Bl**dy Cyclists

[Martin L Batley]

I'd normally be irked to find cyclists escaped from another rule that applies to the rest of us road users, but I'm not. After all it's not as though they bother with the ones that do apply to them anyway. Such as stopping for red lights, even having lights when it's dark and not riding on pavements and so many more. As for e-scooters nearly killed one the other night, he was riding it on the road in the dark wearing dark clothing and had no lights, all totally illegal. Would have happily hit him but as he'd have no insurance to pay for my damages decided to take avoiding action instead.

 

[andyBeaker]

I'd normally be irked to find cyclists escaped from another rule that applies to the rest of us road users, but I'm not. After all it's not as though they bother with the ones that do apply to them anyway. Such as stopping for red lights, even having lights when it's dark and not riding on pavements and so many more. As for e-scooters nearly killed one the other night, he was riding it on the road in the dark wearing dark clothing and had no lights, all totally illegal. Would have happily hit him but as he'd have no insurance to pay for my damages decided to take avoiding action instead.

Our local paper boy had his e-scooter taken away from him by plod a couple of weeks back - I would guess that someone had reported him as we don’t warrant the random attendance of police vehicles.. Certainly down here plod are very keen on getting them off the roads and pavements,@ regular subject on their blog is ‘report them’.

 

[Jaws]

Its CB radio all over again
Eventually the gov will catch up with the rest of the world and legislate to make them legal with the needed rules and regs applied

 

[andyBeaker]

Its CB radio all over again
Eventually the gov will catch up with the rest of the world and legislate to make them legal with the needed rules and regs applied

Who knows, maybe the Wild West that is social media will get some attention at one point in the future, probably when there are no products left to sell anyone by those who watch our every keystroke….

 

[Martin L Batley]

Oops just realised that the original article didn't attach to the post. Here's what I was referring to. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61018584

 

[andyBeaker]

Oops just realised that the original article didn't attach to the post. Here's what I was referring to. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61018584

There are many on here who are totally anti-cyclist, what with motorised bicycle riders being paragons of virtue on the road , and I can feel them priming themselves to launch yet another anti cycling tirade…..but on this occasion I would agree with them in advance, cyclists using mobile phones is ridiculous and needs to be a specific offence.

 

[Malone]

It already is an offence called dangerous cycling and can incur a fine of up to £2500

 

[Duck n Dive]

Why is it that when common sense tells us we already have a law which covers a particular circumstance there is always a call for a new specific law.

I'm guessing that devious solicitors/barristers or a recalcitrant CPS are at the root.

 

[andyBeaker]

It already is an offence called dangerous cycling and can incur a fine of up to £2500

Yes but using a mobile while cycling is not a specific offence as also outlined in the article.

if memory serves me correctly prosecutions for car drivers using mobiles were initially under ‘driving without due care and attention’ and it was subsequently made a specific offence. The same need to happen for cyclists.

 

[Jaws]

Yes but using a mobile while cycling is not a specific offence as also outlined in the article.

if memory serves me correctly prosecutions for car drivers using mobiles were initially under ‘driving without due care and attention’ and it was subsequently made a specific offence. The same need to happen for cyclists.

Please tell the point of such a thing
Few cyclists obey present rules and or laws and admit that back when I could still cycle I was among them

 

[andyBeaker]

Please tell the point of such a thing
Few cyclists obey present rules and or laws and admit that back when I could still cycle I was among them

And your suggestion is?? Let anarchy rule?

when I was cycling regularly, particularly in London, I frequently ‘disobeyed the rules’ as it was the best way of staying alive. I’m not going to have an issue with anyone who does that, not least because of the significant disrespect that many other road users have toward cyclists.

Surely nobody is going to suggest that a cyclist using a mobile phone is acceptable? By making it a specific offence it is easy to prosecute - catching it under ‘dangerous cycling’ makes it at best significantly more difficult to prosecute.

 

[Cougar377]

Surely nobody is going to suggest that a cyclist using a mobile phone is acceptable? By making it a specific offence it is easy to prosecute -

"Easy to prosecute"....now there's a nice thought, but as plod can't seem to do anything about these illegal e-scooters I doubt there would be many prosecutions of cyclists on mobile phones.

