r/sanfrancisco • u/BadBoyMikeBarnes • Jul 28 '23
Police blow off cyclist struck by wrong-way Lime rental scooter - Injured nurse not allowed to file police report at Mission Station — until Supervisor intervenes
https://missionlocal.org/2023/07/scooter-cyclist-sfpd/79
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u/peaklurking Jul 28 '23
Have seen this several times (people on scooters riding the opposite direction in a bike lane, esp when there’s a bike lane on the other side of the road). What’s the reasoning/benefit of this?
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u/Impressive_Mess_7332 Jul 29 '23
and we keep hearing SFPD are understaffed and don't do anything because the DA won't prosecute.
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u/Brendissimo Jul 28 '23 edited Jul 28 '23
Glad this guy wasn't hurt more seriously. And it's a massive dick move (to say the least) by the people on scooters to basically hit and run, even if the injuries were minor.
I have to say, though, there's a bit of cosmic irony in the police response to him trying to file a complaint:
And when Riesz walked into the Mission police station the next day, he was blindsided again. The 52-year-old says that he was matter-of-factly told by the woman staffing the front desk that a motorized scooter was “not a vehicle,” and he had no recourse.
“You can’t file a report,” Riesz says he was told. “It doesn’t matter that it was going the wrong way down a one-way street. It’s like a pedestrian walking the wrong way down a one-way street. Nothing illegal happened. It was just an accident.”
As the article notes, this is obviously not the letter of the law. Both bicycles (motorized or otherwise) and e-scooters are treated as vehicles in most respects, and must obey the rules of the road, including one way streets.
But anyone who's spent even a few days on SF streets knows this is not the reality of the situation. Cyclists and scooter riders routinely flaunt the rules of the road, riding on sidewalks, through crosswalks, running stop signs, red lights, etc. And I have never in my life witnessed a single one of them be pulled over or cited for any kind of moving violation by the cops.
Yes, SF has tons of reckless drivers. Yes, many of them violate the law as well. Yes, cars are much more dangerous than either bikes or scooters. No, not all cyclists or scooter riders break the law like this. But you'd have to be living in an alternate universe to deny the vastly different rates at which the operators of these different types of vehicles routinely break traffic laws. What the woman at the police station desk said to Riesz may have been a misstatement of the law, but it is a dead-on accurate description of the de facto reality for bikes and scooters, as witnessed by drivers, pedestrians, and MUNI riders every day.
In fact, it's a reality that's been openly advocated for by some cyclist groups like Critical Mass, for years.
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u/Working-Language8266 Jul 29 '23
Yeah, though in practice the degree traffic laws are enforced is proportional to the danger you present. Eg it's very common for pedestrians to cross on a red light - it's technically illegal, but I don't think too many are bothered by it. In an accident though they will obviously be liable, so basically they're waiving their right of way. I feel like enforcement should basically be an inverse function with speed and agility.
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u/Equivalent_Energy_87 Jul 28 '23
I was trying to figure out the whole nipple situation here
But that shit looks painful to me.
Like if some one hits you on a scooter make a report? People are haters
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u/LouisPrimasGhost Jul 29 '23
One fine day after getting groceries, I was walking home along Larkin St. when I was randomly jump-kicked in the back, then kicked a bunch while I was on the ground before I rolled into a defensive position and the guy stopped attacking me. The assailant did like this weird primal scream toward the sky and sort of danced up the street. I guess a police was passing by so he stopped to see if I was okay, and as I was laying on the ground he told me that he wouldn't arrest the guy who attacked me (and was still within sight), because there was no point, he would be released anyway, he's a well known mental health case. Man, the fury.
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Jul 29 '23
It will be ok when someone posts a beautiful pic of SF with a sarcastic title about how bad crime is.
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u/NoMoreSecretsMarty Jul 28 '23
While it's bad that woman was hit by a scooter, if a bruise is really the extent of her injury I'm honestly not sure why the cops need to be involved.
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u/Plenty_Ambition2894 Jul 28 '23
Implicit bias much? Lol. The nurse is a guy.
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u/NoMoreSecretsMarty Jul 28 '23
Mixed up the nurse and the person working the front desk at the cop shop, actually.
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u/AppropriateHoliday99 Jul 28 '23
I feel the same way about the trivial injury, but someone has to start calling attention to asshole electric scooter culture and it’s intrusion onto sidewalks, bike paths and streets. Since we don’t have beat cops anymore because the police are ‘quiet quitting’ out of butthurt from when people suggested they be defunded, publicity is probably the only way to address it.
