Some cyclists are above the law - it would appear!!

natrix

I've just seen two police officers riding their bicycles on the pavement, which wouldn't bother me (it was alongside a dual carriageway) if they hadn't just had a clamp down in this area on cycling on the pavement - issuing on the spot fines!!!

One law for us, another one for them

cee

i think police officers on bikes are allowed to ride on pavements in the course of thier duty....

so in some respects....the rules are different.

antfly

I don't think they they should be forcing people to ride on the dual carriageway, it's not a pleasant place to be, which is probably why they are on the pavement.

natrix

antfly wrote:

I don't think they they should be forcing people to ride on the dual carriageway, it's not a pleasant place to be, which is probably why they are on the pavement.

Its why they're riding on the pavement, but why should they force us off the pavements??

shm_uk

Oh thank God.

I thought this was going to be yet another one of those pointless rants about the nitwits who, for no reason other than their own convenience, seem to think it's possible to justify RLJing.

antfly

barnesr wrote:

antfly wrote:

I don't think they they should be forcing people to ride on the dual carriageway, it's not a pleasant place to be, which is probably why they are on the pavement.

Its why they're riding on the pavement, but why should they force us off the pavements??

They shouldn't, that's what I meant.

shm_uk

antfly wrote:

barnesr wrote:

antfly wrote:

I don't think they they should be forcing people to ride on the dual carriageway, it's not a pleasant place to be, which is probably why they are on the pavement.

Its why they're riding on the pavement, but why should they force us off the pavements??

They shouldn't, that's what I meant.

I suspect, if you asked all the pedestrians, they would say they should...

On-duty Police are permitted to cycle on the pavement.
Regular citizens are not, regardless of how big and scary the road is.

dilemna

barnesr wrote:

I've just seen two police officers riding their bicycles on the pavement, which wouldn't bother me (it was alongside a dual carriageway) if they hadn't just had a clamp down in this area on cycling on the pavement - issuing on the spot fines!!!

One law for us, another one for them

It's heath and safety that's why. Coppers these days can't do anything remotely dangerous but given half the chance they will make others do so.

antfly

shm_uk wrote:

antfly wrote:

barnesr wrote:

antfly wrote:

I don't think they they should be forcing people to ride on the dual carriageway, it's not a pleasant place to be, which is probably why they are on the pavement.

Its why they're riding on the pavement, but why should they force us off the pavements??

They shouldn't, that's what I meant.

I suspect, if you asked all the pedestrians, they would say they should...

On-duty Police are permitted to cycle on the pavement.
Regular citizens are not, regardless of how big and scary the road is.

Pavements alongside dual carriageways are rarely packed with peds, though. Around here we're allowed to use them as cycle lanes.

natrix

Now you mention it, there was a cycle lane they could have used, but they were just bimbling along the pavement - something which would have earnt me a fine :?

shm_uk

antfly wrote:

shm_uk wrote:

antfly wrote:

barnesr wrote:

antfly wrote:

I don't think they they should be forcing people to ride on the dual carriageway, it's not a pleasant place to be, which is probably why they are on the pavement.

Its why they're riding on the pavement, but why should they force us off the pavements??

They shouldn't, that's what I meant.

I suspect, if you asked all the pedestrians, they would say they should...

On-duty Police are permitted to cycle on the pavement.
Regular citizens are not, regardless of how big and scary the road is.

Pavements alongside dual carriageways are rarely packed with peds, though. Around here we're allowed to use them as cycle lanes.

Now you're confusing pavements with cycle lanes, surely?

And it's irrelevtant how busy a pavement is - it is illegal to cycle on them, full stop. It is not illegal to cycle on them only when they're busy.

shm_uk

barnesr wrote:

Now you mention it, there was a cycle lane they could have used, but they were just bimbling along the pavement - something which would have earnt me a fine :?

Massive Fail on their part then.

In a position of authority and upholding stuff and what-not, they should lead by example, regardless of whether (as Police) they are permitted to cycle on the pavement.


Having said that, judging by the number of cyclists who think it's ok to ride on the pavement for a whole load of invalid reasons, these PC's probably have the same mentality and the same list of silly excuses.

MrChuck

I don't really have a problem with the Police riding on pavements- they're not really doing what we're doing are they? Although it would be nice if they only did it when they had to and set an example the rest of the time.

