Pro bike race cancelled thanks to Jeremy Clarkson-idolising farmers; Oops! Teammates take wrong turn and get tangled in police tape, but hold on for win; Camera cyclist slammed for reporting ambulance driver using phone in traffic + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
“Nobody is above the law”: Clip of ambulance driver using phone in traffic divides opinion, as motorists tell cyclist to “stop doing this to people who are just trying to do their job”
The whole ‘camera cyclists catching phone drivers’ debate has been a long and draining one in recent years (just ask Cycling Mikey), polarising opinion between those who believe that cyclists who spot illegal and dangerous behaviour behind the wheel are fulfilling an important duty… and those who reckon they’re just a bunch of busybody grasses interrupting a motorist’s precious WhatsApp traffic time.
But rarely has the issue of phone drivers and camera cyclists been more polarised than in the reaction to a recent clip posted on YouTube by road.cc reader SRanger, which showed an ambulance driver appearing to hold their phone while driving in traffic.
The incident took place on Surbiton’s Tolworth Way, with the cyclist later reporting the driver to police.
“The driver was reported and I received an email from the Met Prosecutions stating that action against the driver is being considered. Therefore, I believe this driver would have been prosecuted,” SRanger said.
“I would expect paramedics to know not to use their mobile phone whilst driving. Paramedics are not exempt from traffic offences.”
However, judging by a cursory glance at the comments underneath the video, quite a few people didn’t share SRanger’s opinion – to put it mildly.
“Pedantry. I’d give a paramedic/patient transport a free pass in a traffic jam,” said YouTube user PickChore. “Could be checking all manner of work-related info for all you know. A paramedic with blues and twos checking TikTok are the ones you want.”
“And you’re riding on the central reservation! Well done, I hope you sleep well at night,” wrote The Chappers.
Several other commenters also ‘observed’ that the cyclist was apparently riding on the pavement – only for SRanger to clarify that it’s a shared-use path.
Lee, meanwhile, was even blunter in his appraisal of the situation, writing: “The person driving, very likely a paramedic, wouldn’t have time to pedal around town filming people, due to the (at least) 12-hour shifts. They do more good in one day than the cyclist filming has done in their life.
“And I don’t want to hear how deadly dangerous her behaviour was, operating a phone while barely moving, sitting in heavy traffic.”
“Mate they were stationary, it’s not like they were driving 70 miles an hour down the motorway, plus as you said they’re a paramedic, how do you know it’s not work related?” Stan added.
“These people risk their lives to help strangers. If you broke your neck tomorrow, who would you call to help you, so stop doing this to people who are just trying to do their job.”
“Help, I’ve been run over on my bike. Sorry we have nobody to send, the responder has been suspended,” added Mark Paul, prompting SRanger to respond: “It’s not my fault the driver decided to commit a driving offence”.
However, rather amazingly, not everyone was lining up to attack the cyclist’s actions.
“It amazes me that the people in the comments are actually having a go at YOU for filming and reporting this illegal behaviour,” said Mr Frog.
“It is indeed a twisted world we are living in, it seems that personal responsibility and accountability has gone completely out of the window! All I see around me now is grown adults, who should know better, acting like children!”
“Nobody is above the law,” concluded SRanger. “I am just a member of the public who happened to witness a driving offence taking place. Therefore, I decided to report it to the police as with all my encounters with offending drivers.
“There are a lot of cyclists with cameras reporting driving offences to the police, it is not just me.”
Cycling can help reduce risk of prostate cancer, new study suggests
Cycling could help men reduce their risk of prostate cancer by more than a third, a new study has suggested.
That is the finding of new research out of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences in Stockholm, and published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which reports that improving cardiovascular fitness by three per cent in a year was linked to a reduced risk (as much as 35 per cent) of developing prostate cancer, suggesting that activities such as cycling, swimming, or running can reduce a man’s risk of developing the disease.
Read more: > Cycling can help reduce risk of prostate cancer, new study suggests
“By backing this cycle lane, we are securing a new deal for cyclists, safety, efficiency, convenience, and quality of life”
> Deliveroo riders’ union in call for city centre cycle lane as part of “much-needed change” to support bicycle journeys
Two Remcos? That’s insane: Belgian Cycling set to create life-size Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert dummies to test skinsuits ahead of Olympic time trial
Did you spend the build-up to Christmas wishing for your own life-size Remco Evenepoel doll, only to be let down when you discovered it doesn’t exist (actually, on second thought, don’t answer that).