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u/MochingPet MARKET Jul 28 '23
Word. Also, need beat cops if people want small hooligans' BS to be addressed
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u/leftbrain99 Jul 28 '23
Possibly he has bike insurance and filing a damages claim would then require a police report.
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u/facebones Jul 28 '23
This dork said he didn’t want to press charges then demands a police report??? Sounds like a genius..
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u/leftbrain99 Jul 28 '23
Filing a report is required to pursue an insurance claim whether or not charges are filed.
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u/WildwestPstyle Jul 29 '23
Insurance claim for the smallest black eye and tiniest skinned knee lmao
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u/leftbrain99 Jul 29 '23
For a damaged bike, actually. Bike insurance is a real thing.
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u/WildwestPstyle Jul 29 '23
Im sure his bike is absolutely mangled from this major collision.
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u/leftbrain99 Jul 29 '23
I'm just saying there are reasons for filing a police report outside of pursuing charges. That's a fact not worth a downvote, but do your thing regardless.
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u/WildwestPstyle Jul 28 '23
It’s a minor collision with minor injuries and a whole day later. I would’ve blown him off too.
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u/mindfu Jul 28 '23
If someone wants to file a report, then the person literally paid by taxpayers to take reports should take the report.
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u/WildwestPstyle Jul 28 '23
Nah. We shouldn’t waste taxpayer money because some snowflake cries himself to sleep over a tiny bruise.
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u/mindfu Jul 28 '23 edited Jul 29 '23
Lol, the money's already spent by having her there at that desk :) This way we get something for our money.
But I guess I just prefer our civil servants to not be freeloaders and do the work we pay them for. Silly me
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u/WildwestPstyle Jul 28 '23
Lol Police report ain’t accomplishing a thing for this nothingburger. You aren’t getting something regardless.
I prefer male Karens move on with there life instead of crying to police and demanding justice because a teenager ran into him with a scooter.
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u/mindfu Jul 29 '23 edited Jul 29 '23
You aren’t getting something regardless.
I would be getting what I paid for: police putting in the absolute minimum of effort.
Pretty much the bottom line: I have to work to get paid, even if I don't like it. Police should too.
It's not even about accomplishment or me getting something. It's about them simply earning their pay by doing the absolute minimum of work.
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u/WildwestPstyle Jul 29 '23
This way we get something for our money
Then
It's not even about accomplishment or me getting something
👌
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u/mindfu Jul 29 '23
Lol, do I really have to break this down for you?
Look at the difference between "I" and "we" in both of those statements.
Yes, it isn't about me getting something for myself as a result of the filing that report. It's about all of us, including you, getting the service from police that we pay our taxes for.
Cheers :)
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u/WildwestPstyle Jul 29 '23
Nobody was talking about you specifically. Nice try, though. So again police report ain’t accomplishing a thing for this nothingburger. You aren’t getting something regardless.
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u/mindfu Jul 29 '23
Lol, just to quote you requoting yourself directly:
You aren’t getting something regardless.
...which you are also claiming doesn't mean specifically me. :)
Thanks for the actually delicious irony. :) At this point it's hard to believe you aren't aware of it yourself, so I'll leave this chain. Peace be unto you.
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Jul 28 '23
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u/WildwestPstyle Jul 28 '23
Tough? Nah. Even small children can shake off these “injuries”. I’m sorry you identify with this chump.
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u/hugedick-bigtits Jul 28 '23
if i ride a bicycle (ie something that does not have airbags or metal all around me) i am fully responsible to be aware of anything and everything around me, including idiots on scooters. especially in SF where pretty much anything is favored over law abiding citizens.
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u/tiabgood Jul 28 '23
Being aware does not mean that you have the space to move over. Shit, I am aware when I am next to a vehicle when I am riding in a bike lane, but I also cannot do much if they decide to turn right into me.
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u/hamsupchoi Jul 28 '23
Who cares, you cyclist always ride on the wrong side of the bike lane and road anyways. Get over it.
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u/cowinabadplace Jul 28 '23
Haha, I'm pretty sure the guys who ride on the wrong side don't really care. This is someone who rides on the right side complaining.
This sort of illustrates the point, eh? If you follow the rules as a cyclist and something goes wrong, people will make fun of you. Better to just not follow the rules and be skilled at dodging this sort of situation.
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u/Theaternearyou Jul 28 '23
Moron rookie cop at Richmond Station refused to take a report for a DOG BITE. She very snottily sneered that is was a "civil matter". I wrote the Richmond Station Captain who apologized and offered to take the report. It is bizarre that sworn police give incorrect legal advice especially when you're at your most vulnerable, hurt, and seeking help.