90 quids in fines in two days

HWC 66 has not ride close behind another vehicle. But it is a should not a must so isn't a law just a safety sugestion.

Stopping distances HWC 126 don't seem to be a law thing either.

They probably thought they'd apply US law for a change. I'm pretty sure that clinging to moving vehicles is outlawed in every US jurisdiction. It seems to be more widespread there than here, is that right, Chris?

greasy slag outran a battalion of bike cops during the halloween alleycat. it was priceless indeed.

We also got pulled over for riding side by side, when there were no other cars on the road, except the popo on the outside lane. Good to see them cracking down on serious criminals...

AFAIK there's no law that says you can't ride two abreast.

Just this which is advice :

66

You should

[]keep both hands on the handlebars except when signalling or changing gear
[]keep both feet on the pedals
[*]never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends
[]not ride close behind another vehicle
[]not carry anything which will affect your balance or may get tangled up with your wheels or chain
[*]be considerate of other road users, particularly blind and partially sighted pedestrians. Let them know you are there when necessary, for example, by ringing your bell if you have one. It is recommended that a bell be fitted

Oh and there's this :

68

You MUST NOT

[]carry a passenger unless your cycle has been built or adapted to carry one
[]hold onto a moving vehicle or trailer
[]ride in a dangerous, careless or inconsiderate manner
[]ride when under the influence of drink or drugs, including medicine

best ecscuse for RLJing, "i just predicted the green light!"

best ecscuse for RLJing, "i just predicted the green light!"

I like using that one "I ride up this road every day, they must ahve changed the phasing 'cos it usuallu turns green after that one over there goes amber ????"

At least one of the Hackney South bike squad who came to one of our monthly Hackney LCC meetings some years ago is a pretty good time triallist/roadie. I don't know if he's still there but they were joking about him racing ahead to catch a suspect before his colleague could make it and thereby putting himself in danger. He'd have you for breakfast.

he might of pulled me over

this thread reminded me my ex's grandad was in the drugs/vice squad and he went a bit doolally in later years, anyway whenever the police were near him or we passed them in a car he always shouted at the top of his voice "all coppers are bastards" the police seemed to have a knowing look in their eyes and always said nothing, just smiled. we thought they considered him nuts or maybe it's some code they have hmmmm can someone try it out here please next time they get stopped. i would do myself but until the settlement from the bastards comes through i'm being a very good boy.
oh this was in wales by the way so might be cunts down here

this thread reminded me my ex's grandad was in the drugs/vice squad and he went a bit doolally in later years, anyway whenever the police were near him or we passed them in a car he always shouted at the top of his voice "all coppers are bastards" the police seemed to have a knowing look in their eyes and always said nothing, just smiled. we thought they considered him nuts or maybe it's some code they have hmmmm can someone try it out here please next time they get stopped. i would do myself but until the settlement from the bastards comes through i'm being a very good boy.
oh this was in wales by the way so might be cunts down here

Guess what my money's on?

it would help if the po po actually knew the rules. Fair's fair with rlj-ing - I think the law is wrong, but it is still the law. But I would be proper pissed with getting ticket for riding two abreast or filtering.

A while ago, I was stopped at a red next to a bike copper. I gestured at the van parked in the bike lane ahead of us and politely asked if he could tell the f*cker not to park in the bike lane. His reply was - I don't know, Im not sure its illegal - wtf? do you only enforce the laws you can remember? Do you not have a handy laminated reference card?

my 2c - someone in the po po has worked out that fining cyclists = cash cow. So its probably going to get worse.

btw - did we establish if the op was drafting or hangin on?

Well, unfortunate but still doesn't beat the high score of 11 RLJ fines in ten minutes 'cos a po po car was following you through each jump. £330 OUCH! (not me btw, just a story I heard along t'grapevine)

high score

high score

Any relation?

just a thought, has anyone raced a bike copper? they have em a lot in the square mile but i never run into them when im on my bike. chances are they'd get blown out of the water in a race and call for motorized back up

Last year I was waved over by a police-lite parks copper in Hyde park for riding where I shouldn't have been. He was standing astride his bike, it was early morning and he was not exactly an athletic physique (fat & old) so I thought about giving it a go, but decided not to in the end.

