Well, it's day 1 of that big roads policing push in that there London. On my ride from station to office, which takes in a fair few major junctions, I saw precisely NO police people whatsoever.
What a letdown!
Most of them are in Richmond Park hiding behind the trees with a radar gun (sitting in their 4x4's naturally).
Having seen a few of them up close, I think cycling may benefit their health - and the ability to catch a crim on foot.
NONE and I never do see any. Drive past the motorway Police station at the Preston exit on the M6 and you'll see a big compound that is permanently full of Police cars standing idle.
There's never been a better time to speed, break traffic rules or drink drive, which is why drink-driving is on the increase.
I'll ask the missus, she's just left for work. There was a bunch at the Old Street roundabout last time they had a crack down.
Loads - groups at junction of Islington Green; groups at Angel; groups further down Rosebery Avenue. And then seriously loads, police tape, cars and officers cordoning off the whole of Farringdon Road / Clerkenwell Road junction by Turnmills where a bus had hit a pedestrian. 🙁
will be barelling through hyde park/park lane/grosvenor square from paddington in an hour's time will see if there are any still out there.
Good to hear they're out there! None at Old St, apparently....
There were some at the junction in Highgate when I was waiting at the traffic lights on my bike. Thou they didn't even bat an eyelid when some knob came past and jumped the red light, crossing the whole junction.
1 Police car but I don't live in London.
Drive past the motorway Police station at the Preston exit on the M6 and you'll see a big compound that is permanently full of Police cars standing idle.
Is it possible that's where the fleet base is and that's why there is so many but because you see a Police car you think it should be manned?
Drive past the Pallion station in Sunderland you'll see a compound full of Ambulances standing idle, you won't see the duty ones as they're out what you see is the ones awaiting service repair or distribution.
Saw loads on bayswater Road. Together with ambulance and air ambulance unfortunately. Looked like a nasty crash but I couldn't tell if it involved a cyclist as I crossed on to serpentine. 🙁
2 guys at the junction of Lower Richmond Road and the road up to Kew. Was quite surprised to see them there to be honest.
Looks like something very bad has happened at the Cleckenwell / Farringdon junction involving a bus and either a cyclist or pedestrian. All closed and forensic investigations 🙁
pdf - it was definitely pretty bad, I saw the front of the bus and the window was destroyed: caved in and completely smashed. I can just see the junction from my office, it's still closed off now and I went past a couple of hours ago
edit - and note my post above, it was a pedestrian.
Police station at the Preston exit on the M6 and you'll see a big compound that is permanently full of Police cars standing idle.
Its not actually full is it ?
I saw two on that section today if that helps
I saw three today in total
There's never been a better time to speed, break traffic rules or drink drive, which is why drink-driving is on the increase.
The DfT pointed out that despite the apparent sharp rise in 2012, the number was still about 25% lower than in 2009 (380 deaths) and almost 40% lower than the 2005 to 2009 average.
2012 was still the third lowest rate since 1989 after 2010 and 2011.
One year does not make a trend [ its iether a blip or the start of a trend and only time will tell but you need to seriously cherry pick for your statement to be true] and it is downward still
>10 at Bow Flyover, further west along CS2 another 5 or 6 at Mile End/Burdett Rd junction.
There was a good bunch round the junction at Bank. Didn't notice any others on the previous 5 or 6 miles in from the north.
Did notice a guy who nearly knocked me off (/made me run him down) this morning came past the wall on the left at a full sprint, http://goo.gl/maps/ANsgU my lights were green, I was about 6 feet away going 20-25mph in the middle of the left lane (it's downhill in that direction). He just about hauled himself down so I passed a foot from him, but that's the closest call I've had in 3 years commuting in London. Quite what he was thinking, I have no idea.
Saw loads at the junctions around Oval tube station and more at Vauxhall bridge.
Seemed to be stopping lots of cyclists for petty non-dangerous offences, but didn't see them stopping any HGVs....
One year does not make a trend
No but seven deaths will ruin a political reputation.
Lots at the junction of union street and Blackfriars, not surprising as tfl's traffic control centre is there. Not a junction I would consider problematic.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25080427
Sad that its taken so many needless deaths and serious injuries before the head of police actually decides to make sure his work force actually enforce traffic regulations, instead of just driving round in expensive leased cars.
