Neil Williams wrote:
On Sat, 10 Sep 2005 17:13:38 +0100, Edward Cowling London UK
wrote:


Surely it's time for cycles to be registered and insured ?


I may have just fed the troll, but surely it's time for nothing of the
sort. Surely it's time for more police, out on the streets and
visible, issuing fixed penalty tickets for cycling infringements as
well as ticketing motorists for dangerous driving (can't do that with
a camera), deterring other crime and assisting the public where
required?

Cameras, CCTV and the likes, while useful, are no substitute for
proper policing on the front line.

Surely it's also time for the public to stand up and do something about
it. On my walk home I will pass a comment[*] to (almost) anyone cycling
on the pavement on my route.

I don't claim any great success, mostly I get a gobful back or at best
someone swerves on to the road, only to have hopped on again 100yards
away when out of earshot, but if more people moaned and complained, a
few lessons might be learned?

[*] Obviously it helps that it's in a leafy part of comfortable
South-West London, not a dodgy part where you're risking life and limb
in opening your mouth.

In message , chris harrison
writes
I don't claim any great success, mostly I get a gobful back or at best
someone swerves on to the road, only to have hopped on again 100yards
away when out of earshot,
Tell then to try it in the Lakes', I think you'll find most coming back
disgruntled because the local fuzz won't stand for it and as soon as
it's witnessed a £30 penalty ticket," though you could appear in court a
month later and pay £60" will ensue. I think they only get away with
it because they can, but up here where the fuzz have nothing else to do,
let them try their illegal practises and see who wins.
--
Clive

Neil Williams wrote:
Surely it's time for more police, out on the streets and
visible, issuing fixed penalty tickets for cycling infringements as
well as ticketing motorists for dangerous driving (can't do that with
a camera), deterring other crime and assisting the public where
required?

Cameras, CCTV and the likes, while useful, are no substitute for
proper policing on the front line.

On a positive note, I just saw this in email in another place:-

"Cycling police are certainly back in force in the City area, nabbing
many a newbie/oldie for straying onto pavements, through red lights
etc. A friend of mine who has just started cycling to work was hauled
up last week for taking a shortcut across a pavement and given a
thirty quid fine on the spot.

"However, the Old Bill told him that if he turned up to a road safety
training course they're running for cyclists one lunchtime and bought
along the fine, they'd tear it up right there and he wouldn't have to
pay. An interesting approach, i thought...even perhaps one to be
applauded..."

Can't say I've noticed it going on myself, but it seems like a useful
initiative.

Pete.

"Cycling police are certainly back in force in the City area, nabbing
many a newbie/oldie for straying onto pavements, through red lights
etc. A friend of mine who has just started cycling to work was hauled
up last week for taking a shortcut across a pavement and given a
thirty quid fine on the spot.


Can't say I've noticed it going on myself, but it seems like a useful
initiative.

On several occasions while on the top deck of a bus I've enjoyed the sight
of police cyclists waiting for cyclists to run the red lights at Bank
junction, and then stopping them. Only cops on bikes would have a hope of
catching them.

Guy

"Guy" guy wrote in message
...

"Cycling police are certainly back in force in the City area, nabbing
many a newbie/oldie for straying onto pavements, through red lights
etc. A friend of mine who has just started cycling to work was hauled
up last week for taking a shortcut across a pavement and given a
thirty quid fine on the spot.


Can't say I've noticed it going on myself, but it seems like a useful
initiative.

On several occasions while on the top deck of a bus I've enjoyed the sight
of police cyclists waiting for cyclists to run the red lights at Bank
junction, and then stopping them. Only cops on bikes would have a hope of
catching them.

Guy

I'm just waiting for the cyclists to get a bug up their asses about this
like motorists do with speed cameras. Soon, cycle cops will have to wear
8-ft illuminated helmets, so cyclists can spot them at a distance and not go
through red lights, or quickly jump off the pavement until the cop goes...

