Pulled over by the cops

[Andy P]

"robbiew" <[email protected]> wrote

> Back on topic I have only been stopped once, as a kid riding down the one way high street the
> wrong way, in front of the police station. I saw them coming and would have had no problem if I
> had my sensible "get off, give them a wave and a smile" head on. Unfortunately I went for the "I
> can outrun them " option. I did outrun them by nipping down an alleyway, but those crafty coppers
> knew where to wait for me later a gave me a bit of grief.

When I was a kid I was giving my mate a ride on the back of his BMX going down a steepish hill on a
quiet road and decided to scare him by going round the corner on the wrong side of the road,
thinking I could hear if anything was coming. Unfortunately I didn't hear the approaching car that
nearly ran into us which also turned out to be a police car. Now what are the chances of that?

 

[Andy P]

"Lee" wrote

> "MSeries" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...

> > All road users who jump red lights and amber lights should be nicked
IMHO.

> Definitely, just cos you are on a bike, doesnt mean that traffic signals
do
> not apply.
>
> Thing is, this is probably one of the reasons that some car drivers hate
us
> cyclists so!

That's the reason I now wait at red lights when it's obviously on occasions safe to ignore them and
carry on. So as not to annoy other road users. Nothing to do with safety. A while back I went
through a red light and a car driver behind me tried to force me off my bike a bit further on. I
doubt he treated any other cyclists he met that day with much respect. Annoying other road users
isn't a good idea for everyone's sake.

 

[Jon Spencer]

"On a three-lane dual carriageway, you may use the middle lane or the right-hand lane to overtake
but return to the middle and then the left-hand lane when it is safe. "

How does that help?

"Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "James Shugg" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >
> > Has anyone here had the book thrown at them for doing something pretty daft like the chap above.
> > What was the fine/outcome?
>
> The only time I go through lights on red is on my morning commute
pre-0600.
> There are several lights that do not pick up my bike's presence and will
go
> through a couple of sequences ignoring me. If no car is around or approaching I ride through. If
> somehow an unseen cop saw me, I'd quote Highway Code rule 117.
>
> --
> Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W http://www.simonmason.karoo.net

 

[Simon Mason]

"Jon Spencer" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:3f85844d$0$9322$9b0f33e3@clyde...
> "On a three-lane dual carriageway, you may use the middle lane or the right-hand lane to overtake
> but return to the middle and then the
left-hand
> lane when it is safe. "

See earlier answer:

> Oops, yes you're right it's rule 152 - my mistake.
>
> "You MUST NOT move forward over the white line when the red light is showing. Only go forward when
> the traffic lights are green if there is
room
> for you to clear the junction safely or you are taking up a position to
turn
> right. If the traffic lights are not working, proceed with caution".
>
> If your bike isn't detected , you can argue that they're not working. Simon

 

[Jon Schneider]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (Simon Mason) wrote:

> Highway Code rule 117.

Ah. Cyclists wearing red on Thursdays should not eat toast before lubricating their chains unless
the saddle has been raised 1".

Jon

 

[Tony Raven]

Andy P wrote:

>
> When I was a kid I was giving my mate a ride on the back of his BMX going down a steepish hill on
> a quiet road and decided to scare him by going round the corner on the wrong side of the road,
> thinking I could hear if anything was coming. Unfortunately I didn't hear the approaching car that
> nearly ran into us which also turned out to be a police car. Now what are the chances of that?

Pretty high. Its known in statistics as Sod's Law ;-)

Tony

--
"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything." Mark Twain

 

[Danny Colyer]

Andy P wrote:
> When I was a kid I was giving my mate a ride on the back of his BMX going down a steepish hill on
> a quiet road and decided to scare him by going round the corner on the wrong side of the road,

Blimey, that's every bit as stupid as the time when I was a kid and I was giving my mate a ride on
the back of his BMX going down a steepish hill on a quiet road and decided to scare him by riding
with no hands. Fortunately I had a clear view to the bottom of the road and nothing came up.

--
Danny Colyer (remove safety to reply) ( http://www.juggler.net/danny ) Recumbent cycle page:
http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/recumbents/ "He who dares not offend cannot be honest." -
Thomas Paine

 

[James Hodson]

On Thu, 9 Oct 2003 18:20 +0100 (BST), [email protected]. (Jon Schneider) wrote:

>Ah. Cyclists wearing red on Thursdays should not eat toast before lubricating their chains unless
>the saddle has been raised 1".
>

Hi Jon

One inch? Pah! I was forced to ride a mate's bike on Sunday - OK, I chose to ride it out of
politeness. Its saddle was roughly a foot too low from my point of view.