Well, like an aero gain-hunting Father Christmas, Belgian Cycling has delivered on that front, by announcing this week that it’s creating full-scale dummies of its two star male riders, Evenepoel and Wout van Aert, which will be used as non-thinking, docile stand-ins (no elite cyclist personality jokes, thank you very much) when the riders themselves are racing the Tour and the Giro.
The dummies, which will cost the Belgian governing body tens of thousands of euros, according to DeMorgen, will ‘take part’ in extensive wind tunnel tests as kit supplier Bioracer aims to create the fastest skinsuit possible ahead of the men’s Olympic time trial in Paris, which Belgium will enter with sky-high medal hopes courtesy of world champion Evenepoel and double world silver medallist Van Aert.
The dolls will be based on 4D scans of Wout and Remco, taken during a test on the track at Zolder while wearing the nation’s current TT kit.
(Thomas Maheux/SWpix.com)
“You can also do the test with the rider, but that requires a lot of time and energy, especially with repeated tests spread over months, as in this file,” a Remco ‘insider’ told DeMorgen.
“In addition, a comparison test with a doll is more accurate. A doll is static, while the rider constantly adopts a different position while pedalling on his bicycle. In the latter case you measure the difference between the positions instead of the difference between the time trial suits.”
While Van Aert’s doll is already in production, Evenepoel Jnr (now, there’s a frightening prospect) will have to wait until March for his wind tunnel debut. Of course, this isn’t the first time Van Aert has been subject to the life size doll treatment.
Back in 2021, Jumbo-Visma, working with the Technical University Eindhoven, also created their own WVA and Primož Roglič, with horror movie-like consequences (at least for their rivals)…
Yikes.
Some have claimed that the Wout doll is a better interviewee than the real thing, but we’ll not go into that today…
The two sides of January training camps in one image
I think it’s safe to say which Groupama-FDJ rider best represents my own response to hard winter training. And it’s not Valentin Madouas and his nonchalant enjoyment of the view, I’ll tell you that for nothing…
Iconic London bike shop Brixton Cycles launches fundraiser after three week-long power outage brings business “to our knees”
Legendary South London bike shop Brixton Cycles has launched a fundraising campaign after a three week-long power outage at the end of last year cost the shop around £30,000, off the back of what was already the business’ worst financial year for two decades.
Founded in 1983, Brixton Cycles is the oldest and most durable of the workers-owned co-operative bike shops that popped up all over the UK in the 1980s, winning London Cycling Campaign’s Best Small Bike Retailer award in 2014.
After its former residence next to Stockwell Skatepark was earmarked to be demolished to make way for flats in 2015, the enterprise launched a hugely successful crowdfunding campaign to enable it to move to its current location of 296-298 Brixton Road.
> Brixton Cycles campaign: 10-year old beard gets the chop if new fundraising goal achieved
And now, almost a decade on, Brixton Cycles has once again turned to the crowdfunding method to ensure its survival, after an electrical fault left them fixing bikes by torch for almost a month.
“It’s no surprise to anyone that times have been tough in the bicycle industry since the cost of living crisis,” Brixton Cycles said on their new GoFundMe page, which was set up with the aim of recovering the £30,000 lost due to the outage. “While we have strived to provide the best service to all our customers and kept our crew on a sustainable wage, our business has been suffering this year (2023 was our worst financial year for 20 years).
“Towards the end of 2023, the lights went out, literally. A three-week external electrical fault brought us to our knees. Our insurance has covered some of the loss of earnings and the damaged equipment but not all of it. We kept our doors open and did our best to repair bikes with the aid of head torches, but we are, in all honesty, struggling to bounce back.
“Now we are asking humbly for some help. Our target amount is 30k. This corresponds with about 3-4 weeks of loss of earnings from our power outage. This amount would help us to get through and bounce back.
“We have served the community for 40 years and would love to continue to do so and be at the heart of Brixton’s independent shopping experience.”
