Near Miss of the Day 187: Cyclist persuades police to launch close pass operation - then has his close pass video rejected

Thank you ChairRDRF, keep up the good work.

Always good to hear what WMP are up to.

This was the state of play in Police Services in he UK in mid-2018 

https://rdrf.org.uk/2018/07/04/policing-close-passing-of-cyclists-update...

and this is what the gold standard of close pasing and related policing is : 

https://rdrf.org.uk/2018/09/29/west-midlands-police-road-harm-reduction-...

More plod breaching their sworn oaths, corrupt as fuck!

As far as I can tell, Northamptonshire Police are at it themselves and covering up for their own:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuElQ0C3OTg&list=UUr6hMUOJdVujPT_GSNPKIyg&t=0s&index=42

On my commute out of town on a relatively narrow road, the incoming cars are queuing, so I take the lane and maintain a decent pace.  A few days ago I had a mini-bus champing  at the bit behind, but they just had to wait.   If I'd have been riding secondary he would most probably have close-passed, as happened a few weeks ago.

It doesn’t help when the police give this kind of legal guidance to drivers.

https://sussex.police.uk/ask-the-police/cycling/is-it-an-offence-to-fail...

Running a close-pass operation is one thing, it seems actually enforcing it is another.

If I were Dave I'd be dropping his mate the Chief Cop a little missive.

That has got be close by reasonable persons standards.

The reviewing officers should be made to ride a bike and then be close passed by various vehicles so they can get an understanding of what they are assessing. If they still think it's acceptable, then they need moving into another less demanding role - like early retirement.

Chief Constable and senior officers regard "Operation Closepass" as a good thing for all manner of reasons, some of which may even have something today with improving the safety of, and reducing the sense of danger felt by, vulnerable road users.

Rank and file officer reviewing the footage at thier desk, almost certainly not a cyclist almost certainly a driver, maybe not even a traffic cop, rarely feels vulnerable on the roads, has little empathy, like most of their civilian counterparts, with Johnny Pushbike and thinks "the van didn't actually hit you, did it?" and "grow a pair!" and sends the standard brush off response intended for the majority of those who submit footage.

None of that could actually happen could it?

Thank God for Surrey Road Cops.

Jesus wept...

I always share these to twitter if the police doesn't do anything, shaming said police force as I do!

Plus, the idiot only had to wait for one car in the opposite direction! If I were you Dave, ride even further out lol.

Translation - "we acknowledge that there is public pressure to do something, so we'll pretend but ultimately the reviewing office is wilfully ignorant of the highway code to the point that he hasn't even read the force's guidance on legal cyclist behaviour and passing safely so, fortunately, we won't actually have to take steps against any precious motorists who don't deserve to be persecuted for endager silly cyclists!"

From northhants police's 'closepass' website as linked above

"Cyclists sometimes need to ride in the centre of the lane. This is called primary position, or taking the lane. They do this for several reasons:

Riding in the middle of the lane helps cyclists to see and be seen better
There may be insufficient room for drivers to overtake safely, such as at a pinch point or traffic island
Cyclists may take the central position on the approach to a bend, junction or when they are making a right turn"

I fail to see how this is not a close pass according to their own definition.

So even the police are of the opinion that if they didn't hit you they gave you enough room...?  Seems a bit rubbish, given that legally you could ride down the middle of the f-ing  lane if you wanted to!