Stopped by the police for not cycling primary position

moonio

I was stopped by the police today due to not cycling in primary position at a junction, they said that I should be in the middle of the lane at a junction and not on the left, so I asked him what the situation would be if cars were in the ASL and he said it was legal for them to be there if the light turned red as they were nearing the junction.
He also said they were having a zero tolerance RLJ week and fines would be given to anyone caught!

I asked if this was anything to do with the cyclist accident near upper Thames street and he claimed not to know anything about it.

Has anyone else experienced any extra attention from the police today? It seems that they focus their attentions on cyclist after an accident, serving up fines and offering advice etc, but I wonder if they do the same for the HGV drivers???

il_principe

Well I suppose it's a good thing if they're offering sensible advice. Not sure what to make of his comment re ASL though. But IMHO it's better to be behind vehicles rather than alongside on narrow roads or around large vehicles.

Where were you stopped?

biondino

His comments about ASLs are correct, though. Were you told off, or just given advice, Moonio? Hopefully the former!

moonio

Hehe..thanks!! it was kind of a mild telling off, but we also had a long conversation about safety in general which resulted in me being 20mins late for work!!
Apparently I have to read my cycle craft book again and look at page 84 specifically!!!

Porgy

It's going to get confusing though - wasn't there a case a year or two ago of the a cyclist being charged for actually being in the primary position and alledgedly "holding up the traffic" - it went to court and was upheld!!

In the end we're going to be told contradictory stuff by different officers.

And I don;t need adivce as much as the average motorist, thankyou very mcuh!! :evil:

Porgy

moonio wrote:

Hehe..thanks!! it was kind of a mild telling off, but we also had a long conversation about safety in general which resulted in me being 20mins late for work!!
Apparently I have to read my cycle craft book again and look at page 84 specifically!!!

will the police be there when you get handbrake turned by an essex chav driving a white van i wonder?

cjcp

moonio wrote:

but I wonder if they do the same for the HGV drivers???

What about drivers full stop?

condorman

I was stopped by the Police earlier this year just after the Elephant & Castle roundabout not long after a cycling fatality. They were pulling over all cyclists and HGV drivers and handing out a TFL leaflet about the dangers of undertaking. For a split second I thought about making a run (or should that be a sprint?) for it to see if they'd send the motorbike off in pursuit - I had visions of appearing of one of those Police, Camera, whatever programmes!

I was polite, told the Officer I didn't undertake, thanked him for this time and leaflet and was on my way in about 30 seconds. Other cyclists that seemed to want to enjoy a debate about road traffic enforcement were there for much longer.

always_tyred

Porgy wrote:

It's going to get confusing though - wasn't there a case a year or two ago of the a cyclist being charged for actually being in the primary position and alledgedly "holding up the traffic" - it went to court and was upheld!!

In the end we're going to be told contradictory stuff by different officers.

And I don;t need adivce as much as the average motorist, thankyou very mcuh!! :evil:

I thought that was a US case.

Porgy

Always Tyred wrote:

Porgy wrote:

It's going to get confusing though - wasn't there a case a year or two ago of the a cyclist being charged for actually being in the primary position and alledgedly "holding up the traffic" - it went to court and was upheld!!

In the end we're going to be told contradictory stuff by different officers.

And I don;t need adivce as much as the average motorist, thankyou very mcuh!! :evil:

I thought that was a US case.

pretty sure it was UK - the CTC took it up.

always_tyred

Porgy wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

Porgy wrote:

It's going to get confusing though - wasn't there a case a year or two ago of the a cyclist being charged for actually being in the primary position and alledgedly "holding up the traffic" - it went to court and was upheld!!

In the end we're going to be told contradictory stuff by different officers.

And I don;t need adivce as much as the average motorist, thankyou very mcuh!! :evil:

I thought that was a US case.

pretty sure it was UK - the CTC took it up.

anger rising at the injustice of it.......

spen666

Porgy wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

Porgy wrote:

It's going to get confusing though - wasn't there a case a year or two ago of the a cyclist being charged for actually being in the primary position and alledgedly "holding up the traffic" - it went to court and was upheld!!

In the end we're going to be told contradictory stuff by different officers.

And I don;t need adivce as much as the average motorist, thankyou very mcuh!! :evil:

I thought that was a US case.

pretty sure it was UK - the CTC took it up.

It was Daniel Cadden's case in Telford and was rapidly kicked out by the Crown Court on appeal

always_tyred

spen666 wrote:

Porgy wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

Porgy wrote:

It's going to get confusing though - wasn't there a case a year or two ago of the a cyclist being charged for actually being in the primary position and alledgedly "holding up the traffic" - it went to court and was upheld!!

In the end we're going to be told contradictory stuff by different officers.

