Jeremy Vine narrowly avoids being hit by driver as MPs call for cycle lane to be scrapped; Close pass on children riding to school; Tao hints at Giro defence in 2021; Cloud 9 Cycles launch £10,000 diversity scholarship + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
'Despicable': Attempted close pass on children riding to school by taxi driver in Ireland
kids on their way to school, taxi driver just wont wait 🤬pic.twitter.com/Mk4oGh4Mrq
— Alan D (@AlanDub13) November 25, 2020
How not to encourage children to cycle to school. This father challenged the taxi driver, videoed here trying to get round two kids on a very narrow stretch of road, on his dangerous driving. The man in the video, Dan, can be heard telling the driver that he’s on camera and will be reported.
Dan wrote: “Speaking of a curse, this **** couldn’t wait a couple of car lengths to pass us and tried to force through. Close enough to bang on car. Reported to TrafficWatch.”
Typical “Must Get In Front” driver, who is willing to recklessly endager lives of children just to prove a point that cars rule.
— Kätlin Bowden (@BowdenKatlin) November 25, 2020
Nope. Sadly 😢.
I’m a teacher, and was riding into schools same time as the kids rode in.
It’s utterly, mind-blowingly, terrifying how some reckless “entitled” drivers treat school kids on bikes.
— gavincooks (@aLeedscyclist) November 25, 2020
MPs ask for Kensington High Street cycle lane to be scrapped... but where's the evidence?
A video of @FelicityBuchan and I talking about the High St Ken cycle lane. It’s really important to encourage more cycling but unfortunately this was the wrong scheme. pic.twitter.com/zebSZt2Yoi
— Tony Devenish (@Tony_Devenish) November 26, 2020
Conservative MPs Tony Devenish and Felicity Buchan released a statement yesterday saying they no longer support the Kensington High Street cycle lane and that they now favour its removal. Critics have suggested there isn’t evidence to back up their claim that it has ‘failed’, with videos on social media being shared of traffic on the High Street flowing freely. Last week Nigel Havers accused the segregated lane of ‘causing gridlock every day‘, in a Daily Mail column. However, some pointed out on social media that the only gridlock that could be seen in the video below was the line of parked vans in the cycle lane.
Thank you for the subtitles, I could barely hear you both above the (free-flowing) motor vehicle noise. Thank you also for your dedication in maintaining the status quo. The congestion you refer to – plain as day on these traffic cams – looks totally unbearable and must be fixed. pic.twitter.com/nThXrLhD2Q
— Adam Tranter (@adamtranter) November 26, 2020
Kensington High Street cycle lane this morning full of parked cars @betterstreetskc @RBKC pic.twitter.com/iVgsnJUKkG
— MJ (@MichielJoseph) November 25, 2020
'Absolute madness': Jeremy Vine narrowly avoids being hit by driver just hours before MPs call for cycle lane to be scrapped
Absolute madness this morning on a stretch of High Street Kensington where there’s not yet a dedicated lane for cyclists.
This is the most frightening scenario on a bicycle, when the danger comes out of nowhere. pic.twitter.com/QNQBB9Ek7H— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) November 26, 2020
Kensington High Street has been the topic of much debate this week after two Tory MPs called for the segregated cycle lane to be scrapped. Just hours before their statement, Jeremy Vine was almost hit by a car driver who cut across two lanes of traffic to turn left…on one of the only stretches of the High Street where there is no cycle lane.
You really couldn’t make it up. Just a reminder of what Nigel Havers wrote in a column about the Kensington High Street cycle lane: “Maybe I wouldn’t be so cross about these cycle lanes if it was not for the fact that so many of the cyclists I encounter do not obey the laws of the road.
“I ride a Vespa and I see so many of them jump red lights, mount pavements and go the wrong way down one-way roads. But not once have I seen any of them stopped by police. One gets a strong sense that many think they are more special than everyone else.”
