Video: Policeman stops London pavement cyclist… but it's not the pavement it's a cycle path

TimC340 wrote:

The copper made a mistake, and apologised as soon as it was pointed out. Making mistakes is not illegal, nor is it a short step from making a mistake to full blown authoritarian crackdowns on bike-path cycling. It is just a mistake, that's all. Give the guy a break, FFS.

TimC340, I'm not hassling the policeman, yes he made a mistake and good on him for admitting as such when corrected. At no point did I say he should be strung by the knackers from the nearest lamp-post.

My point, as I hope was clear but obviously not to you, is that this is evidence of a systemic failure of the Met to 'get' cycling, and of TfL/councils to build proper infrastructure that doesn't lead the public and police officers into needless confrontation.

That's my point - there are two lessons to be learned from this, what we saw in the video is evidence of a systemic failure in the two organisations most able to affect/improve the lot of people choosing to cycle in London.

'FFS'.

TimC340 wrote:

[ nor is it a short step from making a mistake to full blown authoritarian crackdowns on bike-path cycling. It is just a mistake, that's all.

I realize that it's fun arguing against your own misrepresentations of other people's arguments, but it's best that you do that in your own head.

TimC340 wrote:

Ush wrote:

nuclear coffee wrote:

This must have taken more time to write than the non-incident depicted took. Agreed with others, this feels like an extremely cynical attempt to push an agenda.

A great demonstration of how politeness can benefit everyone, though. Doesn't that make you feel good? Thanks to mutual respect, the matter was dealt with in seconds to the satisfaction of all parties.

The cyclist was still stopped and forced to answer questions from someone who has been entrusted with too much authority.

Responses to this incident indicate a cynical attempt to push an agenda that everything is fine. It is not.

Gosh. 'Police State' shocker. Who knew? Best barricade myself in just in case the rozzers try to eliminate us all. Because surely that's what this kind of aggressive interrogation leads to, isn't it?*

*For the hard of understanding, there may be elements of sarcasm in this post. For RoadCC, what was the point of this article? To raise ire against a policeman making a decent effort at doing his job? Why?

I think we should stop feeding the troll really. Unfortunately some cyclists do have an obsession with seeing victimisation everywhere.

In the real world police are human. How they factor this in is just as, if not more, important than any individual instance of making the right call, and anyone without a pathetic victim complex can see this policeman factors it in very well indeed.

Ush wrote:

nuclear coffee wrote:

This must have taken more time to write than the non-incident depicted took. Agreed with others, this feels like an extremely cynical attempt to push an agenda.

A great demonstration of how politeness can benefit everyone, though. Doesn't that make you feel good? Thanks to mutual respect, the matter was dealt with in seconds to the satisfaction of all parties.

The cyclist was still stopped and forced to answer questions from someone who has been entrusted with too much authority.

Responses to this incident indicate a cynical attempt to push an agenda that everything is fine. It is not.

I have to say, as a card carrying lefty, you come across as a right wanker. I'm no fan of the Police (my dad had his head smashed in on an anti-fascist demo) but the guy made a mistake (a very small one at that) and apologized sincerely. What more do you want - beheading maybe? IS would love you.

Dropped wrote:

I have to say, as a card carrying lefty, you come across as a right wanker. I'm no fan of the Police (my dad had his head smashed in on an anti-fascist demo) but the guy made a mistake (a very small one at that) and apologized sincerely. What more do you want - beheading maybe? IS would love you.

And like our previous friend you come across as a nut having an argument with yourself.

As to what I want? I want the "resource strapped" police to concentrate their allegedly low resources on the major menace on the roads: car drivers.

I do not want them wasting their and my and everyone else's time by bumbling around and getting in my way.

Now, time for matron to tuck you back into bed with your sedative.

To Ush

Quite clearly my argument is with you and your ill thought out reactionary comments.

Do you really think that the Police have 'concentrated' their resources on stopping innocent cyclists? Your comments make you sound like a loon conspiracy theorist. Then again maybe the Duke of Edinburgh is behind the deadly stopping of cyclist case?

