Van parked in cycle lane, anything I can do?

garethjones
garethjones Posts: 57
edited January 2014 in Commuting general
For the past 4 days there has a been a large van parked across a cycle lane I use, it is on downhill section and I have to get off and squeeze past it twice a day. This is getting pretty annoying, just wondering if there is anything I should/could do?

Comments

  • martincroxall
    martincroxall Posts: 102
    Kinda depends on the road markings. If the white line denoting the edge of the cycle lane is broken then he's legally allowed to park there. However, if the line is solid then he shouldn't be parked in the lane and you can report him. I'd suggest taking a photo and sending it off to whoever does traffic management in your area. You could leave a note on the windscreen but I doubt it'd do any good. As a last resort you could remove the offside wheels leaving him just the two nearside ones so in many ways he's now technically got a bike!
    You hear that? He's up there... mewing in the nerve centre of his evil empire. A ground rent increase here, a tax dodge there? he sticks his leg in the air, laughs his cat laugh... and dives back down to grooming his balls!
  • garethjones
    garethjones Posts: 57
    edited January 2014
    like the last idea!

    It is a segregated bike lane and he has two wheels on the pavement as well. No markers as such.
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Photos / google street view please.
  • garethjones
    garethjones Posts: 57
    https://www.google.co.uk/maps/preview#! ... !2e0&fid=5
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    That looks really crappy. Taking primary would be the best option even if no van.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Unnecessary obstruction, criminal offence, report it.

    Bike lane looks shite anyway!
    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.
  • garethjones
    garethjones Posts: 57
    Agreed the bike lane is not great, but I get a lot of abuse riding on the road next to it.
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    garethjones wrote:
    I get a lot of abuse riding on the road next to it.

    Abuse is irrelevant. You have as much / more right to use the road than the cars do.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    markhewitt1978 wrote:

    Abuse is irrelevant. You have as much right to use the road than the cars do.
    FTFY
    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.
  • dodgy
    dodgy Posts: 2,890
    garethjones wrote:
    https://www.google.co.uk/maps/preview#!data=!1m8!1m3!1d3!2d0.036722!3d50.791129!2m2!1f324.99!2f79.06!4f75!2m9!1e1!2m4!1sPlxu6dwhJv_InRNrttRg5g!2e0!9m1!6sA259!5m2!1sPlxu6dwhJv_InRNrttRg5g!2e0&fid=5

    Your local authority clearly holds cyclists in contempt. Look at the state of that!
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    report it as an abandoned vehicle?
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    The Rookie wrote:
    markhewitt1978 wrote:

    Abuse is irrelevant. You have as much right to use the road than the cars do.
    FTFY

    If you're going to fix it at least make it grammatically correct ;). What I mean is that bikes are allowed on the road by right, cars / drivers must be licensed etc
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    OK, so if they are correctly licensed we have no more right.......
    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.
  • dodgy
    dodgy Posts: 2,890
    The Rookie wrote:
    OK, so if they are correctly licensed we have no more right.......

    'If'.

    8)
  • garethjones
    garethjones Posts: 57
    what is annoying is they have just resurfaced the road.
  • madtam
    madtam Posts: 141
    "If" you were heading past it, and traffic was busy and a bit close to you then accidents could happen and pedals could accidentally catch the side of it. Or maybe the mirror stuck out a bit far and could get a knock by accident.


    If it does have wheels on the pavement then it is illegally parked and can be reported to the police. Although what action they would take about such a minor matter is debatable.
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    The van probably has something to do with the Jace house, at a guess I'd say it it possibly the same van that you can see on their drive in the aerial shot.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    The Rookie wrote:
    OK, so if they are correctly licensed we have no more right.......

    Suggest you look up the meaning of licence. It means permission, or a piece of paper showing permission. Just because someone allows you to do something, it never infers a right. We have a right to cycle on a road, no one has a right to drive a motor vehicle on the same.

    Back to the OP - speak to your local council as they will enforce traffic regulations that cover this.
    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
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    madtam wrote:
    If it does have wheels on the pavement then it is illegally parked and can be reported to the police.
    Only in London is it illegal (everywhere else it isn't without a local restriction), here it would probably be causing an unnecessary obstruction which would make it illegal.

    They don't have a licence though KB, they pay duty and receive the right in exchange!
    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.
  • arran77
    arran77 Posts: 9,260
    garethjones wrote:
    https://www.google.co.uk/maps/preview#!data=!1m8!1m3!1d3!2d0.036722!3d50.791129!2m2!1f324.99!2f79.06!4f75!2m9!1e1!2m4!1sPlxu6dwhJv_InRNrttRg5g!2e0!9m1!6sA259!5m2!1sPlxu6dwhJv_InRNrttRg5g!2e0&fid=5

    I've seen better surfaced downhill trails :shock:
    "Arran, you are like the Tony Benn of smut. You have never diluted your depravity and always stand by your beliefs. You have my respect sir and your wife my pity" :lol:

    seanoconn
  • drummer_boy
    drummer_boy Posts: 236
    Is the van parked in the entrance way, where the line is broken?

    Parking on the road (double white lines here), or on a cycle track (which this does appear to be) breaks rule 240 of the highway code (https://www.gov.uk/waiting-and-parking/ ... 239-to-247)

    And if he's parked in the entrance way it breaks rule 243, and the part of 243 where it mentions not obstructing a cyclist's use of cycle facilities!!

    Gottcha!!! :-)
  • wandsworth
    wandsworth Posts: 354
    Buy a bunch of video cameras (four should do it) and stick them on your bike and on your helmet. Make sure you have one facing backwards and another on a big stick at the front of your bike pointing at your face. Then repeatedly ride past the parked van, filming it as you go, and shouting out its registration number. With any luck, if you go past often enough, you will meet the driver and you can pick a fight with him, while recording it all on your video cameras. Then you can edit it all together and put it up on YouTube and Twitter. The van will still be there but you'll feel like a vigilante.
    Shut up, knees!

    Various Boardmans, a Focus, a Cannondale and an ancient Trek.

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