Cloud 9 Cycles launch £10,000 diversity scholarship for BAME Endurance cyclists
Cycling Industry News reports Cloud 9 Cycles have announced a new £10,000 scholarship for BAME riders to improve diversity in Ultra Distance and MTB in the UK. The winner of the scholarship will receive a fully custom built bike as well as seven months of professional coaching from Veloqi. They will also get an entry into the 2021 Pan Celtic Endurance Race – a 1,600 mile, 100,000ft self-supported race through Cornwall, Ireland and Wales.
Cloud 9 Cycles said: “When we shared our version of the BLM black square back in June (we’ve learned a lot since then), we said: This is not enough. Our team is white. The cycling world is staggeringly white. We are part of the problem.
“There’s a saying that goes ‘if you can’t see it, you can’t be it’ and unless I’m mistaken (please let me be), there aren’t any prominent BAME pro athletes in the UK MTB scene just yet. This lack of representation forms a feedback loop where potential future talent may be discouraged from getting into the sport, because they view the scene as a white space that’s not for them. We need to break that cycle.”
Tunnel works delayed as costs soar
Work on the Queensbury Tunnel in West Yorkshire, which cycling and environmental campaigners hope can be made into a new greenway connecting Bradford and Halifax, has been delayed. The cost of the project to shore up the disused railway tunnel has risen by 25% to more than £1 million as the works which were meant to be completed by now are yet to begin.
The project has been delayed by floodwater in the tunnel and Highways England failing to pay the rent on a pumping station. In July, plans were revealed for divers to fit bags below the shaft and fill them with grout pumped from the dry part of the tunnel, 500 metres away. Preparations started in August, with the main phase due to finish in September. However work has not yet started due to a ‘concept redesign’ and logistical constraints. The estimated cost has risen by £100K to £863K, whilst additional investigations and minor works at the shaft have taken the overall bill to £1,013,177.
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Ned Boulting on bikes
…No one reasonable is saying that bikes replace cars – (I’ve just had to hire a car for a journey I couldn’t otherwise have done). But it’s evident that bikes CAN replace cars for shorter journeys, all year round, with or without loads, to a very significant extent…2/5
— Ned Boulting (@nedboulting) November 26, 2020
…but for the most part they are law-abiding and potentially very vulnerable. And besides, it goes without saying that collisions involving motor vehicles are hundreds of times more damaging and fatal. Yet, much of the media is curiously obsessed…4/5
— Ned Boulting (@nedboulting) November 26, 2020
…not with the actual and evident tragedy of pollution and fatality which are a quotidian reality of our lives with cars, but with the fostering of dislike, disdain and ridicule of people who choose to do something different. Please make it stop. That’s it. 5/5
— Ned Boulting (@nedboulting) November 26, 2020
Fabio Jakobsen sets sights on return to racing in 2021
Fabio Jakobsen will join his Deceuninck-Quick Step teammates at their January training camp in Spain. Cyclingnews reports the Dutch sprinter has voiced his desire to return to professional racing in 2021. On Tuesday, Jakobsen got back on the bike for the first time since his Tour of Poland crash in August.
Team doctor, Yvan Vanmol, told Sporza that reports of some of Jakobsen’s injuries were exaggerated: “There have been stories about Fabio, that every bone in his face was broken, that his windpipe was crushed, that he had 1,000 stitches. The damage was great, but there was a lot of exaggeration.
“The aesthetic was not the main concern. You know that a lot is possible nowadays. The question of whether you will ever be able to practice your profession again was taken much more seriously.
“For Fabio, the next step now is to see how he digests training rides. He just got back from a vacation. Before that he already cycled but he felt tired after an hour and a half or two. On Wednesday he told me that he is now clearly feeling better physically. His holiday has also done him good mentally to reset the head.
“On the camp, Fabio will immediately know how he feels about cycling in a group. And if necessary we will guide him in this. Just like we sometimes do with riders who have problems with descents.”
