Police spotting (junction watch)

Some a roadie with all the gear and no idea pulled over on tooley street yesterday eve, at the junction south of tower bridge. He was being issued a ticket, and he looked pissed and in disbelief. Shouldn't have jumped the light then should we! And its about time they start catching RLJers at that junction.

I'm liking the increased levels of enforcement. But I do wish they would have a word with cars/motorbikes in the cycle boxes, and geezers on their phones too. But I suppose they have been given a specific task.

I always ask these police if they are checking for drivers using mobiles. When they say no I act all shocked and disbelieving, then point a few out.

I suggest everyone try this. Oh and stop jumping red lights whilst you're doing it.
There was a gang of plods booking cyclists southbound on Tower Bridge Road yesterday, as they RLJd past the junction with Queen Elisabeth Street.

I rode past, clapping and sanctimoniously shouting "Well done, jolly good work there".

As an exercise in being a douche, I hopefully expressed my disdain for both the RLJers and the police action at the same time.

There was a gang of plods booking cyclists southbound on Tower Bridge Road yesterday, as they RLJd past the junction with Queen Elisabeth Street.

I rode past, clapping and sanctimoniously shouting "Well done, jolly good work there".

As an exercise in being a douche, I hopefully expressed my disdain for both the RLJers and the police action at the same time.

So no to RLJ'ers but also no to any legal method of dissuasion? Colour me confused

Looks like ^^^ was the same gang of plod as ^^.

I suppose they have been given a specific task.
Their task seems to be dictated by local community "meetings", which essentially means a bunch of Meldrew types bitching about RLJers, and how they kill children.

Blah blah, perceptions of The Cyclist Menace™ being massively overplayed, versus dangerous driving being blithely accepted.

no to any legal method of dissuasion
No.

Disdain for plod policy in pandering to the vocally bitching minority of all-cyclists-are-evil.

There's a balance, and the police have it wrong.

What's the alternative? Myself, I used to RLJ then had a positive discussion with the plod and, in conjunction with an attitude shift in my own mind, no longer do it.

Not digging at anyone, I'm just not sure what the alternative is. It's easy to feel victimised when we see other riders being pulled over just as motorists feel the same about speed cameras, layby radar traps etc.

Answer is to enforce all regs evenly, then no-one can feel hard done by.

Easy!

It's really difficult to tell if car offences and cycle offences are being enforced evenly.

Anecdotally: on my commute there are two speed cameras and several red light cameras for cars. But I have never seen any plod stopping cyclists for RLJ in two years. I would say at least 30% of cyclists do this every day on this route.

My impression is that car offences are enforced more strictly, simply because it's easier. Cars have a license plate which allows easy identification by camera etc.

One issue with cars stopping in the ASL is that the driver may have a defence that it was not safe to stop at the first line - so to issue a ticket an officer would have to be sure that this defence is unavailable - ie (s)he would have to see the car drive into the box for no good reason.

Another issue is that there's no specific offence - the FPN would be for failing to obey a red light, which is three points and a fine. That seems very harsh to me - and probably to many plod. I think that there should be a specific FPN for this - then they would get issued more.

On a tangent - I think ASLs aren't a great idea anyway, as they can encourage cyclists to filter up to the front when that's unsafe. They are also very difficult to enforce for the reason above.

South side of Blackfriars Bridge on the north bound Blackfriars Road about 8.45 this morning.
Saw a couple of cyclists being spoken to - possibly fined.
Not sure what red they were jumping (if they had RLJ'd at all) but possibly the filter road from Stamford Street eastbound onto the bridge.
TBH that junction is pretty difficult to RLJ without putting yourself at risk even if you know the sequencing of the lights.

They should stop them and advise them to go up Rennie St and Upper Ground, where a shared priority pavement means they can get onto the bridge and onto the bus lane without needing to wait at the traffic lights.

It's really difficult to tell if car offences and cycle offences are being enforced evenly.

Anecdotally: on my commute there are two speed cameras and several red light cameras for cars. But I have never seen any plod stopping cyclists for RLJ in two years. I would say at least 30% of cyclists do this every day on this route.

My impression is that car offences are enforced more strictly, simply because it's easier. Cars have a license plate which allows easy identification by camera etc.

One issue with cars stopping in the ASL is that the driver may have a defence that it was not safe to stop at the first line - so to issue a ticket an officer would have to be sure that this defence is unavailable - ie (s)he would have to see the car drive into the box for no good reason.

Another issue is that there's no specific offence - the FPN would be for failing to obey a red light, which is three points and a fine. That seems very harsh to me - and probably to many plod. I think that there should be a specific FPN for this - then they would get issued more.

On a tangent - I think ASLs aren't a great idea anyway, as they can encourage cyclists to filter up to the front when that's unsafe. They are also very difficult to enforce for the reason above.

