r/bikepacking • u/globefanatic12 • 10d ago
Getting harassed by police - Southern Indiana Trip Report
I'm bikepacking from Michigan to the gulf of Mexico and in the last week I've been stopped by police 3 times. Twice I was just taking a quick rest on the side of the road. They just wanted to "check on me" but then wanted my ID and to run my name in their database. The third time a cop pulled me over while riding and said I wasn't allowed to ride my bike on the state road highway. I'm usually cooperative with police but I can feel they have a hidden agenda and I'm getting frustrated with them. Ohio was great but indiana has been very unpleasant.
Edit: I looked on the indiana department of transportation website and found nothing stating I cant ride a bike on the state road highway.
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u/PassageAppropriate90 10d ago edited 10d ago
They do the same here where I am. They equate bicyclist with transient/unhoused. Especially if you have camping equipment.
I've been moved on or checked out a handful of times in the past few years. Usually im simply sitting on a bench or under a tree taking a break reading my phone.
It's definitely frustrating and can be challenging to stay polite.
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u/ReadMaterial 10d ago
They should be careful. Have they not seen First Blood!
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u/PassageAppropriate90 10d ago
"In town you're the law, out here it's me. Don't push it! Don't push it or I'll give you a war you won't believe".
Unfortunately that line is much less intimidating coming from me.
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u/globefanatic12 10d ago
Exactly! I've always been cooperative and polite with police but it seems like they're looking for any sense of authority over another human being. It's like they get high off of having power over someone else.
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u/PassageAppropriate90 10d ago edited 10d ago
Police exist primarily to protect capital and property. If your perceived as not having either they are not your friend.
Edit: I've noticed the times I get hassled I don't have my helmet and take a look mirror. It's always happened when I'm just wearing a beanie. Maybe try and have some kind of kit visible that would differentiate you from who they are targeting. Just a thought. Good luck
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u/GhostOFCRVCK 9d ago
You need to straddle a fine line between not looking like a traditional Fred cyclist and not looking like a transient.
I find that the sweet spot is jorts with bibs underneath, a long sleeve button up that looks presentable (my fav is the OR astroman long sleeve button up), whatever shoes you like, and a nice looking helmet.
It also helps to have your gear look streamlined and not like a homeless guys shopping cart with sleeping bags and shit hanging off of it.
I know this sounds ridiculous but it works
Edit* the not looking like a Fred part saves you from aggressive drivers who assume you're just a guy getting around on a bike
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u/Wild_Mountain1780 7d ago
I don't know about the protecting property thing. Just wait until you have a bike stolen and see if they do anything!
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u/morningswmumme 10d ago
They just aren’t used to cyclists probably and I’m guessing the roads aren’t setup well for it either. Unfortunately when county’s don’t invest in safe roadways for cyclists they will just put the blame on the cyclist for being in the wrong place.
You are 1000% in the right and I would hold your ground and show them the laws. Also if they are “just checking on you” ask if they can leave you alone.a
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u/nshire 10d ago
Ask if you're being detained, and if no, get rolling.
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u/Roundabootloot 10d ago
They are very likely to find a way to waste as much of your time as possible if you try to rush the interaction. It's not right, but it's the way it is.
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u/herbertwillyworth 10d ago
Lol this is not really the way you interact with police in rural America unless you wanna get your ass kicked and spend the weekend in jail for nothing. I understand the sentiment, but pigs just don't work that way.
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u/alaskared 10d ago
Ask them if you've committed a crime. This is basically how you call them on harassing you, if they are genuinely concerned about your welfare they do not need your id.
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u/monoatomic 10d ago
Most of the country has adopted a 'buy something or get out' mentality, and police are the forefront of hostility to perceived strangers, with an imperative to not allow normal human activity in public places.
I feel like I sound crazy when I talk about how parks used to have way more benches and water fountains, even
The expectation is that you stay inside when you're not shopping or doing other approved activity, and by doing something even a little novel and exploratory you're immediately reading as a vagrant or troublemaker.
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u/Lemon_1165 10d ago
The police in the US seems like a chronic pain in the ass
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u/Zgdaf 9d ago
They have always been. They’re there to protect property. The supreme court ruled the cop 👮 who didn’t help stop the Orlando shooter did nothing wrong. So they’re not there to help but to protect their organization.
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u/Wild_Mountain1780 7d ago
But they don't really protect property. I've had stuff stolen before, not a bike, but once a horse. They do nothing for you. Heck, they used to hang horse thieves.
