Bike lane from Westminster Bridge to Horseguards

cjcp

Spotted this for the first time this morning. Duly saw three Met Police vehicles parked in their usual spot (just before the left turn for the big building with big metal gates and guys with guns guarding it) in the bike lane.

FFS.

By chance, saw some Met Police cyclists just before Embankment tube and explained what I'd seen. They accepted this was a "poor show".

What are the odds they or other vehicles are there tomorrow?

Are we allowed to leave notes on Met Police vehicles? Or do I risk incurring the wrath of the guys with guns?

prj45

Yup I saw it and used it.

Massive van parked on the double reds taking up the whole width of it, the mandatory part too (so on double reds and in a mandatory cycle lane). Just by the back of the MOD so I presume it was official or it would've been destroyed with a controlled explosion.

Edit, right here it was, just where that car is:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=h ... 9,,0,27.07

prj45

cjcp wrote:

Are we allowed to leave notes on Met Police vehicles?

I wouldn't, I know somebody that did, DNA swab and a few hours at the nick.

jonginge

cjcp wrote:

Spotted this for the first time this morning. Duly saw three Met Police vehicles parked in their usual spot (just before the left turn for the big building with big metal gates and guys with guns guarding it) in the bike lane.

FFS.

Yeah, I saw it this morning and thought exactly the same. Was going to post but then forgot :oops:

The second half of the lane is marked by a solid line, too
Hang on, have they removed the motorcycle parking, too?

Christophe3967

cjcp wrote:

Spotted this for the first time this morning. Duly saw three Met Police vehicles parked in their usual spot (just before the left turn for the big building with big metal gates and guys with guns guarding it) in the bike lane.

FFS.

By chance, saw some Met Police cyclists just before Embankment tube and explained what I'd seen. They accepted this was a "poor show".

What are the odds they or other vehicles are there tomorrow?

Are we allowed to leave notes on Met Police vehicles? Or do I risk incurring the wrath of the guys with guns?

You Tube is the way to go. Camera phone - name and shame, job done

cjcp

prj45 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Are we allowed to leave notes on Met Police vehicles?

I wouldn't, I know somebody that did, DNA swab and a few hours at the nick.

Hmm. Ok. How about another approach: ride up to the gates and ask them why they've parked their vans/cars there when there's clearly more than enough space behind these gate?

prj45

JonGinge wrote:

Hang on, have they removed the motorcycle parking, too?

No, that's further down IIRC, and just before it the tell tale black rectangles of a pre natal bike hire docking station.

prj45

cjcp wrote:

Hmm. Ok. How about another approach: ride up to the gates and ask them why they've parked their vans/cars there when there's clearly more than enough space behind these gate?

On the floor with five armed police pointing their Heckler & Koch MP5's at you while one stands on your head and tazers you in the nads, and then 21 days at Paddington Green without charge for that I reckon.

cjcp

prj45 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Hmm. Ok. How about another approach: ride up to the gates and ask them why they've parked their vans/cars there when there's clearly more than enough space behind these gate?

On the floor with five armed police pointing their Heckler & Koch MP5's at you while one stands on your head, and then 21 days at Paddington Green without charge for that I reckon.

Right. Might choose the letter-of-complaint route in that case...

prj45

cjcp wrote:

Right. Might choose the letter-of-complaint route in that case...

F**k are you sure?

You want your entire family and close relations subjected to dawn raids and sent to guantanamo bay?

MonkeyMonster

prj45 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Right. Might choose the letter-of-complaint route in that case...

F**k are you sure?

You want your entire family and close relations subjected to dawn raids and sent to guantanamo bay?

Chuckle

To be fair, I can remember loads of times i've seen stationary police vans or cars there...

lost_in_thought

I always want to say 'hey, nice bike' to them.

I did say that to some of the cavalry who were riding their horses in the cycle lane in the park once.

They found it relatively amusing, but carried on as they were.

rjsterry

Spotted this yesterday as well. Also noticed that it's a solid white line - i.e. mandatory cycle lane rather than advisory - which is good. Or would be if the Met hadn't used it as a parking area.

You might get told to clear off, but I can't see any reason why you shouldn't at least politely mention it to anyone with the vehicles. I don't think we've turned into that much of a police state just yet. If you don't get any joy, perhaps a letter to Boris or the IPCC?

rjsterry

Free of gun-toting police this morning - just a load of bladdy scooters. EDIT: it seems they were only temporarily absent.

W1

FFS this is absurd. Spotted it yesterday, three police cars parked in it. This morning - three police cars parked in it. And it appears to be full of mopeds and motorbikes (even the mandatory part), and a number of them rode straight past another policecar sitting in the queue - who did nothing!

What is the point of making a cycle lane if it's not going to be enforced even if the police are sitting there, let alone actually sitting in the lane and blocking it!

It's actually just a magnet for motorbikes - brilliant.

And did anyone else see the THREE police bikes waiting at Lambeth bridge? Could they not have put one of them at Vauxhall Bridge to enforce the ASL?

Ridiculous.

rjsterry

W1 wrote:

FFS this is absurd. Spotted it yesterday, three police cars parked in it. This morning - three police cars parked in it. And it appears to be full of mopeds and motorbikes (even the mandatory part), and a number of them rode straight past another policecar sitting in the queue - who did nothing!

