Police Attitude to Cyclists

Sewinman

I was astonished at the actions of a police van today. I was at the lights by Kennington Park, where Brixton Road joins the Clapham road. There are two lanes of traffic. A girl was in the right lane in the ASL on a hybrid. The lights change and she pulls off, she was pretty slow but moving. I was in the left lane and suddenly someone starts blowing their horn over and over. I turned to look and it was a police van beeping at this girl to get out of the way. He did not have his lights or siren on. Eventually she swings into our lane clearly crapping herself and he overtakes and goes left. So he was in the wrong lane and decided to intimidate a cyclist who had every right to be in that lane, so he could overtake and get in the lane he should have been in.

What kind of message does that send...I am glad it was not me he tried it with as i probably would have got in trouble.

:evil:

lost_in_thought

Unbelieveable.

I'd have struggled not to have words on that one - the police should be setting an example.

Soul Boy

I think I saw this. Was on the 133, because I'm out for beers tonight. I was watching with some amazement. She was a bit slow and wobbly, but come on of all the road users out there you'd think they would show a little respect.

I also noticed they did nothing about the motorbikes in the ASL before they decided to cut her up!!!! :evil:

il_principe

Soul Boy wrote:

I think I saw this. Was on the 133, because I'm out for beers tonight.

MTFU Soul Boy.

biondino

Perhaps it was just one ars3hole who happens to be a copper?

If I'd have been her I'd have stayed in the lane and slowed down to make sure I was safe.

Soul Boy

You can get back on to LondonFGSS!!!!

I daw the drinking/cycling line at being able to stand, I don't intend to be able to stand after tonight, nah.

You do see some things from the top deck of buses, some incredible cycling out there today. :roll:

Cafewanda

biondino wrote:

Perhaps it was just one ars3hole who happens to be a copper?

If I'd have been her I'd have stayed in the lane and slowed down to make sure I was safe.

+1

and before anybody asks.............. that WASN'T me :P

Sewinman

Yes, that was it. She was slow and wobbly, but even more reason not to intimidate her. As they drove past i looked in the cab and a police woman was shaking her head and mouthing off. I was seething about it all the way to work.

I also saw the most awful RLJer today. We all pull up before turning right towards the Cut. There is a bus lane to our left which is closed for construction and the light in that lane is green. Our lane has a separate light and its red. This girl starts going 'oi, its green' and pushes through, rides through the red light shaking her head like she is really in the know and we are all numpties!!? I catch up and think about telling her but then think 'she just made a mistake' and just overtake, we then get to the Cut and she undertakes me in the cycle lane and RLJs through a red light!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAARGGGHGHGGGHHGHGHGHHH! :evil:

Lovely cycle in though :P

_Brun_

I was at the ped crossing at the top of Tottenham Court Rd earlier in the week. As the lights were flashing amber and as I set off from primary in the middle lane, someone behind started beeping at us. Just about to give them the finger, when I get full-on ambulance siren which nearly gave me a f@#king heart attack.

I can appreciate that I needed to get out of the way, but since flashing blue lights are near impossible to see in broad daylight without a mirror, a more subtle way of alerting me to their presence would've been nice.

Soul Boy

The horn was a bit muffled, I was sat there thinking, they haven't just done that, have they?

It was pure intimidation, but I didn't even think to get the number :oops:

That is a weird junction, I usually stay left to let the fast traffic (mainly hell for leather motorbikes) pass, then swing over to the right to go straight on once the coast is clearer. Bearing in mind I start from a trackstand, i'm off those lights pretty quick. It is a bit dodgy to stay out in the middle of three lanes, especially if you know you are slow, but having said that she was perfectly within her rights to be in that lane. A little patience by the copppers would have been nice.

Like I say, pretty miffed myself, especially as they choose to ignore the motorbikes in the ASL, then proceed to cut up an inexperienced rider.

always_tyred

Seems to me that you have two witnesses who can independently complain.

Sewinman

Agreed, nasty junction. I would do what you do if I went straight. Motorbikes take the chronic there too. Have seen them using the bike lane to get to the ASL, then filling it entirely, so you get a big line of cyclists sitting in the bike lane.

Anyway, as said already - there are d8cks in all walks of life...but of all professions, what a way to behave.

Soul Boy

Brun.

I did this once to an impatient driver, I was horrified as the white car with hi viz stripes, blues going, came past. The bugger though stopped his squad car in the middle of the road, roadblock style, just to tell me next time he'd break my f-ing finger off. Then drove off at speed with lights flashing, but now using sirens too. Nice work big man....I was 14 and in school uniform.

Soul Boy

AT, didn't get the details of the van.....wasn't really thinking about follow up, just saw the incident.

Would we need them?
Who would you report to?

Cheers fella.

Sewinman

Not sure its really a reportable incident though is it?

lost_in_thought

Yeah, I do think that in urban areas emergency vehicles should have their sirens going all the time if they want cyclists to get out of the way.

We don't have mirrors, so can't see the blue lights, beeping just makes us think 'idiot'. However, if I hear a siren coming, I start looking for it and make damn sure I'm not in the way of the vehicle it's coming from.

always_tyred

Soul Boy wrote:

AT, didn't get the details of the van.....wasn't really thinking about follow up, just saw the incident.

Would we need them?
Who would you report to?

Cheers fella.

No idea. If it was traffic police, they might have been recording anyway. If it wasn't I guess it was just two ignorant thugs in a brightly coloured van that their employers would most likely calim to be unable to track down.

lost_in_thought

Sewinman wrote:

Not sure its really a reportable incident though is it?

