PCSO's stopping and fining cyclists (on ED Road)

[d803cn]

Saw 3 Community Support Officers stopping and fining cyclists for riding on the pavement today at the East Dulwich Road / Peckham Rye junction.

Looks like they are clamping down on rogue cyclists...

[EDOldie]

Perhaps they'll stop the red light jumpers too.

[bon3yard]

Good, if thats what it takes. I'm a cyclist and try to adhere to the rules of the road at all times and I grind my teeth everytime I see a red light jumper. Saying that I did see some Berk in a Tank pull right out in front of a cyclist this morning missing him by a whisker. :-S

[Moos]

So, who is allowed to ride a bicycle on the pavements?

Obviously kids are - up to what age? Who else?

[lozzyloz]

Are cycle riding parents escorting their small children on their little bikes on the way to school during the manic rush hour exempted?

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

Or what about parents with baby in bike seat?

[SeanMacGabhann]

This man seems agin cycling on pavements

I can't see why anyone should cycle on pavements - if the environment is too harsh for kids cycling on the roads then tackle the problem rather than jumping on a pavement

(if I'm a bit harsh I've been hit once and harassed twice by cyclists on pavements this week)

[lozzyloz]

Or widen the pavements.

[lard]

3 of them together to fine cyclists probably causing no harm.

The whole thing is pathetic.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Moos, I have a notion that according to the Highway Code, noone may ride on pavements.

[Rockets]

I got stopped by some over-officious, jumped up, wannabe policeman in Battersea Park (they have their own very contorversial Parks Police) some months ago for cycling on Carriage Drive. This plastic policeman threatened to arrest me as I could not identify myself with photo id, so I offered him my wrists to cuff me and he lost interest then. He then took my details, phoned my pregnant partner to identify me (and ignored my request to treat the call sensitively as most folks who receive a call from "police" to identify a cyclist are receiving bad news) and then said I would be fined anything from one pound to a million pounds (I am not joking he really said that).

Took his number, wished him a good day catching violent criminals and went about my way. Wrote a letter to the head park keeper, sorry I meant park's police, and he went into great detail explaining what a manace to society cyclists are and how the fabric of society will crumble if cyclists use Carriage Drive in Battersea Park. Nice little to and fro going, someone even added the CEO of Wandsworth Council to the thread, but suddenly parkie, sorry I mean park's police, lost the will to fight after I pointed out the complete lack of no cycling signs on some entrances to Carriage Drive. I then got a lovely letter telling me how the solicitor of Wandsworth Council had decided not to send me to court and fine me but that I had been a very, very naughty boy and should not do it again.

I know this is very different to being caught cycling on pavements but I think councils now see cyclists as another way to generate revenues. A policeman friend of mine quite nicely pointed out to me that if a parkie, sorry park's police, tries to stop me again and he is not wearing a high visibility jacket I don't have to stop and can quite legitimately run him over (apparently it is something to do with PACE)!!!

[????]

First they came for the cars.....but I said nothing as I hadn't a car

Then they came for the bikes.....but I said nothing as I hadn't a bike

Then they came for the Bugaboos...and I went APESHIT

[Sue]

I am really pissed off with cyclists cycling on pavements, jumping red lights and generally behaving with no concern for anybody else and as if the law applies to everybody else but not them, so if they are being clamped down on I am delighted.

I nearly got knocked down by one cycling on the pavement in Lordship Lane the other day.

What's most annoying is when they do it when there is no traffic on the road but lots of pedestrians on the pavement!

If they can't handle cycling on the road they shouldn't be cycling, full stop.

And why the hell don't they use lights at night? They appear to think that because they can see OK, car drivers and pedestrians must be able to see them (if they think at all).

I nearly got knocked over (must be accident-prone) whilst pushing a buggy across the road because the ******* cyclist came round a corner very quickly in the dark with no lights on and I didn't see him in time. I was more concerned for the occupant of the buggy than me, obviously.

Rant over :)

Edited to say: I'm not against all cyclists, just the antisocial ones :)

[phillyboy]

Not that I jump red lights (I do have lights though :) ) but pedestrians sometimes do not do themselves any favours (me included):

a) Cross roads not at crossing points

b) Cross at junctions when they see nothing coming, but the lights say don't cross

Are either of thsoe against the law? I've nearly hit pedestrians doing both those things...

[bon3yard]

*sighs*...why cant we all just get along? :'(

[blinder999]

bon3yard Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> *sighs*...why cant we all just get along? :'(

because to varying degrees, we're all hypocrites who pick and choose which rules we obey, and we also love moaning about other people breaking rules.

