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"I would like to see cyclists wear some form of identification like cars have. So when they go through traffic lights, you can actually identify them and then you can prosecute them for breaking the law.
...
Because when you use the road, if you are driving a car you have your number plate. Other people register, they pay to use the roads.Cyclists don’t, admittedly."
-- Katy Bourne, Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex
[url= http://road.cc/content/news/132931-sussex-pcc-calls-bicycle-registration ]More on road.cc here.[/url]
She's right though. It's great that cars have numberplates, because without them crimes like speeding, tailgating and driving on the phone would be commonplace. 😆
It's worrying she's in charge of directing Sussex police resources with such poor judgement.
She's been shot down in flames in lots of places about this by people far more erudite than me so I'll leave it there.
as opposed to cars where it's oh so easy to catch and prosecute the [url= http://road.cc/content/news/123160-video-whats-it-be-hit-head-car-its ][s]arsehole[/s] I'm sorry driver[/url]you can actually identify them and then you can prosecute them for breaking the law.
I'm a cyclist, you can identify me coz I have a face, it may not be pretty but this one is mine, someone whose name slips my mind wasn't borrowing it at the time of the incident officer, it wasn't taken without consent and then put back on my [s]drive and the keys left on the sideboard[/s]* head while I was asleep on the couch, it's all mine.
Stupid person elected into a stupid post, not a massive shock.
*getting my mettyfers muddled there
I pay £480 a year and hardly use my car so I think the daily trip on a bike is well funded.
It should be compulsory to carry ID if you are using the roads, "number plates" aren't workable on bikes
I've only read the title and let me say, I AM FURIOUS!
She's a woman too. We all know women can't ride bikes. I can't take her seriously unless she's really hot.
“And it is never the responsible cyclists that do this – the ones that belong to the clubs, they are great, they are the ones that adhere to all the laws, so it is the few that ruin it for the many.”
Just like the place I work: It amazes me how people so thick get such high up jobs.
<pedant>jambalaya you pay £480 to own a road worthy motor vehicle, no one pays road tax</pedant>
jambalayaI pay £480 a year and hardly use my car so I think the daily trip on a bike is well funded.
+1 on that. Until recently I was taxing two cars. Still paying tax on one I barely use.
jambalaya
It should be compulsory to carry ID if you are using the roads, "number plates" aren't workable on bikes
Can't really agree with that. I could just as easily commit a crime walking down the street. As yet I don't need to be carrying ze papers.
[i]<pedant>jambalaya you pay £480 to own a road worthy motor vehicle, no one pays road tax</pedant> [/i]
I bet he doesn't even display a tax disk, neither!
Peter Walker over on the guardian's had a go at this / her here:
[url= http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2014/oct/09/police-commissioner-proposes-id-for-cyclists-but-cant-explain-why-or-how ]grauniad thing[/url]
pay £480 a year and hardly use my car
£480! Is it a ocean going supertanker?
It does rather reinforce my view that putting a single politician in charge of a police force was never going to lead to clear, logical strategic decision making.
What about horses? And they shit everywhere.
The whole PCC thing is a monumental **** up, amongst many. More fuel for the terminally thick haters. Sigh.
What about doggers? They should have to have a visable license of some sort. I'm sick of not knowing who thy are. Taking the dog for a walk often turns into a heavy session just because I politely say 'hello'.
Anyone who says things like "cyclist don't pay for the roads" should be asked a simple question:
"Who has more right to be on the road by your "pay for the roads" rules, a cyclist who pays tax on a car which is generally sat on their drive or a the driver of a tax exempt hybrid who drives every day?"
If you make cycling more complicated then fewer people will cycle, which makes cycling less safe, which means fewer people will cycle...
Peter Walker over on the guardian's had a go at this / her here:
Jesus her comments there are even more depressing. She doesn't seem to have any idea how identification would work or even why she suggested it.
😯
I pay council Tax and I'm pretty sure the council maintain the roads I use. When I next go on the motorway* on my bicycle I'll be sure to pay VED at the going rate for a zero emission vehicle.
Also cyclists having number-plates is about as sensible as getting pedestrians to wear them so that after someone drops litter or doesn't clean up after their dog you know who did it.
*i.e. never 'cos I doubt it would be much fun never mind the fact that even I know it is illegal.
[i]She doesn't seem to have any idea how identification would work or even why she suggested it.[/i]
see my note above re: politicians.
She was in front of an audience who were angry/upset about cyclists misbehaving she made off the cuff comments which had no evidential basis and is now trying to find a way to either move them forward in the face of the evidence or deny she intended to make it 'policy' and that it was just 'opening debate'. She wants votes, not a solution.
PCC = gravy train for failed politicians
She was in front of an audience who were angry/upset about cyclists misbehaving
True, though most of her remarks were made "After the meeting, Bourne told The Argus.." so she can't really claim she just got caught up in the pitchforks and torches.
Also she said to Peter Walker "I wanted to speak up for cyclists. I’m very pro-cycling"
Well done there love. Great job.
PCC = gravy train for failed politicians
Indeed I can't say I was surprised when it was disclosed the fellow in Rotherham was paid £85k pa, that's a pretty comfortable amount for living/working there.
...and horses...and mobility scooters...
Personally I'd like PCC's to wear some sort of identification when making statements, something saying "I have no idea what I'm talking about" would probably do.