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup is back this weekend
Coming this Sunday… the return of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup! #CXWorldCup
pic.twitter.com/S10z334oDt— UCI (@UCI_cycling) November 26, 2020
Owain Doull opens up about losing his best friend to suicide to raise awareness for Movember
Owain Doull has bravely told his story about losing one of his best friends to suicide earlier this year, in a video to raise awareness for men’s mental health charity Movember. In the UK, 84 men a week take their own life and Doull experienced first-hand the negative effects lockdown can have on people’s mental health.
He said: “Movember’s such a worthy cause for the work they do. Of all they years to donate, this is the year. With the impacts of covid and the lockdown on mental health, people need support more than ever. It makes a difference, you can save lives.”
Camden Council to create additional cycling contraflows either side of Tottenham Court Road
According to Fitzrovia News, Camden Council is creating a number of cycle contraflows around the Tottenham Court Road area to make cycling easier. The streets will allow bikes to travel in either direction as well as applying restrictions on waiting and loading for vehicles. This will free cyclists to travel in either direction down roads which are currently one-way.
The scheme will proceed under a trial period from 30 November on Bedford Avenue, Grafton Way, Tottenham Street, Warren Street and Windmill Street.
Tao Geoghegan Hart hints at Giro d'Italia defence in 2021
Tao Geoghegan Hart has hinted that a defence of his Giro d’Italia crown may be on the cards in 2021. In an interview with Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, Geoghegan Hart asserted his belief that he can win the Tour de France one day and said he was keen to return to Italy next season. He said: “Of course, that’s my dream. I think to win the Giro as your first Grand Tour is amazing, really – especially this year, with everything that’s happened and how difficult it’s been for everyone.
“But definitely – that’s the objective, I hope I’m going to have another 10 years or more of my career, and the plan is to fight every year for those races. And also for the Giro, of course. I’ve always loved racing in Italy, and I’m looking forward to hopefully having a more regular season next year.
“There are so many races that I’m looking forward to, and so many beautiful races in cycling, and I’ve always love racing in Italy, so I’m sure I’ll be racing a lot there next year.”
If Gianni Savio owned a football club
Its the Androni of football https://t.co/F2fW4WCWnT
— José Been (@TourDeJose) November 27, 2020
Brian Moore gets hooked by life on two wheels
Nothing better than a crisp, still day for bike riding. I never thought I’d get hooked; I was wrong.
— Brian Moore (@brianmoore666) November 26, 2020
It’s always nice to see famous faces catch the cycling bug. Last week we found out Alan Shearer has become a keen cyclist since hanging up his boots, this week it’s Brian Moore. It’s good to know that even with 64 caps for your country you can still enjoy life on two wheels. Not that I’ll be getting a call-up…well, ever.
27 November 2020, 09:05
27 November 2020, 09:05
27 November 2020, 09:05
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Latest Comments
@Bright Strider Made in China, so that excuse for the high price doesn't apply.
@Rendel Harris it's just the silliness of "debating club" games - if not simply outright attention-seeking. Say a dozen irrelevant things and repeat them until someone knocks them down, then play logic on each ignoring any wider picture ("they don't say you can - ergo you cannot!" - but aside from that being incorrect the HC itself isn't all direct quotes from law and that section is in the "more like guidance" category). If someone points out you're factually incorrect ignore it, or demand "proof", or say that's your belief or that people feel that way. Let the other side waste energy on fact and logic. If you get stuck just bring in more tangential and/or made up stuff. Is this being done in the hope that it'll get picked up by some AI and misdirect that?
Where was it made? A place with good employment rights and a high cost of living would explain a high unit cost. If the product is good and produced responsibly, then the expense might be worth it.
@Terry Hutt which ones? I have the stem, seatpost and Arc SPD pedals on my commuter and have had no issues at all.
