Coppers, you got anything better to do?

petemadoc

Here's a little run down of what happened to me today on my commute home.

Heavy slow moving traffic coming up to a pelican crossing and I'm just behind a police car. All the traffic stops for the red light and I slowly move up to the front of the queue and stop at the lights too, the police car is two cars behind now. When all the pedestrians are finished crossing I jump the red light and move to the next junction and ride of as normal.

Further off down the road when all the traffic has cleared and I'm doing a steady 20mph I hear a car beeping me, turn round and it's the police car. I get a good old talking too and he tells me that I should obey the rules of the road as I am the same as any other vehicle. I just agreed and said sorry lots as I didn't want a fine or anything silly like that.

My opinion is that it's safer to move away from the red light before the cars (if safe to do so) because they never give you any room. There was a parked car not too far infront of the crossing and the last thing I wanted was to be wedged between a car pulling away and the parked car.

What really miffs me is have they got nothing better to do? There's kids driving round like idiots and murders to be xolved and stuff like that.

:roll:

Mr Sworld

Arrrgggg!

Not another RLJ thread! :evil:

petemadoc

Erm OK . . . just seen the other 14 page thread on jumping lights.

Think I better add I'd stopped at the lights and waiting for all peds to get completely clear before slowly moving away from the lights. I didn't fly through at 20mph skimming some old ladies shopping or anything.

Zachariah

Sympathy level = 0. Consider yourself lucky you didn't get a fine.

Agent57

So you broke the law, a cop told you off for it, and you're asking have they nothing better to do? Well, frankly, that strikes me as them doing their job. I do wish they'd do it with more consistency, mind.

taz3611

I guess if they'd seen all those kids driving around like idiots and the murderers then I'm fairly sure they'd have done something about it. If you didn't want a talking to from them then maybe you shouldn't have broken a law (no matter how inconsequential you think it is). I agree that sometimes it might be safer to get away from the moving vehicles, but the laws the law. You can imagine others watching you be reckless (in their opinion) and seeing the police turn a blind eye. If you know you've broken a law then you can't really moan about the police speaking to you about it. Just don't do it in front of them.

petemadoc

taz3611 wrote:

I guess if they'd seen all those kids driving around like idiots and the murderers then I'm fairly sure they'd have done something about it. If you didn't want a talking to from them then maybe you shouldn't have broken a law (no matter how inconsequential you think it is). I agree that sometimes it might be safer to get away from the moving vehicles, but the laws the law. You can imagine others watching you be reckless (in their opinion) and seeing the police turn a blind eye. If you know you've broken a law then you can't really moan about the police speaking to you about it. Just don't do it in front of them.

So it's ok as long as it's not in front of a police man (or woman).

I suppose I'm pi55ed off cos the other day one stopped me in my car telling me I wasn't insured. I told him I was (which I was) and showed him my insurance cert, he still wasn't having it and phoned up the insurance company who told him I was too. But about 30 seconds into this conversation another guy stopped the conversation to tell this copper that some kids were running after someone with a baseball bat and other weapons, his response was "just let me deal with this and I'll look into it"

FFS, what are their prioroties? Cacthing cyclists who jump a red light a bit early and hassling people with their familes in the car instead of dealing with the real problems in society.

Agent57

I think you need to pay more attention to the Daily Mail, mate. We cyclists *are* the real problems in society.

soundninjauk

Regardless of different people's views on the wonders of the RLJ, it's possible that it wasn't the brightest idea to do it right in front of a police car you'd just passed.

taz3611

Did I say it was ok? I was saying that if you don't want a talking to then don't take the chance and do it in front of them. If someone wants to knowingly break a law, then they can't complain if they get pulled up for it. Seems like this is becoming more of a regular attitude these days. Surely if you get caught doing something you shouldn't then put your hands up and admit it. Whining about it not being fair is not really the adult way.
In regards to the person telling the policeman about the kids with the bats, they could have been someone who was trying to get you off from a b@llocking from the police by trying to get them away. Saying that, we all are guilty of not seeing enough from the other persons point of view.

petemadoc

soundninjauk wrote:

Regardless of different people's views on the wonders of the RLJ, it's possible that it wasn't the brightest idea to do it right in front of a police car you'd just passed.

True true

It just seems so trivial though. I would completely understand if I'd completely ignored the light but I stopped first, waited for everythig to clear and moved off maybe 5 seconds before the light changed. oh well, the law is the law! and in the words of Judge Dredd

"I AM THE LAW! ! "

I bet that's how they feel inside

taz3611

I'm sure they'd rather have not to have to speak to you about it

Kieran_Burns

Okay I'll bite. Once.

Jumping red lights is illegal.

The Police are there to uphold the law.

You were caught breaking the law, the Police did their job.

If they had driven past without a word, then it could be construed as tacit tolerance or approval of your act.

Hrun

You ran a red light and got told off.

The police were right to stop you as they should anyone breaking the law on the road. If you were in a car it could have ended in a fine and points on your licence. You got off lightly.

whyamihere

*yawn*