Don't You Just Love It When...

Pufftmw
Pufftmw Posts: 1,941
edited April 2012 in Commuting chat
Was up in town on Sunday with neph & niece and we had a few beers. Got on the bike and started cycling home. Coming down Tower Bridge Road towards Bricklayers and I'm behind a Police van. He's not going too fast and I'm on his inside. I notice that he's begining to drift to the left and that he's not looking in his mirrors, he then turns the wheel and makes a definite move to the curbside. I'm ready for this and I bang hard twice on the side of the van. He pulls back towards the centre of the road, slows down a bit and I go past and give both the coppers who are staring at me the evil eye, then pull in front shaking my head and cycle off into the distance...

Four beers to the good & I'm still more observant than they were!
1997 Gary Fisher Big Sur

2009 Scott Spark 60

2010 Ghost 5000

2011 Commencal Ramones AL1

2012 Commencal Meta AM1

Comments

  • mudcow007
    mudcow007 Posts: 3,861
    if the Police would have stopped an could smell booze on your breathe, could they have breathalysed you?
    Keeping it classy since '83
  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    mudcow007 wrote:
    if the Police would have stopped an could smell booze on your breathe, could they have breathalysed you?

    Nope.

    Been lots of discussions about this, they can't ask for a sample at all. The only crime I think would be drunk and disorderly (as being butt ugly isn't a crime yet)
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    ...a plan comes together?!
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
    FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
    FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees

    I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,816
    They can ASK for a sample, you can tell them to FRO.....

    Could still be careless cycling if they could show you you were under the influence....

    Simon
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    Hate to sound like a pedant but why undertake a moving van? If it was crawling fair enough.

    I'm not surprised he didn't see you or anticipate someone being there.
  • davis
    davis Posts: 2,506
    iPete wrote:
    Hate to sound like a pedant but why undertake a moving van? If it was crawling fair enough.

    I'm not surprised he didn't see you or anticipate someone being there.

    Don't think the OP says he undertook by my reading...
    Sometimes parts break. Sometimes you crash. Sometimes it’s your fault.
  • Agent57
    Agent57 Posts: 2,300
    davis wrote:
    iPete wrote:
    Hate to sound like a pedant but why undertake a moving van? If it was crawling fair enough.

    I'm not surprised he didn't see you or anticipate someone being there.

    Don't think the OP says he undertook by my reading...

    Well, he said "I'm behind a Police van." So he could just as well stay behind it, rather than go up the inside. (Admittedly, the following "He's not going too fast and I'm on his inside" suggests another scene, but hey ho.)
    MTB commuter / 531c commuter / CR1 Team 2009 / RockHopper Pro Disc / 10 mile PB: 25:52 (Jun 2014)
  • Pufftmw
    Pufftmw Posts: 1,941
    LOL Road at that point is quite wide. Van was middle/right of the road doing about 10mph with nothing in front. According to GPS I was doing 10-14mph around that area. There was a car sized gap to his left but he was slowly drifting to the left (from straight ahead) and narrowing the gap slightly. He then pulled to the left in a definite manouever, which was when I banged on the side of his van at the back end.

    He was not making reasonable progress nor particularly paying attention to traffic around him, which was why I was being cautious and was prepared/ready to take evasive action. Should I undertake in the car size gap or try and speed up and overtake bearing in mind oncoming traffic and the fact that the road splits into 2 lanes before the traffic lights 50m ahead? And I want to go left at the roundabout first exit. Or just hang back and maybe see the policeman pullover to the curb and stop thus blocking my way and maybe forcing me to overtake at a slower speed with the inherent danger of a car coming up fast behind me?
    1997 Gary Fisher Big Sur

    2009 Scott Spark 60

    2010 Ghost 5000

    2011 Commencal Ramones AL1

    2012 Commencal Meta AM1
  • beverick
    beverick Posts: 3,461
    Kieran_Burns wrote:
    mudcow007 wrote:
    if the Police would have stopped an could smell booze on your breathe, could they have breathalysed you?

    Nope.

    Been lots of discussions about this, they can't ask for a sample at all. The only crime I think would be drunk and disorderly (as being butt ugly isn't a crime yet)

    As above,the breathalyser (and subsequent evidential breath/blood test) is only for drivers of motor vehicles.

    However, in the absence of being able to use the above tools, there's no measure available and it is purely down to the officer to determine whether you should be arrested for the offence of cycling whilst unfit through drink or drugs. Laying a charge, and securing a conviction, are two separate items of course!

    Bob

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