Page 1 of Cyclist condemns red light fine

from BBC website

A Bristol cyclist is condemning a decision to prosecute him for riding through a red light early in the morning, as a waste of public money.
Chris Adams was issued with a fixed penalty notice by a police officer near Queens Road last December.

He appealed against the fine, but says magistrates went ahead with the case, which involved three costly hearings.

A police spokesman said officers have to respond if they see an offence being committed in front of them.

Inspector Mike Cox said: "Cyclists have a responsibility to the Road Traffic Act.

"We don`t go out to target them, but if it happens in front of us, we have to deal with it."

We`re living in a world where it`s imperative to get people out of their cars and this sort of thing doesn`t encourage people onto their bikes

Chris Adams, cyclist

He added: "Other members of the public will feel we were right to do this."

He admitted that police have a range of options when dealing with an offence, but said the officer in this case felt it was necessary to issue a fine.

But Mr Adams, who was ordered to pay £30 with £100 costs, said: "It was 5.55am, I was surprised when the police stopped me, I was the only traffic on the road.

"Not only is it a waste of time and money on both sides, there is another important issue.

"We`re living in a world where it`s imperative to get people out of their cars and this sort of thing doesn`t encourage people onto their bikes."







mmm chocolate

Quote:
A Bristol cyclist is condemning a decision to prosecute him for riding through a red light early in the morning, as a waste of public money.

Errrrr isnt it he who is wasting public money for appealing the fine and asking for a hearing??


Quote:
"It was 5.55am, I was surprised when the police stopped me, I was the only traffic on the road.

Whats that got to do with anything? if you break the law you break the law surely?


Quote:
"We`re living in a world where it`s imperative to get people out of their cars and this sort of thing doesn`t encourage people onto their bikes."

Why exactly does he think "it is imperative" to get people out of their cars? - I assume its going to be some eco-friendly, green, save the planet response i`m getting to that question




SHEPHERDS PIEEEEEEEE
Y.N.W.A
"TIGHT"

I have plenty of sympathy for the plight of the lowly cyclist, but running a red light at any time of day in any mode of transportation is irresponsible.

No matter what time of day, no-one rules the road. Feel free to pass that message on to BMW drivers.

This is why cyclists often require a punching to bring them back to reality. If you want to ride on the road, like a car, you have to obey the rules of the road like a car.

He seems to be trying to turn it into a `Tut. They should be out catching real criminals` whereas he just made himself look like a c***.

I live in Oxford, where there are probably only more cyclists in Beijing and, although it slightly Irks me when i follow one at 8mph, I dont mind too much, because its their perogative to ride a bike.

I do mind, however when they ride 2 abreast, ignore red lights, ride in the middle of the road so you cant pass them, my biggest bugbear, riding on the road when there is a cycle path and the million and one other w***erish things cyclists do.

So, in summary, cyclists are cool as long as they obey the same laws i have to, otherwise they dont just make life more dangerous for themselves, but other people too. Ergo, the copper should have let his tyres down and thrown his bike over a hedge.

Quote:
No matter what time of day, no-one rules the road. Feel free to pass that message on to BMW drivers.

Although thats a generalisation, it is one I very much agree with. Growing up where I did the B.$.? was, in my opinion, the poor man`s rich car. It forever lives in my brain as a car that is linked to a status it does not warrant and (again the generalisation kicks in) I find that many drivers of them are perception obsessed, arrogant, up themselves and believe they are above everyone else on the road.

NOTE : I am not having a go at the quality of the car before anyone starts the usual argument I get at this point. My grievances are not related to quality or performance.

SHEPHERDS PIEEEEEEEE
Y.N.W.A
"TIGHT"

Yes, I should also point out my sweeping generalisation was fully intened to get the backs of BMW drumbeaters well and truly up. Feel free to PM me hate mail.

EDIT: *Sigh*, I guess I should add that that was a joke before some BMW owner starts foaming at the mouth.

I`ve never driven a BMW, so can`t comment on the quality of the car. But all the BMWs I`ve encountered have a particular style of driving...

This item was edited on Friday, 14th July 2006, 14:45

nickthegun answered this perfectly. If you break the law you pay the consequences. I am a cyclist and I stop at red lights. I obey the rules of the road just like any other road user.

Although a few times I have raced by a camera at 50mph and they have never caught me. If you believe that then I have 20 acres of swampland in Arkansas I am willing to sell.

Brubby.

Throw the book at him. The fine was not near enough.

I have seen so many incidents of cyclist`s going the wrong way up one way streets, riding on pavements, going over red lights on a daily basis that there is not enough space on this site to put all of the incidents down & I can`t be bothered but this one surprised even me. We have a VERY busy 5 road Traffic light system. A roundabout would speed things up but, hey, they want the petrol taxes. If you get there after missing the Green it is near as damn 4/5 minute wait before they change again. There is always queues of traffic & there is always something moving or filtering one way or the other. It is an excedingly busy `junction`, I had been waiting for about 3 minutes & the last of the cars were moving from my right to my left. A cyclist with no lights on (it was dark) came up from behind me , didn`t slow down, rode streight over weaving in & out of the traffic & onto the other side. He must have been 200yds up the road when I caught up with him & when I shouted about road sence ETC he just shouted back `F*** Off`.

This item was edited on Friday, 14th July 2006, 16:56

What a load of rubbish....although it`s technically breaking the law, I bet everyone here that was on a bike at 6.00am with nothing else on the road would have gone through the light.

The difference on a bike is that you can hear any approaching cars/pedestrians etc and can stop within 2 feet - not 50 feet.

Yes, it`s wrong - but the consequences are infinitely less serious than a car jumping the light and at 6am it is hardly the crime of the century.

These policemen should sit down my residential road where boy racers speed past at 50mph with no regard to anything - I`d much rather it was a bike going the wrong way.



why take life so seriously..its not like you are going to make it out alive

This item was edited on Friday, 14th July 2006, 18:18

What a load of rubbish....although it`s technically breaking the law, I bet everyone here that was on a bike at 6.00am with nothing else on the road would have gone through the light.

What is technically breaking the law. Was it broken or not?

Are you sugesting the police become Judge & Jury?