Photo: Facebook capture
This controversial video has been recorded on a highway in Texas, most likely in the Fort Worth area, and the reactions of the police officer appearing in it are questionable, to say the least. However, before reaching out to your pitchforks and torches, let's take the time to dissect it a bit.
Watching the images in real time may not be too relevant, but the user who uploaded the video also added a slow-motion sequence. The police officer can be seen clearly getting out of the cruiser with the mace can in his hand and spraying towards the riders.
The most disturbing thing about the whole story is the fact that the ride appears to be an almost normal one, without smart-ass idiots wheeling and so on.
Truth be told, these chaps also don't seem to be too considerate using the lanes. Most organized group rides usually take one lane and involve a staggered formation.
Looking back to the group, we can clearly see that these fellows occupy almost two lanes, which is not exactly nice. We've seen groups taking up more than one lane, but they were usually escorted by police cruisers or even motorized cops, which is not the case here.
The Move Over Law (MOL) is more of a recommendation in many countries and states, requiring drivers approaching a stationary authorized emergency or utility vehicle that is properly signaling its presence to slow down and vacate the lane closest to said vehicle.
For Texas, the MOL rules, as described by Driving Laws, read the following: "State law requires drivers approaching a stationary authorized emergency vehicle, including a tow truck and TX DMV vehicles and workers, using approved visual signals, and traveling in the same direction, to reduce speed (not to exceed 20 mph less than a posted speed limit of 25 mph or more, or not more than five mph when the posted speed limit under 25 mph) and vacate the lane closest to the emergency vehicles."
Such recommendations are being made because police, DMV, medical, tow personnel and so on are in danger of being crashed into while doing their job on the highway. Crashes occurring in such scenarios even resulted in the death of such personnel, hence the need to protect them by asking motorists to slow down and put some distance between them and the guys doing their job.
Still, the big question is whether a police officer can or should use a mace can in such a situation. The matter will most likely result in a complaint being filed by the riders affected, but to what end is impossible to foretell.
What we DO know, however, is that the police officer acted in a very irresponsible manner, putting both riders and himself in danger. Can you imagine one of the riders losing control of the bike because of the mace jet and riding straight into the cop? We can, and it doesn't look pretty.
Frankly, that cop could have gotten it quite badly, and he's lucky to have made it back home in one piece. Now, on to those pitchforks and torches!
The most disturbing thing about the whole story is the fact that the ride appears to be an almost normal one, without smart-ass idiots wheeling and so on.
Truth be told, these chaps also don't seem to be too considerate using the lanes. Most organized group rides usually take one lane and involve a staggered formation.
Looking back to the group, we can clearly see that these fellows occupy almost two lanes, which is not exactly nice. We've seen groups taking up more than one lane, but they were usually escorted by police cruisers or even motorized cops, which is not the case here.
The Move Over Law
Now, before we pass on to analyzing this cop's use of the mace can, there is one thing that must also be brought into discussion, and that's the Move Over Law.The Move Over Law (MOL) is more of a recommendation in many countries and states, requiring drivers approaching a stationary authorized emergency or utility vehicle that is properly signaling its presence to slow down and vacate the lane closest to said vehicle.
For Texas, the MOL rules, as described by Driving Laws, read the following: "State law requires drivers approaching a stationary authorized emergency vehicle, including a tow truck and TX DMV vehicles and workers, using approved visual signals, and traveling in the same direction, to reduce speed (not to exceed 20 mph less than a posted speed limit of 25 mph or more, or not more than five mph when the posted speed limit under 25 mph) and vacate the lane closest to the emergency vehicles."
Such recommendations are being made because police, DMV, medical, tow personnel and so on are in danger of being crashed into while doing their job on the highway. Crashes occurring in such scenarios even resulted in the death of such personnel, hence the need to protect them by asking motorists to slow down and put some distance between them and the guys doing their job.
Still, the big question is whether a police officer can or should use a mace can in such a situation. The matter will most likely result in a complaint being filed by the riders affected, but to what end is impossible to foretell.
What we DO know, however, is that the police officer acted in a very irresponsible manner, putting both riders and himself in danger. Can you imagine one of the riders losing control of the bike because of the mace jet and riding straight into the cop? We can, and it doesn't look pretty.
Frankly, that cop could have gotten it quite badly, and he's lucky to have made it back home in one piece. Now, on to those pitchforks and torches!
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