You can donate to Brixton Cycles’ fundraising campaign at the shop’s GoFundMe page.
‘About time we ripped out those pesky car lanes, nobody’s using them!’
Evening!
London’s cycleway #C3 #CS3 on Victoria Embankment1, 2, 3, 4, …. pic.twitter.com/hD1QLhtnXD
— London Cycleway C3/CS3’s Crowdsourced Count (@CS3Count) January 30, 2024
Uno-X’s Søren Wærenskjold punches his way to first win of the season in reduced bunch sprint at AlUla Tour
On the wide, sandy, and occasional punchy roads of Saudi Arabia, worlds away from protesting French farmers and blocked rural roads, Uno-X’s Søren Wærenskjold secured his first win of the season with a powerful uphill sprint on the second stage of the AlUla Tour, taking the leader’s jersey in the process.
💥 Relive the last kilometer with an aggressive @p_latour and a sprint among punchers#AlUlaTour pic.twitter.com/IE8VPufy3K
— AlUla Tour (@thealulatour) January 31, 2024
With the bunch whittled down by the long drag to the Sharaan Nature Reserve, Carlton Kirby’s favourite buccaneering Frenchman Pierre Latour attacked with 1.5km to go, only being caught by a small group withing touching distance of the line, as pre-stage favourite Wærenskjold powered past, ahead of Astana’s Eritrean Henok Mulubrhan and Nils Eekhoff of DSM-Firmenich PostNL.
And while there’s a lot of talk about the lack of atmosphere at these sparsely attended early season Middle East races, today’s AlUla Tour stage did at least feature its very own sand twister:
You don’t see that everyday in pro cycling! A sand twister >> #AlUlaTour pic.twitter.com/gxQy4LeHQD
— MarkContadorCX (@MontVentoux23) January 31, 2024
Now you don’t get them at the Ruta del Sol very often…
Council that rubbished “completely untrue” claims about controversial cycle lane being too wide set to begin work on next section
The next stage of an ambitious ‘Gloucestershire Cycle Spine’ cycling infrastructure project, which will link major towns and cities in the county, is set to begin, just months on from the live blog reporting that the county council was forced to hit back at “completely untrue” and “unfounded social media speculation” about the project.
Read more: > Council that rubbished “completely untrue” claims about controversial cycle lane being too wide set to begin work on next section
Raleigh and Lapierre owner set to cut 150 jobs as part of “streamlining” operation across Europe
Another day, another round of troubling news for the bike industry, as the Accell Group, the owner of Raleigh and Lapierre, has announced that it is expecting to make 150 employees redundant as part of is plans to merge two facilities in the Netherlands and streamline its production process across Europe.
According to Bike Europe, around half of the 320 permanent employees based at Accell’s site in Heerenveen are expected to lose their jobs, as the company says it is “closely collaborating” with unions to ensure clarity for all impacted staff members.
> Raleigh confirms redundancies and Nottingham headquarters move in “very difficult decision”
This new wave of job cuts comes just three since after Raleigh confirmed its own swathe of redundancies as part of a restructuring process at the iconic bike brand’s Nottingham base, which will see the firm’s part and accessories business close and responsibility for warehousing and logistics transferred to a third party.
The redundancies were first touted in November, when Accell – whose long-term default credit rating was downgraded from B- to CCC by ratings firm Fitch, meaning the company was deemed to be a “substantial credit risk” – launched a formal employee consultation on restructuring proposals, following a detailed review of the business which, Accell said, would “better position our operations for sustainable growth”.
Meanwhile, in Brazil
Enquanto isso no Brasil@OutOfCycling pic.twitter.com/jS4SRCd2pR
— O País Do Ciclismo (@opaisdociclismo) January 30, 2024
Talk about a near miss…
Taking a wrong turn and veering off course: Cycling’s latest good luck charm?
Alessandro Tonelli’s post-race winner’s interview – only the second of his decade-long career – at the Volta Valenciana may have been a little more red-faced than his first back in 2018, after the Italian’s late race detour and encounter with some pesky tape at a roundabout, but the 31-year-old can take solace in the fact he’s joined a growing list of recent race winners who have strayed off course en route to victory.
