This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Bang on the money. Slow news day for road.cc today....

Comments are lol. PaulBox is bang on the many though:

If the cyclist feels that it was safe to pull out, in to a lane that he was entitled to be using, and overtake other cyclists using the cycle lane then he is entitled to do so.

Understand @Skülly's point about possible ways of handling it better, but hindsight's a wonderful thing - who here can say they've reacted absolutely flawlessly in every conflict they've been in on the road? The adrenaline's pumping, the blues and twos are flashing. Easy to get carried away, IMO.

For my money, that doesn't excuse the plod's approach to this situation - intimidation and bullying.

The 'riding like that is what gets people knocked off' line (at least he wasn't crass enough to say 'killed') was a bit of a baseless wild leap, too.

Telling him to calm down was what pissed him off IMO.

I once got stopped by cycle cop pratt for not filtering. They're not exactly well trained even on bikes.

It's lovely sunny here (again) and no prats or cops or pratty cops.

Also noticed they are building a new ped crossing at a place where everyone just runs over the road as the walkway has been blocked since well over a year by building works. Happy days.

(maybe a bit late but it least it's happening)

I once got stopped by cycle cop pratt for not filtering.

Haha. "Shouldn't you be squeezing between those two heavy lumps of metal on wheels that are due to start moving any second? Not doing that is what gets people knocked off their bike, dontcha know"

I was hill bombing on my skateboard once, road was empty in front of me, copper in a van driving up behind me.
I've got enough speed so I stay in the road, but move over to let him pass, gives me the old acting like a idiot I'll get run over etc...by who I add, then I get 'I'll fucking run you over'
So I call him out on it, they don't like that apparently.

In addition to Skully's points, and not excusing the copper's subsequent cuntish behaviour, I've had another look at the vid and I'm taking a guess at some things that may have riled him somewhat. First off, things aren't helped by the cyclist filtering just outside the cycle lane just before the lights change (1:31), so poor old copper is probably already thinking "bloody cyclists..." When Clockwise pulls away, initially he's using the cycle lane. Now, generally speaking I don't see a reason why he can't then switch into the main carriageway - if it's clear - especially since he intends turning right further on, so taking primary at some point before indicating right would be a sensible turn of events. But from what I can see (1:39 - 1:45), he moves into the main carriageway when he's adjacent to the police car, and is still there just as the lane effectively narrows, coming out of a bend. So the copper is expecting him to be using the cycle lane at that time, and might see such riding as being dangerous. That would be in contrast to the car approaching a cyclist from behind who is already in the main carriageway.

Riding home last night I passed a traffic cop with radar gun, he shouted out my speed as I went past. "Chapeau" I say. He must have been real bored!!

I agree. The guy that charges up the outside at 1:31 is exactly the kind move that can cause an accident. Before he arrives on the scene there is space between the bunch of cyclists and the cars. As soon as he forces his way up there, its getting tight. One wobble from a cyclist on the far left could cause everyone to move right a little, and because someone's filtered into the space that would have been used for this, the chances of bars entangling and someone going down are greatly increased.

This time of year is when I experience most of this kind of thing. We're approaching peak cyclist I reckon, weather's better and all the summer cyclists are getting out n about for the first time. This means junctions are busier and there are more "wobblers".

Add in that our cameraman then decides to do a quick lane change just at the pinch point, while berating the policeman for nothing much and I'm not surprised the policeman wanted a word. He didn't book you, he just gave a warning. He didn't say what you did was illegal, he was just telling you it could be seen as dangerous.

It is not illegal to filter up the inside of a left indicating lorry, but I'd hope the plod would have a word if they saw someone doing it at a junction. This is the same kind of thing. Also, if you mouth off at a policeman, they will pull you over. This is how the world works.

I worked in the transport industry for a few years and saw and heard of some nasty stuff.

Winds me up no end when I give one room and people push past me left right and centre to make the gap when you really don't need to. (Do you reallllllly need to get to work that bad?)

The fact I have been in a car vs truck accident and came of very worse for wear also means I am probably more cautious than most.

on my skateboard once

http://www.timeout.com/london/blog/spotted-marty-mcfly-on-old-kent-road-042016

(sorry if this has been done, haven't bothered to catch up)

you're internet famous now.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/policeman-argues-with-london-cyclist-after-pulling-him-over-for-riding-out-of-cycling-superhighway-a3230651.html

It's like they just typed out the video word for word for people who can't watch it on phones...

Wish I could even stand on one now without my bones starting to ache.

Was wondering when it would hit the Standard.

Next up, Daily Mail.

Edit: "They then have a bizarre debate about what a car horn should be used for." Pulitzer Prize, anyone?

can you hit them up for some cash? they're making money out of your misery, you deserve a cut.

I've seen him do it in the flesh through New Cross. Zero fucks given.

I've just kinda skim read the majority of this but surely although clockwise's attidude is slightly on the offensive, it just shows the policeman's unprofessionalism that he actually got rilled up about it.

Mail trying it on to steal the video.

a) Called it.
b) Good response.

any hyperlinks you desire in the article also

Missed a trick there...

Plenty of anti-Mail hyperlinks you could have stipulated.

Knowing the Mail, they'll just use it anyway.

They have, I'm going to ask for £500 for me and £500 for wheels for wellbeing.

Wow. Can I get your autograph? Have you considered Cycle Training?

Shit they asked and used it anyway? Fucking hell. I shouldn't be surprised... but still.