Anyone know if I could be arrested for crossing the Tay road bridge pedestrian walk way when closed due to high winds?
I normally commute on bike but risk assessed and decided with the high winds I would be safer running. However after jumping over the gates a bridge patrol bloke informed us we would be arrested.
I nearly kept running but thought better of it. Would you have took the risk and kept going? Would the police really waste time on this? I am sick of the H&S high vis wearing fear mongers that are intent on refusing us our right to make decisions for ourselves. After all it’s in my own interest to not get hurt, I have eyes, ears, physical ability and common sense to help decide benefit over risk.
Does anyone know the law regarding this?

The Law of common sense?

and after all some guys that work on the bridge every day probably know a lot more about the bridge than you and know a lot of the risk that you don’t know.

I am sick of the H&S high vis wearing fear mongers that are intent on refusing us our right to make decisions for ourselves

That’s what all the people say before they get injured and sue someone…

Isn’t this Darwinism in action? Shouldn’t we just see how it plays out?

law of natural selection?

I feel the same contempt for those policeman wannabes who tell me not to jump red lights in my car.

Maybe they don’t want to put the rescue services at risk when some eejit comes a cropper?

Perhaps you should be able to sign a waiver?

Something like: I accept that I have been advised the bridge is closed. I will cross at my own risk and if I get blown off the bridge then the emergency services should not attempt to rescue me. A nominated family member will collect my body at their own expense.

?

The problem we have with elfinsafety is that it is that good it almost negates Darwinism so where will we be in 50 years or so.

You would be trespassing – not a criminal offence. However the police, after they had to chase you down, might well go for Breach of the Peace or something similar in compensation for wasting their time.

The Law of common sense?

This.

In the same way, on a flight, you are politely asked to keep your seatbelt on. They then ask again, because it’s common sense.

You either accept that there is a lot of common sense behind the request or you’re a bit of an idiot.

Find another route home.

for @#** sake, I checked the wind on windfinder to get actual wind readings, assessed the risk decided that the wind had died sufficiently for a mere ultra marathon running mountain goat. And FFIW i am one of the rescue services! So get it right up ye!

Then why are you asking?

And FFIW i am one of the rescue services!

…just not one of the brightest, eh?

I don’t see what they could arrest you for other than one of the catch all “beeing an effwit in a public place”

Its not trespass, its not a breach of the peace. Dunno what it could be

BoP covers pretty much anything – including causing distress or annoyance. Worst case, the police could just say you’re annoying them.

I’ve been charged with BoP.

CaptainFlashheart
…………………
Find another route home.

100 mile round trip?

Move to a more civilised place then! 😉

@spando, surely as a Troll (albeit not a great one) you would be more comfortable underneath the aforementioned bridge….

Oh and you sir are SurfMatt and I claim my £5

nah you do it
Knock yourself out, break a leg etc

Well TBH my sense of responsibility as an emergency responder stopped me from crossing as i did’t want to waste anyone’s time. Otherwise I probably would have enjoyed the chase. Just like when I was a kid! Never ever got caught, should have joined the SAS! lol

Just go for it spando. Are you going to stand up to these H&S do-gooders or what ? It’s about time that people who value the freedoms which our grandparents fought for made a stand against the nanny state.

Just jump over those gates and run for freedom.

Let us know how you get on.

And good luck.

Well TBH my sense of responsibility as an emergency responder

Hurrah for the St Johns Ambulance………. 🙄

In those circumstances I would have wanted to cross the bridge too – at my own risk.

But the guys watching you have no idea of your competence or otherwise and would have had to call in the police – who would then be at risk if they ventured on to the bridge.

I’ve been charged with BoP.

So have I.

Got into a heated argument with a member of the local clergy, ended up pouring a bottle of Domestos over him.

I was charged with a ‘Bleach of the Priest’…

IGMC.

ron jeremy

who is surfmatt? not i thats for sure.

SurfMatt wouldn’t mess about with a bridge; he would have walked across the water. You, however, can’t.

