Police spotting (junction watch)

LBC are reporting that police are at 166 junctions this morning handing out fixed penalties for RLJ's and HGV drivers. Beware and take care of yourselves

I applaud Boris' strategy for supporting safe cycling in our capital.

Oh, hang on;

They will issue fixed penalty notices to anyone breaking road laws

Even officers who do not specialise in traffic policing will be watching and dealing with anyone they see breaking road traffic law during their normal duties

Oh. That'll do it.

WAC...

So, anyone going to try and RLJ all 166 without getting a ticket?

That would make you the world RLJ champion for life.

Good. I am glad. So long as the same emphasis is put on ticketing drivers as it is RLJ'ers, then good.

BBC news article here.

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25080427

Does state motorists will get hit too, presumably for encroaching etc. Lets see how that pans out. Gonna be some expensive commutes.

I'm all for it but they'll be the inevitable moans and groans from all sides I fear.

A one day blitz is nothing more than a PR exercise. Unless plod is out there day after day enforcing the the law this is nothing more than a headline for the day.

Ultimately it will achieve nought other than to antagonize and inflame the situation and do nothing to address the problem.

Saw three junctions with old bill this morning. Seemed to be ticketing cars and motorbikes too. I'm glad to see this tbh. Too many reckless twats on two wheels for me. Can only be a good thing IF this helps raise the standard of cycling a little.

Also, maybe the daily mail twitchers with be less anti cyclist if they start to see a few of us getting tickets. Might help shift perception of cyclists bringing accidents on themselves.

it should get illegal drivers off the road…..

so less congestion so higher traffic speeds.

be careful out there.

So we should encourage illegal drivers in order to reduce traffic speeds?

Saw a brompton rider getting a £50 fine at the Elephant and Castle hexagon.
Not exactly sure how he got caught rlj on a threelane throughfare, must have been a great pains to stop and talk with them.

This morning.

Police ALL the things.

On the train this morning myself (interview later so I've broken out the best suit), quite looking forward to riding in tomorrow to see if I get "advised".

police asking cyclists 'do you jump red lights?' to cyclists stopped at the lights in brixton.

your tax dollars at work, ladies and gentleman.

A one day blitz is nothing more than a PR exercise. Unless plod is out there day after day enforcing the the law this is nothing more than a headline for the day.

Might help shift perception of cyclists bringing accidents on themselves.

My take is that this will increase the perception that cyclists bring trouble onto themselves.

So the red lights are now policed. Yet even if they were policed every day from now on, there will be the same punishment passes, the same "stay on the left", the same SMIDSY, the same "we can't do anything unless there is a serious injury", the same, same, same.

In other news - I got chased down* for cycling in what I had always thought of as a shared use area.

Time to Internet™ and discover if the area is, indeed, shared use.

• Easily doable, due to my fatness and slowness.
  

Lots of polices all the way from Oval right down to Collier Wood, and I agree, it'll increase the perception that cyclists are law breakers.

there's a couple near angel, where the road splits into Essex and Upper street

Didn't see any police at the junctions I pass through that are genuinely dangerous and have had multiple KSI incidents. Holborn, Southampton Row, Gary's Inn junctions = nada.

Did see some ticketing the softest ever RLJs on New Kent Road 200 meters away from E&C north where they could have actually been doing some good.

Mad props to the traffic cop on CS7 between Tooting Bec and Balham for parking his motorbike ON the cycle 'lane'.

there was plenty of police at clerkenwell/farringdon road today. saw a bus behind the police lines - thankfully didnt see a cyclist involved. the heavy police presence didnt stop a tipper lorry pull out right in front of me, very nearly knock me off,. then at the next set of traffic lights tell me "thats why you are all your mates keep dying".

I respect the guy for his honesty but I think he was approaching the issue from a rather skewed perspective..

Stinger traps around Waterloo Bridge, police placed in advance to watch for RLJ'ers and radio ahead to colleagues at the bridge. Did not see a single ticket or pulling over of cyclist on the entire journey, so good job riders. Did see plenty of lawbreaking vehicles entering ASL's one junction away from the officers. Came up to an ASL with no broken line to enter at a red, stopped before the box. Police officers asked me why I wasn't in the box. If they don't know the law then how do they know if its being broken?

Well, all the way from Clapton to TCR I did'nt see a single PoPo at any junction or other form of thoroughfare, not a single one.

*I did see lot's of Hi Vis, so the above statement may or may not be completely true.

community service officers (teams of 6) placed at junctions along the Marylebone rd, starting at Edgeware rd junction. Gave me some lip about not wearing a helmet, lights and high vis jacket. I asked them why they weren't giving the car parked in the bike box a £64 fine... said 'we're picking on cyclists today, and he isn't parked'.

Faith in humanity further diminished.

Police everywhere today. Gutted I wasn't picked on!

Thought I said good morning to one of the old bill in Greenwich this morning but by the look I got back I must have said I hope your whole family get cancer