Police Kettling Cyclists outside Olympic Opening

Not fat enough for someone on here

Aye helpful innit Bruce [ i always do typos it was nothing personal]

My only point is that it is counter productive direct action which serves only to make those whose mind they[we] are trying to change think they [we/cyclists]are lawless asshats.

Fair enough. My point was that trying to say they aren’t cyclists is counter productive. There are plenty of people who ride BSOs in their jeans who think that CM are asshats as well. Trying to say that all CMers are exactly the same is wrong IMO.

Actually, is calling someone a bland middle class middle aged Audi driving IT worker an insult? Maybe the bland bit but I’d imagine the rest is a pretty good description of the STW daytime demographic.

Well, you’ve read my posts on this subject.

So you must know my demographic by now surely ?

Where do I fit in to your presumptions about people based on what they type.

I just assume that everyone who spends all day posting on here is like me and has a fairly boring easy highly paid job.

SSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH NG!!!! We’re the ones being accused of making sweeping assumptions about certain groups. I hate to tell him but i don’t fit any of that demographic either. Still…..

Binners,
I picture you as a red braces wearing, wannabe yuppie, straight out of the eighties 😀
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Cant be bothered to find a picture.

Damn! Bang to rights!!! Me and Flashy this morning….

😀

Were you ever that thin…I accept you once had hair 😉

Self on the left of picture, naturally.

I was thinking a bit more like tim nice but dim tbh 😈

Are there any on here who will declare their occupation or lack of ??

I just assume that everyone who spends all day posting on here is like me and has a fairly boring easy highly paid job.

Well, that’s not the first thing you have been wrong about I’m sure.

Are there any on here who will declare their occupation or lack of ??

Why wouldn’t they, it’s not a big secret is it ?

I run my own business and I’m a Car Valeter.

(does that effect my opinion of CM ? Can’t see why it would)

Are there any on here who will declare their occupation or lack of ??

It’s all gone a bit IRC here…

I colour things in for a living. If I concentrate really really really really hard*, i can more often than not keep it between the lines. I do leave the tops off quite often though 🙁

* you can tell when I’m doing this – i involuntarily stick my tongue out sideways

Are there any on here who will declare their occupation or lack of ??

What do you do, love?

rudebwoy – Member

Are there any on here who will declare their occupation or lack of ??

You’ve got some front!

Who are you? Previously banned or sock-puppet? Your name is deliberately provocative and suggestive of a previous forumite – one who I liked as it happens.

I see no Email address in your profile or posts other than this and a few other threads, having only joined a few days ago.

How did you get to know about this site?

so 1 out of 4 is prepared to say, fair play to you, a self employed car valeter, you say that would have no bearing on your opinion– you serious– oh me i’m a joiner- between jobs at the mo

oh me i’m a joiner- between jobs at the mo

Chinny
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Reck-on.

I’m pretty sure you’ve been here before, a number of times.

you say that would have no bearing on your opinion– you serious

Explain to me why it would then please ?

(I would guess you are making other assumptions about me based on what I do for a
Living ?)

Do I not count? I’ve never been so insulted in all my life?!!!

*flounces*

you think my name is provacative, you need to expand your wiki search — its purely music based, what is one supposed to do , wait meekly for a period and then start posting innocuous piffle– do explain the etiquette on here

Came across this site via a blog, then read all that shite about CM, mikeconnor was trying to reason, as was yossarian, Brucewee attempted but all fall on deaf ears– but you are paranoid if you think i have been any where near here before— scary there are more like me around whoo

Tumbleweed……………………………gone awful quite ….

Im utterly amazed at the opinions on this thread based on one short video and what people on cm rides look like.

I was one of the 182 arrested and I wouldn’t wish what happened to me on anyone else.

I wasn’t on the cm ride. Im a local resident watching the opening ceremony having gone out on my bike and was watching 50m from where a group was kettled and was forced into the group by the police then arrested.

That evening I talked to more than a dozen people whom were arrested and none of them matched any of the stereotypes that are mentioned in this thread. A mix of nationalities, occupations and ages. I would say from the small sample I met, they mostly cycled as a form of transport.

All cyclist are human beings and some human beings cycle. However on friday night I and many others were not treated as human beings, it was 11 hrs from being arrested to actually being charged in disgusting, stressful and tiring conditions.

When you hear or read the stories from the 182 people, I suggest you read or listen with an open mind and leave your prejudices behind.

mikeconnor was trying to reason

no he was trying to argue and challenge opinions.

if he’d asked why we had those negative opinions, or took those opinions back to his friends saying “this is what one group of cyclists think of us”, then it might have got somewhere.

to change my opinion… don’t argue or fight back. that just makes me stand my ground. do something that will put CM in a more positive light, then I may think “oh – actually I might be a bit less negative”.

I suggest you read or listen with an open mind and leave your prejudices behind.

I went on one in Brum a few years back, and I’d say it was 75% asshats deliberately trying to wind up drivers and force a confrontation. Granted there probably were barely 20 people there though!

Anyway, totally counter-productive and undermining what thousands of people do everyday by riding their bikes without turning it into a ridiculous us vs them showdown. Is that prejudice?