ShutUpLegs

Report them to the police...oh..

rick_chasey

shm_uk wrote:

antfly wrote:

barnesr wrote:

antfly wrote:

I don't think they they should be forcing people to ride on the dual carriageway, it's not a pleasant place to be, which is probably why they are on the pavement.

Its why they're riding on the pavement, but why should they force us off the pavements??

They shouldn't, that's what I meant.

I suspect, if you asked all the pedestrians, they would say they should...

On-duty Police are permitted to cycle on the pavement.
Regular citizens are not, regardless of how big and scary the road is.

What if you're a little 5 yr old on a bike to school?

Mmm?

ooermissus

There's a mile long stretch of very straight, very fast road near me - cars regularly exceed the 60mph limit and once a year or so, someone crashes into the narrow bridge at the end (where the speed limit drops suddenly to 30 mph).

There are no houses and a pavement that carries, I'd guess, a pedestrian an hour on average. I cycle on the pavement with no compunction and really couldn't care whether or not it's illegal. (bar getting a fine of course - tackling cycling on pavements is the local police stations no 1 crime priority, according to their website)

Cycling on the road is terrifying - and I'm someone who enjoys cycling through the traffic when I'm in London.

wildmoustache

I recently had the following happen in King George's Park in South London:

- I commute through the park and there is a small (c. 100m) stretch of pavenment that is non-cycling but which from an A2B perspective makes a great deal of sense to cycle on. It's also deserted in the morning - few in any pedestrians.

I entered the park through the normal gate rounded the corner and was met by an overweight female police officer jiggling her way across the grass near the pavement, waving her arms in an effort to aprehend me. I was freewheeling slowly (I ride carefully whereever there might be peds around) and it took a moment to take in this bizarre sight. It was made all the more bizarre by the presence of a Police transit van, wheelspinning around the grass behind the said PC, presumably to provide "back up" rather than to deliberately damage the playing fields.

So of course, I stopped, and had my name taken etc. I mentioned the preponderance of dog walkers and dogs in the cycle lanes (one of which caused me to crash a week earlier in the wet) by way of trying to ensure even-handedness.

Then a day later I was coming back on the cycle lane part of the park and clocked two police officers, still more portly I have to say, riding on the pedestrianised area where I'd been apprehended.

I'm sure they are immune to the law, but it was hardly necessary for their duties, and to the onlooker such as myself, hypocritical given their crackdown.

yours,

outraged in south london.

antfly

shm_uk wrote:

antfly wrote:

shm_uk wrote:

antfly wrote:

barnesr wrote:

antfly wrote:

I don't think they they should be forcing people to ride on the dual carriageway, it's not a pleasant place to be, which is probably why they are on the pavement.

Its why they're riding on the pavement, but why should they force us off the pavements??

They shouldn't, that's what I meant.

I suspect, if you asked all the pedestrians, they would say they should...

On-duty Police are permitted to cycle on the pavement.
Regular citizens are not, regardless of how big and scary the road is.

Pavements alongside dual carriageways are rarely packed with peds, though. Around here we're allowed to use them as cycle lanes.

Now you're confusing pavements with cycle lanes, surely?

And it's irrelevtant how busy a pavement is - it is illegal to cycle on them, full stop. It is not illegal to cycle on them only when they're busy.

Then the law is an ass!
The police shouldn't be spending their time forcing harmless cyclists to ride on roads with a speed limit of 70mph.
Motorists don't like it either, they come within inches and honk their horns and make rude gestures, it's no good for anyone.

wildmoustache

As many of you will know, the police behaviour on this is driven by the need to respond to complaints, and they do receive a large number of complaints about pavement cycling. Much of this activity is undertaken by people who are not typical of those represented on this forum I suspect - in other words kids and teenagers bouncing around with their mates on BMXs. But all cyclists are caught by the crackdowns.

I can see why peds get pissed off with it to a degree, but the anti-cycling feeling runs deep in the UK, especially among the aged 50+ population IME.

ooermissus

^ +1

My local police station lists riding on the pavement as its number 1 crime fighting priority at the moment.

I expect to be inconvenienced by someone riding on the pavement maybe once a year, if that, and can't remember ever being endangered in anyway.

