I nearly fell off this morning on Bishopsgate.... from shock

noodles71

Nothing new this morning with Police scoping for cyclists running the red at Bishopsgate & Camomile St. For the first time in 12 years of London commuting however I saw what I thought would never happen. Said policeman walks over to a car that rolled all the way into the ASL and starts to compliment the driver on his nice bike. Driver gives back some attitude and out comes the ticket book.

I'm quite tempted to do a FOI request at the end of the year to see if there really was a ticket issued by City of London police this year for an ASL offence.

There can't be too many issued over the years so I better be fair and say well done to the policeman when credit is due. There is at least one who seems to understand all cyclists don't jump reds and is willing to apply the law against all of the traffic when applicable.

asprilla

It's been all over the news for the last few days that they are clamping down on ASL encroachment and RLJing.

vermin

Asprilla wrote:

It's been all over the news for the last few days that they are clamping down on ASL encroachment and RLJing.

And yet, when I gently (and it really was polite and gentle) alerted a van driver to that fact, in Brixton on Friday night, he kindly offered to run me over and kill me at the next set of lights.

Headhuunter

I don't think this has filtered all the way through the police force yet though. At the London 100 mile bike ride thing a couple of weeks ago, I did the whole sit in the lorry and see what visibility was like etc from the driving seat.

The officer and I then moved on to discussing ASLs, he reiterated the usual line that ASLs have no legal basis and that they cannot stop drivers from driving into them, he said that the law may change next year but at the moment they can't enforce them (yet some officers DO seem to be able to enforce them is this thread is anything to go by). He went on to say that they would need to start fining cyclists who enter the ASL from any way other than the cycle lane as they cross a firm white stop line...

To be honest this came across as quite unhelpful and pedantic. I've been stopped by the police for passing through an ASL. One time a police motorcyclists was sat in the ASL in The City (alongside a van and a cab IIRC) and as I passed out the other side, came up along side ME to tell ME that I should be in the "fictitious" ASL which he had blatantly ignored! Huge inconsistency in policing....

bails87

reiterated the usual line that ASLs have no legal basis and that they cannot stop drivers from driving into them

Not true. Not while the light is red anyway. They're NOT like a yellow box, in that you can drive into it and block it on a green light.

He went on to say that they would need to start fining cyclists who enter the ASL from any way other than the cycle lane as they cross a firm white stop line...

Correct.

If you enter the ASL (on a bike) by crossing a solid white line then you've commited the same offence as a car that drives into the ASL on a red light.

Which makes this a real mystery: http://goo.gl/maps/1OxJV

One time a police motorcyclists was sat in the ASL in The City (alongside a van and a cab IIRC) and as I passed out the other side, came up along side ME to tell ME that I should be in the "fictitious" ASL which he had blatantly ignored!

It's perfectly legal to enter an ASL on a green light, at the back of a queue of traffic, and then be stuck there when the light goes red.

cookeeemonster

Technically, there is no specific offense of cars/motorbikes illegially entering an ASL..technically they are jumping a red light: http://content.met.police.uk/Article/Ad ... 0018009433

RED LIGHT JUMPING CAR WAN*ERS!!!!!

cookeeemonster

ps so are you if you go over the second white line

The Rookie

noodles71 wrote:

I'm quite tempted to do a FOI request at the end of the year to see if there really was a ticket issued by City of London police this year for an ASL offence.

Pointless, the offence is failing to comply with an automated traffic signal which is jumping a red light, so they'll only have stats for them all.

As for the officer who didn't know it was an offence, it doesn't surprise me, I made a formal complaint after witnessing a Police driver enter an ASL with the lights red, earnt him an informal reprimand.

kurako

I got to the ASL at the junction of Walton Rd and Hans Rd (just near Harrods) and I noticed the entry to the ASL had been painted across. I had one of those red police vans next to me and I rolled into the ASL even though technically I was not allowed to. I like to thumb my nose at authority.

asprilla

I always enter the one at the end of Rocks Lane on the right because it's three lanes and I'm turning right. No way am I going to move perpendicular to the traffic across three lanes when the lights could change.

anonymousblackfg

They Police are getting better, the battle of the week for me is people parking in segregated contraflow cycle lanes, as they're parked inside the parking restrictions the local council says they're outside their durasdiction. This falls to TFL who have no one out there actually enforcing against idiots who park there!

tetm

CookeeeMonster wrote:

Technically, there is no specific offense of cars/motorbikes illegially entering an ASL..technically they are jumping a red light: http://content.met.police.uk/Article/Ad ... 0018009433

RED LIGHT JUMPING CAR WAN*ERS!!!!!

I'm all in favour of ASLs and the increase in policing both drivers and cyclists, but as the fine for a car crossing a solid white line is £100 and for a bike is £50 I can imagine some mildly disgruntled motorists.

menthel

tetm wrote:

CookeeeMonster wrote:

Technically, there is no specific offense of cars/motorbikes illegially entering an ASL..technically they are jumping a red light: http://content.met.police.uk/Article/Ad ... 0018009433

RED LIGHT JUMPING CAR WAN*ERS!!!!!

I'm all in favour of ASLs and the increase in policing both drivers and cyclists, but as the fine for a car crossing a solid white line is £100 and for a bike is £50 I can imagine some mildly disgruntled motorists.

