2008-05-09 - Rider Down, Regents Park Outer Circle

the boardwalk is the big path that runs right through the middle of the park. not only did they not tell anyone when cyclists were allowed on it, but they also didnt tell anyone when they forbade it again. cue loads of people getting warnings and fines at the end of last summer. wankers

Including me ! The only clue you got (if you were super observant) was that they had removed the white markings off the floor at the North and South entrances.

I don't suppose there's enough room to lay another section of kerb. And if they'd done it that way in the first place (made the pinch point next to the bike lane, it would've forced traffic dangerously close to the white line marking the road centre.

I can't see the sense of those things anyway. Were they introduced to stop people trying to overtake on that wide stretch of road?

No, I mean put a curbed off stretch of bike lane in as well as the pinch point island, maybe even steal a little off the pedestrian pavement.

Ah fuck it ! Town planning on the internet, it's the sort of thing you start doing as you get older ! :)

@chris crash - they're not severe enough to make anyone slow down, except an extremely wide vehicle. I'd still contend that people have tried overtaking there (slightly downhill, wide road, parkish sense of immunity, using it as a rat run to save time), and that would be very dangerous due to one particular junction.

I'd rather they'd just painted an unbroken white line (and maybe a chevron section), and gone about strictly enforcing a 20mph limit (which most of the over-paid and under-performing people on bikes round there can only dream of reaching!).

No, I mean put a curbed off stretch of bike lane in as well as the pinch point island, maybe even steal a little off the pedestrian pavement.

Ah fuck it ! Town planning on the internet, it's the sort of thing you start doing as you get older ! :)

That pavement's barely wide enough to get a wheelchair/pushchair down, especially with those boxy new parking meter things, plus lamp-posts.

What we need is a monorail.

oh shit is ti really 300 quid? i often ride through there, thinking i'll get a stern look or a slap on the wrists... what bastards.

I was once in there with my girlfriend - both on out bikes - late on a Sunday, it was still light and (as far we could see) there was not one other single soul in the whole park, we trundled along on one of the small out of the way paths to right of the broadwalk (if you are looking North).

Out of the distance a police car with it's lights flashing (but no siren) came hurtling (must have been doing 40-50mph) over the large open areas, across the greens, cutting over the broadwalk at 90° - screaming along to come to a halt 30ft in front of us.

We were basically treated like shit, we were threatened with a combined fine of £600 plus court costs, spoken to like we had just raped the queen's actual arse and made to walk our bikes out of the park whilst followed by the police are crawling along behind us.

both on out bikes

The Met don't take kindly to openly gay bikes.

im sure ive seen people caught in regents by the bike mounted police. surely youd be able to legitimately claim that they pay a fine too??

You're more than welcome to try...

The Met don't take kindly to openly gay bikes.

We are both heterosexual, but yes, you are quite right our bikes are gay.

I got asked to stop by by a cop a bike, I carried on riding and pointed out that he was riding a bike too....we had quite a heated argument about it, all the time I just got slowly faster, he lasted less than a minute...

I got asked to stop by by a cop a bike, I carried on riding and pointed out that he was riding a bike too....we had quite a heated argument about it, all the time I just got slowly faster, he lasted less than a minute...

LOL!

Like when they ride on pavements too...

bastards.

I used to use that stretch when a courier as a shortcut, no red-lights ride up to Camden, quiet maybe, safe no, it's relatively traffic free and straight which seems to encourage speeding and attention loss from drivers...

used to fly past guys "training" in all the gear on carbon bikes often with (can't see where I'm going) aero bars on that stretch of road, with my filthy Veto, full bag and upright position...would always give them a cheerful tinkle from my bell as I did so.....

I always assume that those guys are doing hundreds of laps, which is why they are so slow. Maybe I am too forgiving by nature and they should HTFU.

Ha.

I got asked to stop by by a cop a bike, I carried on riding and pointed out that he was riding a bike too....we had quite a heated argument about it, all the time I just got slowly faster, he lasted less than a minute...

Great tactic, I love this story. Hope you called him an ambulance as his coronary forced him off the saddle and onto the Queen's broadwalk?

nice conker trees on the Broadwalk :D but didn't someone die from a cycle crash in regents park ? or is that a story i've miss-heard ? hence why they stopped bikes riding there ???

From inlineonline.co.uk:

Marylebone Magistrates Court, London.

Did you know that in the Royal parks, certain activities are deemed illegal? Notably, playing a musical instrument, flying a kite, playing any game, or engaging in any form of sport or exercise.

At Marylebone Magistrates Court yesterday a case was heard regarding the legality of Inline Skating in the Royal Parks. Ever since a collision involving a skater & a cyclist resulted in the accidental death of the cyclist, signs have been posted in the parks forbidding both activities. The case yesterday questioned whether or not it was in fact an offence to participate in these activities in the park.

