On 9/3/2020 1:16 AM, Doug Landau wrote:
Why I quit a job paying ~$200K to be unemployed and homeless is known to noone except - perhaps - me. In any case that was 2 yrs ago and more recently, the motor in my van quit, so I moved into a bob trailer, and was pulling it around with an '80 Colnago Super, until the latter was stolen a few days ago in a moment of carelessness at Ashby BART in Berkeley.

It was an interesting tour, and brought a few things to light. For example, that the covid-19 thing is a hoax, that the population doesn't want America to be great again, and that the population is (are) , in general, assholes.

But back to cycling it was an interesting and learning ride. I criss-crossed the central valley. I thot I wanted to ride to Ohio to visit a friend, and thot I'd warm up by riding to Yosemite first, and maybe coming back over Sonora Pass to get more solar and more water carrying capacity. I rode Livermore-tracy-modesto-oakdale and got to Knight's Ferry, and my 54-y/o knees did not want to pull the trailer up many more hills on the 42-25. So I went to Stockton to look for a bike shop. But all I found was smoke shops. Back thru Lathrop, Tracy, Brentwood, Antioch.

The whole way:
"You can't sleep there."
"You can't do that there."
"Don't stay."
"You have to move."
"What's your name?"
"What's your name?"
"What's your name?"
"What's your name?"
What's you date of birth?
What's your drivers license number?"
What's your name
Whats your name
What's your Name
Sir, wake up.
You can't sleep there.
Sir, you cant sleep there.
What's your Name

What incredible ****ing assholes the whole world is! Why the **** CANT I take a nap on a piece of grass? In a municipal park or in front of a public school or library or ??? I am not talking about camping or sleeping overnight, I am talking about napping during daylight. And why exactly CANT I sort my things on a bench on a sidewalk??? And what the **** does leaf-blowing lady - a city employee - care?

As for the pigs - whose unwanted interaction I garnered almost daily - well, I didn't feel like getting beat up or going downtown and maybe losing my bike n trailer. So I did not refuse to identify myself or answer their questions, on the grounds that I am not actually legally obligated to do so, until mother****er detains me and then asks, and before he can detain me, he must have reasonable suspicion that I am involved in a crime. Except once.
He was sitting in a parking lot and I approached him and asked if there is any open camping nearby. After answering my question he asked "What's your name?" I told him, and added my CDL#, and then said quickly: "I'm pretty big on my constitutional rights these days. Now you asked me, and I told you, but if I understand correctly, I am not in fact legally obligated to tell you who I am until you detain me, and before you can do that, you have to have reasonable suspicion that I am involved in a crime. Thank you the directions and good night." and rode away. Before he started with the where are you from and where are you going crap. And the look of anger and disgust on his face suggested to me that had I answered every cop like that, I would have been slammed to the ground , just for starters, ere long.

Goddam disgusting ****ing pigs don't give a **** about rights or constitutions, with slight exaggeration. Worse, they don't even know it or them. When I refused to answer my local los gatos pigs' question where I got my solar panels that are on the roof of my van, when being questioned for something else, and asked them if I looked blonde to them, I got the distinct impression that they did not know that which I was saying, and had simply been taught in cop skool that I have to answer their questions.

And yes, I am exaggerating somewhat. The fact is that most of the cops who woke me in the morning while sleeping on bike paths, sidewalks, etc, accepted my argument that I believe that I am not breaking the law by sleeping here; that I found the article in the sf chronicle in 2019 saying that the supreme court upheld that laws against homelessness are unconstitutional, and that I have the right to lay my body down on a piece of public property if there is no alternative at hand - no homeless shelter nearby or it is full. And did not proceed to cite me, but just let me go saying I had to move cause they had a complaint. Once their partner had found the article, anyway.

I wonder if they teach hem in cop skool to ask stupid questions, and lots of them, just to draw out answers, as the more answers they get the better the chance that the suspect will contradict himself or something. "Y-Y-You just up and decided to do this one day?" he asked, pretending to not understand the concept of bike touring. I looked at him with disgust and glared and asked him loudly "OK YOU TELL ME, where do you think I am better off? I happened to be unemployed and homeless when this covid thing came along. Now where do you think I'm better off, in a homeless tent in Oakland filled with meth smoke exhaled by 9 of my best friends, who keep holding the pipe out to me, where everyone is scratching their balls and their hair and noone is washing their hands, or out here, with just me, my bike, some weed, some hand sanitizer, and my penis?"

"I see what you mean. OK, Doug, we'll let ya go. Hope enjoy the rest of your trip." 2/3 times. The third time he put on latex gloves and pulled everything out of the bob.

Well, it was a start. I'm free of the state-beach/state-park regimen, at least, and approximately 100% free of the trepidation/fear/nervousness I had just 8 weeks ago about sleeping in municipal parks, on sidewalks, parking lots, under stop signs at the end of freeway exits, on the edge of farmers' fields, etc. In fact I should add before closing that farmers are the outstanding exception to everything I have said here. They come around in the morning, and when I quickly say "Thank you for a good night's sleep!! I greatly appreciate it." and smile, they say "you're welcome, glad you slept well" and add that they are very nervous about fire, so would I please not have any fire and be very careful smoking. And I agree and they say a pleasant goodbye and wish me well.

Well I guess i'll shut up now, thanks for reading.
dkl

Wow. Your experiences are SO much different than mine, and those of
touring friends I know. I remember precisely one hassling encounter with
a cop, and after maybe 15 minutes of conversation he was smiling,
shaking our hands and wishing us a good ride.

Having said that, I'll admit I never bicycle toured in California. And
almost all the time, I've done my overnight camping in places where
camping was expected.

You might want to look into the Warm Showers organization & website.


--
- Frank Krygowski