Police Stopping mopeds

Sewinman
Sewinman Posts: 2,131
edited July 2011 in Commuting chat
A load of police were stopping lots of mopeds this morning on the exit from Victoria Embankment to Temple Place. They seemed to be specifically targeting mopeds and lots of them seemed to be getting tickets. I could not work out why they would be cracking down on them and what the tickets would be for...any ideas?
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Comments

  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    Maliciously riding a chicken chaser in public?

    If I were Lord Protector of the Realm I would pass such a law.
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  • sketchley
    sketchley Posts: 4,238
    ASL offences or use of Mandatory cycle lanes I hope
    --
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  • illegal exhausts, dark visors, defective tires, could have just been producers the cops were giving them to check up on insurance/MOT/tax that sorta thing, I quite fancy a scooter :shock:
  • Sewinman
    Sewinman Posts: 2,131
    Sketchley wrote:
    ASL offences or use of Mandatory cycle lanes I hope

    I would hope so too, but there are no ASLs there or cycle lanes. I think it must have been the producer thing, as I heard one cop saying 'you must attend and bring insurance etc' to one of them.
  • MonkeyMonster
    MonkeyMonster Posts: 4,628
    I know of more than a few moped riders who don't have insurance or the bike itself would never pass MOT - combination of factors perhaps?

    Good on em mind.
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  • greg66_tri_v2.0
    greg66_tri_v2.0 Posts: 7,172
    Sewinman wrote:
    Sketchley wrote:
    ASL offences or use of Mandatory cycle lanes I hope

    I would hope so too, but there are no ASLs there or cycle lanes. I think it must have been the producer thing, as I heard one cop saying 'you must attend and bring insurance etc' to one of them.

    ^This.

    Odd thing was that the police were on mountain bikes. How were they going to give chase?
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  • richVSrich
    richVSrich Posts: 527
    Greg66 wrote:
    Sewinman wrote:
    Sketchley wrote:
    ASL offences or use of Mandatory cycle lanes I hope

    I would hope so too, but there are no ASLs there or cycle lanes. I think it must have been the producer thing, as I heard one cop saying 'you must attend and bring insurance etc' to one of them.

    ^This.

    Odd thing was that the police were on mountain bikes. How were they going to give chase?

    They have rocket boosters on the bikes. Didn't you know??? :P

    I have seen bike police stopping a white van near Blackfriars once :)
  • Skippy2309
    Skippy2309 Posts: 426
    I got a picture of 2 bike police pulling a car over... was down at elephant.

    Could be anything really, from something as simple as not having L-plates or an out of date CBT. if they dont have a full licence. As I found out on my CBT you can lose your licence pretty easy if your pulled on a bike... 2 tyres at the wrong pressure and a bit worn can add up to 12points :shock:
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  • W1
    W1 Posts: 2,636
    Sewinman wrote:
    Sketchley wrote:
    ASL offences or use of Mandatory cycle lanes I hope

    I would hope so too, but there are no ASLs there or cycle lanes. I think it must have been the producer thing, as I heard one cop saying 'you must attend and bring insurance etc' to one of them.

    There's a cycle lane just before that turnoff isn't there? Maybe they had spotters?

    I do wish the rozzers would target CS8 and the westbound Embankment cycle lane (and for that matter the ASLs, particularly at Vauxhall bridge).
  • schweiz
    schweiz Posts: 1,644
    Skippy2309 wrote:
    As I found out on my CBT you can lose your licence pretty easy if your pulled on a bike... 2 tyres at the wrong pressure and a bit worn can add up to 12points :shock:

    3 point for each defective tyre (doesn't matter if it's flat and worn) = max 6 points. however, in a four wheeed car you would be banned if all four tyres were defective.
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,098
    Well played the Met, more power to you, the sooner the scooter-cooters are off our roads the better

    Rin-nin-nin-nin-nin, zoom zoom zoom I'll just weave around wildly in and out of traffic giving evil looks to cyclists who dare to get in my way and using up my 9 lives until I get a lift in a blue-light bus Rin-nin-nin-nin :evil: :evil: :evil:

    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    schweiz wrote:
    Skippy2309 wrote:
    As I found out on my CBT you can lose your licence pretty easy if your pulled on a bike... 2 tyres at the wrong pressure and a bit worn can add up to 12points :shock:

    3 point for each defective tyre (doesn't matter if it's flat and worn) = max 6 points. however, in a four wheeed car you would be banned if all four tyres were defective.
    For offences occuring at the same time the Magistrates are guided to only apply points for the highest tariff offence unless there are compelling reasons to apply for each offence seperately, so while its 3pts per tyre usually for 4 tyres a defendant will only get 3 points but 4 times the fine (same principle not applying to fines).

