Which one is worse?
1: The cyclist who ran the red lights here whilst I was stopped at them, passing me on my right, then proceeded over the bridge (which has a blind summit) using the pavement:
tinyurl.com/3uo7pjz
2: Or the copper in a marked TV Police Vectra estate (I have the reg number) who cruised thorugh these red lights at 25 mph without blues and twos:
tinyurl.com/6xebeb6
RATS!! The Streetview pictures are out of date on the second one, there are now traffic lights at the junction which the white Transit on the left is about to pass.
A huge AC-stylee "TCHAH" to both of them.
Last edited by: Alanović on Thu 16 Jun 11 at 12:45
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While not condoning the cyclist's actions, he might have felt he was doing the cars a favour by getting out of their way? If there was no one on the pavement, I would feel his actions were morally, if not technically, a bit less worse.
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My problem with the cyclist (and I expect you know the bridge) is that he hurtled over the blind summit at top whack, on the pavement. There are often people dawdling across the bridge admiring the river and watching the boats go by, and their only refuge from the lycra clad wombat would have been beneath the wheels of the motors crossing the bridge. Could have been very, very nasty as the pavement - and the bridge for that matter - is so narrow.
24 carat wally.
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>> My problem with the cyclist (and I expect you know the bridge)
Yes I do (son's best friend lives in Caversham Park, and they both play in the tennis club up there), and if taken at speed as you describe it could all have ended in tears. Also, if cyclist was capable of going fast he wouldn't have needed to get out of the way of the cars as I suggested.
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Indeed. I overtook him by the gravel pits further up the road and had a good mind to knock the twonk off into the ditch.
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And that would have been a far greater sin than either of the other two.
Pat
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Good job you don't live in Cambridge Alanovic. Your little notebook would soon fill up if you noted every trangression by bikists in that city!
;-)
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I'll bet.
I cycle too. An I ALWAYS stop at red lights and NEVER cycle down the outside of stationary traffic. It's not difficult.
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I hope you don't cycle down the inside of a lorry trailer either !
Pat
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No, I don't. I don't cycle down the inside of anyone. I move at the same pace as all the other traffic, being on a bike does not give me the right to go any faster than the traffic is (or isn't) flowing.
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>> I cycle too. An I ALWAYS stop at red lights and NEVER cycle down the
>> outside of stationary traffic. It's not difficult.
I too always obey reds these days. But what's wrong with overtaking stationery traffic on the offside. Arguably safer than n/s where doors, pedestrians stepping off the kerb and cars vering in are all hazards?
Certainly my preference on my daily traverse of High Holborn.
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Well I don't cycle in central London, so I expect I might do the outside thing out of frustration if I came across heavy traffic more often. Might.
It's not unheard of for cars to swerve out of traffic queues to turn right, or to swerve out and charge down the wrong side towards a filter at a traffic light, or even do a U turn. All without indicating. Not only that, overtaking stationary traffic usually involves being on the wrong side of the road and traffic may appear coming the other way.
So I don't take the risk.
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Different take on the risks to mine. On the outside I've got a better view of what people are likley to do. Even those who take off without indicating usually give some sort of clue but you need to be watching for the over the shoulder glance etc. If traffic comes the other way it's quite easy to duck back in again.
Just been over to my department's HQ off Whitehall using the bike (quicker and more reliable than the tube. Noticed most of the Murphy's lorries fetching carrying for roadworks on the Embankment now sport a warning sign on the mearside. But 80% of Lonodn's cycling fatalities involve HGV's; mostly cement mixers and skip lorries.
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Far happier having any overtaking risk on my right hand side. That's where the motorbikes congregate, any city driver will be checking that spot.
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>>>> It's not unheard of for cars to swerve out of traffic queues to turn right,
>> >>
Years ago someone did exactly that just in front of me. I catapulted over the bonnet, and woke up on the pavement a few minutes later with nothing worse than a cut eyebrow.
It was some satisfaction to see the remains of my bike wedged inside their front wheel arch as the breakdown truck appeared.