I've owned many redshift products over the years and I have not found them to be reliable. Anything with moving parts tends to break in a couple of years. I only buy from them when there are no other offerings on the market, which tends to happen a lot. There are many similar products on Amazon right now that, while they don't score as well as the Redshift, cost 1/4 as much. For the same price as these you can buy some nice SPD/flat pedals (SPD one side, flat the other). That's what I have on my trainer and they are great.
@SVXY I cannot think of a jury or a magistrate who would not convict cyclists doing that of lack of consideration of other road users and careless driving He was doing OK for the first three words, but then slumped back down to his usual pitiful standard, dreaming of cyclists being convicted of careless driving or being smashed to pulp by a driver guilty of nothing more than a minor lapse of judgement.
@chrisonabike Riding 3 or more abreast blocks most traffic on a carriageway getting past. I cannot think of a jury or a magistrate who would not convict cyclists doing that of lack of consideration of other road users and careless driving
@SVXY Again, it doesn't say that riding three or more abreast is inconsiderate. That's just your opinion, which counts for nothing.
Black bike in a black room with minimal lighting. Marketing people eh?
That’s honestly the best 32” bike I’ve seen yet. Avona’s road bike is also beautiful except for the tall stack height, if they ever release a race bike I’m in.
42 thoughts on “Jeremy Vine narrowly avoids being hit by driver as MPs call for cycle lane to be scrapped; Close pass on children riding to school; Tao hints at Giro defence in 2021; Cloud 9 Cycles launch £10,000 diversity scholarship + more on the live blog”
School run taxi driver.
School run taxi driver.
Even more depressingly, you just know that there are people out there (and possibly on this very forum) who will criticise Dan, accusing him of putting his children in harms way.
There’s a similar road to
There’s a similar road to that in my local area. When I ride with my son I just go straight down the middle – stops any shenanigans like that
Whilst I’d certainly advocate
Whilst I’d certainly advocate & support riding in the middle of the lane on roads like that,from bitter experience I can assure you it doesnt completely stop those types of shenanigans.ive had more than a few face offs with drivers who will not yield to cyclists in those positions.
Awavey wrote:
Sorry to hear that – in all fairness I look really hard so that probably explains our different experiences.
I never imagined you as a
I never imagined you as a built like a brick shit house.
Whilst I’d certainly advocate
Whilst I’d certainly advocate & support riding in the middle of the lane
Try that sort of thing in Lancashire, and you get a Traffic Sergeant threatening you with prosecution for obstructing traffic and forcing poor mistreated drivers to cross double white lines in a dangerous position because they would lose 5 or 10 seconds if they didn’t (proof on request). This was such a stupid idea that I encouraged him to go ahead with prosecution, but he never replied. The Sarge disappeared for ever after I complained, although I only achieved the joke warning letter for the Fiat.
Mungecrundle wrote:
Who could you possibly mean?
Mungecrundle wrote:
I had a quick look on Twitter, and it looked quite promising. It feels that as more of these vids go up folk are finding it harder and harder to kneejerk “It’s teh riders fault” and are actually starting to get the picture.
Or maybe it’s cos of the enormous spliff I’m smoking….
Captain Badger wrote:
I hope that there is an attitude change as more cyclists run cameras and post the poor driving that’s around. As well as hopefully causing the driver involved to re-examine how they drive, there’s the chance that other drivers might look at it and realise that they could get caught out with similar driving.
What I’d like to see is drivers being careful around all cyclists even if it’s just because they never know if that particular cyclist has a cam recording them.
I’ll have what the squirrel
I’ll have what the squirrel is smoking as there are villages in Yorkshire that will have safe cycling routes before that ever happens 🙂
I’d love to see the attitude in drivers change like that,but my anecdata suggests most drivers dont even consider it a possibility. How else to explain the speeding, the lack of VED,MOT,red light jumping,careless and even dangerous examples of vehicles & driving my camera records nearly every time I go for a ride.
Tony Devenish is an MP, a
Tony Devenish is an MP, a position of some influence, and yet he utters phrases like, “A video of Felicity and I, talking ….. “.
