Massachusetts State Police leaders say one of the force's troopers was clearly wrong when interacting with a cyclist earlier this week. Their taped encounter is now prompting action from top department officials.
The encounter played out on the Longfellow Bridge, which connects Cambridge and Boston. The bridge was been tricky to navigate at times, due to the ongoing construction and bridge rehab project.
In a video posted to YouTube, the unidentified bicyclist said he bikes to work almost every day. The commuter said he was disappointed Tuesday to see a State Police vehicle parked in a bike lane on the bridge. He said he was worried bikers going the opposite direction from where he was riding may have to swerve into traffic because that lane was blocked.
The video captured by a small camera mounted to the bike shows the rider reporting his concerns to a different Massachusetts State Police trooper. That officer told him, on video, that he doesn't care about bike lanes. The officer claimed local police in Boston and Cambridge are the ones who deal with bike lanes.
The bicyclist couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"I'm trying to help out a better scenario because, obviously, someone is going to get hurt," the cyclist said on the video posted to YouTube. "It's just a dangerous scenario. I'm not trying to be argumentative, I'm just pointing out something that is dangerous and maybe you could help out?"
To that, the police officer, who is also unidentified, said on the video, "No."
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Massachusetts State Police reviewed that tape. In a written statement, the force said, "It is clear that the trooper's statements regarding bike lanes and cyclists are wrong. Contrary to the tone and content of those statements, the State Police are concerned with and have a responsibility to protect the safety of bicyclists."
The statement went on to say that the department re-issued a training bulletin letting troopers know about cyclists' rights. Department leaders promised to talk to that trooper about the proper way to respond to concerns from the public.
New England Cable News reached out to the cyclist through his YouTube account asking for comment. He declined, saying the video speaks for itself.
