i was pulled over during a bike ride

This happened Thursday, August 20th 2009:

Lights came on as I reached the train tracks by the Citgo on Heights Blvd. I saw my silhouette on the "bike lane sign" and asked my friend E "man, are we getting pulled over right now?" and he responded with a burst of laughter and said, "Yeah and we're on bikes." I was so ready to continue in the bike lane... It's downhill for about half a mile.

We park our bikes on the sidewalk and the first thing he said was "when you're on a bike its the same rules as if you're in a car." he had asked if we had any drugs or narcotics on us. we both said no and he then asked if we both had ID on us and we both said yes and then asked us to put our hands on the fence. (the fence belonged to the Art Car Museum).

before any of this, my friend E and me took a bike ride to the 420 shop on Washington and heights. the ride was nice. we took most of the Nicholson trail to the heights bike lane then down to Washington. we looked around the entire shop. every time i ever go in there, it's in-and-out-as-fast-as-i-can. this time, i wasn't in such a hurry.

after cooling off, it was time to head out. i noticed that there was a slight bit of sun still out. E noticed that a cop was on heights at the light at Washington. i told him, "so?" and continued to unlock our bikes and went on my merry way. he also noticed that the cop turned right, away from our view.

my guess is that he made that right onto Washington, to the east, and then he must have turned left onto harvard and then another left onto center street then a right on heights to come up right behind us.

so yeah, we were searched.

contents of my pockets:
LEFT POCKET - cell phone, pack of camel lights
RIGHT POCKET - wallet, lighter
BACK LEFT POCKET - peppermint wrapper (i had got one at the shop)

neither of us had anything on us. while he was searching me, he asked, "are yall on yall's way to smoke?" and i said, "i'm sorry, sir?" and he asked again, and i said no. at this point, he was taking out the peppermint wrapper from my pocket. i heard him sniff it.

LOL.

he took my license out of the slot and asked E where he could find his. he said that he was going to check us out and if nothing comes up he'd let us go.

so me and E start talking. we tried to figure out why we had been pulled over since he never mentioned it. i was in the bike lane the entire time and i remember the center street light being green when i passed it. E was convinced that the cop thought we'd have something on us. that he saw the same cop at that red light and here he was trying to get us for something. and i said, "he asked if we were on our way to smoke. and i was all i'm sorry, sir?"

the police officer comes back and asked me if i had ever been arrested. "Have you ever been arrested?" I tell him, "No." He asks again right away, "Have you ever been arrested?" he wasn't being like a dick or anything, but i wasn't sure if he wanted me to say "sir" or what. "No, sir." He steps a foot closer and asks a third time, "He you ever been arrested?" i tried not to give a puzzled look and said "No, sir. I have never been arrested."

he then asked my friend who says yes. they discussed what that was about and then he asked me what my middle name was. "I don't have a middle name, sir." he looked at my license again and asked AGAIN, "Have you ever been arrested?" - no sir. i wasn't sure if he was getting upset or not.

"look wouldn't care if you guys are smoking dope. it doesn't look like you guys are out here starting trouble," the officer says while he handed my friend his ID, "so i'm going to let yall go."

i interrupted him giving me back my license. "i have to ask. was there a problem with my name in the system? i mean, is there something i should be concerned about?" he told me that there was an Abraham Luiz Garza (he might have said Ruiz) with almost the same birthday, off by a year with a prior and a warrant or something. he then said that this guy was 5'11. so he didn't think it was me. i'm 5'7.

so he let us go. i got back in the bike lane and i told E that i was more concerned about the fact that i was wearing low top chuck taylor all-stars without socks. he was like what? and i said, "well they take your laces off when you're in jail right?" and he just laughed, "oh man that would suck."

yup, it would suck like getting pulled over while riding your bike.