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  • Paul E
    Paul E Posts: 2,052
    Coming down jamaica road past the KFC on the left on the way in over the bridge there I had a scooter behind me in the cycle lane, I accidentaly slowed right down, what a shame and then at the two sets of lights before the right turn onto tooley street it was liek a motorbikers/scooter meeting/hang out.

    I so love having them zoom past me within inches after pulling away from lights, I miss it if I don't have it happen at least once a day.
  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    illegal exhausts, dark visors, defective tires, could have just been producers the cops were giving them to check up on insurance/MOT/tax that sorta thing, I quite fancy a scooter :shock:

    they're great fun to ride, but I do feel a bit of a pleb on one... and I ride a brompton
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  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    I think there are allot of mopeds out there with unlicensed riders on them too....
  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    Greg66 wrote:
    Odd thing was that the police were on mountain bikes. How were they going to give chase?

    how would they give chase against a 1/2 decent cyclist? tbf most nodders would lose them and be so camouflaged they'd get away
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  • asprilla
    asprilla Posts: 8,440
    Clever Pun wrote:
    Greg66 wrote:
    Odd thing was that the police were on mountain bikes. How were they going to give chase?

    how would they give chase against a 1/2 decent cyclist? tbf most nodders would lose them and be so camouflaged they'd get away

    I kinda felt sorry for the Pedal Plod I saw around lunchtime on the strand yesterday. I was just about to pop into a lovely air conditioned restaurant for a couple of hours of wine (day off) and he was slowly tootling down the road in his stab proof vest and thick hi-viz jacket.

    Must have been pushing 32c and he was being overtaken by pedestrians.
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  • clarkey cat
    clarkey cat Posts: 3,641
    alot of hatred towards scooterists on here
  • W1
    W1 Posts: 2,636
    alot of hatred towards scooterists on here

    For good reason. Most are fine, but there is a significant majority who would benefit from a few fines/points/bans/re-education.
  • Paul E
    Paul E Posts: 2,052
    W1 wrote:
    alot of hatred towards scooterists on here

    For good reason. Most are fine, but there is a significant majority who would benefit from a few fines/points/bans/re-education.

    +Many
  • W1
    W1 Posts: 2,636
    Paul E wrote:
    W1 wrote:
    alot of hatred towards scooterists on here

    For good reason. Most are fine, but there is a significant majority who would benefit from a few fines/points/bans/re-education.

    +Many

    Obviously I meant significant minority!

    It does irritate me greatly when they pull out from a traffic jam into a cycle lane without looking; crawl up said cycle lane; block any filtering points and then block/sit in the ASL before getting stuck again or running the whole length of the bike lane.

    I may be guilty of deliberately slowing down and "widening" myself if I find a moped following me down a cycle lane.....
  • noodles71
    noodles71 Posts: 153
    Not to mention their little sirens and flashing lights too. They are though pretty crap at catching up to someone who cycles every day. My preferred form of SCR is actually being chased by them although not when they are on horses. Horses don't stop as quick on the road and are f**king scary when you pull up in a hurry and they try to do the same behind you.

    richVSrich wrote:
    Greg66 wrote:
    Sewinman wrote:
    Sketchley wrote:
    ASL offences or use of Mandatory cycle lanes I hope

    I would hope so too, but there are no ASLs there or cycle lanes. I think it must have been the producer thing, as I heard one cop saying 'you must attend and bring insurance etc' to one of them.

    ^This.

    Odd thing was that the police were on mountain bikes. How were they going to give chase?

    They have rocket boosters on the bikes. Didn't you know??? :P

    I have seen bike police stopping a white van near Blackfriars once :)
  • Paul E
    Paul E Posts: 2,052
    W1 wrote:
    Paul E wrote:
    W1 wrote:
    alot of hatred towards scooterists on here

    For good reason. Most are fine, but there is a significant majority who would benefit from a few fines/points/bans/re-education.