Because when newspapers interview you, experts have qualifications. Other people get qualifications, they need experience to be in a position of influence.
Jambalaya - The Greater Manchester clown, Tony Lloyd, was a failed labour politico. On taking up his £100k pa role, the first thing he did was create the £65k pa position of Deputy PCC, and appointed his campaign manager. Apparently, this shameless little wheeze has been repeated all over the country. He then, without a hint of self-awareness, proposed cutting police salaries by £4k to save money
Its great this 'democratic accountability' lark, isn't it?
Only just seen this. OMG!
“And it is never the responsible cyclists that do this – the ones that belong to the clubs, they are great, they are the ones that adhere to all the laws, so it is the few that ruin it for the many.”
So we're not on the shit list if we wear a club jersey? Ace...
Conservative Katy Bourne was elected to the post of Police and Crime Commissioner in November 2012. The turnout was 15.82%, including people who spoilt their ballot papers. After second preferences were taken into account, Bourne beat Labour candidate Godfrey Daniel by 80,028 votes to 55,602, or 9% of the electorate against 6%.
That's what I really love about the idea of PCC's how they're really representative, in touch with and part of of the communities they're elected to serve...
I suppose it's our own faults really (as an electorate) for being largely disinterested when it comes to voting for whichever councillor fancies having their own police force to boss about.
15% turnout? That'll be mostly the old duffer brigade then, instinctively right leaning, keen on anyone who claim's thy'ee protect them from marauding immigrants, aggressive looking gulls on the seafront and those rowdy cyclists with their "spandex"...
no government agency like (DVLA) owns our bikes, like they do with cars/motorbikes/vans/trucks/buses and any other Licenced vehicle that they can impose a 'tax' on, so No cycles should/could Never (Lawfully) be taxed as THEY don't own them.
it is the few that ruin it for the many.
As someone on road.cc said:
Does she say the same about drunk drivers ruining it for every other driver? Or about rapists ruining it for every other man (or John Worboys ruining it for every other black cab driver)?No? So * her and her * stupid collective responsibility BS*** nonsense.
Quite. I get a bit fed up having to justify or being held responsible for the actions of other people on bikes.
@waswas - to the contrary, I am keen to have something to show for all that money, at least until April 2015 8)
@rocketdog - top rate band, supposedly an environmental tax but my car is pretty green as it's used only every couple of weeks.
She was in front of an audience who were angry/upset about cyclists misbehaving she made off the cuff comments which had no evidential basis and is now trying to find a way to either move them forward in the face of the evidence or deny she intended to make it 'policy' and that it was just 'opening debate'. She wants votes, not a solution.
exactly this is, of course, what happens when the person supposedly in charge of running the police effectively has a separate agenda where popularity with the electorate and getting another term, is ahead of delivering good, effective policing...
The police shouldn't be popular, they [u]should[/u] be impartial and separate from those in any sort of political office...
The agenda is set by whoever makes the biggest fuss, ultimately the whole PCC thing ends up giving the Daily Mail and local rags all sorts of power over regional policing priorities...
Will the numberplates be made of steel or can I have titanium or carbon?
Anyway...
"Sussex’s Katy Bourne (Conservative) has made a fellow local Tory to be her Deputy PCC, rejecting outright a recommendation from the local Police & Crime Panel – which held the confirmation hearing – that Steve Waight should not be appointed. According to a ‘not for publication’ minute of the meeting acquired by this blog, the Panel was concerned that there was “no information to explain the nature of the [£45,000 p.a.] role,” and that the nominee did not have “the requisite level of personal independence.”
Katy ignored these findings, refused to publish them and went ahead with the appointment. Three cheers for democratic reforms to policing!
Someone in this position needs to MTFU and make a statement to the effect of "We don't consider 'misbehaving cyclists' to be a serious issue and we are directing our budget and efforts towards more important problems on our roads."
They won't though, even though it's probably what they actually think/do.
@binner's 'kin 'ell re your Greater Manchester story and the one above 😯 . I guess we should have known that as soon as the position was an elected one all we'd get is politicians in he role as frankyl they have the experience for getting elected.
Just to please Katy Bourne, I'm going to put a number plate on my bike tonight. It will say:
B008 1E5
Or maybe
P155 0FF
🙂
Hahaha 🙂We all know women can't ride bikes.
I really think that every cyclist who owns and pays for their car, should for one day a year (preferably a busy week day), all ditch their bikes and take to the roads in our cars. Gridlock here we come.
That'll teach them.
@stevo - sadly they are elected (based upon what a 15% turnout?) and they need to pander to the grumpy who vote. it's quit easy for them to make remarks like "cyclists should be registered" as it 's central government which would have to implement anything and the PCC bod / bod-ess can just pass the buck
how do these PCC's get recalled/recused....?
@rocketdog - I think if i bought the same car again new the VED would be £1000 👿
That would do me nicely jambalaya, I'm a royal bell end after all 🙂
Daft cah.
Does anyone here understand VED, it seems a new version of my car (2014) would be £285 pa whereas mine (2007) is £500. Seems hard to believe VED went down ?
My favourite bit from the guardian interview (linked earlier):
..fortunate that at that point our call was interrupted ... There were only so many times I could say, “Hang on, so you’re advocating a policy on the basis of a statistic when you have no idea what that statistic means?”