Last March, Swiss powerhouse Marlen Reusser had a very similar, albeit solo, experience at a sodden Gent-Wevelgem, the SD Worx rider drifting off the front with 40km to go, building an unassailable lead, before missing a right turn in the final few twisting kilometres.
Reusser instead veered to her left and down a side street, towards two young and rather bemused cyclists. Despite riding for a considerable distance before turning (no tape this time I’m afraid), she had more than enough in the bank (and in the tank) to hold on for the biggest win of her career.
🗣️ “Oh, she’s gone the wrong way.” 😱
🚴♂️ Marlen Reusser makes an error and goes off course with 5km to go #GWwomen | @GentWevelgem pic.twitter.com/xZZq5Yh0DL
— Eurosport (@eurosport) March 26, 2023
And in October, Britain’s latest time trialling sensation Josh Tarling pulled the classic British feat of going the wrong way at a roundabout during a TT – albeit this one was the Chrono des Nations, not your local 10 – before still managing to beat world champion Remco Evenepoel by 13 seconds.
Not bad company then, Alessandro.
When you announce your squad for a race after the first stage was supposed to have finished
EF really announcing the roster after the first stage was supposed to have ended 😭 https://t.co/ObiFRk9NpM
— Thomas Harvey 🚲 (@_ThomasHarvey_) January 31, 2024
As always, I blame Clarkson.
(And on a non-Jezza-related note, keep an eye on Darren Rafferty, making his senior stage racing debut for EF tomorrow. The kid’s got talent.)
Woops! VF Bardiani riders take wrong turn in final kilometre – and get tangled in police tape – but hold on for brilliant one-two victory at Volta Valenciana
It was all going so smoothly for Alessandro Tonelli and Manuele Tarozzi as they entered the final kilometre of this afternoon’s opening stage of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana in Castellón.
The VF Bardiani teammates had played a blinder during the hilly, 167km-long stage, infiltrating a break which somehow managed to pull out a mammoth nine-minute gap over a dithering peloton, before blowing it to pieces with over 20km to go on the final climb of the Desert de les Palmes.
Despite some largely fruitless attacks from the big guns in the bunch, such as Matej Mohorič (who once again put his descending skills to good use) and Oier Lazkano (who managed to eke out ten or so seconds on Mohorič, Milan, Matthews and co. by the line), the unfancied duo were left alone out front with the freedom of the Valencian region, soaking in their faultless ride and forging a possible race-winning margin in the process.
Llegó la fuga en la primera etapa de la @VueltaCV… ¡pero vaya susto final! 😱
Victoria para Tonelli en Castellón tras atacar junto a su compañero Tarozzi en el puerto del Desert de les Palmes. Bonita foto para @Bardiani_CSF 👏🏼#75VCV pic.twitter.com/zFdb0rYEMK
— VOLATA (@ccvolata) January 31, 2024
Until, that is, the two teammates approached a roundabout with 900m to go and, instead of going straight on, they instead veered right – with Tonelli carrying on straight into the line of police tape stretched across the junction.
While Tarozzi was able to slam on the brakes and make a swift turn, Tonelli then had a nightmare freeing himself of the tape, which appeared to have got stuck in his handlebars.
After eventually unravelling himself, with the help of a spectator, the 31-year-old eventually caught up with Tarozzi, who had dutifully waited on his older colleague – almost certainly on team orders – to let a laughing, if slightly embarrassed, Tonelli cross the line first for the win.
A 31 de enero @Bardiani_CSF ya tiene LA FOTO para todo el año. Qué cosas tan random y a la vez bonitas nos regala a veces el ciclismo. #75VCV #VCV2024 pic.twitter.com/hzYb5aIHQP
— Adrián Monserrate (@Ad_Monserrate) January 31, 2024
The Italians’ chaotic final kilometre – which cut their lead to 1.09 – may ultimately have repercussions for what was developing into an unlikely challenge for the overall win in Valencia, but for a small Pro Team outfit like VF Bardiani, who secured their first victory of the season, and with a dominant one-two no less, I don’t think they’ll care too much.