Its all based on the number of wheels you have. Jump it on a unicycle and its only £25....

tetm

menthel wrote:

tetm wrote:

CookeeeMonster wrote:

Technically, there is no specific offense of cars/motorbikes illegially entering an ASL..technically they are jumping a red light: http://content.met.police.uk/Article/Ad ... 0018009433

RED LIGHT JUMPING CAR WAN*ERS!!!!!

I'm all in favour of ASLs and the increase in policing both drivers and cyclists, but as the fine for a car crossing a solid white line is £100 and for a bike is £50 I can imagine some mildly disgruntled motorists.

Its all based on the number of wheels you have. Jump it on a unicycle and its only £25....

Expensive on roller skates then. Cheers for the clarification... 8)

Agent57

bails87 wrote:

If you enter the ASL (on a bike) by crossing a solid white line then you've commited the same offence as a car that drives into the ASL on a red light.

Meh! I sometimes go down the outside of the cars, particularly if the gutter side already has other cyclists in it. But I still want to get into the ASL ahead of the cars, so yep I ride over the line.

menthel

I have noticed that at least 2 of the asl boxes on my commute home have solid lines all the way across. Pretty useless really!

sketchley

In London it's fine to enter the asl from anywhere on a push bike. If you get caught just point to scooter sitting in the asl or blocking the cycle lane entry point.

DrLex

So - what's the charge, officer?

bails87

Agent57 wrote:

bails87 wrote:

If you enter the ASL (on a bike) by crossing a solid white line then you've commited the same offence as a car that drives into the ASL on a red light.

Meh! I sometimes go down the outside of the cars, particularly if the gutter side already has other cyclists in it. But I still want to get into the ASL ahead of the cars, so yep I ride over the line.

I'm not saying it's A Bad Thing, I do the same. Just saying that the law is an ass!

menthel

They were pulling cockwombles over at the lights at Tooting Bec this morning, cars and cycles.

sketchley

menthel wrote:

They were pulling cockwombles over at the lights at Tooting Bec this morning, cars and cycles.

Very near where I got a ticket for RLJ when I first started commutting and didn't know better (and everyone else was doing it). Heasding north from Tooting BEC next set of light where there is no left turn. Motorcycle policeman hiding in building on left before the lights.

menthel

Sketchley wrote:

menthel wrote:

They were pulling cockwombles over at the lights at Tooting Bec this morning, cars and cycles.

Very near where I got a ticket for RLJ when I first started commutting and didn't know better (and everyone else was doing it). Heasding north from Tooting BEC next set of light where there is no left turn. Motorcycle policeman hiding in building on left before the lights.

These guys were not hiding, big presence at the junction, with PCSO's before the lights radioing in any offenders. Luckily they were not at Clapham where I ran a dodgy amber this morning in a sucessful attempt not to get killed by a lorry.

bromyG

There seemed to be PCSOs stopping cyclists and cars running the lights/ASLs/white lines at the junction of Embankment and Northumberland Avenue last evening, though I couldn't see if they were issuing tickets or not.

itboffin

I recon some kind of chest height lazer mesh across the road a bit like resident evil, anyone running the lights is diced into small cubes.

Too much? :twisted:

dhope

They were doing the same on Tooley St-Jamaica Rd on Tuesday eve. They told off a cyclist for being ahead of the ASL, then the car behind him for being in the ASL. Reckon that's the right order to do it in, so the driver can't get arsey as they've already seen a cyclist being told off. No tickets issued but good to see.

I'm going to have to stop rolling past the end of the ASL to get a jump on the cars that sit in it at this rate :roll:

veronese68

itboffin wrote:

I recon some kind of chest height lazer mesh across the road a bit like resident evil, anyone running the lights is diced into small cubes.

Too much? :twisted:

No, seems reasonable. I think it would probably discourage repeat offenders.

roger_merriman

I went for a spin into town yesterday, on way back down the embankment quite a few points they where pulling folks over, plus watching the junction onto Putney Bridge.

The Rookie

dhope wrote:

I'm going to have to stop rolling past the end of the ASL to get a jump on the cars that sit in it at this rate :roll:

I just park sideways right across in front of them, which of course makes my pullaway slower as I have to then straighten up - though I only do this when I see them entre the box on red and not get legitemately stranded!

cookdn

bails87 wrote:

If you enter the ASL (on a bike) by crossing a solid white line then you've commited the same offence as a car that drives into the ASL on a red light.

Which makes this a real mystery: http://goo.gl/maps/1OxJV

Squeezing three lanes at that junction have made them a bit narrow for filtering up a queue of traffic. Maybe they're expecting you to circumvent the queuing traffic on the pavement ? :?

asprilla

Wonder what the law thinks of dismounting, walking into the ASL and then remounting?

bails87

cookdn wrote:

bails87 wrote:

If you enter the ASL (on a bike) by crossing a solid white line then you've commited the same offence as a car that drives into the ASL on a red light.

Which makes this a real mystery: http://goo.gl/maps/1OxJV

Squeezing three lanes at that junction have made them a bit narrow for filtering up a queue of traffic. Maybe they're expecting you to circumvent the queuing traffic on the pavement ? :?

But they can design them with a small section of broken line at the side of each lane, so you don't need a filter lane at all (although it does diminish the use of them).