The bike's chain was unaware of any sort of lubricant but I did have toast as a part of my
breakfast.

James

--
"Sorry mate, I didn't see you" is not a satisfactory excuse.

 

[Paulmouk]

--
(PS Remove junk to reply) "Rory" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Lee"
<gnippernospampleasemuchly@nospampleasemuchlyverymuch.btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > "MSeries" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > >
> > > My mate was pulled in Golden, Colorado for running a red light. The
Cop
> > let
> > > him off because he was from out of town.
> > >
> > > All road users who jump red lights and amber lights should be nicked
IMHO.
>
> > Thing is, this is probably one of the reasons that some car drivers hate
us
> > cyclists so!
>
> Yeah but why? Is it that they care for us and would hate to see us hurt? I suspect its because
> they hate to see anyone getting ahead of them.

How often do you see cars still going through the lights after they changed to amber (and they had
plenty of time to stop) and still going through after they changed to red?

The drivers do it all the time and they don't consider that people who can't afford/won't use a car
should try and be like their betters.

It's because they do it all the time

 

[Richard Goodman]

"James Shugg" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> The only time I've been caught is when I got bored waiting at a red light at a pedestrial
> crossing. The peds had already crossed, and there was no one else around, so I moved off at a slow
> pace, not noticing that the vehicle next to me was a police motor bike. He let me off though.
>
> Has anyone here had the book thrown at them for doing something pretty daft like the chap above.
> What was the fine/outcome?
>

Never been nicked for anything quite so daft, although I did get a parking ticket once for being
parked on a yellow line right outside a police station ;-). The last time I got pulled for going
through a red light I was asked which part of 'red' and 'light' I didn't understand, and did I want
a £30 fine? Since the answer was 'neither' and 'no' I had to retrace my steps behind the stop line
and wait another cycle of the lights!

Rich

 

[Paulmouk]

--
(PS Remove junk to reply) "mikebam" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > "James Shugg" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > >
> > > Has anyone here had the book thrown at them for doing something pretty daft like the chap
> > > above. What was the fine/outcome?
> >
> > The only time I go through lights on red is on my morning commute
> pre-0600.
> > There are several lights that do not pick up my bike's presence and will
> go
> > through a couple of sequences ignoring me. If no car is around or approaching I ride through. If
> > somehow an unseen cop saw me, I'd quote Highway Code rule 117.
> >
> > --
> > Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W http://www.simonmason.karoo.net
> >
> >
> > Simon
> This is a good point - likewise there are a few lights on my bike commute
> which are operated by the pressure?? strips on the road which I can sit
> at waiting for a car to come along to trip my side(I've even suffered this
> with a lightweight fi-glass kit car). I'm not offering this as an excuse
to
> run red lights but the way lights are sprouting up everywhere for any
reason
> around here(Manchester) I can see why cyclists have given up on them because its obvious the
> lights are nothing to do with reason and
everything
> to do with deterring people from using anything other than public
transport.
> Mike

Are there any traffic lights still working from pressure pads? I suspect that most were removed 20
or 30 years ago. Nowadays, they detect the metal mass of vehicles from the change in inductance of a
current passing through a wire buried in a slit in the tarmac/bitmac/asphalt road surface. If they
won't detect the engine mass in a fibreglass car (or a bicycle) then report them as faulty. They can
be adjusted for sensitivity.

 

[James Annan]

"Tony Raven" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...

> When was the last time you saw a Tokyo taxi driver express anger or frustration (only ever had it
> happen once with me) cf a London cabbie.

Well, we did get road raged by a van driver a few months ago, which has never happened in the UK.
There was much ranting and raving, police had to be called, and we all ended up bowing and
apologising politely to each other. Everyone realised it was entirely his fault. In the UK I'd
have had him charged with assault (and quite probably assaulted him myself) but I'm not so sure of
the laws here and didn't want to push my luck. A very similar thing happened to someone else we
know here.

James

 

[Pk]

Paulmouk wrote:
> The drivers do it all the time and they don't consider that people who can't afford/won't use a
> car should try and be like their betters.
>
>
>
> It's because they do it all the time

I don't. but I do object to cyclists who do.

pk

 

[Dransfield]

"James Shugg" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]... <<>>
> traffic around (he seemed to have timed the traffic light sequence such that everything was red)
> except for a City Police Mercedes which
<<>>

When all lights are red at Bank, that's when all Ped lights are green.