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Of course, Pat. Apart from the fact I didn't do it.
The Thought Police would have had a field day, mind.
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I saw a bulk dry powder carrier the other day, that on the rear nearside had a big red triangle , with a bike in the middle of it, and the word STOP,
Thought it was a good idea.
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 16 Jun 11 at 13:20
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I happened to mention Cambridge in my post because I did an 84 mile bike trip which took me into the city. I was amazed and impressed by the dedicated cycle lanes and even the pavements are ped and bike friendly. But what shocked me was the amount of students cycling through red lights or pulling away just before they changed to red.
Perhaps as a resident you build up some knowledge of the roads, junctions and light sequences therefore it may be less dangerous than it appears to a casual observer.
Mind you when I was sat at the lights patiently waiting for them to turn green, I got the impression some cyclists thought I was blocking them and I felt intimidated.
I guess any form of transport brings out the 'animal' in people.
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>> 24 carat wally.
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Translation being, Smack in the Kisser?
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Surprised there isn't more opprobrium for the copper. Yet.
I've got his reg number, do I grass him?
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No, of course you don't.
Why?
Because you don't do that to anyone. Karma works, trust me.
Pat
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Karma is superstitious nonsense extrapolated from the fact that good and bad things happen to everyone during their lives. It's hooey.
I'd bet you have a level of transgression at which you'd grass someone up. If you don't and you'd let someone away with serious crime then that's dreadful. Drink driving? Drug dealing? Child abuse? Kicking a cat up its backside? Where's your line?
Last edited by: Alanović on Thu 16 Jun 11 at 13:36
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Many years ago I complained about the conduct of a police officer in a matter not related to motoring.
It was more of a snotty letter, but I was invited to an office above Ealing police station where I met a senior officer.
He was what I would describe as impressive - he had natural authority.
I was told my complaint could be taken further in some way, or dealt with informally.
My response was along the lines of: "I was annoyed at the time, but I'm not looking to get the copper into bother."
The senior officer told me he would 'have a serious word', and I could rest assured the copper I complained about would get the message.
I don't think I was fobbed off, and I left thinking my complaint had been dealt with properly.
The copper I was moaning about deserved a ticking off, but no more.
I like to think he would have listened to and learned something from his senior colleague.
Which is a long-winded way of saying if Alanovic feels strongly, he should raise his concerns formally.
A sharp word from a more experienced colleague may help this officer, and stop him from getting into a serious scrape in the future.
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I think what Alanovic has to do is ask himself if that was an ordinary car driver would he report him?
None of us are perfect, and having a professional 'label' doesn't make us so and never will.
If no harm was done what good is it going to do.
'What if's' are endless and serve no purpose whatsoever.
Pat
Last edited by: pda on Thu 16 Jun 11 at 13:57
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>> I think what Alanovic has to do is ask himself if that was an ordinary
>> car driver would he report him?
Don't follow you on that one Pat - if it's his job to uphold/enforce the law, then I would expect him to have different standards regarding the law to the rest of us. Set a good example and all that.
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I've never quite understood that theory...even a bank manager can get his sons maths homework wrong on a bad day.
I admit he shouldn't, but as I said, none of us are perfect.
Pat
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>> I've never quite understood that theory...even a bank manager can get his sons maths homework
>> wrong on a bad day.
...and I can make a mistake when I'm coding - but I hope that someone will correct me so I don't do it again.
EDIT: or at least less likely to hopefully
Last edited by: Focus on Thu 16 Jun 11 at 14:24
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Wonder what would have happened if Alanovic had flagged down the offending plod and pointed his offence out to him?
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He did stop at the next lights, CC. And I was stopped next to him. As with the cyclist I had fantasised about dropping into a ditch, I ran through the speech I would have liked to have given him through wound down windows.
But I was far too chicken to do it.
I wonder if a CCTV camera caught his transgression? I shall have a look later to see if there are any likely cameras at the junction.
