Video: Cyclist and police in panto chat about pedestrian zone

Pantomime season arrived in Reading town centre yesterday with this interaction between a police officer who was determined to make a cyclist walk along a cycle route through a pedestrian area and cyclist Richard Black who was equally determined not to.

Meanwhile, gert big trucks roll through the area making deliveries, but the officer's fine with that, and as he has his back to the junction he can't see the riders cheerfully ignoring the signs and riding out of the 'No cycling' area.

Gems from the discussion include the officer telling Black: “You haven't hit anyone yet, but you might do,” a philosophy we'd love to see applied the roads — think of the deaths and injuries that it would prevent if applied to white vans and London buses.

The officer changes tack several times, first claiming that it's a no cycling area, and then when the bike lane is pointed out to him, claims Black still has to walk through the junction, and accuses Black of having ridden straight towards him.

Meanwhile, as the “Oh yes I can” / “Oh no you can't” is unfolding, on this side of the screen we're all yelling “It's behind you!” as a lorry reverses down the pedestrian street, clearly posing far less risk to pedestrians than a cyclist doing about 12mph nowhere near any of them.

It's all very polite, but anyone inclined to think police must surely have better things to do with their time is only going to have that opinion reinforced by this.