Heavy handed Rozzers?

The GF’s son (19) rode his bike home from a mate’s house on Saturday night. Just a short 300yd trip long a rural A-road. It’s a 40 zone. It was 11pm. Light traffic and no pedestrians.

He was riding on the pavement and had no lights (he had also been drinking but was by no means pished).

A passing angry traffic cop (blues and twos) flagged him down and berated him. He was given a fixed-penalty notice of £50 — and a Caution — for not having lights on his bike. No mention of riding on the pavement.

Luckliy, he was not breathalysed, and yes, he should know better… but isn’t that a little harsh? A little over-zealous, maybe? Don’t the Rozzers (for whom I have enormous respect, he added hastily) have bigger fish to fry on a Saturday night near Gloucester?

Will he buy some lights for his bike now? If so, job done.

Don’t the Rozzers (for whom I have enormous respect, he added hastily) have bigger fish to fry on a Saturday night near Gloucester?

Ah, the old “shouldn’t you be out catching real criminals?” defence.

Not defending him at all. He’s an idiot.

I was threatened with arrest for cycling on a shared use path once. 😯

Was he in the wrong?
It appears so.
He took a chance and got caught, he could always have walked.

Appreciate that, but surely 99 out of 100 traffic cops would’ve passed him by?

If they were heavy handed they would have breathalised him. Probably got away with it tbh. They would have been in a bad mood because it was saturday night. unlucky/lucky at the same time.

And if he had caused an accident or been seriously injured after being passed by the police, what would you then post? “surely they should have stopped him”? Its as much for his benefit and every ones protection dont blame them for doing their job.

Now, are you absolutely sure he didn’t get a bit lippy with the officers when they ‘berated’ him?

Can he get a caution at the roadside? I thought you needed to be taken down the nick to sign various stuff and get a further lecture?

They might of passed him by, but fortunately the 1% did their job and hopefully, lesson learned.

Can they give cautions at the road side? When my mate (lol) got one it was in a real police station and everything – given by some guy with lots of pips on his uniform. Quite some time ago mind.

On the above – win some lose some, you never know the copper may have saved his life. Just because he was on the pavement when he stopped him, doesn’t mean he won’t be using the roads does it? How’s the copper to know? Better safe than sorry imo.

you never know the copper may have saved his life.

True dat.

I live in an area of the country where cycling with lights seems to be in vogue.
That said – it’s on the road.
I imagine when on of these road ninjas gets taken out , it will be the car driver under the cosh. The sooner there is some personal responsibility by the cyclists, the better

He was riding on the pavement because he didn’t have lights….
If you can’t do the time etc ….

No doubt that he was in the wrong …………..but what should be asked here is, was the police action “reasonable”?
In the crcumstances, I’d say a good bollocking would have sufficed –

It was 11pm at night. Light traffic and no pedestrians.He was riding on the pavement

A caution and a fixed penalty notice is pretty heavy handed/quota filling, IMHO.

Where is the heavy handed bit?

I bet he didn’t get a caution at all. Commonly mis-used phrase. More like FPN and words of advice.

Transfer that copper to the met. He could do some real good there.
I didn’t think they could breathalyse hime any way?

you cannot be breathalysed for it

If the evidence of the extent to which a person is affected must be measured by means other than the provision of a specimen of breath, blood or urine, as there is no power to require such a specimen in these circumstances. However, if such a specimen was offered, it is probable that the evidence obtained by analysis of the specimen would be admissible.

People of the Rozztafarian persuasion believe it is their calling in life to uphold the laws as laid out in accordance with the law making procedures in that land..

Occasionally this results in a bell end receiving a bollocking for not having lights on his bike.. Which is nice

What you don’t know is that he bunny hopped off the curb into the road in front of the police car..then rushed home to tell you that the policeman had nicked him on the pavement…

Seems fair to me, I see all too many numptys cycling about without lights, on the pavement or otherwise. You can get a set from tesco for 8 quid.
Whats the reason for not having any? <<<< genuine question.
coz they don’t look cool? is being dead cool?

Which is the more serious offence? no lights, or riding on the pavement?

Do you need lights to ride on the pavement?

Pfft. I was expecting some Birmingham Six style miscarriage of justice. This is rubbish!