I appreciate that didn’t represent all CMs, but I can’t help but recall my own experience whenever stories like this come up.

And all this “You can’t stop us going down here!” stuff reminds me of dog walkers in the park whining that they have a right to walk there when there’s an event on and some of it’s barriered off. Get over it and stop comparing it to a fascist state.

singletrackhor yours is a far more interesting story than the critical mass one. What were you arrested for and what were you finally charged with?

only 3 were charged (assault, possession of weapon, and something else)

the rest either released, or released on bail to report back to the police station in September.

Those released on bail are probably so the police can compare photos of the arrested 183 with video of the CM attendees. Those present at a point in the procession where they were informed of the restriction may yet be charged.

(edit: is my understanding)

singletrackhor….get over yourself, although being arrested is never pleasant (i was arrested as a much younger man) the conditions in UK custody suites is hardly Gulag type conditions….i work in many custody suites and the welfare checks (30 or 60 mins usually, often constant observation if somebody is genuinely vulnerable) are more than adequate to make even the most nervous of people feel comfortable….in 7 years i’ve only ever twice had to administer Diazepem for genuine anxiety in the cells, hot food is available on your arrival (or at set mealtimes) and hot and cold drinks flow as frequently as the detainee requests them…the cells have a bunk and as many blankets are usually available as the detainee can use. Crappy clothing and plimsole type shoes can also be supplied if clothing is soiled or seized.

A mistake was made in your particular case….perhaps rather than get angry with the Police you might want to direct your ire at the idiots from CM who have portrayed such a poor image of cyclists in general that you were mistakenly identified as one of them for being on a bike…i would think this is a very clear example of the damage CM are doing to the ordinary cyclist, wouldnt you?

There also seems to be some confusion on here regarding what offenses the CM people were charged with, its important to note that you can be arrested on the suspicion of an offense and released later without charge.

Criticise the victim, nice one 🙄

Was he the victim of a crime then?

@ mr salmon, that proves it then. I hope your not on the jury if it goes to court.

@ crankboy, same as the others, arrested and bailed until late Sept. No mtb until then because of the bail conditions 🙁

@ andy, only one charged. the other 2 have been released on bail like the rest

@ deviant, I wish it was as nice as you picture. Unfortunately it was over 11 hours between being arrested and entering custody. Food, water and toilet breaks had to be begged for.

I didnt meet anyone from the cm ride like that therefore I cant get angry at them.

Yes, arrested on suspision but no evidence or proof as there wasnt/isnt any. Ive never ridden a cm ride and wasnt aware until 20 mins after arrest it was a cm ride passing by that i got caught up in.

singletrackhor – do you think you would have been detained if the CM folk hadn’t been on your route and causing trouble?

singletrackhor….get over yourself, although being arrested is never pleasant (i was arrested as a much younger man) the conditions in UK custody suites is hardly Gulag type conditions….i work in many custody suites and the welfare checks (30 or 60 mins usually, often constant observation if somebody is genuinely vulnerable) are more than adequate to make even the most nervous of people feel comfortable….in 7 years i’ve only ever twice had to administer Diazepem for genuine anxiety in the cells, hot food is available on your arrival (or at set mealtimes) and hot and cold drinks flow as frequently as the detainee requests them…the cells have a bunk and as many blankets are usually available as the detainee can use. Crappy clothing and plimsole type shoes can also be supplied if clothing is soiled or seized.

You know if i was wrongly arrested for no reason [ and not even participating in the event] and having done nothing wrong why on earth would the pleasantness of the facilities used to infringe my civil liberties make me happy or content?

the issue is the wrongful arrest not how pleasant it was once arrested.

Rudebwoy there is a thread on here where a large number of us declared our jobs and earnings…i dont see what bearing it has on this issue tbh.

I dont think mike was trying to reason , to be fair I would not have liked to try in his place tbh

do you think you would have been detained if the CM folk hadn’t been on your route and causing trouble?

no but it is akin to arresting every Muslim because some folk are protesting about something nearby…… the error is a Police one here and not the protesters fault.
I suspect a more intelligence based Policing may have helped

Hmmm.

So some other people who were nothing to do with you were behaving in a way which resulted in them being arrested, and you got caught up in it, but you don’t feel that this is a problem?

If I’d been arrested because I had a bald head near to an EDL march I’d be somewhat put out. You seem to have been arrested because you had a bicycle next to a CM (not an organised protest at all, your Honour) ‘celebration of cycling’…

@ mr salmon, that proves it then. I hope your not on the jury if it goes to court.

My point was that people aren’t just pulling their negative opinions of CM out of their backsides- I know it’s easier to just dismiss people who are critical of it as prejudiced though.

As I said, I appreciate that one group isn’t representative.

I suspect a more intelligence based Policing may have helped

I suspect ‘celebrating cycling’ in a slightly less knobbish way would have helped even more.

deviant.
congratulations, the worst thing i’ve read on stw.
well done on your compassion for a fellow [innocent] cyclist.
i too have been arrested.
food. no
hot drinks. no
cold drinks. no
blankets. no
told to shut the **** up. yes
singletrackwhor, that must have been a pretty shit friday night

congratulations, the worst thing i’ve read on stw.

You must read really slowly.