Opening stage of Etoile de Bessèges cancelled – due to protests from Jeremy Clarkson-idolising French farmers
One straightforward edition of the Etoile de Bessèges, that’s all I’m asking for…
After last year’s chaotic second stage of the early season French stage race, which was cancelled after a nasty mass crash, the opening stage of the 2024 race – set to take place this afternoon – has already bit the dust… thanks to protests by Jeremy Clarkson-idolising farmers (I know, you couldn’t make it up).
Farmers across France have spent much of the past week blocking roads with tractors and causing disruption in a bid to put pressure on the government to take measures against the current agricultural crisis and accept their demands for better remuneration for their produce, less red tape, and protection against cheap imports.
And these protesting farmers’ somewhat unlikely hero and inspiration? Only Stewart Lee’s second-favourite Top Gear host, of course. In an interview with the Telegraph, 30-year-old Robin Leduc, who has a 200-hectare farm in Canly, said “we need one of our French celebrities to do the same as Jeremy Clarkson. It’s everything he explained, that’s why and how we are here today.”
The Clarkson Island (sorry, I mean Farm) star even tweeted his support of the protest, writing: “French farmers. I bet no one has ever said this before, but good luck, coming from England.”
Agriculteurs français. Je parie que personne n’a jamais dit cela auparavant, mais bonne chance, venant d’Angleterre.
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) January 30, 2024
In a predicament that would provoke quite the bit of soul searching in farming enthusiast and road-blocking protester punching supremo Bernard Hinault, these Clarkson-inspired protests – and their road blocking actions – have forced the Gard department’s president to pill the pin on today’s first stage of the Etoile de Bessèges.
The planned loop around Bellegarde, earmarked for the sprinters, features the A54 – a target for the protesting farmers – and would have led to stretched police resources. However, the organisers believe the rest of the race will go ahead, though the cancellation of today’s stage will certainly hit the coffers of such a small French stage race.
(Pauline Ballet/SWpix.com)
“Given the current social context in the department, the Prefecture of Gard has asked the organisers of the Etoile de Bessèges to cancel the first stage of the Etoile de Bessèges-Tour du Gard which was to take place this Wednesday, January 31, 2024, between Bellegarde and Bellegarde,” the organisers said in a statement last night. “It is with regret that the first stage of the Etoile de Bessèges-Tour du Gard 2024 is cancelled.”
“The worry is not at all the same for the other days of racing. In the Gard department, this area around Bellegarde is more impacted than the other roads that we will take from Thursday,” race organiser Claudine Fangille also told DirectVelo.
“We will then go back towards the north of the department and there will certainly be fewer problems with blockages. This is a less hot zone than [Wednesday]. Ditto for Saturday’s stage and the Bessèges stage,” Fangille added, before noting that the race had planned to allow the farmers to speak at the start, and that the protesters were not planning to stop the race – but that the local government “decided not to take any risks”.
📺 Mads Pedersen is making his final preps for Etoile de Besseges.pic.twitter.com/Q9URqeX44Y
— ammattipyöräily (@ammattipyoraily) January 29, 2024
So, if former world champion Mads Pedersen asks why he didn’t get a chance to add another obligatory early season win in the south of France to his growing collection today, just tell him to blame Jeremy Clarkson…
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Latest Comments
You seem to be completely oblivious to the main difference between this and a Quad Lock (and a bunch of others) - that this type of mount does not necessitate any type of patches or covers with proprietary locking mechanisms to be stuck on your phone to actually work. For example I rate that feature highly, and therefore for me e.g. Quad Lock is far inferior compared to the SKS mount.
I’m sorry, where did the article say cassette? “…and five sprockets at the back…” Every bike had the potential problem of bent (or broken axles, held together by the force of the quick release) not just Trek. We had to fix them!
So its 3% accurate, its single sided, its going to wear out, it looks hideous, its a kickstarter that you may never receive, and it costs more than the wave of spider based power meters on AliExpress (including the GeoID PM500, which is a rebadged version of the highly rated Magene PS505). I'm out....
Surely the more logical solution for preventing shoplifters getting away would be to remove the shops.
That's one option, and let's hope that's exactly the case. Otherwise they might wake up to a very unpleasant surprise.
Street trees being overblown does seem like a reasonable thing to be concerned about. Particularly this time of year.
Apologies JOHN5880.