Jesus, the man can’t even use basic English.
mike the bike wrote:
I’d like to nominate you for being accusative. But there was a time when breaking the third commandment would attract greater censure than straying from mere grammatical orthodoxy.
well actually, hes merely a
well actually, hes merely a local councillor/assembly member not an MP 🙂
This whole cycle lane thing
This whole cycle lane thing just reminds me of the classic NIMBY response to anything … we support cycle lanes and we want to see more of them, but somewhere else.
There was a series of politicians on the radio this morning talking about the new tiered COVID restrictions post lockdown and all said basically the same thing about that … we support these new tiers and think they are the right way to proceed but my area should be in a lower one.
Perhaps it is a peculiarly British disease.
Jetmans Dad wrote:
It’s not. I’m in the U.S., and it’s much the same here.
OMG – did they put a
OMG – did they put a christmas tree in the cycle lane??
Re close pass on kids. Well
Re close pass on kids. Well done to the cyclist who confronted the taxi driver and I hope you get some feedback from TrafficWatch whatever that is. If the driver wasn’t apologetic it may be worth contacting the company the driver worked for or the taxi licencers.
A while back a taxi driver pulled out in front of me in the village, after I caught him up I asked him why he had done it. He said he didn’t see me and came up with all sorts of excuses, my parting words were “you’re on camera”. I bumped in to him a little later on on my way into the shop near where the taxis park. His attitude had changed completely and he couldn’t apologise enough. I said thank you and that that was all that was needed. I may be imagining it but I am convinced that local taxi drivers now give me plenty of room when I am on my, quite distinctive, sit and beg shopping bike that I use for local journeys.
Breaking News:
Breaking News:
Cycle lane asks for Tory MPs to be scrapped.
?
0-0 wrote:
That taxi driver shouldn’t
That taxi driver shouldn’t have a licence.
Hopefully Jeremy Vine reports that tool to the police.
That father was cool. I don’t
That father was cool. I don’t think I would have been so calm. These are the drivers that should have licences taken off them. Until the police take this type of dangerous driving seriously it will not diminish. We need some adverts on TV highlighting the deaths and injuries caused by misjudged close passes and disregard for vulnerable road users etc., just like they did for drink driving which changed public opinion from it being ‘naughty’ to being abhorrent. TV personalities who make jokes about knocking down cyclists, such as Clarkson, should be put in same bucket as people who joke about getting away with drink driving.
Re Jeremy Vine Twitter video
Re Jeremy Vine Twitter video – what’s with all the ridiculous music and graphics, like some lo-budget police/entertainment show? “Hey look, here’s another close pass to put you off commuting”. I understand it raises Mr Vine’s social media profile and gets clicks, but really, why can’t he just submit the video to police and let them deal with it?
P.s. at 45 seconds isn’t that a police car sat there?
Don’t worry, Road.cc have got
Don’t worry, Road.cc have got you covered.
I was trying to catch “will you profit from Brexit?”, which has a picture of Nigel Farage (as opposed to fake Nigel). Whose picture should there instead?
I don’t really understand how
I don’t really understand how Jeremy Vine gets involved in so many near misses. I guess if you spend more time on the road you are more likely to encounter dangerous driving but I’ve commuted by bike for years must be quite lucky to have experienced an only a small number of incidents of bad driving in that time.
Do you aslo live in London in
Do you aslo live in London in a high density area?
I find myself on the end of plenty of close passes although left hooks and junctions inceidents are fewer.
cyclefaster wrote:
I know what you are saying but in London especially, it’s very dependant on which part you are in and on what roads. The west end especially is a crap hole for idiot driving especially, and presumably that’s where a lot of his near misses come from
I find if I’m on my slow
I find if I’m on my slow singlespeed I get many more close passes than on my road bike. I put it down to a lack of patience
cyclefaster wrote:
I’m making police reports for close passes and related incidents weekly. Some of you must have great segregated cycling infrastructure…
You have been very lucky or
You have been very lucky or you don’t think giving less than1.2m is a close pass. I’ve just got back from a trip into Cheltenham. I reckon about 5 close passes on the fast road into town and one left hook in the middle of town. Not unusual in recent weeks.