    +Many

    Obviously I meant significant minority!

    It does irritate me greatly when they pull out from a traffic jam into a cycle lane without looking; crawl up said cycle lane; block any filtering points and then block/sit in the ASL before getting stuck again or running the whole length of the bike lane.

    I may be guilty of deliberately slowing down and "widening" myself if I find a moped following me down a cycle lane.....

    I found myself doing that this morning, no guilt felt, they shouldn't be in the lane so they are in the wrong not me
  • nation
    nation Posts: 609
    Another favourite moped offence is 16/17 year olds riding mopeds on L-plates with a restrictor that has mysteriously "fallen off".
  • SimonAH
    SimonAH Posts: 3,730
    One thing that narked me (many years ago) as a London dispatch rider (for West One, do they still exist?) was that plod would regularly pull every bike on the Embankment rather than cars as it could be done without blocking the traffic flow. Discrimination I calls it!
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  • unixnerd
    unixnerd Posts: 2,864
    On a slightly off topic note this may amuse you. Many many years ago a 14 year old boy from a wee village in Scotland went to visit his big brother in the big city.

    Outside big brother's flat in a skip was an ancient Honda 50 moped. Why would anyone throw out such bounty my friend wondered in disbelief. So when big brother goes off to work my friend takes this filthy old moped indoors and gets it going, no doubt getting the flat filthy in the process. Delighted with the fruits of his labours my friend takes the moped sightseeing in the metropolis.

    Later that day big brother gets a phone call at work from the local constabulary, would he like to come down and collect his wee brother who's just been cautioned for a large number of traffic offences........ He was arrested when he stopped to asked a policeman directions to the Natural History Museum.

    Said wee boy went on to become a senior engineer in the oil industry.
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  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,098
    :evil: :evil: :evil:

    Right, that's it, I've declared war on the s0ds, am sick of them in London

    One roared past me yesterday leaving at least 3" gap

    Flying round like they're bullet proof

    Am going to make it my mission to get my evil revenge

    Watch out scooter-cooters, no prisoners. I've seriously had enough. Everyone needs someone to hate and I've nominated you.

    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • nich
    nich Posts: 888
    SecretSam wrote:
    :evil: :evil: :evil:

    Right, that's it, I've declared war on the s0ds, am sick of them in London

    One roared past me yesterday leaving at least 3" gap

    Flying round like they're bullet proof

    Am going to make it my mission to get my evil revenge

    Watch out scooter-cooters, no prisoners. I've seriously had enough. Everyone needs someone to hate and I've nominated you.

    I better avoid using me scoot on my rest days then :P
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,098
    nich wrote:
    SecretSam wrote:
    :evil: :evil: :evil:

    Right, that's it, I've declared war on the s0ds, am sick of them in London

    One roared past me yesterday leaving at least 3" gap

    Flying round like they're bullet proof

    Am going to make it my mission to get my evil revenge

    Watch out scooter-cooters, no prisoners. I've seriously had enough. Everyone needs someone to hate and I've nominated you.

    I better avoid using me scoot on my rest days then :P

    LOL am WFH today so you're safe to go and have a zoom around :twisted:

    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    I did my CBT yesterday and other than a bit of advice on how to filter (on the outside) and being told not to force your way to the front of a queue of traffic at the lights, there was nothing about ASLs or cycle lanes.

    Very good training otherwise, but I guess as a cyclist (as well as a car driver and WVM) I could see it from a cyclist's point of view and I think that the omission of the rules of what powered two wheelers shouldn't do (in relation to cycle infrastructure) was a pity.

    I guess the next stage of motorcycle training (motorcycle theory test) would cover that, but a (for example) 16 year old scooter rider is highly unlikely to do that.

    Maybe ASLs and cycle lanes should have scales on it and if the weight on the scale is too high it sends a spike up into the tyres of the vehicle. Obviously the ASL weight spike would have to be linked to the colour of the traffic lights at the time.

    As an aside, who (as a stereotype) are the worst motorcyclists/scooter riders or can't we tell because of the helmets?
    Is a 16 year old doing wheelies in traffic worse than a woman with no sense of what is going on around her or an overly agressive bloke determined to filter to the front no matter what?
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