While riding my bike to work this morning I got stopped by a cop. Let me set the scene for you...

I'm riding down Pico (a major street), I want to turn left on 34th St, so I move from riding next to the curb out to the left lane. The cop pulls up and tells me that I have to ride next to the curb and so I explained that I needed to turn left on the next street and there was a break in the traffic so I moved over so I wouldn't have to change lanes when I was surrounded by a ton of cars.

Then he tells me if I need to turn left on 34th, I should cross to the left side of the street at this intersection and ride on the sidewalk up to 34th then turn left there. To which I respond explaining that I was under the belief that it was illegal to ride on the sidewalks in Santa Monica. He looks at me and says, "Just ride next to the curb," in a very "don't fuck with me" sort of way. So I said, "Yes, sir" and did ask he said.

As Marvin the Martian says, "This makes me very angry."

An expert from the California Vehicle Code as it pertains to Bike Riders:

Duty of Bicycle Operator: Operation On Roadway. VC 21202

a) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at such time shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under any of the following situations:

...

2. When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.

...

Here is a page on the Santa Monica Police Department Bike Laws and Safety:

Bicycles are not permitted on sidewalks. You can cause injury to pedestrians.

I'm trying to find where it says in the vehicle code that bikes are vehicles and vehicles are not allowed on the sidewalk, so if you already have information that you can point me to, please let me know.

Fuckin pigs always trying to keep me down.