Ah, the old “shouldn’t you be out catching real criminals?” defence.

Remember to add “I pay your wages don’t you know” I’m always grateful to those who point this out to me.

Which is the more serious offence? no lights, or riding on the pavement?

Do you need lights to ride on the pavement?

Kinda my thinking. Both are wrong, but is one wronger than the other??

It appears they actually let him off with one offence and saved him going to court by issuing a fixed penalty notice. Still seem heavy handed?

Proportionality, innit?

A slightly pissed teen wobbling home on the pavement?

Ticketing someone like that just reinforces the us & them divide and dehumanises the police further in the eyes of the general population.

A bit of a lose/lose situation really.

A quiet bollocking and being made to push his bike the rest of the way would have been a win for both sides.

Bit pathetic really.

he was not cautioned for that as he would have had to go to the cop shop for this and I doubt that it is a cautionable offence anyway.

Rather they went after the kids with no brakes tbh but it was a daft thing to do.
Has he got lights yet then?

Sounds very OTT to me. Surely easier to give an earbashing and send chastised yoof on his way.

This, from a man who in his student days, went OTB twice in front of the same police car, in the space of five minutes. I was only riding ‘cos I was too drunk to push the thing.

Rather they went after the kids with no brakes tbh but it was a daft thing to do.

Why was it a daft thing to do?

He’s riding on a pavement where there were no pedestrians.
He’s got no lights and he’s a bit tipsy – riding on the road would but himself and others in danger.

Rusty Spanner – Member
Proportionality, innit?

A slightly pissed teen wobbling home on the pavement?

Ticketing someone like that just reinforces the us & them divide and dehumanises the police further in the eyes of the general population.

A bit of a lose/lose situation really.

A quiet bollocking and being made to push his bike the rest of the way would have been a win for both sides.

Bit pathetic really.

+1

I thought the offence is riding on the road without lights? Surely if he is on the pavement the offence is riding on the pavement, in which case there supposed to use discretion when dealing with it.

RS so if i drive my car slowly its ok if i am pissed? 😉

He could have walked for example and cycling on the pavement if forbidden

FWIW I cycle on the pavement past the cop shop and ride down their steps over and over again with my kids
Never said anything though one of them once encouraged my youngest to get on with it when he was nervous

Last time I repeatedly fell off my (lightless) bike, in the road, in front of a police car, through being utterly drunk, they offered me a lift home after my fifth faceplant.. They even put my bike in the boot..

I only lived 20 yards further along the street too.. 😳

A few years ago I nearly hit a cyclist riding without lights, I was pulling out of a t junction and he was barreling along without lights on a unlit road. It scared the bejesus out of me.

If, as cyclists we want to be treated with respect on the roads, and we want the police to enforce offences against us, then we need to play by the same rules. Expecting different treatment because he was on a bike is not a good enough argument in my opinion.

On another note, anyone seen this clip of the cyclist laying down the law to a copper!

Cyclist 1 – 0 Police

I thought the offence is riding on the road without lights? Surely if he is on the pavement the offence is riding on the pavement,

The wording on the FPN said “not having the required lights fitted” (or words very close to that effect). No mention of riding on the pavement.

He’s riding on a pavement where there were no pedestrians.
He’s got no lights and he’s a bit tipsy – riding on the road would but himself and others in danger.

Kinda. Think he had the good sense not to be in the road… but not the sense to walk home pushing the bike.

It quickly becomes clear it’s not the telling off people are split over, it’s the £50 fine.

£50 can be a lot of money to some people. I think £50 is heavy handed.

However the telling off is just.

You can lead a horse to water…

There are two sides to every story. The only times I’ve ever been dealt harshly by the police was when I was being a dick and deserved it… but I sweetened my side of the story when I told my parents about it at the time 😆

50 quids a lot but

he wont cycle without lights in the dark again
one day that may save his life

Junkyard – lazarus

RS so if i drive my car slowly its ok if i am pissed?

No, it’s a car, not a bike. 🙂

He could have walked for example and cycling on the pavement if forbidden

Steady on, proportionality and all that. Change ‘forbibben’ to ‘verboten’,adopt the comedy accent and you’ll see how ridiculous that statement is.
Would you be happy with a £50.00 fine for cycling on a footpath?