In May of this year, Martin Brass was stopped by Police in Regents Park whilst skating to work one afternoon. PC Watson (PC33) of the Parks Police told him that it was �illegal� to skate in Regents Park & asked whether he had seen the painted signs on the pavement forbidding Skating & Cycling. Mr. Brass was summonsed under a regulation of the Royal & other parks & gardens regulations, that he failed to comply with a direction for the regulation of skating given by a notice exhibited by order of the Secretary of State.

Mr. Brass, represented by Mr. Richard Bentwood (Barrister at Law, instructed by Meaby & Co.), argued that it cannot be an offence to skate or cycle in the park, merely because a sign has been painted on the pavement, but rather such a sign must have posted by order of the Secretary of State for the offence to have been committed.

Mr. Bentwood stated that if it were not the case, it would be possible for a sign to be painted forbidding �fast walking� making that activity illegal, as fast walking would come under the umbrella of �any sport or exercise�. When the prosecution rebutted that �any intelligent or normal� person would have known that it was illegal, Mr. Bentwood stated that this case was not a question of intelligence or normality, but that it was a question of the law.

In point of law, a painted sign on the pavement does not constitute a sign posted by order of the Secretary of State & therefore, in this case, no crime had been committed. The Magistrates agreed & the case was dismissed, but not before an important point had been made.

I'm getting that richard blackwood or whatever his name is, to reprazent me if I get hauled up!

ice T reprazents me

In point of law, a painted sign on the pavement does not constitute a sign posted by order of the Secretary of State & therefore, in this case, no crime had been committed. The Magistrates agreed & the case was dismissed, but not before an important point had been made.

:)

That's sounds like something very useful to know ! Do you know when this case was heard ?

I wonder if they have bothered to erect signs now (as opposed to painted signs) ?

:)

That's sounds like something very useful to know ! Do you know when this case was heard ?

I wonder if they have bothered to erect signs now (as opposed to painted signs) ?

I did find this, dated 2001:

"
Statutory Instrument 1997 no. 1639 states the following (interpreted solely for skaters) – “no person shall intentionally or recklessly interfere with the safety, comfort or convenience of any person using a park. A person using roller skaters, roller blades or a skateboard may only do so on a Park road or in a designated area which is marked as being for that purpose by the Secretary of State. Skaters will not fail to comply with any direction for the regulation and control given by a constable or by a notice exhibited by the Order of the Secretary of State.”
What does this mean for you? At one extreme anybody can be asked to leave the park at any time for interfering with the safety of others in the park. In this case the skaters would have no choice but to leave. The actual repercussions of disturbing the peace have yet to be realized (by the author) but it would nonetheless ruin your day.
One of the few skate v. public cases involves Regents Park. Briefly a gentleman was stopped by police in Regents Park and summoned for failing to comply with a direction for the regulation of skating given by a notice exhibited by order of the Secretary of State. This case was dismissed on a technicality that a painted sign on the pavement does not constitute a sign posted by order of the Secretary of State.
Skaters commonly misinterpret this to mean that they can in actual fact skate in Regents Park (and officially in some areas you can – see below) and the legislation surrounding this is certainly grey. Information gained from websites and conversations with Park Police point to the fact that Regents Park definitely has no skate areas – and whilst the aforementioned case was successful this is not likely to occur a second time. Police could potentially ask you to leave the park on the basis that it does say no skating. It could be argued that other park users, as a result of this sign, would not expect to see skaters and this could put themselves or others at risk.
Regents Park is also considering putting aside an official area for skaters. The relationship with all Parks and skaters is tenuous – unnecessarily risking or destroying this relationship would be a sad waste and would ruin it for those who have yet to discover skating."

(from londonskaters.com)

Oh well, the Outer Circle it is.

And the cops had guns there this morning. That'll keep the pesky skaters away.

They should ban motorised traffic from the outer circle - although i'd probably let residents/mosque vistors with the appropriate permit travel the boulevard at up to 20 mph with an appropriate permit.

Same for Richmond Park. Was round there this afternoon and there was an awful load of cars on the road ruining it for everybody else.

And the cops had guns there this morning. That'll keep the pesky skaters away.

The armed police hang around the gate focussed on here:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Regents+Park,+London+NW1,+United+Kingdom&ie=UTF8&cd=6&geocode=0,51.529308,-0.160872&ll=51.531961,-0.164436&spn=0.000499,0.000865&t=h&z=20

Behind the fence today was a US flag so perhaps there is some sort of ambassador in there spoiling people.

I'm gonna have to start cutting through Regent's Park.. just to fsck with the coppers. What a pile of shit.