Plod round our way are few and far between anyway.....and when they are out they're invariably doing a 30mph patrol from the comfort of their shiney new Ford Focus plodmobiles. I've yet to see one of them actually get out the vehicle, which leads me to believe they are in fact mannequins and the cars are probably in selfdrive mode.

 

[andyBeaker]

"Easy to prosecute"....now there's a nice thought, but as plod can't seem to do anything about these illegal e-scooters I doubt there would be many prosecutions of cyclists on mobile phones.

Plod round our way are few and far between anyway.....and when they are out they're invariably doing a 30mph patrol from the comfort of their shiney new Ford Focus plodmobiles. I've yet to see one of them actually get out the vehicle, which leads me to believe they are in fact mannequins and the cars are probably in selfdrive mode.

Different argument entirely. Given unlimited resources every transgression of every sort would be dealt with. For reasons I won’t bore you with I follow Sussex police closely on social media and I can guarantee whatever success they report there will be a queue of people saying ‘yeah pity you can’t do something about (whatever)‘ or ‘you should be out there dealing with real crime’

Plod need the right tools .and making it a specific offence would be the right tool. I would argue that plenty of car drivers get tickets for using mobiles now, and I would hazard that was not the case before it was made a specific offence.

For what it’s worth escooters are being seized down here as described above.

 

[ogr1]

The powers that be are missing out on
another great tax opportunity...
Bring back the Cycling proficiency test.
I believe it's called 'Bikeabilty' test now.
Include ALL the regs you want by law.
Fine any lycra clad shaved leg wannabes
when they step out of line.
Seeeeeeeeeeemples.

What is 'Bikeability'? [New Cycling Proficiency Test Explained]

Discover what Bikeability is, who it's for, how many levels there are and how much it costs for a modern-day Cycling Proficiency course.

discerningcyclist.com

 

[derek kelly]

Ok so police pull over cyclist for using his phone.
“Ok mate, what’s your name?”
“Fred Bloggs”
“Right Fred, where do you live?”
“27 upyerarse Street, bog off town”
“Do you have any id on you?”
“No”
“Ok I’ll juust make a note of your reg number…oh, hang on…..er..off you go, don’t do it again”

 

[Malone]

In which case Taser him as a ‘fine’

come to me for other solutions to the world’s problems

 

[ogr1]

Ok so police pull over cyclist for using his phone.
“Ok mate, what’s your name?”
“Fred Bloggs”
“Right Fred, where do you live?”
“27 upyerarse Street, bog off town”
“Do you have any id on you?”
“No”
“Ok I’ll juust make a note of your reg number…oh, hang on…..er..off you go, don’t do it again”

Would never happen outside yorky land.

 

[Cougar377]

Different argument entirely. Given unlimited resources every transgression of every sort would be dealt with. For reasons I won’t bore you with I follow Sussex police closely on social media and I can guarantee whatever success they report there will be a queue of people saying ‘yeah pity you can’t do something about (whatever)‘ or ‘you should be out there dealing with real crime’

Plod need the right tools .and making it a specific offence would be the right tool. I would argue that plenty of car drivers get tickets for using mobiles now, and I would hazard that was not the case before it was made a specific offence.

For what it’s worth escooters are being seized down here as described above.

Your average plod these days doesn't know half the laws they should do. Giving them more laws to try and remember, when laws already exist to prosecute with, is just wasting their time.

What we actually need is more proper coppers and especially ones who walk the streets. I agree that you can't nick everybody but at the end of the day the biggest gripe that your average member of the public has about police forces is that they don't deal with the "routine " stuff that affects peoples lives on a day to day basis and which makes most ordinary folks lives a misery.... anti-social behaviour, burglaries, theft, muggings, vandalism, etc.

 

[Duck n Dive]

Wasn't it the ex mayor of New York who said you sorted the bigger crimes by cracking down on the low level stuff.

Leaving the low level crime untouched fosters the belief that there's an "acceptable" level of criminality that will be ignored. It then becomes a game of pushing that boundary further up the acceptable list.

There'll always be those who "can't be arsed" so make excuses not to enforce.

Mind you, the ex mayor went on to not exactly cover himself in glory in other areas!

 

[Jaws]

And your suggestion is?? Let anarchy rule?

You know me so well

But is that not how things are at present ?
I, along with countless others, see daily how few cyclists obey any road rules
Even the police rarely bother to enforce said rules so what is the point of adding more rules ?