I am wondering whether it has anything to do with having my camera mounted on the front of the bike. When I cycle with the camera mounted on top of my helmet I seem to get less. May be it’s subjective. Any one else with similar experience?
ive got two drift ghost x’s
ive got two drift ghost x’s on my helmet, one on the right hand side pointing back at traffic, one on my left looking ahead. So even on a 60 mph road, nobody got close to me, every single driver waited for a moment then moved out into the other lane. Either i got lucky, or the camera is visible enough to act as a deterent.
Perhaps it is a case of
Perhaps it is a case of getting used to it. I do cycle in a built up area but over time my commute has changed to my preferred route rather than the most direct. I prefer moving traffic to slowing and speeding up at lights and junctions as thats where I see the close passes.
I’ve been knocked off the once and surprisingly i was ok about it. We are all human and make mistakes. I could tolerate it being a careless driver drifting out from a junction without looking properly rather than a deliberate choice to make a dangerous and reckless move than puts people at risk if that makes sense.
It does make sense and I
It does make sense and I agree. When I first commuted I started cyling in on a main road into Cheltenham. I had a racing bike and could go quite fast but I got annoyed at drivers overtaking at 60 mph within a foot of me. I just thought it was something I had to put up with. I had a break from cycling for a number of years and when I started up again I took the same route. The close passes became more common and eventually I found a route through the local racecourse and then onto a cycle path along a disused railway line. Little bits of relatively quiet roads in between made quieter by the time I used to travel, arriving at work around 8:15. It was slower but much more enjoyable with less pollution in my lungs. I cycled evry day for 2 years till I retired.
I carried on cycling for getting around after I retired and learned to accept that motorists didn’t like the fact that I would keep catching them up and overtaking them. I could choose what time I cycled most of the time so I chose the quiter times. Eventually I decided that I had as much right as motorists to use the roads and found this site. It lead me to getting a camera which I tried out a few times and then lost interest. Then came lockdown and I realised how enjoyable cycling could be. I also realised that many people would be put off cycling when lockdown ended and felt that we had a duty to try and restore a bit of order to our roads in order to get people on their bikes. I got a camera and I am just starting to submit footage. It’s not easy with Gloucestershire but they now have a site that allows footage to be uploaded that I am trying to work out how to use. There is never any shortage of footage.
I just wish that the police would give you feedback and that careless drivers could be given advice but aggressive drivers could be given something more serious.
cyclefaster wrote:
I commute Peckham-Chelsea-Peckham three or four times a week and it’s a very rare ride that I’m not at least one of badly close passed, left hooked, nearly hit by red-light-running drivers (and cyclists, I regret to say) and/or sworn at and physically threatened. It’s bad and it’s been getting worse in recent months, I’m sure as a result of the Daily Mail and others campaigning against cyclists. I quite enjoy it, in a perverse sort of way, a bit like running with the bulls at Pamplona, but I can see why less experienced or robust riders (I’m a 14 stone and 6 foot ex-rugby player who’s been riding in London nearly forty years) would be badly put off.
It’s not just my imagination, by the way, police are currently prosecuting four drivers on the basis on videos I’ve sent them since the beginning of October, and I only send them the very worst could-have-been-fatal incidents.
cyclefaster wrote:
I think it depends on the time of day and particular roads.
When I was commuting, I was submitting a close pass maybe one or two times a month on average. Now that I’ve been cycling different roads and at different times, I haven’t had a close pass for months which is great. (Hope I haven’t just cursed myself)
certainly the roads I would
certainly the roads I would normally be commuting on are an absolute magnet for them, but since the first lockdown ended the roads everywhere, even the ones in the middle of nowhere, have just felt alot more hostile for cycling on lately, Id say Im having to review approx 5 incidents per ride at the moment for submission to the police, and their response at the moment is just to send the letter due to Covid, so it feels like whats the point anyway.