At least the good folk of Clevedon can see that £ 425 k to reverse some painting and chuck away a few bollards was, relatively speaking, a bargain. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp9rv0nxv54o
Concerns over street trees are often overblown. Many older trees are not species that would now be planted as street trees, which also points to the fact that many large trees are actually at or near the end of their reasonable life. Trees are important. Street trees can perform multiple roles (though those roles are not often maximised). However, not all trees perform well as street trees. Street trees should serve the use of the street. If they don't, they should be replaced appropriately.
Presumably, CycloWatt must know this—and have a plan to avoid or address these issues?
69 thoughts on “Pro bike race cancelled thanks to Jeremy Clarkson-idolising farmers; Oops! Teammates take wrong turn and get tangled in police tape, but hold on for win; Camera cyclist slammed for reporting ambulance driver using phone in traffic + more on the live blog”
It doesn’t matter whether you
It doesn’t matter whether you are in heavy traffic or at motorway speeds. The moment your ignition is turned on, you cannot touch your phone at all. You are still putting people at risk. Traffic suddenly moves or something changes whilst you are distracted, you rush to rejoin the queue, which causes more chaos as you accelerate and brake much more sharply, increasing the risk of a low speed shunt.
After 12 hour shifts, I would hope they are using every ounce of their remaining energy to focus on the road as any distraction would have greater consequences for being tired. Just because they are a paramedic does not mean they cannot be held accountable for their actions, and if anything makes the situation worse. There isn’t a job in the world where using your mobile phone is part of your job requirement! They are on duty in a professional setting and if I was doing that in my job I would expect the sack.
And by the logic of “they do more good in one day than others do in a lifetime” – just remember. If for any reason this action leads to a collision that causes harm, the ramifications would be huge. And her previous work would NOT absolve her of her transgression.
Jimmy Saville donated millions to childrens charities and hospices, but he was still a horrible excuse of a human being and his charity work will never absolve him from his disgusting crimes. Unfortunately he was never held accountable for his actions before his death.
A bit of an extreme comparison, but clearly highlights that just because someone does a lot of good in some aspects of life means NOTHING if they willingly put others in harms way in another. Everyone must be held accountable for their actions regardless of stature.
If they need to use a mobile
If they need to use a mobile phone in a vehicle e.g. for navigation, they should have it in a fixed mount. Every employer in the county will have conditions for using mobile devices whilst driving.
There is no excuse for anyone to be using a mobile phone in their hand whilst in control of a vehicle.
You can walk along any road
You can walk along any road where there are cars queuing and see that every other driver has a phone in their hand.
They probably all think they’re good drivers.
Matthew Acton-Varian wrote:
If you are going to say stuff like this say it correctly.
“Using devices hands-free
You can use devices with hands-free access, as long as you do not hold them at any time during usage. Hands-free access means using, for example:
a Bluetooth headset
voice command
a dashboard holder or mat
a windscreen mount
a built-in sat nav
The device must not block your view of the road and traffic ahead.”
The test is HOLDING – touching the screen in a cradle is permitted but if you do it stupidly it leaves you open to the general charge of Careless Driving.
https://www.gov.uk/using-mobile-phones-when-driving-the-law#:~:text=It's%20illegal%20to%20hold%20and,videos%2C%20or%20browse%20the%20web.
Secret_squirrel wrote:
Let me preface this by saying I don’t condone any use of a phone while driving – mine stays out of sight.
But if you want to be pedantic (and who doesn’t?!) the test is both using and holding. In principle you can use a device that isn’t being held and you can also hold a device that isn’t being used (though you could still be stopped for either if it amounts to not being in control of the vehicle etc).
Although the obvious inference is that the paramedic had been using the phone, or would have used it if they hadn’t spotted they were being recorded, I’m not sure I actually saw any use of the phone in this clip, so suspect police will be unable to take any further action.
quiff wrote:
Yes – Great act of pedantry. I approve. Hoist on my own petard!
Secret_squirrel wrote:
Of course I’m now waiting for my comeuppance when an even greater pedant finds the flaw in my comment!
So I should have said “hold”
So I should have said “hold” and not “touch” however most people can’t use their phone in a cradle without being careless.
