Originally posted by crowes22
Ahh yes......... the media, the mainstream media, the most biased joke that exisits. So from your post, these idiots are the people you want/trust to determine your fate? ... Do yourself a favor and learn to think for yourself,
I didn't realize I was opening the door for conspiracy theorists and naysayers to join in with their opinions on the OJ Simpson trial, of all things. Can't we stay on topic?
That being said, here's what I think (for myself): Boy fleeing frantically with purse. Two women chasing after him. (thought process deduces the kid has stolen the purse, and that the women aren't just running for their health). Boy is close enough so I can open the door and cause him to stop. I do so, and the women gets her purse back. I wait for the police to arrive. The police come and take our statements, arrest the guy, congratulate me. Nowhere in there does it include "police arrest me for stopping the purse snatcher".
Since some people here have already gone out of their way to blow this completely out of proportion, I'll do likewise. I checked Caesar's host name and saw it ended in msu.edu (Michigan State). From that, I called the East Lansing Police Department and spoke with Officer Jupin, explaining the situation (a friend of mine had seen this stuff happen, I was of the opinion he should have done something and others believe he should have just let nature take it's course).
Officer Jupin stated that the proper course of action would be for the guy in the car to call the police so someone could be dispatched to that location. He said that by forcibly stopping the purse snatcher, you could possibly be sued civilly by the injured party, however he thought any officers involved would come to testify in your defense. I asked him then if he was saying that it's better to not get involved. His response - "No, you should definitely get involved, but don't put yourself at risk".
So, make of it what you will. All I know is that if it were me in the car, I'd have stopped the guy. If a lawsuit was filed against me for it by the perp, so be it. I simply thought my tire was flat and opened the door at the red light to check it out... who do you think the judge is going to favor, a purse snatcher or a heroic citizen? According to the Michigan Code Pertaining to Bicycles, Sec 660 (1),
A person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction. If the driver could have opened the door on his side and hit the thief, then the person on the bike was already committing a civil infraction by using his vehicle on the wrong side of the road.
In any case, the woman who's purse got snatched was more than likely someone's mother. Let's put things in a different light - what if that was your mom who was brutally pushed into by some punk kid, who then proceeded to wrench the purse from her shoulder, potentially causing serious injury or even death (yes, deaths have occurred from purse-snatchers dragging the woman in an attempt to get away)? Would you all still say "Oh who cares, let my mom get knocked to the ground, have her purse ripped from her shoulder, why should I care?". That's pretty cold.
Maybe I was just brought up differently than y'all, but I feel like I've got a responsibility to help people who genuinely need my help. Shame that some people don't feel the same way.
Sources:
Bicyle Code
Ignelzi, R.J. "Latch on to Tips to Limit the Risk of Purse Snatching." - The San Diego Union-Tribune. 12 August 1993 (p. E2).
The Toronto Star. "Use Waist Pouch Instead of a Purse." 30 November 1993 (p. D1).
. You could have opened the door to slam him but in California you could get sued for doing something like that 