When I stop for a red light nowadays, I try to remember to check if there's a bike behind me, and if
there is I shout "I'm stopping". This gives them the chance to avoid running into the back of me,
pass me, and get on with their game of "Frogger". Dz

 

[James Shugg]

"Andy P" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> That's the reason I now wait at red lights when it's obviously on occasions safe to ignore them
> and carry on. So as not to annoy other road users. Nothing to do with safety. A while back I went
> through a red light and a car driver behind me tried to force me off my bike a bit further on. I
> doubt he treated any other cyclists he met that day with much respect. Annoying other road users
> isn't a good idea for everyone's sake.

That's happened to me too!. An old geezer in a Rover. The peds had crossed before the lights even
changed, so there was a long wait at a red light for no reason, so I moved off. The Rover guy tooted
at me, then 30 seconds later caught up and veered towards me,m such that I had to take evasive
action. At the next red light, I tapped on his window but he just stared straight ahead. I rode off.

 

[Andy P]

"James Shugg" <[email protected]> wrote

> That's happened to me too!. An old geezer in a Rover. The peds had crossed before the lights even
> changed, so there was a long wait at a red light for no reason, so I moved off. The Rover guy
> tooted at me, then 30 seconds later caught up and veered towards me,m such that I had to take
> evasive action. At the next red light, I tapped on his window but he just stared straight ahead. I
> rode off.

I generally try and avoid potentially violent confrontations so I jumped onto the pavement and took
the route around the docks. Bet he loved that.

 

[Samormike]

Not me but a friend was stopped cycling down the Gold Street cycle lane in Northampton - one way
street with a green painted cycle lane contraflow.

Longish conversation along the lines of 'what's this green painted strip with a picture of a bicycle
then?' and 'what about the traffic light at the end?' and 'why don't you radio in and check?'.
Following a bit of a chat to the station he got an 'on your way'.

Could be a local urban myth, I suppose but I like it.

"James Shugg" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On my morning commute today, I was waiting in at the head of a fairly long traffic queue at Bank
> junction in the City this morning, along with several other cyclists and mopeds. A lycra clad and
> very fit guy probably around 40 yo on a road bike came gliding down the line of traffic, but on
> the wrong side of the road, then continued right through the junction against a red light. There
> was hardly any moving traffic around (he seemed to have timed the traffic light sequence such that
> everything was red) except for a City Police Mercedes which did a U turn in front of him and
> pulled him over. I didn't wait to see what the cops did to him but the cyclist looked aghast.
>
> The only time I've been caught is when I got bored waiting at a red light at a pedestrial
> crossing. The peds had already crossed, and there was no one else around, so I moved off at a slow
> pace, not noticing that the vehicle next to me was a police motor bike. He let me off though.
>
> Has anyone here had the book thrown at them for doing something pretty daft like the chap above.
> What was the fine/outcome?
>
> James

 

[Congokid]

In article <[email protected]>, James Hodson
<[email protected]> writes
>On Thu, 9 Oct 2003 18:20 +0100 (BST), [email protected]. (Jon Schneider) wrote:
>
>>Ah. Cyclists wearing red on Thursdays should not eat toast before lubricating their chains unless
>>the saddle has been raised 1".

>One inch? Pah! I was forced to ride a mate's bike on Sunday - OK, I chose to ride it out of
>politeness. Its saddle was roughly a foot too low from my point of view.
>
>The bike's chain was unaware of any sort of lubricant but I did have toast as a part of my
>breakfast.

You're nicked, sunny Jim. No toast allowed!

--
congokid Eating out in London? Read my tips... http://congokid.com

 

[Jon Schneider]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (congokid) wrote:

> In article <[email protected]>, James Hodson
> <[email protected]> writes
> >On Thu, 9 Oct 2003 18:20 +0100 (BST), [email protected]. (Jon Schneider) wrote:
> >
> >>Ah. Cyclists wearing red on Thursdays should not eat toast before lubricating their chains
> >>unless the saddle has been raised 1".
>
> >One inch? Pah! I was forced to ride a mate's bike on Sunday - OK, I chose to ride it out of
> >politeness. Its saddle was roughly a foot too low from my point of view.
> >
> >The bike's chain was unaware of any sort of lubricant but I did have toast as a part of my
> >breakfast.
>
> You're nicked, sunny Jim. No toast allowed!

Actually I think there is a loophole for use out of zero gravity situations.

Jon