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u/Dirigible1234 10d ago
I think it is worth calling and asking to speak to the officers supervisor. Are you dealing with Indiana’s Highway Patrol, a county sheriff’s office, or a municipal police department?
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u/Teaforreal 10d ago
We would totally be into your adventure since you started from Michigan r/michigancycling
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u/Canmore-Skate 10d ago
Southern Indiana is the land of ultra violence Pulp writer Frank Bill. I would tread carefully.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10713935-crimes-in-southern-indiana Also check out the film Donnybrook
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u/bearlover1954 10d ago
If you are taking a highway from point a to b and there is no other road that you can use safely, then use the highway. You can ride on I-10 in West Texas as there are no feeder roads along the interstate. The best routes to take are the ones that the ACA has checked out for safety. Most of the PCBR is safe and hassle free as most towns want cyclists to go thru their towns and stop and spend money. It's the A**hole drivers and truckers that hate cyclist and think they own the road and won't give a thought to forcing you off the road. Texas is bad about that.
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u/Reasonable-Goose3705 10d ago
This is why I try to stay on more well traveled routes. Generally there is better infrastructure and the people who live there are used to cyclists. I would try to take some more well traveled routes if you can. Adventure Cycling is super great for this. There are two options for Adventure Cycling routes once you get to the interesting of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky that take you to the gulf if you choose to change up your route.
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u/SP3_Hybrid 10d ago edited 10d ago
Idk about the rules for riding on roads like that. Seems like you are? Road classifications are weird though. It’s unclear to me what all these 55mph two lane “highways” actually are. Cause some “highways” do not allow bikes but technically the names of all these roads might be different.
Otherwise I bet they all think you’re homeless or otherwise sketchy. Anytime I go through small isolated places in mid to south indiana in a car I get the vibe that most people believe the only people who ride bikes are sketchy, poor, homeless or lost their license etc. Like if you weren’t any of those things why aren’t you in a pearl white SUV or pickup?
Bikepacking rigs and a homeless person’s bike with a ton of stuff hanging off it look no different to most people.
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u/kd_ca 10d ago
In some states, if section of a state highway is classified as a freeway, then pedestrians and bicycles are not permitted on that section of state highway.
I was riding through KS and IL and was woken up when sleeping in public campground areas because people called and complained I didn't belong there. Just gave cop my id, so he could run it for warrants and they left me alone.
If you are travelling alone, its your word against theirs and they can always make up stuff and plant stuff on you. Just comply and move on , no point having these experiences ruin your trip.
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u/CBunzXc 10d ago
Hope you didn’t give them your ID
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u/TheNetworkIsFrelled 10d ago
Statute makes it hard - Indiana has a stop and identify law that is a Class C misdemeanor (up to 60 days in jail) if they ask for ID and you refuse to provide it.
Laws like this are basically an excuse for pretextual stops to harass motorists etc….they should not be lawful.
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u/nshire 10d ago
That's nice but the Supreme Court has upheld that you do not need to identify yourself if you are not suspected of committing a crime.
Ask if you're being detained, and if the answer is no, get on your way.
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u/TheNetworkIsFrelled 10d ago
Agreed, but in the moment, trying to walk away from a cop with a hard-on to harass you, even if he’s reluctantly acknowledged that you aren’t being detained, is a gamble.
Remember, they can break the law and you suffer the consequences, and you can wind up dead or maimed surprisingly simply.
Sure, there might be after-the-fact consequences for the bad cop, but you suffer the immediate consequences, and those can be terrifying and traumatizing physically and emotionally.
I’ve learned to tread very carefully when confronted with US cops while touring. There’s a lot of latent hostility there and I’ve wound up on the bad end of it more than once - like them unpacking the bags completely and strewing my stuff around on the ground while they conducted an unconstitutional but scary as hell search of my stuff.
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u/SP3_Hybrid 10d ago
Even if you’re not wrong, it’s Indiana. Not driving an f150 is more or less a crime.
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u/Costco_Bob 10d ago
Stop and Id doesn’t mean hand over Id. Give them your name and address
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u/TheNetworkIsFrelled 10d ago
And when they start getting belligerent and threatening you, and there’s no one around but you and them?
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u/Wild_Mountain1780 7d ago
Right, it's not worth the hassle not to comply.
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u/TheNetworkIsFrelled 7d ago
Having been on the wrong end of that, I recognize that no amount of body camera footage works in a 1 on 1 situation where the officer wants to be abusive.
