90 quids in fines in two days

lol, you weren't even racing them and you still managed to go about 700yrds before they caught you!

Oh i was racing,
for the unbelievable need to take a dump.
I only live around the corner.

Same with bike coppers. Flew through a red past a bike cop. He knew as well as I did that by the time he accelerated his bike with suspension, knobbly tires, pania of useful stuff and himself ladened down with body armour and Batman's belt I would be out of sight. So he didn't even bother. Made me wonder what the hell the point of bicycle police are.

Why give a copper a MTB with knobbly tyres in the city? Rolling Resistance ain't a political indie band y'know.

Mind you, I do want a bike with Smith and Wesson on the down tube. Humana

Well id say they for pursuers on foot,
and the tyres, suspension etc, most likely for people trying to run through parks n whatnot.
They do carry a lot of weight though, and the police riding them don't exactly look very quick.

Made me wonder what the hell the point of bicycle police are.

The bikes arent for chasing people, its just so they can cover more ground than if they were on foot.

I guess mountain bikes are the nearest equivalent to the town bikes edwardian police rode. In that they are comfortable and sturdy to plod along slowly.

But there indeed would be much better choices of bike available now, some city bike/hybrid thing would be perfect.

Whats really puzzling is that all bike cops wear magnum boots.

The bikes arent for chasing people, its just so they can cover more ground than if they were on foot.

True, cycle police (and paramedics etc.) have much faster response times than the motor vehicles police use. There are a lot of vehicle restricted areas in London through which motorcycle police can't pass, let alone police in tin boxes.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/archive/4385.aspx

"The cycle response unit is able to reach anywhere within its area of operation within minutes, regardless of traffic conditions."

They use mountain bikes because police started using them in the US, where they first re-invigorated the idea of police on pedal cycles. Initial training was done by the International Police Mountain Bike Association, rather predetermining the eventual choice of bikes. :)

There are also some really interesting stats on paramedic response times on the above page. They were published in 2004 but the situation won't have changed much.

got my first ticket for jumping a lame and 100% safe red light. left turn at a junction, absolutely NO traffic, apart from a cop car which I manage not to spot. whooop whooop - £30 please.

If you can't spot a cop car then you're not in any condition to be running red lights are ya?

Epic RLJ FAIL.

If you can't spot a cop car then you're not in any condition to be running red lights are ya?

Epic RLJ FAIL.

Maybe it was camouflage red?

I find it funny that people think they can safely run reds and yet none of them ever spot the coppers that fine them. If you can't see coppers in the intersection then you were going too fast to safely run the red (and too slow to outrun the coppers ;))

Fuck me.. I've been sucked into a C+/bikeradar thread without even realising!!!! ARRRRGH
No more bourbon for me.. sleepy time!

Ok serious question.

Is it **illegal **to cycle on flyovers? Like the one in Hammersmith? What about "fly unders" or what ever they are called, like the one that goes under the massive roundabout at Hype Park Corner (Picadilly arcade)?

I very rarely stop for red lights, in fact if its safe and I don't see any five-0 I ALWAYS break lights. I've never been stopped for it. So I'm with everyone else here, if you can't see the police you shouldn't be breaking the lights.

Peace

Ok serious question.

Is it **illegal **to cycle on flyovers? Like the one in Hammersmith? What about "fly unders" or what ever they are called, like the one that goes under the massive roundabout at Hype Park Corner (Picadilly arcade)?

On Hammersmith there is a sign saying no cycling. Therefore you are not allowed to cycle on it. For other places, look out for signs.

I very rarely stop for red lights, in fact if its safe and I don't see any five-0 I ALWAYS break lights. I've never been stopped for it. So I'm with everyone else here, if you can't see the police you shouldn't be breaking the lights.
Curious paradox there. If you can see the Police: stop. If you can't see the Police: question whether you are going too fast to see them and stop.

Peace
..and good will to all men.

I never saw the sign on Hammersmith flyover. For a time it was the only way I knew how to get into central London from Ealing. Never saw issue with it myself but da law is da law! ;)

I never saw the sign on Hammersmith flyover.

Clearly travelling too fast ;o)

There's no red lights on HS flyover.. why would I slow down? :)

RLJ turning left should be legal.

RLJ turning left should be legal.

I was in france last week... it definitely shouldn't

It is in (some states?) in America, is it not?

Right-Turn on on a RL obv.

If you can't spot a cop car then you're not in any condition to be running red lights are ya?

Epic RLJ FAIL.

ha ha! to be fair I shouldn't even have been on the bike...

I got stopped by police alots for RLJ, yet none of them have the heart to give me a find, bless!

Curious paradox there. If you can see the Police: stop. If you can't see the Police: question whether you are going too fast to see them and stop.

Not a paradox, exactly my point. You can be skilful at jumping red lights. If your getting stopped by the feds they are doing you a favour, because clearly, if you cant see a cop car, you cant see a potential death car from above 1979.

Peace

you should have just legged it.

the unbelievable need to take a dump

I hate dump attacks...

As you were people..as you were.

It is in (some states?) in America, is it not?

Right-Turn on on a RL obv.

Apparently, immediately after that was introduced, pedestrian casualties from it doubled or tripled. I'd have to look up exactly what happened, but it wasn't good, from memory.

the city of london police have a task force to fine cyclists. operation 'some-thing' hence lots of fines in the city. (hammersmith maybe exception).

i think this is all related is to the fact that basically roads are designed to separate pedestrians (things that are random) and vehicles (steel metal boxes that are not) - there was never any intention to accommodate cyclists. therefore enforcing the rules is like using a plaster to heal a broken leg and it is never going to work as the traffic regulations, especially in central london, are severely fucked. police are just getting pressure from the media to try to do the best they can given that the use of the highway network has completly changed however we still have exactly the same rules as 100 years ago. although the city have tired many really good cycle/pedestrain improvements.

personally i don't stop at lights but i do stop for pedestrians and smile at police when i get a fine. hopefully one day i get done for speeding then i'll frame it.