But as far as Road Traffic offences are concerned if a law states “while driving” that means from the moment the key is in the ignition and engine on. For EV’s or “keyless” vehicles (which have a “start” button) it is that said button being engaged to turn on the engine or power to the motor control unit, as in the ECU linked to the accellerator pedal is now live.
My cousin was done for “drink driving” when he was sat smoking in his car on a hotel car park he was staying at. It was freezing cold and the smoking shelter at the hotel was not heated, so he sat in his car with the engine and heater running to keep warm with no intention of driving off. But because he was seen by an officer he was processed and prosecuted.
The only reason he didn’t get a ban (he recieved 10 penalty points as) because at every stage, every figure involved in the process (arresting officer, interviewer under caution, and the prosecuting judge) all agreed that he had no intention nor any reason to drive off and posed no potential threat but he was technically in violation of the letter of the law.
My point was that regardless of what type of traffic situation you are in, the letter of the law interpretation of “driving” is precedence for prosecution. Anyone using circumstance to excuse the Paramedic of her transgression needs to learn why she was in violation of the law, and that it extends to everyone.
Matthew Acton-Varian wrote:
Agree – the paramedic is driving and holding a phone, with an obvious inference. However, as above – the police also need to evidence they were using it.
quiff wrote:
Despite not actually watching the video the article reads “showed an ambulance driver appearing to hold their phone while driving in traffic.” It would be safe to assume at some point she was actually using it.
Also, as mentioned by Secret Squirrel,
The presence of a phone in hand is enough by the letter of the law. They don’t need evidence any of the phone’s software or hardware was being engaged with.
Which means it is also illegal to pass your ringing phone to your front passenger from out of your pocket – you are removing your hands from the controls unneccessarily.
The presence of a phone in
The presence of a phone in hand is enough by the letter of the law
Except it isn’t, when the law is made, in practice, by the bent police who decide on a ‘grace and favour’ basis who the law is applied to, and who just ‘gets off’. Indisputable GPS timing, so I know exactly when she was ‘on the phone’.
https://upride.cc/incident/kd10wer_porsche_mobilephone/
Matthew Acton-Varian wrote:
I don’t think that’s right. The wording of the law (s.110 Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 requires “use”: “(1) No person shall drive a motor vehicle on a road if he is using (a) a hand held mobile telephone; or (b) a hand-held device…” “(6)(c) “using” includes: illuminating the screen; checking the time; checking notifications; unlocking the device; making, receiving or rejecting a call; sending, receiving or uploading oral or written content etc etc.
I would therefore be surprised if the police took any action simply for holding a phone without clear evidence of use – even though we all know the reality is that someone only holds a phone because they have been interacting with it or intend to.
Matthew Acton-Varian wrote:
Not sure about that, all the texts I’ve seen speak of it being illegal to “hold and use” a mobile device rather than just holding. I think if you were holding a mobile device that was switched off you wouldn’t actually be committing an offence, although glad to be shown otherwise. The Amendment of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 published in 2022 contains a long list of the now-prohibited behaviours with a mobile device that previously were exempt, e.g. checking the time, making a note et cetera, but there is no mention of just holding a device being an offence.
Deja vu…
Deja vu…
Matthew Acton-Varian wrote:
Yes. Having the ignition live (or alternative) is the bit that counts. For example engine idle cut off in a traffic queue wont save you…
Matthew Acton-Varian wrote:
It makes you wonder what other laws they should be exempt from, perhaps it would be ok for them to indulge in a little GBH or the occasional murder at the weekend!
Backladder wrote:
It’ll be fine as long as they only break the law in specific and limited ways
I’ve made numerous reports to
I’ve made numerous reports to Kent police over the last 6 months ( as a driver) . Their form does not ask for video evidence to be uploaded as part of the submission, they ask for it if they are going to investigate. Not once in the last 6 months have they requested footage. It seems Kent police are either not interested or do not have the manpower to follow up these reports.
Kent police are either not
Kent police are either not interested or do not have the manpower to follow up these reports
It’s the former. I have a lot of experience of dodgy police uninterested in illegal behaviour by drivers- even if someone else does all the work for them
I can confirm that Kent
I can confirm that Kent police don’t care
Quote:
As a matter of fact amongst the cyclecammers on Twitter there are a significant number of nurses, GPs, surgeons and at least two paramedics I know of, one an ambulance driver; one wonders what Lee would think about that? Or the argument that by calling out dangerous and illegal driving behaviours cyclecammers are actually helping to make the roads safer and therefore in the long run making life easier for paramedics?
