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news
Cyclists dismount sign (CC licensed by Marcin Wichary via Flickr).jpgPolice tweet pic of them 'enforcing' advisory ‘cyclists dismount’ sign
Thames Valley Police has come in for criticism from cyclists after the force’s Windsor Twitter account published a photo of an officer supposedly enforcing a ‘cyclists dismount’ sign that is merely advisory.
Here’s the tweet in question.
Out on #MaidenheadRoad enforcing cycling restrictions #cyclesafe #C6963 #C8005 pic.twitter.com/82c2HMSy0b
— TVP Windsor (@TVP_Windsor) September 28, 2016
As you might imagine, cyclists were quick to have their say.
Most suggested that there were, perhaps, other matters police could be concentrating on – with a few questions raised about the van in the background.
Some made their point implicitly.
Dear @TVP_Windsor people are not taking seriously my ‘beware of the dog’ sign. Please send someone round.
— Jack Macreath (@erroneous_zone) October 3, 2016
Others explicitly.
@TVP_Windsor shouldn't it be the cycling prohibited sign? Asking for a friend pic.twitter.com/FbqXv9t0p0
— mike quinn (@mikeqtoo) October 3, 2016
In 2014, Minister for Cycling Robert Goodwill reiterated that the official line from the Department for Transport (DfT) is that cyclists may ride on the footway – more commonly referred to as the pavement – provided they do so considerately. He added that police officers should be using discretion in enforcing the law.
Several people who responded to the TVP Windsor tweet were keen to highlight the response of then National Policing Lead for Cycling, Assistant Chief Constable Mark Milsom, who said:
“We welcome the re-issued guidance from the Minister for Cycling in respect of cycling on the pavement and have re-circulated this to all local forces. The issue of cycling on the pavement, as in other areas of law enforcement, varies according to local circumstances. The ministerial guidance supports the importance of police discretion in taking a reasonable and proportionate approach, with safety being a guiding principle. London's roads present unique challenges, not least of which is the sheer number of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians who use them, therefore their approach may vary from other areas of the country.”
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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44 comments
Make me think of this one:
https://goo.gl/images/F9YbAA
He's not even a proper police officer, just an assistant. Actually he looks like a year 11 on work experience. Anyway, so is it official that it's not ilegal to cycle on the footway as long as it is done considerately? I read in our local paper that the ploice were running a campaign to fine people who were caught cycling on the footways around here.
he's a not a real policeman anyway, so I'm guessing most people are just gonna tell him to fck off out the way
I wondered what happened to Fargo when A Town Caleed Eyreka was cancelled
That's not even a footpath, it's explicitly signposted as a shared use path.
Move along, move along.
Usual nasty comments by unthinking idiots. You seriously think that the chap in qeustion decided to do the job?
I seriously think he didn't question it at all.
I thought being a PCSO was a purely voluntary position? Surely he could have pointed out it was a stupid thing to do and refused to do it?
Genuine question. Do you have anything to contribute to a road cycling site's comments other than a misplaced sense of offence at humour? Honestly?
Yeah, plenty. I just wondered why he wrote that, thats all?
You're right! It was pretty funny!
Honestly, all this time and I didn't know we had a minister for cycling.
We didn't for a long time as Robert Goodwill got moved in the last reshuffle, but the PM has now appointed a new one:
"Andrew Jones, the MP for Harrogate, Knaresborough and Boroughbridge, is the new parliamentary under secretary of state for transport with responsibility for cycling.
His other transport responsibilites include HS2, local transport and walking."
he wants us all to Raleigh round
Seriously, at the start of each shift do Her Majesty's Constabulary just go "right lads, let's go out and do some enforcing! Doesn't matter what. Just enforce!"
As I've said here before I have so much sympathy for the difficult job they do but if they stopped their social media monkeys giving themselves such bad PR it would help!
I can't think of any other way to put it......I just want to give that lad a good slapping.
No excuses, he just looks annoying.
...and get arrested?
Just say you were trying to dismount but he was in the way playing with his belt
Yeah. Or lay off whatever it is that makes you want to slap people.
I believe you may be in danger of taking things on the internet a little too literally.
Genuine question. Why did you write that comment? Honestly?
Err....because you appear to think I would literally assault someone because they look like a jobsworth. Genuine question, do you really think I'd assault that man? Honestly?
Well I was talking about the original comment and not the one about me taking it literally but the quote system does make it confusing.
I don't think you'd hit him at all. Like a guy shouting threats at cyclists from the passenger window of his mates car would suddenly be all meek if he were to be suddenly face to face with them at the traffic lights. But why shout it?
Don't get me wrong - I'm not trying to make you angry, There just seems to be a lot of that kind of comment around on Road.cc at the moment. I just wonder why people write that sort of thing.
Your analogy doesn't work at all because a PCSO being officious is in a position of relative power, and someone commenting on a website poses no real threat to them (is there really a serious problem of internet commenters going round assaulting PCSOs and getting off scott-free?). Whereas a cyclist being shouted at by aggressive guys in cars is in a position of relative vulnerability and has genuine reason to feel threatened as cyclists are frequently injured by aggressive motorists (who often seem to get away with it).
I wouldn't talk about slapping, personally, mind. Just saying your analogy is a poor one.
Edit -sheesh, I'm as humourless and po-faced as you are.
I never really suggested there was a problem with internet commentators assaulting people, he asked if I think he would do it and I said that I didn't think he would.
I think the analogy is between by two people making a idle threat with no intention of carrying it out. Is it for the benefit of the audienc they hold? It is posible for a PCSO to be vulnerable.
On the flip side, you said you wouldn't talk about slapping. Why wouldn't you?
Thank you for the po-faced comment. I'm just asking a question in a civilised manner so I don't know why you want to make personal insults.
Not at all - I'm just acknowledging, having read my own post back, that we have that in common, in a thread that seems otherwise rather light-hearted. I'm not proud of it, but there it is.
Your analogy was a very bad one, becaue it missed the key point of the motorist/cyclist case.
I rarely talk about thumping people. I suppose because I know I'm not much good at it.
I think that you might be one of the things that makes other people want to slap people...
There's a word for that - Backpfeifengesicht
Just HAD to look up the meaning. Ha ha ha.
Its about time the police did something about the scourge of careful pavement cyclists. Some may say they are children, elderly people or those scared by dangerous and aggressive drivers and poorly maintained roads, but we know they are the real villains in society and the cause of the financial crisis, middle eastern conflict and climate change.
Thank god a forward thinking police force diverted its resources from dealing with burglaries, murders, rapes and assaults to deal with these vermin!
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