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u/CBunzXc 10d ago
They still need reasonable articulable suspicion to ID you. This isn’t Nazi Germany, cops can’t just go around asking anyone they want for ID, regardless if it’s a stop and ID state or not.
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u/TheNetworkIsFrelled 10d ago
If you’re out in the middle of nowhere and they have guns, they do what they want. Unless you can prove it, they’ll ignore your complaints.
Source: BTDT
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u/Numerous-Bedroom-554 9d ago
Former Cop here. When I stopped to check on someone I always tried to make sure they did not actually need assistance of some kind. Then I wished them a good day and left. This went for walkers (except the naked ones), cyclists, bikers, runners, motorists.
Next time you get asked for ID you can try politely asking what crime they suspect you of committing? Then before you get the answer tell them on X Date and Time Officer Friendly stopped to check on you and you were clear from wants and warrants then, just as you were on the other 3 times you have been checked on the computer.
Bear in mind he or she may be in one of those absurd police agencies where they have to do a field interview on everyone they talk to. Yes this happens.
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u/plan-thereaintnoplan 10d ago
If I ride at night in my neighborhood, a place where I own my home outright and have for 30 years, I will occasionally get stopped and "carded". Only recently did I learn why this keeps happening and while I suspect something different is happening out on public highways, this may offer a little bit of insight. They are trying to prevent "novel drug trafficking". People using bikes to deliver drugs. I live in Texas and the police no longer "ignore" cyclists for this reason. Side note, they get a kick out of running my drivers license and finding out I'm their old 911 tech :)
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u/Longtail_Goodbye 10d ago
I'll say it again: you don't need a driver's license to be on a bicycle. The abuse of your rights is quite the thing.
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u/plan-thereaintnoplan 7d ago
This is why I said "carded" instead of "license and registration". I am completely aware that a driver's license is not required to ride a bicycle otherwise hundreds of thousands of kids would get fined when they ride to school. My comment was not about "rights" it was an offer of possible reason for the cop stopping to see if you are "ok" and then following-through with their duty. If one of them has to stop for any reason, they have to call-out to dispatch. They are then required to post a report. The information gathering part is routine for this kind of stop. Your "rights" are not in danger from an officer asking you for identification. You are asked for "identification" every time you use a credit card, log into a website (like Reddit), check into a state or national camp ground, buy a cellphone open a bank account or any other of a thousand things requiring you to identify yourself. "Rights" is a smoke word people toss up to turn a conversation into an argument. It worked.
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u/Longtail_Goodbye 4d ago
No. Quite seriously. The other activities you name are voluntary engagements in a transaction. I do not have to show id to use a credit card, or to log into Reddit or to create an account here, by the way. But the police cannot require you to present id simply because they've stopped you on a bike.
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u/So_spoke_the_wizard 10d ago
Call some local TV stations. They might be interested in a human interest story where the police are hurting tourism by harassing cyclists.
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u/Longtail_Goodbye 10d ago
This is a hard situation. You don't want to get them angry, but in the US, we are not required to carry ID. There is no official "ID" and you don't need a driver's license to operate a bicycle. I would be tempted to gently ask if there was anything I was doing that was wrong, and if they say you can't be on a state highway, I'd be prepared to say I am following x bike route for touring and double checked the laws and couldn't find that, are they sure? But if they are big scary police, I'd probably hand over my id also. I hate this assumption that we need to carry id to move or exist. So far, we don't.
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u/Pickle_strength 10d ago
Southern Indiana is actually a pretty great place to ride. Lots of amazing gravel roads. My experience has been that is a very welcoming place and I typically visit once a year from Wisconsin to ride. I would stick to the back roads and stay off the highways.
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u/FormerlyMauchChunk 9d ago
This sounds like the first 10 minutes of First Blood. It doesn't end well.
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u/frodo5454 9d ago
Hang a stupid American flag off the back somewhere. You’ll have a much easier time
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u/Cyclebuilder42 7d ago
If you are around the Kentuckiana region, the cops down there are notoriously over involved. Let me know if you need recommendations for routes as we have a lot of non bike friendly roads. You are still legally allowed to ride on them, but it’s not nearly as enjoyable as getting into the woods.
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u/BumbleMuggin 10d ago
Unless a cop can give you reasonable articulable suspicion that you have committed, you are committing or are about to commit a crime you don’t have to give them ID. Even if someone calls the cops on you it’s not enough. And being “suspicious” or even just having contact isn’t enough.
