changing the world, one moving violation at a time

i had just biked off of campus, heading south on dana street and the light was red at haste. i looked up and down and nobody was coming, so i just rode right through. at the next block i had to stop and i hear this "excuse me." aw crap, a motorcycle cop. "is there some reason you didn't stop at the red light?"

well, that's awfully civilized for a motocop, but is this a trick question? i cast around my brain for some plausible denial of liability, but nothing comes to me. "uhhhh...preservation of momentum, i guess?" delivered with what i hoped to be a winning smile. hard to say if i was winning or not. he gave me a serious but not at all fear-inspiring verbal warning to obey all traffic laws, then zoomed off.

citizens of berkeley, i say to you: take heart! the police force is on the scene to protect you from public enemy 45,001: girl on a bike.