$96 Ticket That Police Gave to Young Bicyclist

Regarding two letters today (June 11), I commend the first, “Bicycle Safety” by Alan Johnson. As to the second, “The 15-Year-Old Bicyclist Who Got a $96 Ticket” by Joanne Thomas: I’ve been a lifelong bicyclist, so at 44 years of age that amounts to some knowledge of the sport/pastime. For the last several years I’ve also worn a badge as an officer, a lieutenant with the Idledale Volunteer Fire Department located high in the Colorado Rockies west of Denver.

On more than one occasion, I’ve looked down on the broken, lifeless body of a young child who had decided it was ‘cool’ to run a light or a stop sign. More often, I’ve been involved with the cleanup of accident scenes resulting from drivers trying to avoid careless cyclists.

As for riding while wearing earphones, I recall once rounding a sharp curve with siren blaring, lights rotating--to find three cyclists riding abreast, each with earphones. If it were not for my awareness and professionalism, they would have died that day!

My highest commendation to the officer who ticketed the boy! How sad that the parents will go to court to “fight” this. My experience in Colorado with situations like this was that, invariably, the parents would haul the kid to the station house, by the ear if necessary. The child would apologize to the officer, promise not to do it again and the parents would offer thanks. Often at that point, the ticket would “disappear.” Looks like here in California, you placate the child, blame the cops and phone the lawyers.

What the officer really did was to try to give the boy a future, a life. Growing up, raising children of his own someday--instead of being another statistic.

FREDERICK J. HERMON

Santa Ana