Ken's being a berk

Hi, you are right Helen S.

The next step for Ken is starting to taxing us bike users im sure. It
is just mad, you spend time to make you bike nice and light and now we
are going have a big plate on it, as it got to be big so the cameras
can see it.

woollypigs

wafflycat said:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2289733,00.html

"Cycle numberplate plan to catch lawless riders"

"CYCLISTS in London could be made to fit numberplates to their bikes under
plans being drawn up by Ken Livingstone, the capital's mayor.
All bicycles would be registered so that riders breaking the law, by cycling
on pavements or going through red lights, could be caught on traffic
cameras. Mr Livingstone is also investigating a possible ban on jaywalking,
which is illegal in some countries.

Speaking on the London radio station LBC yesterday, Mr Livingstone said: "I
think, I'm now persuaded, we should actually say that bikes and their owners
should be registered.

"There should be a numberplate on the back so that the ones breaking the
law, we can get them off the cameras. It's the only way you can do it.""

So what if I, a non-London resident, decide to visit London and use my bike
as a way of getting round the capital. Will I be assumed to be a
red-light-jumping, pavement-cycling, law-breaking Lycra Lout as I don't have
my cycle registered? Or will I not be allowed to use my bike when visiting
Kenopolis?

Yet another reason not to visit London :-(

Cheers, helen s

~~
you may need to remove dependence
on fame & fortune from organisation
to get correct email address
~Noodliness is Good~

wafflycat said:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2289733,00.html
"There should be a numberplate on the back so that the ones breaking the
law, we can get them off the cameras. It's the only way you can do it.""

How about more police on the streets (maybe even mounted on bikes)? You
know, the old fashioned way of enforcing the law, before they invented
cameras.

1) How large will these plates be?
2) Most cyclists break the law. Do you really think they're going to
pay to have plates on?

You'll end up with the situation now, where no cyclists get caught
because noone* is enforcing the law. Cameras can't do anything to
people with no or fake plates, on cars of bikes.

What we need is
1) More police on the street
2) More effort from these police to stop law breakers

I've seen cycles jump red lights in front of police cars, and they
haven't done anything about it. Others have seen cars do the same. With
a mandate like that, no wonder many people ignore the law.

* Isolated cases happen, but they are so rare that they make regional
or national news

Quoted message said:

So what if I, a non-London resident, decide to visit London and use my bike
as a way of getting round the capital. Will I be assumed to be a
red-light-jumping, pavement-cycling, law-breaking Lycra Lout as I don't have
my cycle registered? Or will I not be allowed to use my bike when visiting
Kenopolis?

Assuming the former, if you were a pavement hopping lout, you wouldn't
bother with the plates anyway. Assuming the later, unless they have
police at every station to stop people coming in, you wouldn't get
caught, otherwise pavement hoppers would be caught without the need for
plates.

There will be a discussion on Radio 4 today at midday about a proposal to
introduce licence plates for cyclists in London. You can contribute to the
debate, on 0800 044 044 or email from this page:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours/youandyours_contact.shtml

wafflycat said:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2289733,00.html

"Cycle numberplate plan to catch lawless riders"

"CYCLISTS in London could be made to fit numberplates to their bikes under
plans being drawn up by Ken Livingstone, the capital's mayor.
All bicycles would be registered so that riders breaking the law, by cycling
on pavements or going through red lights, could be caught on traffic
cameras. Mr Livingstone is also investigating a possible ban on jaywalking,
which is illegal in some countries.

Speaking on the London radio station LBC yesterday, Mr Livingstone said: "I
think, I'm now persuaded, we should actually say that bikes and their owners
should be registered.

"There should be a numberplate on the back so that the ones breaking the
law, we can get them off the cameras. It's the only way you can do it.""

So what if I, a non-London resident, decide to visit London and use my bike
as a way of getting round the capital. Will I be assumed to be a
red-light-jumping, pavement-cycling, law-breaking Lycra Lout as I don't have
my cycle registered? Or will I not be allowed to use my bike when visiting
Kenopolis?

Yet another reason not to visit London :-(

Cheers, helen s

~~
you may need to remove dependence
on fame & fortune from organisation
to get correct email address
~Noodliness is Good~

letter sent to my London Assembly rep and the LA Green Party leader.

Bryan

wafflycat said:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2289733,00.html

"Cycle numberplate plan to catch lawless riders"

"CYCLISTS in London could be made to fit numberplates to their bikes
under plans being drawn up by Ken Livingstone, the capital's mayor.
All bicycles would be registered so that riders breaking the law, by
cycling on pavements or going through red lights, could be caught on
traffic cameras. Mr Livingstone is also investigating a possible ban on
jaywalking, which is illegal in some countries.

Yet another reason not to visit The Smoke - as if I needed any more :-\

"wafflycat" <w*a*ff£y£cat*@£btco*nn£ect.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2289733,00.html

"Cycle numberplate plan to catch lawless riders"

"CYCLISTS in London could be made to fit numberplates to their bikes under
plans being drawn up by Ken Livingstone...

I wonder what size the plates will need to be.

Also *where* will they be required to be fitted?

If I clipped one to my seatpost there would not be room to fix my rear
light.

I don't have a rack or mudguards or any place to fit them, so perhaps the
plate will need to be worn on the cyclists back?

Adrian Boliston said:

I wonder what size the plates will need to be.

