I Was Ordered To Stop By The Fort Worth Bike Gestapo In Gateway Park Today

It has been awhile since I have run into Fort Worth Police in Gestapo mode. So, I guess I was due.

Around 4 this afternoon I went to Gateway Park, intending to bike to the Trinity River for a photo opportunity.

As I pulled into the Gateway Park parking lot, the one by the rugby fields, accessed via the entry from Randol Mill/East 1st Street, I was startled to see a swarm of dozens of Fort Worth cops on bikes.

This created a very odd scene. It was some sort of instructional situation. I had no idea Fort Worth had so many bicycle cops.

There was bike cop activity all over the parking lot. It was a pain to drive through it.

Upon my return from the Trinity Trail a van drove on to the parking lot. This had the cops hollering "car" over and over again. Even though it was a van.

So, I loaded my bike up and decided to exit via the road that runs around the perimeter of the parking lot. This seemed the logical exit to me.

I was following the pair you see through my windshield. Make note of the group in the distance to their right.

As I got to that group I slowed way up, expecting the Gestapo to get out of my way.

Instead, one of the Fort Worth Gestapo actually raised his hand in what looked like the Heil Hitler Nazi salute and ordered me to STOP.

I did so, whilst giving the guy a what the hell shrug of my shoulders look.

I really did not know where to go to get out of there. A barrier runs the length of the parking lot. You can see that in the picture at the top. I had to get around that. But at the other end of the barrier was the Gestapo Group you saw in the first picture.

I decided to turn around and see if I could get through that other Gestapo Group.

I was successful.

Now, I'm thinking, this is a public park. I had every right to expect to drive in and out without my egress and ingress being impeded on by the Fort Worth Gestapo on two-wheelers.

If a group of civilians took over a Gateway Park parking lot in this manner and ordered a Fort Worth Gestapo police car to stop, what do you think would happen?

Now, this particular parking lot has a gate. The Gestapo could easily have closed that gate. I would have been perfectly happy to park in the more distant parking lot and peacefully pedal through the parking lot with the swarm of Fort Worth Bike Gestapo. They were creating a hazard in that parking lot, which I feel they had no right to create.

Someone should have ticketed them.