The income from the fines issued should also help to pay for their wages as well.
Saw loads in North Brum and Solihull this morning. 3 cars and two motorcycles.
Give us more officers to drive those 'idle' vehicles and we'll be out there doing what we're paid to do. Unfortunately uniform officer numbers are low and falling. If the small numbers of us left weren't out dealing with response calls we'd love to be out giving some public support with directed patrols. This isn't set to change soon unfortunately
any londoners, any more experiences of todays exercise.
Rob Arnold, just an idea, why not park those idle expensive vehicles at known blackspots for collisions, and put a video camera in them and film the vehicles cyclists doing wrong, posibly a good deterent, and a pat on the back from your boss.
How are you going to fund that then project?
You drive a car to a collision spot, and leave it there un maned, so no cost for staffing.It would jusst be sitting in the police compound otherwise.
Then you privatise the viewing and prosecution of the evidence from the car cams, just like parking enforcement in towns and cities,using cctv.
The money raised goes to the private company, creating jobs and reducing the ksi, on the roads.
Its not rocket science.It nmay be more dificult tracking down errant cyclists though, as opposed to motorists with number plates to id them or their vehicle.
C4 tonight 21.00 bristol cctv parking wardens programe.
Then you privatise the viewing and prosecution of the evidence from the car cams, just like parking enforcement in towns and cities,using cctv
They have that already.
C4 tonight 21.00 bristol cctv parking wardens programe.
See.
Glad you understand now.
Just need you to understand that the cars standing idle can't be just left at the side of the road, they are left idle for various reasons.
Durham have spots where on the Police parking points they have marked up barrios that look like the markings on traffic cars. No idea if it works or not but looks convincing from a distance.
A couple up at Camden Stn on the way back tonight. They'd pulled a clown who was completely lightless at 7:00pm, and have the rest of us a very loud "GO!!!" When the lights changed.
However, no sight of them earlier this morning when some fool in a pimped Beemer tried to overtake me in order to squeeze into the tiny gap behind the bus ahead, only to panic when he realised this would mean he'd be in a bus lane. To be fair I'm sure he'd have realised how stupid a move it was if he hadn't been so busy shouting at me to ride in the gutter.....
One at each ASL at Angel again this morning. Seemed to be doing the trick as nobody was stopped in them, obviously. I doubt it will make much difference though - even this week only the people at the front on each light sequence will even notice, and there won't be any lasting impact...
there were a few round shepherds bush this morning, but none on the big roundabout, which is always dangerous
and a few hundred metres on going up notting hill saw an Occado van clip a cyclist with his wing mirror then shout at the cyclist for riding 2 abreast, same guy then nearly got taken out by a bin lorry running a red at the top of the hill!
And I had a cement mixer, having plainly seen me, pull out forcing me to stop
Did see a police cyclist pull over a guy on the school run too, driver was none too happy
Cracking article on Daily Wail website yesterday about a guy pulled by the police for cycling his kids to school on a cargo bike. The copper asked him 'is that thing legal' to which the cyclist replied 'you tell me, you are the police'
The article was typical Wail, it literally described the bike as a 'rickety wheelbarrow attached to a bike'
The reality was one of these
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Such a shame that they don't realise doing school runs on bikes like this is part of the solution, not the problem!
Yeh, saw that one. Decent little child carrier, and certainly not something the police should be bothering with.
Still not sure I'd want to pilot it up the Euston Road in rush hour with my kids in the front...
Such a shame that they don't realise doing school runs on bikes like this is part of the solution, not the problem!
absolutely, and that the problem, we are a nation of cars. to late to change, no matter what money is invested into cycling and public transport.
...the authorities seem a little happier to respond to complaints about their vehicles at the moment.
I have had more scares in a couple of days than I have had in a year (more aware of danger or something in the air as others have said on other threads, who knows). I have had a bus and a dustbin lorry complete their overtakes on me whilst their back wheel has been level with, both times forcing me to take evasive action otherwise risk being hit by the back end. The bus driver said I should be 'cycling slower and take notice of the the warning stickers on the back of the bus telling me to stay away' - useful when he is overtaking me!
