More details on my encounter with LEO this morning. Keep in mind this is all from memory, it's not going to be 100% accurate.
I started out jogging at about 9:30 this morning local time, my goal being to make it to the Starbucks on Olive in Novato. I made it about 10 miles of the 12 before I had to take a dump so bad it was impairing my ability to continue, so I started walking. I got to the Atherton exit, on the northbound side at about 11:50 or so. Just then a Marin County deputy, Kenneth Jones, badge 1449, stopped in the shoulder. I saw him wave (so I thought), waved back, and continued. He got out and told me that meant to stop. I stopped. He asked me my name. I said "John", and continued "I really have to go to the bathroom, can I be on my way?". He said no, he needs my name. What's my last name? I stayed silent. He kept asking me. I said "Am I free to go?" several times, until he got angry and said "No, you're not free to go, quit asking me that. He claimed I was illegally walking on the turnpike, and I said it wasn't illegal as long as I got off at the first exit, which I was doing. He asked, "Do you have ID?" I lied and said "no, I don't carry ID when I'm walking." Around that point he handcuffed me and started going through my pockets. I protested loudly, "You don't have my permission to search", and he said "I don't need your permission." Eventually he found my neck wallet and dug out my drivers license, and called it in while I remained handcuffed on the side of the road. He asked me if I'd sign a citation and I said no, I did nothing wrong. He said he'd have to take me in, in that case, and I said go for it, if it makes your day. Other cops, CHP and maybe more MCS had arrived by then, and one kept an eye on me while Jones conferred with the others.
Eventually he decided he was in the wrong, I surmise, and asked if I'd take a ride to the Starbucks. Relieved and mentally exhausted, I said, "would you?" I thought he'd reverse up the ramp with his lights, but no he went all the way north to the landfill overpass, and let me out for a minute while he took off the cuffs. His sergeant met us there, and I tried to explain about that stretch of 101, and the legality of bicycle and pedestrian access to it. They wouldn't say I was right but they wouldn't say I was wrong either. Eventually the sergeant asked if I'd take a ride back to Petaluma and I accepted. He was going to drop me off miles from the nearest public restroom but we finally agreed on the Safeway. He gave me his card when I got out.
Somewhere in there Jones was saying they had gotten lots of calls on me, and I said something like "no doubt, they always do". The CHP guy, a real joker, said "they're just calling out of concern for you", and I said "yeah, sure, they're a bunch of assholes. They think that road is just for cars and they don't want to see bicyclists or pedestrians on it."
I made it to the Safeway without shitting my pants, but it took reams of toilet paper to clean up the mess. Shopped a little there, then at TJ's and Whole Foods on my way home. Got a six-pack of Anchor Porter for under $7 at Whole Foods and I'm enjoying it now. Now I'm going to see about filing a lawsuit for their violation of my 4th amendment rights.
last updated 2012-12-14 21:23:28. served from tektonic.jcomeau.com