So yes - unless there's an epidemic of cyclists terrorising pedestrians in some part of town I don't go to much - it's driven by bloody minded prejudice, but more against teenagers than cyclists.

wildmoustache

ooermissus wrote:

^ +1

My local police station lists riding on the pavement as its number 1 crime fighting priority at the moment.

I expect to be inconvenienced by someone riding on the pavement maybe once a year, if that, and can't remember ever being endangered in anyway.

So yes - unless there's an epidemic of cyclists terrorising pedestrians in some part of town I don't go to much - it's driven by bloody minded prejudice, but more against teenagers than cyclists.

Yes, you could hardly find more of UK hate figure than the cycling teenager.

antfly

Teenagers are wankers though.

electric_blue

When I see an adult cycling on the pavement I think it's pathetic; and sometimes say so, but it's hardly crime of the century.

I have been close to being mown down by motor vehicles many times in south east London - including a few years ago when a car failed to stop when I was half way across a zebra crossing and the two police officers who saw it told me to f*** off when I tried to get them to take action.

Last year a car mounted a pavement beside me at speed before squealing to a stop. The guy got out and started screaming at me - I had done nothing - luckily his grilfriend held him back - he looked a proper nutcase.

While there are drivers on the road like these guys I see them as the top priority.

It's true that biddies who live (barely) in south east London seem to hate cyclists. I lose count of the number of them that scowl at me as I cycle through Bexley and Welling centres - and the number of mad biddies in cars who cut me up, pull out in front of me, etc. Putting my life at risk. But if I so much as put one tyre on a pavement I would be on Bexley's Most Wanted list. Bonkers.

Pokerface

Police don't make the laws. Politicians do.


If you don't like the law - talk to your MP not to your local bobby.

As for whether you are 5 or 50 - it doesn't matter. Stay off the pavement. If it's not safe to ride on the road - then DON'T. :roll:

lucan

ooermissus wrote:

My local police station lists riding on the pavement as its number 1 crime fighting priority at the moment.

In that case it won't matter when the financial cutbacks mean they have to stop targetting cyclists, will it?

There must be feck all going on where you live if they consider cycling on the pavements a big issue. Most police forces would probably say that violent crime, burglary, drugs, paedophiles, etc were issues that are a fraction more important to address than cyclists on the footpath.

zanes

Lucan wrote:

. Most police forces would probably say that violent crime, burglary, drugs, paedophiles,

=effort

cyclists on the footpath.

=easy target for headline grabbing/target meeting number of FPNs issued.....

Ollieda

Rick Chasey wrote:

What if you're a little 5 yr old on a bike to school?

Mmm?

Not sure for reference purposes but there is an exception for bikes with wheels below a certain diameter being allowed to cycle on the pavements - the intention being that a young child could cycle along the pavement with their parents walking alongside on the way to school or other such things.

Unfortuantly some BMX bikes fall within this exception, even worse - some of these BMX riders actually know the law and quote it!

antfly

I just noticed the OP now says there was a cycle lane by the dual carriageway so I take back everything I said, anyone riding on the pavement can't complain if they get pulled by Mr Plod and fined.

dilemna

Would have been worth trying to make a citizen's arrest just to see their faces. "You is both nicked!"

Pokerface

Ollieda wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

What if you're a little 5 yr old on a bike to school?

Mmm?

Not sure for reference purposes but there is an exception for bikes with wheels below a certain diameter being allowed to cycle on the pavements - the intention being that a young child could cycle along the pavement with their parents walking alongside on the way to school or other such things.

Unfortuantly some BMX bikes fall within this exception, even worse - some of these BMX riders actually know the law and quote it!

Don't know if there is a 'wheel size' rule anywhere - but this:


"The age of criminal responsibility is 10 so, technically, only children below this age can cycle on pavements without fear of redress."

Ollieda

As i said I had no form of reference but I was heading home from work the other day and walking alongside my bike whilst chatting to a colleage who was on his bmx on the pavement. We were promtly stopped and the PC told him not to cycle on the pavement and he gave this "wheel size" clause, after a bit of talk the PC contacted someone else and spoke to them (presumably someone higher up at HQ) and in the end said fine carry on but told me that I couldn't cycle along next to him as I was on a road bike.

I haven't bothered to look it up but if the police were willing to stand by it then I presume there is some legality behind it, or they just couldn't be ar*ed to have an argument about it seening as it was 9pm and we weren't causing much problems!