Complaints made yesterday (to TFL and Council), and responses with further details wanted back already, whether it is just lip service I don't. Report incidents though whilst they appear to be taking an interest.
even this week only the people at the front on each light sequence will even notice, and there won't be any lasting impact...
They've done similar crackdowns in the past, including a couple in Edinburgh (one of which is still in progress), and one thing that always emerges is that most drivers stopped for using the ASL have absolutely no idea what the rules are or that entering it may be an offence.
Perhaps educating the front person at each light sequence wil help. The Edinburgh campaign has certainly got some publicity at least:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/drivers-face-100-fines-for-invading-cyclist-space-1-3196431
Just come back from Belgium after watching the Ghent 6, bikes everywhere as you'd expect on roads, bike lanes and what we would only see as pedestrian areas around shops. Bikes are just a natural way of getting around a city. Didn't see any hassle between cars, bikes or pedestrians, and imagine this here...their government is looking to pass a law to allow cyclists to go through a red light when turning right.
saw loads yesterday (Monday) morning and evening and again this morning.
On CS7 heading North, they started appearing at Tooting and there were from one to half a dozen officers/PCSOs at every major intersection up to the Elephant which is where I turn off CS7.
I saw them pull over and ticket a couple of mopeds who were in the ASL and a couple of tourist RLJ'ers on Boris bikes. But at Stockwell where the resurfacing work has been undertaken but they havent repainted the yellow grid they did nothing about the cars blocking the junction meaning cyclists were weaving in between the cars to cross.
They are going to be with us until Xmas
Angel update for today:
8 police officers, one on each side of the crossroads for each road direction.
3 x people pulled over and ticketed / talking tos when I rode through: 1 x cyclist who had run the red light (seriously, how hard is it to spot the police?!), 1 x car and 1 x tipper truck.
Angel update for today (as yesterday's was so eagerly received!): same police presence. Two cars and one HGV being ticketed this morning. No bikes.
About 1000 I would say and about 50-100 cars.
Then again I am in the regional Police headquarters so perhaps not a representative sample
There were about 5 or 6 at battersea bridge last night.
Annoyingly, none. It would have been good to have had a car at the junction where I stopped at the red light and the VW Beetle behind me swerved round me, accelerated through it (lights been on red for about 2 seconds by this point) and floored it past the bus that was just accelerating from the opposite flow of lights.
Two-week crackdown in Edinburgh seems to have gone well.
"Over two weeks, police spoke to spoke to 186 drivers and 129 cyclists. Numbers dropped in the second week of the initiative, which police say shows the message was getting through."
-- http://road.cc/content/news/99713-edinburgh-police-issue-asbo-and-15-fines-road-safety-crackdown
I rode back from Clerkenwell down through Smithfileds and through to Spitalfileds at around 6pm last night and I didn't see one Plod.. Nadda, now't, nothing.
It was a grim dull night with masses of bikes on the road and at least 90% of them had lights on.
Sometimes I do wonder.
In answer to the OP. Walked from Hyde Park Station to 33 Grosvenor Place (approx 500m) and saw about 40 on Monday gradually reducing to about 20 today (Thursday)
Friday update:
Manor House - jovial policeman complete with Movember effort explained in great detail how they hadn't stopped anyone today as they were all being well behaved, aside from one cyclist who ran the red light (seriously - how could you not notice them?!)...
Angel - still lots of police there, this morning tickets being given to one Beemer, one other car, a van and a scooter. No bikes in trouble today.
Near Trafalgar square, one of my engineers with a near miss with a cyclist, just now. He was going round a roundabout and the biker went through a red light and without my enginers quick reactions would have been spread over the bonnet of his van. The cyclist then started hurling abuse at my engineer. Luckily a policeman was watching the whole event. Told my engineer to go and booked the cyclist. I mean, these prats on their bikes think they rule the place at times and tarnish the rest of us.
2 weeks in. I've still not seen a single police officer enforcing traffic!
I have, however, noticed a general improvment in metal boxes not encroaching the ASL. Not completely gone, but much fewer abusers