But then they are dealing with things like they had a speed check in a village I often cycle through, they caught a bus,with passengers, being driven at 44mph in a 30mph limit, and that wasnt even the fastest speed they recorded. Or another road I cycle on alot, a lorry driver drove into a cyclist at a roundabout, the cyclist then had to be airlifted to Addenbrookes in a critical condition.
I’ve commuted into Central
I’ve commuted into Central London by bike for around 20 years. I became oblivious to all but the most egregious close classes or dangerous driving.
This year, for obvious reasons, I’ve been working from home and using my evening commute times to do a training loop or laps of Richmond Park.
I noticed that I quite quickly became more aware of the number of close passes I received on a daily basis.
The shocks are coming thick
The shocks are coming thick and fast:
Tory MPs condemn cycle lane
Cycle lane full of parked vehicles
Bloke who always acts ‘toffs’ condemns cycle lane for causing the traffic jams, in a column in the Mail, and drones on about cyclists remaining unpunished for passing traffic lights at red. Presumably he’s worried about the damage and injury these cyclists could cause to cars and lorries and their occupants
This Astra went on to crash through the lights on 10.7.20, over 1.3 seconds after they turned red (the car wasn’t even in view when they turned) and over 4 months later I’m still battling against the passive resistance to prosecuting the case- this resistance has consisted of Lancashire Constabulary just refusing to respond.
Complain to your local Police
Complain to your local Police Crime Commissioner.
Very amusing! The Lancashire
Very amusing! The Lancashire PCC has a staff who know very little about policing, simply sit around writing Policing Care Plans and always defer to the police over operational matters. There simply is no second tier complaints system at Lancashire Constabulary, and the first tier (where some policeman shamelessly takes several months to agree with whatever the first policeman said) is as bent as you would expect. However, when I collect enough cases of refusal to prosecute red light crashing drivers, I will follow it through to the end, as well as writing to Ben Wallace, MP. You must have cast iron evidence, but the police now have the pretend prosecution dodge where they claim to be prosecuting, take statements etc., but know that they can delay the case for at least 2 years by blaming the courts. Offending drivers know this, so they just don’t respond to NIPs.
wtjs wrote:
You should complain to Clive Grunshaw, the Labour Police Crime Commissioner for Lancashire, rather than to your local MP – https://www.lancashire.police.uk/contact-us/general-contact-information/police-and-crime-commissioner/.
“Not invented here” is the
“Not invented here” is the problem you’re up against – somehow, you’ve got to get the other guy to recognise and take ownership of the problem for himself.
Your driver hasn’t in their eyes done anything to cause wider/moral offence – unless he was a cyclist, of course, then we’d never hear the end of it.
Grannies and eggs here but my guess is that this is seen as a trivial, victimless, technical breach. My little bit of experience of enforcement is very clear that you identify and stay out of grudge matches and away from (what you perceive as) fanatics and zealots.
In describing all the above, don’t get me wrong I’m not for one moment endorsing it, just the reality of it. Under this paradigm, you won’t get them to take action – the shutters are up. A moment might arise where you can tear them down and shame them into action – very nice, but where does that leave you in the longer term?
Get back to your objective and think about your approach how to achieve it – my suggestion is that you don’t batter the other guy, rather you seek to include him, get him on board.
Good luck!
watching that Jeremy Vine
watching that Jeremy Vine video I have tried to step through the frames but the footage is quite wobbly, I think I can see 2 different vehicles with HiViz/battenburg markings, so was this idiocy witnessed by the police as well ?
I so wish the Reg No was visible or the city had a plethora of CCTV cameras to trace the vehicle. The driver of that needs to be stopped before they kill