The sheer horror of being stopped for 5 seconds must be the absolute end of the world for you. Just like the half wit motorist who is too impatient to wait and pass safely.

Speaking politely to someone for 5 seconds is not wasting peoples time by any sensible measure, so as the Americans would say, I think you need to pull your head out of your ass.

davkt wrote:

So what? Cop made an honest mistake and apologised for it, cyclist was equally polite to the cop.

Yes. And if he wasn't then he would have been tasered and shot by a group of incompetent hysterics.

OldRidgeback wrote:

It is a stupid place for a cycle lane. I know the area well and it is mobbed with pedestrians at times, few of whom have any idea that there is a cycle lane there.

The cop made a mistake and then apologised, which is no bad thing. Things are not always that way.

I had an encounter with a PCSO a few years back in which he told me off for going the right way up a one way street. He was rude to start with and then didn't apologise when his colleague nudged him and told him he was in the wrong. I think this cop is the better of the two.

I totally disagree, the cycle lane was put there for good reason - to avoid some very nasty traffic system (the strand gyratory system) and be to able to cycle along quiet back streets instead. That cycle lane could have saved a life. The cyclist video shows that it can be navigated safely. An improvement to meet your concern would be to make the cycle lane curbed.

It boggles the mind, cyclists wanting less infrastructure. I cycle around London and appreciate little bits of infrastructure like this, which allows me to cycle away from traffic and pollution.

Cyclists are dangerous! - are you dangerous, are joggers dangerous? Motors kill 2000ish people per year, on average 1 person per year gets killed by someone cycling - and the circumstances are usually extraordinary when the cyclist is at fault.

kie7077 wrote:

OldRidgeback wrote:

It is a stupid place for a cycle lane. I know the area well and it is mobbed with pedestrians at times, few of whom have any idea that there is a cycle lane there.

The cop made a mistake and then apologised, which is no bad thing. Things are not always that way.

I had an encounter with a PCSO a few years back in which he told me off for going the right way up a one way street. He was rude to start with and then didn't apologise when his colleague nudged him and told him he was in the wrong. I think this cop is the better of the two.

I totally disagree, the cycle lane was put there for good reason - to avoid some very nasty traffic system (the strand gyratory system) and be to able to cycle along quiet back streets instead. That cycle lane could have saved a life. The cyclist video shows that it can be navigated safely. An improvement to meet your concern would be to make the cycle lane curbed.

It boggles the mind, cyclists wanting less infrastructure. I cycle around London and appreciate little bits of infrastructure like this, which allows me to cycle away from traffic and pollution.

Cyclists are dangerous! - are you dangerous, are joggers dangerous? Motors kill 2000ish people per year, on average 1 person per year gets killed by someone cycling - and the circumstances are usually extraordinary when the cyclist is at fault.

That side of the Strand gyratory isn't the bad bit. It's dangerous around the other side heading south when you have to cross traffic lanes heading west. The problem with that cycle lane is that there are vast numbers of pedestrians there during daytime, many of whom are tourists rather than locals and are utterly unaware that it's a cycle lane. It's a pinch point for slow amblers with cameras, as well as people milling up the street to the nearby theatre. Just round the corner would have been a better place for a cycle lane.

OldRidgeback wrote:

That side of the Strand gyratory isn't the bad bit.

I beg to differ.

Heading around from either Waterloo Bridge or The Strand is nasty as you have traffic whipping around from the east cutting across to head up Kingsway, traffic from waterloo either cutting across to head east, or up kingsway (that missed the tunnel) and a plethora of buses that are cutting across lanes to get to the stops. This is before any mention of black cabs.

Aldwych is a nightmare full stop. (Should have left it as it was! )

@ OldRidgeback

Zanf pretty much covered it, 1st a bunch of bus stops on a rather awkwardly shaped road with traffic flying all over the place, then if you're heading East you have to pray you don't get hit by someone heading north.