Cottonwood Heights Chief of PoliceRobby Russo said the city will advocate for a revision to a new law that stops vehicles from traveling or parking in designat

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[–] 2 points 1 year ago (1 child)

In before someone who didn't read the article calls ACAB:

an “unintended consequence” of the bill was that it made it illegal for people and their visitors to park in front of their homes.

Couple that with the super dangerous bike lane pictured with a lane of traffic on either side and I think this place is being run by dangerous idiots.

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  • 19 comments in c/fuckcars@lemmy.world view that post
    [–] 50 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Russo wrote that the issue is not unique to Cottonwood Heights, and they're trying to better understand its intent.

    The intent is for the bike lane to be clear of obstructions, dumbass.

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  • [–] 15 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Yep. We celebrated this win since there were other bills this session which make it harder for salt lake city to build more bike lanes. And this jackass doesn't understand a clearly worded law. Can't catch a break.

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  • [–] 15 points 1 year ago

    He absolutely understanding it. Russo said that a lot of people wanted the law enforced as soon as it was enacted, then gave reasons against it without saying anyone brought those issues up to him. Those are things he is bringing up, not residents.

    He just doesn't want to enforce the law.

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  • [–] 34 points 1 year ago

    “Why care about the safety of people on bikes? I drive a car, so I really don’t understand.”

    -Police chief

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  • [–] 16 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    The police where I live is doing prevention by telling cyclists to be careful because they could traumatize a poor car driver when hitting them.

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  • [–] 16 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    So what he's saying is that drivers should prepare to have their mirrors broken?

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  • [–] 8 points 1 year ago (2 children)
  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Totally by accident, of course. I mean, what are illegally parked drivers going to do? Complain to police? 🤭

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

    In our current timeline they would, and they'll avoid the ticket and get the cyclist charged with "assault on a motor vehicle". Then the cop will break the reflectors on the bike and find any relevant laws to try to ticket the cyclists, even issuing a hand written note that says they are suspended from cycling for 90 days.

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  • [–] 15 points 1 year ago

    Aw geez. If only there was something a person could do if they don't want to do their job anymore.

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  • [–] 14 points 1 year ago

    The newsletter they reference is ever funnier.

    • First, the Chief looks like biking isn't an activity he does regularly, so perhaps not a well-informed opinion there.
    • Second, there is a picture of a vehicle blocking a bike lane which appears to be used as an example of the problem. Of course, this vehicle is parked so far from the curb that it should probably be ticketed anyways.
    • Third, the area they use as an example is in front of a high school that appears to have been widened specifically to create a drop-off area. Unless you literally parked too far over, you wouldn't interfere with the bike lane at all. Toss in some concrete bollards and this problem goes away.
    • Fourth, the school has a fucking drop off in the parking lot just beyond that spot, so its not like there is no alternative!
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  • [–] 13 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Oh, laws are optional now? Cool.

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  • [–] 19 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Would he enforse bikes parked in the car lane.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago

    OMG, I'm trying to enjoy my vacation and I make the mistake of checking the news and seeing my police chief being a complete tool... again.

    Russo is also infamous for stalking a city council member by parking at her house every night. He was dismissed from his previous department for very controversial reasons. He's the reason I gag every time I pay property taxes. We'd actually have a fairly progressive district (for Utah) if it wasn't for this ass-hat and the general car-brainedness of our city council.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago

    A few ideas:

    • make it so bikelanes are in between the sidewalk and the like of parked cars. Common in Montreal.
    • make the cops go on patrol on bikes
    • if enforcement of bikelanes is optional, so should be enforcement of bikes on sidewalks
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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    Imagine states restricting sidewalks and trails, and then ontop of that not enforcing laws that prevent individual instructing those same sidewalk or trails.

    Infrastructure should not only designed for cars.

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  • 18 comments in c/news@lemmy.world view that post
    [–] 36 points 1 year ago (7 children)

    Sounds like the police chief in Cottonwood Heights, Utah needs to quit and run for state legislature since they seem confused about their job. Police chiefs don't make the laws, they enforce them because they are law enforcement officers.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago (6 children)

    Found the guy who took civics in high school!

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  • [–] 8 points 1 year ago (5 children)

    We were required to take civics but I also spent 4 years of college working towards my degree and licensure as a police officer in my state.

    Got all the way to our version of the hands-on academy and decided policing wasn't for me. Now I work in IT.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago* (1 child)

    I also spent 4 years of college working towards my degree and licensure as a police officer in my state.

    Yeah, they're not looking for people with this level of education. Like literally, I'm not being snarky, they actively weed out people like you.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago

    My state requires a college education to be a peace officer and I went to, at the time, the best school for law enforcement in the country.

    I actually changed my mind because the only part of the job that really interested me was investigations and I didn't want to spend years doing the other bullshit just to get there.

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  • [–] 14 points 1 year ago

    Tf is the point of bike lanes if they can be blocked in???

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  • [–] 15 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Hopefully no one has anything sharp on their bikes and if they do they don't ride too close to the paint or tires of those poor cars.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago

    Would he oppose a law stating bikes can’t be parked in car lanes?

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago

    Matches my experience trying to politely ask a local police officer why he and a delivery truck were parked in the bike lane.

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  • [–] -5 points 1 year ago* (4 children)

    It looks like they already have parks there with a trail system. Maybe some of it could be connected with dedicated trails that don't just run on the side of the road.

    It looks like near Cottonwood Heights, there's the Jordan River Parkway Trail, which appears to be paved, and looks like it north-south spans Salt Lake City.

    looks more

    I-215 passes along Cottonwood Heights. It looks like it has a sound barrier along at least part of it, with an undeveloped area on both sides to help keep noise away from houses. If one put an east-west bike trail along that, you could use that to get from Cottonwood Heights to Jordan River Parkway Trail.

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    17 comments in c/usa@midwest.social view that post
    [–] 59 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Usually if you publicly declare you won't do your job, you lose that job within the day.

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  • [–] 27 points 1 year ago

    I am going to publicly declare that I'm no longer paying my parking tickets. Also bankruptcy.

    Also I'm the mayor of St. Louis now. Since we can just decide what the laws are personally without any sort democratic process weighing in.

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  • [–] 31 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    I’ve heard of jury nullification, but I haven’t heard of police nullification.

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    [–] 14 points 1 year ago

    He should quit then

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  • [–] 8 points 1 year ago

    Why is a law needed for this? Do they have a law to not park cars on park or school playgrounds?

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  • [–] 8 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    Utah seems like such a cool place! /s

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago

    Soon: Utah copies New York, allowing pedestrians to report parking violations via photo for cash.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

    Meh, laws. Why? Like… murder yeah I guess but parking. I’m tired.

    Edit: this should have been “…” -police chief

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago (2 children)

    I'm confused. Are you suggesting that this is a bad or unnecessary law?

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