Hmmmm, might get them a slapped wrist, and worth it if it does. There might be CCTV at the junction too...

itboffin

Il Principe wrote:

Soul Boy wrote:

I think I saw this. Was on the 133, because I'm out for beers tonight.

MTFU Soul Boy.

+1

Aidy

If you have a time and a location, I would hope they would have sufficient awareness of the police vans in that kind of area at the time.

I'd imagine it's worthwhile lodging a complaint in any case. Someone might pay attention.

spen666

biondino wrote:

Perhaps it was just one ars3hole who happens to be a copper?

If I'd have been her I'd have stayed in the lane and slowed down to make sure I was safe.

Ah another devotee of the view that a horn is only used to warn of danger and if there is danger, I'd better slow down until I know what the danger is.....



I use it regularly

AndyManc

Always keep a camera handy (Im thinking of buying a top tube bag) , it will grab all the details, time, registration ,area etc.



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daviesee

AndyManc wrote:

Always keep a camera handy (Im thinking of buying a top tube bag) , it will grab all the details, time, registration ,area etc.



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Helmet cam?

AndyManc

daviesee wrote:

AndyManc wrote:

Always keep a camera handy (Im thinking of buying a top tube bag) , it will grab all the details, time, registration ,area etc.



.

Helmet cam?

Yea I have got a helmet cam, but they are a hassle keeping everything charged and also having to carry a rucksack to keep everything in.

Compact camera's stay charged for months, I always have it with me.


.

daviesee

Fair enough.

Was just thinking of those "d@mn, too late" moments

edhornby

Highway code is pretty clear on when you can and can't use a horn - and this copper is in the wrong, I'd phone and complain, just in case someone else not on these boards has seen it and done the same...

Porgy

_Brun_ wrote:

I was at the ped crossing at the top of Tottenham Court Rd earlier in the week. As the lights were flashing amber and as I set off from primary in the middle lane, someone behind started beeping at us. Just about to give them the finger, when I get full-on ambulance siren which nearly gave me a f@#king heart attack.

I can appreciate that I needed to get out of the way, but since flashing blue lights are near impossible to see in broad daylight without a mirror, a more subtle way of alerting me to their presence would've been nice.

I was cycling up through Camberwell some years ago and going at a good speed - heading south on Camberwell New Road, when the lights changed just prior to me going through them - knowing these lights well -that I had plenty of time to get through before traffic started from the adjacent road - and that traffic geernally ran these lights at speed - so the idea that I might stop suddenly was probably not a good idea (previously i have been rear ended when a car behind me didn't expect me to stop at a red ight) I decided not to stop.

The car behind me beeped as I was going across the junction; I quickly turn and give the finger. It's a police car. :shock:

I decide to run the next set of lights, cut across the paveement, straight into a narrow back street, through a gate, and home.

I am a reformed character these days btw - so please don;t have a go - there's be no point.

leoccp

In the OPs case sounds like someone trying to intimidate the (just a) cyclist

lost_in_thought wrote:

We don't have mirrors, so can't see the blue lights, beeping just makes us think 'idiot'. However, if I hear a siren coming, I start looking for it and make damn sure I'm not in the way of the vehicle it's coming from.

Beeping makes me look around for what's trying to warn me?

I'm not sure it's as black and white as always use a siren. If hypothetically you were attending a crime scene and didn't want to warn suspects of your arrival from a couple of blocks away would you use lights but no siren? (I don't know if the police are able to do this)

:?

lost_in_thought

leoccp wrote:

In the OPs case sounds like someone trying to intimidate the (just a) cyclist

lost_in_thought wrote:

We don't have mirrors, so can't see the blue lights, beeping just makes us think 'idiot'. However, if I hear a siren coming, I start looking for it and make damn sure I'm not in the way of the vehicle it's coming from.

Beeping makes me look around for what's trying to warn me?

I'm not sure it's as black and white as always use a siren. If hypothetically you were attending a crime scene and didn't want to warn suspects of your arrival from a couple of blocks away would you use lights but no siren? (I don't know if the police are able to do this)

:?

You make a fair point about arriving subtly, not something I'd considered.

And yeah, if someone beeps I will look, eventually, you're right, although if I'm doing no wrong I'll probably think 'w@nker' first because of the people I sometimes have beeping at me in a 'get out of the way, you are a cyclist and do not belong here' manner.

If they have the sirens running I'll already be well out of the way, so no beeping will be needed. What about a short blast on the siren as opposed to a beep? One little woop of a siren and I'll be out of the way.

Eau Rouge

Blue lights do reflect off road signs in front of you. The last two abulances I've encoutnered coming from behind had light but no sirens. The first time it took me until they passed to realise what the bluish tinge to the roadsign was, the second time I knew they were coming a lot earlier.

That was at night though, I'm not sure how easy to spot it would be in daylight.

dilemna

I'd encourage anyone who saw it to report it to the IPCC. This lady cyclist was clearly inexperienced or nervous or both and the police behaviour toward her was disgusting. It was a totally inappropriate use of their vehicle's horn to bully and harrass another road user out of the way. These police officers seem to be thugs in uniforms. They seem on the face of it to have brought the police force into disrepute and to not upholding the values they are required to adhere to when they qualify. Given the Met's other recent indiscretions and misdemeanours the over all picture of the force is of an arrogant, selfish bunch of people who won't hesitate to use the law for their benefit or to harass or intimidate people. Instead of there being a few bad apples there really seems to be a whole tree .