Skidded to a stop near him and was being given the lecture when I noticed he had a little motor on his bike. A bit of a chat later and he was telling me he could get 20mph+ from it, so I'm glad I stopped.

A bit of a chat later and he was telling me he could get 20mph+ from it, so I'm glad I stopped.

Tbh You'd probably be miles away by the time it got to that speed..plus your heart won't run out of batteries :D
I find Hyde Park policemen really picky though, I was riding look mum no hands and was shouted at by a parked police van...
It's a nanny state I tell you a goddam nanny state..

he was not exactly an athletic physique (fat & old)

ageist, fattist, unathleticist.

ageist, fattist, unathleticist.
...and he supported Chelsea ;P

...and he supported Chelsea ;P

Can't be. All police support Tottenham, hence the phrase ACAB. ;o)

Fair's fair with rlj-ing - I think the law is wrong, but it is still the law.

Hang on... You think it should be legal to RLJ? I'm guessing you mean on a bike only. Are you mental? Have you ever driven a car? Can you imagine how many cyclists would get knocked down in the first week alone if the law was changed. Now imagine being the person that knocks them down, it'd traumatise you. PPL would either have to risk knocking cyclists down or go so incredibly slow past RL's that it'd create gridlock.

The more sensible option would be jumping RL's only if its clear... but this is still mental. When is clear clear? What about RL's near corners? Its a complete judgement call and as such a liability nightmare. Suppose some old lady is out on her bike. Jumps the RL cause its now the law that she can and she thinks its clear, but there is a corner not too far away and well she gets knocked down by a car and killed. The family could feasibly attempt to bring legal action against the gov for changing the law. Far fetched perhaps.

Also if Cyclists can do it then why can't Motorbikes and cars? Kinda defeats the point of them being there in the end.

Seriously though if you do believe its wrong then do something about it. Write to your MP and explain how. Please post it here though too, I'd love to read it.

I'm kinda flying of the handle here but I fail to see how this could be done and still not be mental.

Any relation?

i was gonna ask the same thing

Tbh You'd probably be miles away by the time it got to that speed..plus your heart won't run out of batteries :D
I find Hyde Park policemen really picky though, I was riding look mum no hands and was shouted at by a parked police van...
It's a nanny state I tell you a goddam nanny state..

What's with police in vans shouting at people?

I got shouted at by police in a van when I was riding in circles at a red light. The cycle box was fucking huge, I could have ridden round and round all day long.
The only reason I was doing it anyway was so I didn't get stopped for going through the red light.

What's with police in vans shouting at people?

I got shouted at by police in a van when I was riding in circles at a red light. The cycle box was fucking huge, I could have ridden round and round all day long.
The only reason I was doing it anyway was so I didn't get stopped for going through the red light.

Probably reduces the guilt from not getting outside of the warmth of the cabin..

Never been stopped by the Police, despite breaking traffic laws on a regular basis. I ran a red light once (crossroads, all lights were red for the peds to cross, but no peds) and a police car waiting in one of the queues let off a siren. I rode off and then turned right (no right turn) then headed accross a pedestrianised area so if he was followed he would have had a hard time. Have people ran from coppers in cars? I've always fancied a full on chase, because I'm thinking cars are easy to lose.

Would like to hear Greasy Slag's story re: running from the bike feds

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.

bollocks.

Have people ran from coppers in cars? I've always fancied a full on chase, because I'm thinking cars are easy to lose.

Me too, never found they can be bothered. The most I got was when I was overtaking on Cheapside and as I was on the other side of the road I came head to head with a panda. It swerved to box of the road and did a bit of the aforementioned shouting, but I skipped through the space they left me and disappeared off.

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.

Accidental chase due to being totally oblivious and being deafened by my Xtra Bass dj style headphones, made it from Goodge street tube (where i RLJ'd), to the junction at the PC World where i stopped at a red light.
Made it away with a £30 charge due to them understanding why i didnt stop.
Nicest police man ever.