Several years ago I was riding a tandum bike with my then wife.  Were were
riding on the side walk and had come to a street crossing.  The light was with
us as was the crossing sign but a university police department truck pulled in
to the intersection and hit the bike.  It broke my leg and ankle and made a
disaster of the bike.  The cop who was driving said he was watching for "cars
not bicycles".  If that's the best cops can do in well lighted areas we can't
really expect better from the general population.

When all this happened we ended up going to the hospital.  After they shot me
full of narcotic pain killers this really bright guy from the university police
department came in and wanted me to sign a release for the university to
indicate that it was not their driver's doings that we were hit.  The doctor
made the cop leave and reminded him that forced releases while under the
influence of narcotics would not stand up in court.  By this time it was 0200 in
the morning.

I was eventually sent home ad at 0815 that morning got a telephone call from the
chief of police at the university demanding that I come in immediately and sign
a release for them.  Needless to say I didn't do it.

The university eventually paid $125 to fix the bike but it was never right after
that.  I'm not sure who paid the hospital bills but it wasn't me <g>.

Tom


Tom Brennan  KD5VIJ, CCC-A/SLP
web page http://titan.sfasu.edu/~g_brennantg/sonicpage.html