It makes for a lot of angry people.

[njc97]

Rockets - are you expecting sympathy? You were breaking the law and were, by the sounds of it, sarcastic and rude when this was pointed out to you.

Phillyboy - why shouldn't pedestrians cross where they want? Now crossing without looking, that's another matter....

[Moos]

I asked about children and pavements because I once bollocked a trio of kids for trying to barge past me on their bikes, and when they'd slunk off Mr. Moos said that he thought they were in the right and were allowed to cycle on the pavement.

I don't think any adult should be exempted, even with baby on a seat, or accompanying small kids.

And yes, blinder we are all hypocrites. Every time I cross East Dulwich Vale at the traffic lights across from Goose Green school I dodge halfway across to make a quick crossing and avoid the dog-leg at the lights. But with small child in tow, I always cross at the crossing and fully intend to teach him that jumping across the road is VERY wrong.

[AcedOut]

"a) Cross roads not at crossing points "

Are you serious!?

[BARA]

This issue was spoken about at the BARA Meeting last night - we know from our representatives at the Safer Neighbourhood Meetings, that the local police have been asked to look at this problem as there have been a number of incidences where people have narrowly escaped being knocked down. We seem to think that it is legal for a child aged 9 and under to ride a bike on the pavement but need to check with the Highway Code. Sussex Police fine people ?30 if they are caught riding on pavements. We are not sure whether there are any by laws in Southwark about this. Cycling on pavements is generally allowed on specific routes identifiable by the bike sign or painted green.

Many years ago my aunt was knocked over on the pavements between CP Road and Landells Rd by a 12 year old boy on an adult bike. She fractured her hip and had great deal of pain and reduced mobility for the rest of her life.

As someone with impaired hearing, I have had narrow escapes by cyclist coming up behind me on the pavement and also people on mobility scooters who think they own the pavement.

[lard]

The fact that our taxes have paid for 3 people to stand there and fine somebody for doing little wrong hasn't even been mentioned.

And we wonder why we are facing tough economic times. Going to the dogs, I tell you. We're dooooomed.

[Rockets]

njc97 - merely pointing out the way that everyone now wants to use fines as a way of generating revenue. Was sarcastic to the guy after he had threatened to arrest me (which the head of park's police later told me was not following procedure and would have been illegal itself).

Also, the bigger worry is the damage these parkies, sorry "police officers" do to the reputation of the police in general. I have never had any reason for the police to stop me for anything before and this jumped-up, glorified metermaid (park's police get six weeks training yet carry handcuffs, wear the same uniforms as the police - most police want rid of them as they are council police not police) was the most abnoxious person I have ever come across. The power had obviously gone straight to his pretend police hat!!! ;-)

[DaveR]

"I can't see why anyone should cycle on pavements - if the environment is too harsh for kids cycling on the roads then tackle the problem rather than jumping on a pavement"

Y'see Sean, the problem is this. I have a five year old daughter who likes riding her bike in the park. In order to get to the park, we cycle. I will introduce her to cycling on the road when she's ready, but I think now might be a bit too soon. I guess I could stick the bikes in the car and drive to the park, but I'm guessing you wouldn't favour that either. Or she could cycle round the garden, but the view gets a bit monotonous. So we cycle, together, on the pavement. And I try and make sure that we don't endanger, or hopefully even inconvenience anybody else.

And that's the point really. If people are conscious of their environment and essentially considerate of others, problems are minimised. If you are a cyclict on the pavement you should have the mindset that this is not primarily your space - you should make room for pedestrians, not the other way round. If you are a cyclist on the road, you unfortunately often have to remind drivers that the road is not just their space, but you should also follow the rules. I've already admitted on another thread that I sometimes go through a red light on my bike, but only if I'm not endangering myself or anybody else. That doesn't make it OK, it just puts me in the camp of people who sometimes break the rules whilst generally respecting the principles behind them - so be it.

Drivers, cyclists or pedestrians are all capable of being stupid/reckless/inconsiderate etc. But as part of being considerate you should also be aware of the potential for harm from what you are doing, and penalties (and enforcement strategies) for breaking the rules should be similarly proportionate. Fining cyclists for riding on the pavement without any aggravating features, and as part of a random 'swoop' at a particular junction, seems disproportionate to me, but that's not to say it shouldn't ever happen.

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

Not if there are no signs he wasn't (doing anything illegal).

[PeckhamRose]

Highway Code says pedestrians should take responsibility. But if you are in or on a vehicle and a kid runs in the road in front of you, it's your fault. No questions. (Got a mate going through a case right now.)