It's an interesting problem in a way- when there is no ASL cyclists and motorcyclists tend to filter to the front then stop in front of the stop line.

Would you make people wait in line if you enforced ASL's rigourously, and fined the cyclists that went over the line as if they had jumped the red?

And on the subject of ASL violations- surely the answer is to make them the same fixed penalty that cyclists get for jumping a red, £30 (or whatever it is) and no points.

What's the alternative?
What alternative is needed?

It's an interesting problem in a way- when there is no ASL cyclists and motorcyclists tend to filter to the front then stop in front of the stop line.

Would you make people wait in line if you enforced ASL's rigourously, and fined the cyclists that went over the line as if they had jumped the red?

And on the subject of ASL violations- surely the answer is to make them the same fixed penalty that cyclists get for jumping a red, £30 (or whatever it is) and no points.

Agree to the last - maybe one point on the FPN would be good. I should mention that the max penalty for a car RLJ is six points and £1000 if they take it to the mags court.

Re ASLs: I understand they were introduced partly for that reason - cycles and m/cs go to the front anyway. I don't think there's anything to be done about that. In many situations it's sensible and safe to be at the front of the queue.

But I think they encourage the idea that it's ALWAYS safe to filter to the front - especially in new cyclists who also think it's always safe to cling to the kerb. They also encourage those nodders who wobble in front of me at every red and then cycle at a snail's pace...

Since when have cyclists been encouraged to filter to the front? Isn't it something they have decided amongst themselves? Or a simple case of following the crowd?

I don't know where all this plod encouragement to go to the front is coming from. Or maybe I haven't been paying attention.

What I mean is - it's natural instinct to go to the front of the queue if you can. You might feel safer and you will make more progress. One of the nice things about cycling is that you can do this.

If you see a green painted box with a bicycle in it, that looks like official encouragement. And yes - everyone else does it.

But it's not always safe to go to the front. When filtering you might be stuck by oncoming traffic, or someone else filtering. Or you might end up at the front with nowhere to stop safely.

I saw a gang of Old Bill pulling up cyclists on the cut through between City Road & Goswell Road, plus another crew outside the Virgin gym. They were asking them to dismount.. Anyone any idea what was going on?

What I mean is - it's natural instinct to go to the front of the queue if you can. You might feel safer and you will make more progress. One of the nice things about cycling is that you can do this.

If you see a green painted box with a bicycle in it, that looks like official encouragement. And yes - everyone else does it.

But it's not always safe to go to the front. When filtering you might be stuck by oncoming traffic, or someone else filtering. Or you might end up at the front with nowhere to stop safely.

Agreed, but like it was mentioned before, cyclists will filter to the front regardless of there being a green box or no green box. Most people do it because everyone else is doing it and they don't think for themselves.

And if a cyclist is stupid enough to filter down the left of a left indicating lorry when the light could turn amber/green imminently. Well, that's their problem and its no ones fault but their own for not thinking.

But I suppose they have been given a specific task.

Indeed, I've seen plod at a junction ignoring cycle RLJers and just pulling over 'phone using motons. Some of the irate motons were pointing at the cycle RLJers and saying "why aren't you stopping them?"

There needs to me more enforcement of all offences and I'd agree that easier to issue FPNs for certain offences is probably the answer.

For the record; I only RLJ when I'm blind drunk.

police watch on one of the junctions just before the entrance to London Zoo (outer ring) , 7.30 this AM - saw at least 2 cyclists getting a talking to from the police. I think it was junction of Robert Street and Albany Street , as below
http://www.mapmyride.com/s/routes/view/bike-ride-map/london/6636591

This morning at the top of Newington Causeway, corner of Borough St, I was passed by three fearless RLJer's as I waited at the light. With traffic going across, the three made their way through and north but were promptly stopped by a group of plod who were, funnily enough, just across the road from the plod shop. I can't say that I was overly sympathetic as I passed them.

However, if you are inclined to RLJ, then plod seem to be out on a few corners of Borough High St/ Newington Causeway.

11.10.12 - Watch out for those fluorescent jackets.. I just stopped at a red light, at junction of plough Way and Lower Road in SE16. The motorist in the car next to me was using his mobile phone. The light turned amber, I looked all ways respectfully and set off. No advanced line for cyclists - just looking after my own safety. The officers said they were specifically targeting cyclists London wide and the campaign is going on for a month. Seriously?!

good

Good. Motorists should be allowed to use their phones whenever they want. It's their 'uman right.

11.10.12 - Watch out for those fluorescent jackets.. I just stopped at a red light, at junction of plough Way and Lower Road in SE16. The motorist in the car next to me was using his mobile phone. The light turned amber, I looked all ways respectfully and set off. No advanced line for cyclists - just looking after my own safety. The officers said they were specifically targeting cyclists London wide and the campaign is going on for a month. Seriously?!

This is part of the build-up to Drive to Work Day.

uncanny resemblance