:-P

d wrote:
I'm just waiting for the cyclists to get a bug up their asses about this
like motorists do with speed cameras. Soon, cycle cops will have to wear
8-ft illuminated helmets, so cyclists can spot them at a distance and not go
through red lights, or quickly jump off the pavement until the cop goes...

Good job this isn't uk.t - otherwise you'd have the speed freaks there
up in arms for equating speed cameras with red light running ...

Y'see, on uk.t at least, when a cyclist goes through a red light they
are evil and must be strung up (or at least taxed, registered, licensed
and otherwise punished for using a cheap, economical mode of transport,
irrespective of the legality of their behaviour), yet when a motorist
trips a speed camera it's because the local plod is raising revenue by
imposing an unfairly low speed limit on a stretch of road.

Edward Cowling London UK wrote:
It was obviously going to happen. All the mob who suddenly leapt onto
pedal bikes after the 7th July, are now being a menace to themselves and
anyone else who gets near them. I regularly see them going through red
lights, treating the pavement and roadway and equally appropriate places
to hurtle along...etc.

The sad thing is that they're probably thousands of times more likely to
get maimed riding a cycle than using the tube or bus.

Surely it's time for cycles to be registered and insured ? I'm not
suggesting mandatory training. To be honest I think they all know the
correct way to drive, but they just don't care. Put a traceable
registration number on the back and it'll give them an incentive not to
ride like lunatics.

Plus it might help reduce the number stolen each year.

And how about some cycle paths to encourage cyclists off the roads (on
car and bike) and onto bikes.

wrote in message
oups.com...

Edward Cowling London UK wrote:
It was obviously going to happen. All the mob who suddenly leapt onto
pedal bikes after the 7th July, are now being a menace to themselves and
anyone else who gets near them. I regularly see them going through red
lights, treating the pavement and roadway and equally appropriate places
to hurtle along...etc.

The sad thing is that they're probably thousands of times more likely to
get maimed riding a cycle than using the tube or bus.

Surely it's time for cycles to be registered and insured ? I'm not
suggesting mandatory training. To be honest I think they all know the
correct way to drive, but they just don't care. Put a traceable
registration number on the back and it'll give them an incentive not to
ride like lunatics.

Plus it might help reduce the number stolen each year.

And how about some cycle paths to encourage cyclists off the roads (on
car and bike) and onto bikes.

Now that I would definitely support. For slow vehicles like bikes, the road,
with cars doing 30, 40, 50, 60 mph is not the best place. Sadly, give the
way that pedestrians have no "lane discipline" and no idea what's behind
them, the pavement is an even worse place.

Martin Underwood wrote:
wrote in message

And how about some cycle paths to encourage cyclists off the roads (on
car and bike) and onto bikes.

Now that I would definitely support. For slow vehicles like bikes, the road,
with cars doing 30, 40, 50, 60 mph is not the best place. Sadly, give the
way that pedestrians have no "lane discipline" and no idea what's behind
them, the pavement is an even worse place.

And any off-road cycle path will be shared with pedestrians. And
almost certainly give way at all side roads, making it both slower and
more dangerous than the road.

Key factors in safety and comfort of on-road cycling a
- speed difference (not absolute speed)
- space for overtaking

A speed difference up to 20mph is pretty safe. A road layout that
allows bikes to be overtaken with good clearance without the driver
changing lane is also safe, even with a greater speed difference.

What's frightening is if it isn't continuously safe to overtake, and
drivers slow down behind you or roar past.

What's dangerous is if they overtake (at any speed) where there isn't
room.

So if you cycle at 10mph, stay in 30 or 20mph zones. If you're doing
20, you should be OK on 40mph roads - and won't be welcome or as safe
on the shared path alongside.

Colin McKenzie

So if you cycle at 10mph, stay in 30 or 20mph zones. If you're doing
20, you should be OK on 40mph roads - and won't be welcome or as safe
on the shared path alongside.

So you're basically ruling out cycling on 90% of the country and
restricting cycles to urban areas.

While we're about it, why not exclude horses, tractors, mopeds, and
(god forbid) walkers from any country lane, after all, they are
designed for cars to do 60mph on.