And I don;t need adivce as much as the average motorist, thankyou very mcuh!! :evil:

I thought that was a US case.

pretty sure it was UK - the CTC took it up.

It was Daniel Cadden's case in Telford and was rapidly kicked out by the Crown Court on appeal

rage subsides.

graeme_s-2

Porgy wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

Porgy wrote:

It's going to get confusing though - wasn't there a case a year or two ago of the a cyclist being charged for actually being in the primary position and alledgedly "holding up the traffic" - it went to court and was upheld!!

In the end we're going to be told contradictory stuff by different officers.

And I don;t need adivce as much as the average motorist, thankyou very mcuh!! :evil:

I thought that was a US case.

pretty sure it was UK - the CTC took it up.

And had the original judgement overturned at appeal. The appeal judge said there was "no case to answer".

http://www.citycycling.co.uk/issue20/issue20page23.html

risi

This is the one - http://www.cyclingnorthwales.co.uk/pages/telford.htm

Acquitted at re-trial so you can let your anger subside slightly. Reserve it for the original judge though.

Edit: TOO SLOOOOW

Porgy

risi wrote:

This is the one - http://www.cyclingnorthwales.co.uk/pages/telford.htm

Acquitted at re-trial so you can let your anger subside slightly. Reserve it for the original judge though.

Edit: TOO SLOOOOW

and of course the police for stopping the guy in the first place. Does kind of imply that some police forces may not know what the F*** they're talking about when it comes to cyclists.

always_tyred

Porgy wrote:

and of course the police for stopping the guy in the first place. Does kind of imply that some police forces may not know what the F*** they're talking about when it comes to THE LAW.

Fixed that for you.

Porgy

Always Tyred wrote:

Porgy wrote:

and of course the police for stopping the guy in the first place. Does kind of imply that some police forces may not know what the F*** they're talking about when it comes to THE LAW.

Fixed that for you.

8)

_Brun_

Always Tyred wrote:

Porgy wrote:

and of course the police for stopping the guy in the first place. Does kind of imply that some police forces may not know what the F*** they're talking about when it comes to ANYTHING.

Fixed that for you.

Double fixed. :P

Kieran_Burns

So much anger in this thread. Anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering....

When are you going to start riding CX bikes then?

AndyManc

moonio wrote:

I was stopped by the police today due to not cycling in primary position at a junction,

Where in the highway code does it say that cyclists MUST take the primary position .

Each cyclist must take into account their own experience, confidence and level of skill as to how they approach junctions .... I would have told him to f*** off, (very quietly).


.

moonio

I nearly told him to f-off, but he had started the 'conversation' by saying 'you're not a very good cyclist are you' so I knew he was looking for a rise.
He also said I wasn't looking behind me but quickly changed his story when I said I had a mirror on my bike!
I asked him why the police don't fine drivers who creep into the ASL and he spun some line about how they get the same £60 for jumping red lights as they do for being in the ASL so its really hard to police..

hmmmmmmm....

Porgy

moonio wrote:

I nearly told him to f-off, but he had started the 'conversation' by saying 'you're not a very good cyclist are you' so I knew he was looking for a rise.
He also said I wasn't looking behind me but quickly changed his story when I said I had a mirror on my bike!

Bloody hell!! :shock:


As my wife put it - I have police-triggered tourettes. I probably would have told him to f.uck off - very loudly - as indeed i have done in the past. It doesn't exactly endear me to our boys in blue i'm afraid - i've always had a tricky relationship with the police. Odd - though as I am pretty law abiding really.

moonio

To be honest he was actually not that bad a guy and seemed to be trying to help, he offered me a cycling training lesson and told me to look at my cycle craft book again.

I think that like us he is sick of hearing about female cyclists being left hooked by HGVs so took a particularly harsh stance this morning.

doog442

Porgy wrote:

Bloody hell!! :shock:


As my wife put it - I have police-triggered tourettes. I probably would have told him to f.uck off - very loudly - as indeed i have done in the past. It doesn't exactly endear me to our boys in blue i'm afraid - i've always had a tricky relationship with the police. Odd - though as I am pretty law abiding really.

you obviously dont live in West Yorkshire...that sort of remark to a police officer would see a police induced clipless pedal moment for you

...a known cure for police- triggered tourettes

AndyManc

moonio wrote:

To be honest he was actually not that bad a guy and seemed to be trying to help, he offered me a cycling training lesson and told me to look at my cycle craft book again.

.

What a patronising c***. did he look about 18 and have acne all over his brainwashed head.

I would have written to the chief constable telling him to get his staff sorted out. :twisted:


.

Wallace1492

Kieran_Burns wrote:

So much anger in this thread. Anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering....

When are you going to start riding CX bikes then?

Today!! It arrives today!!!