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I got hit by a cyclist last week in the village. It was in the busiest part, where there are banks and shops. He was in the middle of the pavement, I turned to speak to a passing friend and he hit me on the right leg with his front tyre.
He was braking hard and asked if I was all right before he rode on with my comment 'Get off the **** pavement ' ringing in his ears !
I've been into the city fairly early the last two days to sort out some car problems and I've been concerned by the activities of quite a few cyclist, mostly students or the Lycra clad racing types.
One, however, gave a left turn signal before the road he was turning into...should this be in ' Unusual sightings ' ?
Ted
Last edited by: VxFan on Tue 26 Jul 11 at 10:22
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I'm wirth Brompton. I am freshly back from overtaking a queue of stationary cars. This put me at the front of the queue by the traffic lights, on the outside. It obviously didn't amuse the van next to me which shot off like a scalded cat... and screamed to a halt 100 yards later, just over the junction. Anybody with any sense would have let me go and saved his clutch and brakes.
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I have managed to cycle into work twice this week and this takes me along London Road in Glasgow (Skoda will know the one as also will Bhoy Wonder)
This has a succession of traffic lights at crossroads and I bump up onto the kerb at them all if the lights are at red. Reasons being
1. I know all the sequence of lights so can nip across a junction when it is safe to do so ie. one direction has green light but no vehicles coming.
2. The pavements are wide enough to accomodate me
3. There are very rarely any pedestrians on the pavements
4. As a car driver, I would prefer a cyclist to be in the distance rather than sitting in front of me at traffic lights and I need to wait till he waddles from side to side to get his speed up
5. There are a few sets of roadworks here (for the Commonwealth Games) and road width is restricted so, again, if I can be out of the way of vehicles then I will do.
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>> Surprised there isn't more opprobrium for the copper. Yet.
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>> I've got his reg number, do I grass him?
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There might be a host of legitimate reasons why the Police car went through the red light...apart from the obvious one that you've presumed and is not legitimate (and could easily be the case).
No one will ever know unless the driver is asked.
E.g. for a legitimate one. Two units are going to an emergency call. Third unit thinks, 'hmm, that's got potential, i'll make my way over that way, in case they shout for help'. No need for out and out blues and twos run, which has its' dangers and has to be justified...but will 'make progress' and utilise exemptions on an ad hoc basis at the lower end of the scale, if done easily and with no real danger and/or to negate an undue delay. Gets nearer and it becomes obvious help is not needed (another unit turns up/update from original unit on radio/ more info put out on radio from control room)....so he cancels.
Keep an open mind, none of us know.
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I recall attending a few emergency calls without the blues or the neenaws on.
Mainly thieves on premises who would have ' had it away on their toes ' if we'd been heard coming.
Those sirens can be heard a long way off.
In one case the burglar only had time to hide under a bed as we arrived..Amazed that we caught him !
Ted
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Its a unique feeling driving a Police car. Its like a glass bubble in two ways:
1. Everyone seem to keep a distance. You don't see one tailgated.
2. Everyone stares at you. So you know if you commit some minor transgression someone will make comment, even complain. With the persecution of the motorist by speed cameras etc it becomes a natural reaction to get one back on what is perceived as a regime. Any other punter wouldn't get a second look.
Whilst the highest standards are expected it is difficult to be perfect all the time.
Last edited by: Fullchat on Thu 16 Jun 11 at 21:49
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I appreciate that, WP. But this car was only doing about 25 mph, and it stopped at the next lights, a few hundred yards on. He was in no real hurry, I just think he wasn't concentrating. But I suppose I can't say for sure.
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It would have to be a very poor piece of driving for me to bother to report it.
What - if anything - is written on the side of the car is irrelevant.
If the driving warrants a report to the police, do so, if it doesn't, don't.
Years ago I drove through a red light - just didn't see it.
Wouldn't have known were it not for my passenger.
Such a total lack of concentration is worrying, but I don't think I've done it since.
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Two sinners spotted yesterday - Focusless
