Police tickets

Please Tynan, I've just been having this debate with a wheel chair user. From his perspective a cyclist even going at 4 miles an hour is a scary obstacle of doom. I've got some sympathy for him.

I once got hauled over by a policeman who asked me why I wasn't using a shared pavement area cycle path in a "these facilities are for your safety" sort of way. I pointed out that I had just been doing aroud 20mph and the shared pavement area had pedestrians including little children and asked him how he thought that combining the two was appropriate? He gracefully conceded the point and told me I must make sure that I ride safely in the road. I gracefully conceded that point.

6 days ago.
http://www.lfgss.com/thread48562.html#post1569985

Do try and keep up.

Visionary.

The police stopped me yesterday. I ran a red light, straight past them, albeit slowly and safely. I simply didn't see them, as my mind was elsewhere, otherwise I'd have stopped. I wasn't cycling dangerously, but what I did was wrong, and blatant. They raised the £30 fine issue, asked me if I had any excuse, and I had no option other than to say 'no'. That seemed to satisfy them, so they shelved the fine and gave me a lecture. They took my details, checked me out, and that was that. Cops are people - some are sound, others aren't.

I RLJ'd today and realised there was a van full of rozzers opposite me just after passing the light. I rode away very quickly.

"I ran a red light, straight past them, albeit slowly and safely. I simply didn't see them, as my mind was elsewhere,"

Safe as houses.

I saw something about this in the newspaper today. one of the readers suggested the following about being scared to ride on the road: MAN UP

Roxanne, you don't have to jump the red light.

"I ran a red light, straight past them, albeit slowly and safely. I simply didn't see them, as my mind was elsewhere,"

Safe as houses.

Well, now I read it again...daft tax paid in full. I am blonde.

wow, you lot aren't easy! the guy asks a question and gets filled with lead!

*I am in no way connected or remotely Spanish or related to Sting or the other guy who got shot down!

phew!

Just before you rode on the pavement, did you have a bit of a shufti ('look around') to see if there might be a member of London's constabularimenti who might give you uno poco de grief about your decision? I'm not saying I never montare los pavimentos but if I do I always make muy sure I am not going to end up having my cuello felt.

Where the hell is everyone riding to get stopped and fined so much??

Other than on the pavment.........

*On 1st August 1999, new legislation came into force to allow a fixed penalty notice to be served on anyone who is guilty of cycling on a footway. However the Home Office issued guidance on how the new legislation should be applied, indicating that they should only be used where a cyclist is riding in a manner that may endanger others. At the time Home Office Minister Paul Boateng issued a letter stating that:
*
*"The introduction of the fixed penalty is not aimed at responsible cyclists who sometimes feel obliged to use the pavement out of fear of traffic and who show consideration to other pavement users when doing so. Chief police officers, who are responsible for enforcement, acknowledge that many cyclists, particularly children and young people, are afraid to cycle on the road, sensitivity and careful use of police discretion is required."

http://www.bikeforall.net/content/cycling_and_the_law.php
*

"Many cyclists are afraid of vehicular traffic so cycle on footpaths. While understandable at certain busy intersections and the like, it's very much against the law."

from the SAME PAGE: http://www.bikeforall.net/content/cycling_and_the_law.php

Strange ... isn't there already an almighty footway cycling thread into which all this should be merged?

"Many cyclists are afraid of vehicular traffic so cycle on footpaths. While understandable at certain busy intersections and the like, it's very much against the law."

from the SAME PAGE: http://www.bikeforall.net/content/cycling_and_the_law.php

It may be against the law but that law needs only be applied where a cyclist is riding in a manner that may endanger others.

Strange ... isn't there already an almighty footway cycling thread into which all this should be merged?

Find me the link.
Actually this is more of a "ooh i got a ticket, poor me" thread, so find me all those.

Yeah, and if you get an arsey copper, no doubt they will consider your action dangerous.
Don't cycle on footpaths. Simples.

The Aussie law is better, allowing under-12s and their adult supervisor onto footpaths.

I'm sure this has been covered somewhere else.. Schickles?

Yeah, and if you get an arsey copper, no doubt they will consider your action dangerous.

Yep, pretty much guaranteed.

I approve of the 'spanish pilchard' tag. Sounds scoblish.

"Many cyclists are afraid of vehicular traffic so cycle on footpaths. While understandable at certain busy intersections and the like, it's very much against the law."

from the SAME PAGE: http://www.bikeforall.net/content/cycling_and_the_law.php

Yup, personally I don't think people should be cycling on the footway. If on the other hand you are looking for a way to argue your way out of a ticket, the government has left you a nice opening.....

What is this crank vs brooks business? I can't find any details about it. There's an R v Brooks which was a test case where the bus driver pressed the accelerator instead of the brake and killed 2 people. I can't find any others (not that that means they don't exist).

Can anyone cite any genuine references to it, or say what the case was actually about.

Finally, there is clear judicial authority for the proposition that anyone pushing a bicycle is a "foot-passenger" (Crank v Brooks [1980] RTR 441) and is not "riding" it (Selby). In his judgment in the Court of Appeal in Crank v Brooks, Waller LJ stated:
"In my judgment a person who is walking across a pedestrian crossing pushing a bicycle, having started on the pavement on one side on her feet and not on the bicycle, and going across pushing the bicycle with both feet on the ground so to speak is clearly a 'foot passenger'. If for example she had been using it as a scooter by having one foot on the pedal and pushing herself along, she would not have been a 'foot passenger'. But the fact that she had the bicycle in her hand and was walking does not create any difference from a case where she is walking without a bicycle in her hand. I regard it as unarguable the finding that she was not a foot passenzer "

http://www.cyclecraft.co.uk/digest/pushing.html