I checked the wind on windfinder to get actual wind readings, assessed the risk decided that the wind had died sufficiently for a mere ultra marathon running mountain goat

Just do some ultra marathon training miles up to Perth and cross there. 😈

AW Garry_C classic lol a wee bit of weee just came out 😆

The Tay Bridge Disaster

Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv’ry Tay!
Alas! I am very sorry to say
That ninety lives have been taken away
On the last Sabbath day of 1879,
Which will be remember’d for a very long time.

‘Twas about seven o’clock at night,
And the wind it blew with all its might,
And the rain came pouring down,
And the dark clouds seem’d to frown,
And the Demon of the air seem’d to say-
“I’ll blow down the Bridge of Tay.”

When the train left Edinburgh
The passengers’ hearts were light and felt no sorrow,
But Boreas blew a terrific gale,
Which made their hearts for to quail,
And many of the passengers with fear did say-
“I hope God will send us safe across the Bridge of Tay.”

But when the train came near to Wormit Bay,
Boreas he did loud and angry bray,
And shook the central girders of the Bridge of Tay
On the last Sabbath day of 1879,
Which will be remember’d for a very long time.

So the train sped on with all its might,
And Bonnie Dundee soon hove in sight,
And the passengers’ hearts felt light,
Thinking they would enjoy themselves on the New Year,
With their friends at home they lov’d most dear,
And wish them all a happy New Year.

So the train mov’d slowly along the Bridge of Tay,
Until it was about midway,
Then the central girders with a crash gave way,
And down went the train and passengers into the Tay!
The Storm Fiend did loudly bray,
Because ninety lives had been taken away,
On the last Sabbath day of 1879,
Which will be remember’d for a very long time.

As soon as the catastrophe came to be known
The alarm from mouth to mouth was blown,
And the cry rang out all o’er the town,
Good Heavens! the Tay Bridge is blown down,
And a passenger train from Edinburgh,
Which fill’d all the peoples hearts with sorrow,
And made them for to turn pale,
Because none of the passengers were sav’d to tell the tale
How the disaster happen’d on the last Sabbath day of 1879,
Which will be remember’d for a very long time.

It must have been an awful sight,
To witness in the dusky moonlight,
While the Storm Fiend did laugh, and angry did bray,
Along the Railway Bridge of the Silv’ry Tay,
Oh! ill-fated Bridge of the Silv’ry Tay,
I must now conclude my lay
By telling the world fearlessly without the least dismay,
That your central girders would not have given way,
At least many sensible men do say,
Had they been supported on each side with buttresses,
At least many sensible men confesses,
For the stronger we our houses do build,
The less chance we have of being killed.

St Johns ambulance ha ha lol

St Johns ambulance ha ha lol

My mum is an emergency responder, she’s 65. Do tell us how this qualifies you as bridge runner?

My mum is an emergency responder

I thought all mothers were.

Surely you can’t actually close a public right of way in Scotland? Get Mel Gibson on to them…

I’m interested in the double standard that’s being set here as I’m sure spando, as a member of the rescue services, would consider anyone who disregards his/her safety warnings as a numpty.
I think you should push for a special card or signal that you could flash to the H&S pleb that would then allow you and your awesomeness to pass without trouble, it’d also mean that they’d know that you have the suitable superpowers to save yourself.

What would Chuck Norris do?

Their may be a number of pieces of legislation or common law that apply; but certainly their are powers within the Traffic Management Act that allow the police and Highways Agency Officers to close roads and divert both traffic and pedestrians. Failing to comply with their instructions is presumably an offence, and certainly obstructing an officer in the course of his duty (including protecting life and limb) is – I know this is the basic argument applied to closing streets around large fires etc without the need for official road closure orders etc. The bridge itself may have some specific statutory instruments too.

In any case I’d say ignoring the advice that the bridge was closed would have got you a lengthy discussion with a police officer, and if your attitude continued you would probably end up getting lifted for a public order offence or breach of the peace. Whether the fiscal would have pursued it in the public interest would have been interesting to see – but I suspect they might – as they generally don’t like smart arses!

I don’t actually wear Hi Viz gear. I probbly ought to really….

That’s what all the people say before they get injured and sue someone…

Litigation, adult version of, “I’m telling on you”

The ElfinEgo has landed….