If they're going to be picked up by the existing red-light cameras
they'd have to be close to the size of motorbike plates, which are a
little smaller than for cars.

Quoted message said:

Also *where* will they be required to be fitted?

Right at the back where they won't be obscured by panniers, saddlebags
or coats. They'd have to be fitted to be visible from directly behind,
again for the existing cameras, and would have to be strong enough not to
break or bend if the bike is leaned against something or dropped.
Therefore they would have to have a support structure and probably be
metal. Can't be sharp-edged because of the hazard to slicing the
cyclist's leg as they mount or dismount, and to passers-by.

If the plate is positioned to be readable from the side it would make
life easier, but Ken would need a new set of red-light cameras, and I
think they cost about £40,000 each, so this would seem to be a
non-starter.

It would be an interesting exercise to find a way to mount one on a
folder too....

Mike

"wafflycat" <w*a*ff£y£cat*@£btco*nn£ect.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2289733,00.html

"Cycle numberplate plan to catch lawless riders"

Sorry

http://static.flickr.com/59/200243874_5f153f3fde_o.gif

wafflycat said:

Speaking on the London radio station LBC yesterday, Mr Livingstone said: "I
think, I'm now persuaded, we should actually say that bikes and their owners
should be registered.

"There should be a numberplate on the back so that the ones breaking the
law, we can get them off the cameras. It's the only way you can do it.""

He'll soon be feeling the full force of my email.

wafflycat said:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2289733,00.html

"Cycle numberplate plan to catch lawless riders"

His congestion charge success has gone to his head. This smacks of policy made on the
hoof, there are so many holes that I can't begin to take it seriously.

Alan

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"Cycle numberplate plan to catch lawless riders"

His congestion charge success has gone to his head. This smacks of policy
made on the hoof, there are so many holes that I can't begin to take it
seriously.

or a deliberately preposterous idea; to be followed up by a more reasonable
"compromise" such as greater use of CCTV and the resources of Scotland Yard
to monitor the activites of cyclists? They seem to be able to find plenty of
bobbies on bikes to keep an eye on Critical Mass and other such activities..

Some years ago a chap at DfT whom I had an email exchange implied that the
Government had already considered this for the whole country and found it to
be unworkable. There is after all plenty of motor tax evasion and usage of
false numberplates on motor vehicles

Perhaps its really meant as a warning shot to cyclists to start obeying
traffic rules more closely and / or to gauge the level of cycling in London
(as clearly all the pro-cycling types are going to quite understandably
complain, from where they can be counted?)

Alex
--
Mr R@T / General Lighting
Ipswich, Suffolk, Untied Kingdom
http://www.partyvibe.com

elyob said:

"wafflycat" <w*a*ff£y£cat*@£btco*nn£ect.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2289733,00.html

"Cycle numberplate plan to catch lawless riders"

Sorry

http://static.flickr.com/59/200243874_5f153f3fde_o.gif

Nice one D Reg, very good.

Will this apply to the Preologue of the Tour?
;-))

yeah I'm sure it must as I have seen them jump the red lights in France
.... these riders don't have any respect for the law .... 🙂

woollypigs

Dan Gregory said:

Will this apply to the Preologue of the Tour?
;-))

Mr R@t (2.30zi) said:

Perhaps its really meant as a warning shot to cyclists to start obeying
traffic rules more closely and / or to gauge the level of cycling in London
(as clearly all the pro-cycling types are going to quite understandably
complain, from where they can be counted?)

What is really needed is a group of people employed to enforce traffic
law. They could wear identifiable clothing and when they see law
breaking they could intervene and warn the offender. If the offence
was serious they could be detained in some way and possibly
proscecuted.

I wonder if Ken has considered this idea?

wafflycat said:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2289733,00.html

"Cycle numberplate plan to catch lawless riders"

"CYCLISTS in London could be made to fit numberplates to their bikes
under plans being drawn up by Ken Livingstone, the capital's mayor.
All bicycles would be registered so that riders breaking the law, by
cycling on pavements or going through red lights, could be caught on
traffic cameras. Mr Livingstone is also investigating a possible ban on
jaywalking, which is illegal in some countries.

So if jaywalking is made an offence doesn't that imply a need for
pedestrian number plates as well?

Peter

In article <[email hidden]>

Andy Sinclair said:

Mr R@t (2.30zi) said:

Perhaps its really meant as a warning shot to cyclists to start obeying
traffic rules more closely and / or to gauge the level of cycling in London
(as clearly all the pro-cycling types are going to quite understandably
complain, from where they can be counted?)

What is really needed is a group of people employed to enforce traffic
law. They could wear identifiable clothing and when they see law
breaking they could intervene and warn the offender. If the offence
was serious they could be detained in some way and possibly
proscecuted.

I suggest that they wear beige gabardine overcoats or grey pack-a-macs,
and flat caps, and carry a Tesco carrier bag. They should be equipped
with a walking stick, which they can thrust into the spokes of offending
riders or hook around their ankles.

"Peter Amey" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

So if jaywalking is made an offence doesn't that imply a need for
pedestrian number plates as well?

Peter

Wouldn't that make ID cards obsolete?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

pedestrian number plates as well?

Wouldn't that make ID cards obsolete?

Is it time for me to recommend that the numbers are tattooed on our
wrists?
Or perhaps attached to our helmets.
TerryJ