$96 Ticket That Police Gave to Young Bicyclist

The headline will read, “Boy Killed on Bicycle.” The grieving mother will tell us he was a good, law-abiding citizen who was full of life: “He was just coming home from school where he is an honor student.”

The victim? Why, it could have been the son of Joanne Thomas, a resident of Irvine. The very same parent who believes that $96 is too expensive a price to pay for the life of her son. A simple $96 that just might make him remember his civic responsibilities and save his parents, family and loved ones a trip to the graveyard.

The California vehicle code requires that all bicyclists follow all the rules of the roadway that a motor vehicle must follow. Therefore, the law mandates that a bicyclist must come to a full, complete stop at a posted stop sign.

Now, if Thomas’ son can honestly say that he came to a full, complete stop and that the Irvine police officer made a mistake, then I say you should fight the citation in court. Do your homework, prepare your case with diligence. This is your opportunity to show your son the proper and correct way to present a grievance before the proper tribunal. It may teach him some responsibility.

If, however, he did not come to a full, complete stop, you should take this opportunity to explain to him the consequences of his actions. The contest between a bicyclist and a 2 1/2-ton motor vehicle is not a contest he is likely to win.

The dispute of monetary worthiness of one person’s offense over another trivializes the entire reason for the issuance of the citation by the Irvine officer. Mrs. Thomas, by issuing the citation, the Irvine police officer was showing your son (and you) than he did care about the life of your son. There is nothing more harrowing that rolling up to an accident scene and seeing a young, vital part of our community lying dead in the street.

I have one question for your son. If he in fact ran the stop sign, did the few extra seconds he saved actually help him in the long run? Unfortunately, the answer will always be no.

Is this justice? I believe so. Is it justice to see a young life snuffed out because he couldn’t come to grips with the law that requires him to stop at a stop sign?

TIMOTHY PAPPAS

Huntington Beach