What is the point of making a cycle lane if it's not going to be enforced even if the police are sitting there, let alone actually sitting in the lane and blocking it!

It's actually just a magnet for motorbikes - brilliant.

And did anyone else see the THREE police bikes waiting at Lambeth bridge? Could they not have put one of them at Vauxhall Bridge to enforce the ASL?

Ridiculous.

Yep, saw them all having a nice chat 'working hard'. All this talk of cuts affecting front line policing - how would we tell?

NWLondoner

Whenever I have rode that route there has ALWAYS been police cars and vans parked there.

Probably a strategic meeting point so if anything happens around the "westminster" area they can arrive straight away :?:

lost_in_thought

Actually, serious suggestion, write to the Metro or other London newspaper - I say the Metro 'cause it's owned by the daily mail and they love a bit of outrage. Take a photo of the police cars in the bike lane to support your assertions. Lots of touristy stuff round there that you *could* be taking a photo of.

hells

I'm pretty sure the police can park their vehicles where ever they want when on a job. Blue light services have a whole heap of exemptions to allow us to do our jobs. I wont hesitate to park the ambulance in a cycle lane if it means I am as close as possible to my patient and it increases the ease and speed of getting them into the ambulance or if it means I don't completely block the road for the next 20 mins to an hour whilst I am dealing with that call.

lost_in_thought

Completely agree that ambulances should be able to park/stop wherever the heck they want to do their jobs and attend to the needy.

However, police cars that appear to be doing nothing but hanging out? Not so sure.

Sewinman

Careful, you might got stopped and searched 'for being in the vicinity of an iconic landmark', as my Turkish mate did last year. :roll:

Key them.

W1

hells wrote:

I'm pretty sure the police can park their vehicles where ever they want when on a job. Blue light services have a whole heap of exemptions to allow us to do our jobs. I wont hesitate to park the ambulance in a cycle lane if it means I am as close as possible to my patient and it increases the ease and speed of getting them into the ambulance or if it means I don't completely block the road for the next 20 mins to an hour whilst I am dealing with that call.

Indeed, but they are blatently not on a job.

el_presidente

W1 wrote:

hells wrote:

I'm pretty sure the police can park their vehicles where ever they want when on a job. Blue light services have a whole heap of exemptions to allow us to do our jobs. I wont hesitate to park the ambulance in a cycle lane if it means I am as close as possible to my patient and it increases the ease and speed of getting them into the ambulance or if it means I don't completely block the road for the next 20 mins to an hour whilst I am dealing with that call.

Indeed, but they are blatently not on a job.

AHEM those doughnuts don't eat themselves you know

cjcp

W1 wrote:

hells wrote:

I'm pretty sure the police can park their vehicles where ever they want when on a job. Blue light services have a whole heap of exemptions to allow us to do our jobs. I wont hesitate to park the ambulance in a cycle lane if it means I am as close as possible to my patient and it increases the ease and speed of getting them into the ambulance or if it means I don't completely block the road for the next 20 mins to an hour whilst I am dealing with that call.

Indeed, but they are blatently not on a job.

Damn right. This morning, there was no one in the driver's seat, just a chap in the front passenger seat, who looked as if he was really busy.... texting.

It's very possible however that the driver had dashed in to the subsidised doughnut shop just inside the big gates before heading out on a job.

Specialized Needs

rjsterry wrote:

W1 wrote:

And did anyone else see the THREE police bikes waiting at Lambeth bridge? Could they not have put one of them at Vauxhall Bridge to enforce the ASL?

Ridiculous.

Yep, saw them all having a nice chat 'working hard'. All this talk of cuts affecting front line policing - how would we tell?

As it was a Wednesday, I was sort of assuming they'd had a tip off about those bikers who are protesting about Westminster parking charges hitting Lambeth Bridge again.

W1

Well it was clear of plod this morning - lets hope it stays that way.

cjcp

W1 wrote:

Well it was clear of plod this morning - lets hope it stays that way.

Yep, bit of a surprise that one!

NWLondoner

cjcp wrote:

W1 wrote:

Well it was clear of plod this morning - lets hope it stays that way.

Yep, bit of a surprise that one!

Maybe they are helping protect the Pakistani President on his visit?

There would be floods of complaints if anything happened to him

asprilla

NWLondoner wrote:

cjcp wrote:

W1 wrote:

Well it was clear of plod this morning - lets hope it stays that way.

Yep, bit of a surprise that one!

Maybe they are helping protect the Pakistani President on his visit?

There would be floods of complaints if anything happened to him

I shouldn't, but I did.

jonginge

NWLondoner wrote:

cjcp wrote:

W1 wrote:

Well it was clear of plod this morning - lets hope it stays that way.

Yep, bit of a surprise that one!

Maybe they are helping protect the Pakistani President on his visit?

There would be floods of complaints if anything happened to him

Ooof

rjsterry

No plod, but a socking great delivery lorry when I went past this morning.

BTW, OT, but how are you finding your Ashima pads JG? Mine are going in the bin this weekend if not before after last nights farce.