you aware of any violations that had transpired?
Ronnie: No. Perhaps a few cyclists had made a “California roll,” but the confusion was when we came up to our first intersection, and the police were using a tactic known as ‘corking.’ They had their lights on to give the impression they were guiding traffic to assist the rides through the intersection. This was at Iroquois and Anaheim Rd. It is a 3 way intersection. The police sped up and we realized we were completely surrounded. We were all pulled over before we got to Anaheim and Palo Verde.
Sander: Did all of the riders comply with the instructions the Police gave?
Ronnie: Yes.
Sander: What kinds of citations did they issue?
Ronnie: B240497 – Running stop sign; 21201 – No Brakes; 1050020 – No Registration; Riding more than two abreast (Code 1048040); Turning off lights after getting pulled over; No horns/bells; Riding an unsafe vehicle.
Sander: Did some bikes have no breaks?
Ronnie: Sure. I’m sure there were some riders whose fixed gear bikes didn’t have hand breaks.
Sander: How do you stop a brakeless bike?
Ronnie: Through backwards torque. People have fought and successfully won that ticket in Long Beach, because the law states that you must be able to skid to a stop on dry asphalt within a certain distance, and all fixed gear bikes have the ability to do that.
Sander: Do you have any idea why some bikes were impounded?
Ronnie: No idea. It seemed like there was no rhyme or reason. I had my bike impounded, and the only citation was no bike registration.
Sander: When they took your bike, did they provide you with a receipt, or information about how you could reclaim it?
Ronnie: No, they did not. No one at that ride got a shred of information from the police. We had young riders, who were 17 years old, crying. Parents were picking up their frantic kids.
Sander: Did your citation list the make, model, and serial number of your bike?
Ronnie: [laughs] No. My ticket, and everyone else’s, simply says ‘Bike.’ No color, no descriptions, no serial numbers. Nothing. It says BIKE.
Sander: How did the Police transport the impounded bikes?
Ronnie: They had 2 trucks piled high with bikes. Their operation was very well planned and coordinated.
Sander: They just piled one on top of the next?
Ronnie: Yes. They showed no respect what so ever for private property. Some bikes were worth $1000.
Sander: How long did this whole process take?
Ronnie: A little over an hour.
Sander: And, when it was over, did all the police officers leave?
Ronnie: Correct. They came, handed out tickets, seized our bikes, and left. A police helicopter was circling us and shining a light on us the whole time. It was humiliating.
Sander: So, they left about 70 riders with their bikes. What happened then?
Ronnie: We organized pick-ups for stranded riders. We had riders that rode from Santa Ana, where no bike registration is required, who had their bikes impounded. We spent hours organizing rides home for stranded, and frantic, riders. After that, the ride was officially disbanded.
Sander: Let’s talk just a bit about your involvement with Pedal Movement. What is that, and what’s your role?
Ronnie: I am the co-founder of Pedal Movement, which is a Cycling advocacy organization that promotes cyclists’ rights, and helps facilitate open communication between separate bike groups.
Sander: How long has it been around, and what have been some highlights of the group’s efforts?
Ronnie: The group has been around for 2 years. We have organized rides, and we also started The Hub, the first bicycle non profit co-op in Long Beach. The mission of The Hub is to provide cycling and repair education to a low income demographic that doesn’t have access to, or money for, high priced bike shops.
Sander: So, you’re helping kids in the neighborhood keep their bikes running.
Ronnie: Absolutely! We are passionate about it, and trying to instill bike safety and respect while we are at it. Both of the founders of Pedal Movement got our bikes impounded. The other founder is my best friend, Graham Baden.
Sander: Do the kids have to pay for the help?
Ronnie: They can trade volunteer hours for parts and stand time. With stand time comes a qualified mechanic to guide people through their repairs. The purpose is to teach people, and instill a DIY work ethic.
Sander: The kids must really value their bikes when they have to work on them, and invest their time.
Ronnie: Yes, it is really awesome to see them put time into their bikes, and have to work for their bikes piece by piece. These kids have so much respect for their bikes, and the bike culture now. Its not just kids, though. We also have adults that utilize The Hub.
Sergeant Dina Zapalski of the Long Beach Police Department told the Long Beach Post that officers issued about 60 tickets and impounded 20 bikes – eleven of those because they were not equipped with brakes. The City of Long Beach on Monday issued a press release stating that over 70 citations were issued and 21 bikes impounded. The release intended to express the city’s commitment to being bike friendly.
“Long Beach welcomes and supports bike organizations that promote bike awareness and ride our streets; however, as a Bike Friendly City we take bicycle safety seriously and Long Beach must ensure our laws are followed to protect our community and our cyclists,” reads the statement. It also goes on to list the city’s recent work to increase bicycle friendliness. It also included this statement on the Critical Mass event.
“In the case of the Critical Mass event, the City’s Special Events Bureau and Long Beach Police Department attempted to work with the organizers in advance of the event. City staff explained what would be required to safely conduct the event, but Critical Mass chose not to apply for a City permit.”
Zapalski said that she believed the organizers attempted to apply for an event permit, but were denied. Organizers say that their calls were not returned, but they submitted a map of their planned route. They were stopped at the first intersection upon leaving the campus of Cal State Long Beach, leading many riders to believe that officers used the map they submitted to plan where they would ticket the riders.
“Even though whatever happened [with the permit], it still doesn’t give them the right to run stop signs and break the law,” Zapalski said. “They do it all the time. They should know better, they should know what they should be doing. These people are coming out in Critical Mass all across the state. If they’re going to ride a bike, they should already know all the rules of the road as well.”
The city’s statement continues:
“The group was informed by the Police Department that the City would not allow violations of City safety laws. Twenty-one bikes were impounded that night for not having required safety equipment (including bikes with no brakes). Appointments for pickup can be made by calling 562.570.1075.”
Zapalski explained that it is the law to have your bicycle registered with the City of Long Beach if you are riding within city limits.
“The Mass thing, I think, is a great idea to get people aware but its also, some people are abusing it,” Zapalski said. “I truly believe in them coming out in that many numbers and running stop signs is unsafe for the community and it’s unsafe for the riders. It’s not the right message to send.”
This morning, riders who had their bikes impounded by Long Beach Police officers will go, together, to the City’s Bike Impound facililty on the West Side of Long Beach in the hope of retrieving them.
Additional Resources:
The City’s Official ‘BikeLongBeach.org’ Website
Read the municipal code that relates to bicycles.
Read the municipal code that relates to bicycle registration.
State Bicycle Rules and Safety
CA Vehicle Code: Operation of Bicycles
CA Vehicle Code: Registration and Licensing of Bicycles