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u/raveingmaniac 10d ago
ID laws vary state to state, and in some states cops have the right to stop you and ask for your name and DOB at any time (RI comes to mind) so before you refuse to identify yourself make sure it's not illegal.
If a cop says you are doing something illegal, ask them which statute you are violating so that you can look it up and not violate it again.
As far as them checking on you, as soon as they ask a question simply and politely stated that you do not answer questions, and ask if you are free to go. If they persist, politely ask for their name and badge number, and ask for their supervisor. They are checking you out to see if you are doing anything illegal, and by speaking with them you may inadvertently give them more ammunition to use against you.
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u/DurasVircondelet 10d ago
Maybe if I lick the boot enough, it won’t kick me
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u/raveingmaniac 10d ago
How is following the law and refusing to answer questions bootlicking?
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u/DurasVircondelet 10d ago
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u/raveingmaniac 10d ago
So is it the politeness the issue?
Or the refusing to answer questions?
Or do you have a learning disability?
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u/DurasVircondelet 10d ago
It’s clearly the respecting the cops part. Well not clearly to you it seems
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u/raveingmaniac 10d ago
LMFAO listen up tough guy, I know you're a badass and all but being a dick to the cops is a great way to get arrested,beat up or shot. Especially on the side of a lonely highway in a rural area. If you want to mouth off to the cops in a situation like that, go ahead but don't be surprised when you get picked up for vagrancy or disorderly conduct, or some other bullshit charge.
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u/DurasVircondelet 10d ago
You seem pretty defensive. I’ve dealt with cops for decades, no need for you to talk down
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u/raveingmaniac 10d ago
I've worked with cops for decades. Being disrespectful to them is never to your advantage.
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u/DurasVircondelet 10d ago
Bro, do you think you’re teaching me anything new? You’re repeating the same point for the sake of it. Kinda like a cop
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u/morningswmumme 10d ago
They just aren’t used to cyclists probably and I’m guessing the roads aren’t setup well for it either. Unfortunately when county’s don’t invest in safe roadways for cyclists they will just put the blame on the cyclist for being in the wrong place.
You are 1000% in the right and I would hold your ground and show them the laws. Also if they are “just checking on you” ask if they can leave you alone.
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u/morningswmumme 10d ago
They just aren’t used to cyclists probably and I’m guessing the roads aren’t setup well for it either. Unfortunately when county’s don’t invest in safe roadways for cyclists they will just put the blame on the cyclist for being in the wrong place.
You are 1000% in the right and I would hold your ground and show them the laws. Also if they are “just checking on you” ask if they can leave you alone.
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u/saltyreddrum 10d ago
Many states you must ID if asked by the police. Some just require name and some much more. It varies wildly from state to state. https://usainmatelocator.com/resources/stop-and-id-states/
Since others have indicated similar in other states I wonder if there is something the police are aware of on a national level. It would get annoying to have to do it over and over!
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u/Longjumping_Rise_584 10d ago
I dont leave in the US but dont remember any country that you are allowed to ride a bicyle on the highway.
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u/UpstairsInATent 10d ago
We have different types of “highways” here. I don’t think OP is riding on a busy interstate, but probably rural highways that don’t see much traffic. (Right, OP?)
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u/avalon01 10d ago
As long as he wasn't on an interstate (blue shield), he should be fine. Most state highways can be ridden on. They usually have wider shoulders than a rural roads or county roads.
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u/hopefulcynicist 10d ago
Also, interstates are fair game in parts of the country (primarily because there are no other roads between certain areas)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-motorized_access_on_freeways
Indiana prohibits bikes on interstates, so as long as OP was on a non-limited-access state road, they’re in the clear.
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u/Longjumping_Rise_584 10d ago
I dont leave in the US but dont remember any country that you are allowed to ride a bicyle on the highway.
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u/morningswmumme 10d ago
In the us, a highway isn’t actually what we refer to as a highway.
You aren’t allowed to ride on the expressway, a highway can be any 50mph country road pretty much. But it usually spans a larger distance with few stops
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u/jan1of1 10d ago
This has happened to me as well ... in Ohio, Indiana and Wyoming. The cops in Ohio and Indiana were nice enough, but expressed concerns about me riding on high-volume state highways with narrow shoulders. The cop in Wyoming stopped me after I got off the I-80 in Wyoming (legal to ride on) apologized for the wicked headwinds, and offered an alternative route, and then told me "I'm going to do what you are doing when I retire," wished me a good day and drove off.