My understanding is they get
My understanding is they get very irritated about emergency workers doing stuff like this without a very good reason.
One major reason being the minute they are in the most minor of collisions, generally they have to wait for a senior services representative to attend and investigate. Which could easily take a shift.
So have a bump soft enough to just put some scratches in the response vehicle and that vehicle is now out of service for the remainder of the shift. Potentially another vehicle is also out of service so that the senior manager can get to the site… They don’t have the resources to take vehicles out of service…
And note that good reason is
And note that good reason is along the lines of the communications system and primary backup are both down, so we are using mobile phones as the tertiary backup… Where they should :
I believe Clarkson’s French
I believe Clarkson’s French grammar is not up to scratch, and he should have used the subjunctive: ‘Je parie que personnne n’ait jamais dit cela auparavant’.
Happy to be corrected!
Also from what I understand
Also from what I understand the French farmers have very legitimate grievances about being ground into the dust by a late stage capitalist food supply system that generates enormous retail profits from their produce while they work 80 hours a week for subsistence pay. I’d be very surprised if Stewart Lee wasn’t fully on their side.
It’s also due in part to a
It’s also due in part to a FTA between the EU and the South American Mercosur bloc, which would bring lower priced food to Europe. If you think they’re kicking off now, just wait and see what happens if Ukraine get anywhere near entry to the EU SM & CU.
Nothing compared with how
Nothing compared with how they’ll be kicking off in the Kremlin. Putin will be apopleptic, bless his little cotton socks.
The work 80 hours a week with
They work 80 hours a week with no holidays because they are still organised as peasant farms. They would be better off working as employees for modern very large farming companies. A 35 hour week with holidays. They would be far more efficient and happier doing just what they are good at. How many industries are based on one-man companies who have to be an expert in every job that company entails? Mad.
For the last century the
For the last century the French farmers have refused to adapt to progress and have largely remained as peasant farmers on tiny farms (some of them are nothing more than a large garden). The industry has still has a similar organisation as it did in the 19th century. The French government has supported them with subsides so they didn’t have to change while other countries have became more competitive (no other industries were protected like this). The average French herd has 52 cows while the average English herd is 320 cows. Everyone else has to keep reorganising, losing their job, companies that resist progress going bust, etc. Why should they be different?
My concern is that cyclists
My concern is that cyclists sneaking about peering through car windows in queuing traffic can come across as sanctimonious and weird, which breeds resentment and reflects on us all when we are on the road.
PRSboy wrote:
If you think that cyclists need to “sneak” and “peer through car windows” to spot drivers using phones, then you probably don’t do much cycling in traffic.
You know what breeds resentment? Drivers who can’t be bothered to pay attention to the road and instead put us in danger with their selfish incompetence.
hawkinspeter wrote:
To be fair, from the persepctive of someone staring intently at their phone, everyone appears to be “sneaking” except perhaps a marching oompah band.
And from what I’ve seen, they
And from what I’ve seen, they would be oblivious to the marching oompah band too.
PRSboy wrote:
Research has shown that using a mobile when driving has a danger level equivalent to driving over the legal alcohol limit (some research shows well over, the equivalent of having four pints). If you saw someone getting into their car pissed, would you stop them or would you leave them be on the grounds that it might make you look sanctimonious and weird and cause resentment?
Citation needed.
Citation needed.
don simon fbpe wrote:
Certainly, I’ll just – oh hang on, my mistake, this is an online comments section, not a PhD supervision. There’s a marvellous thing called Google, if you go there and type in “Mobile phone use driving compared drink driving” you’ll find all the research one could wish for. Hope that helps.
So utter bollocks then and as
So more utter bollocks then and as helpful as a marzipan dildo. Diolch yn fawr iawn!
don simon fbpe wrote:
If you choose to believe that refusing to rise to your silly sealioning (which clearly was not a genuine request for further information but simply, as proved by your response, an excuse to continue your rather petty feud with me) proves that a statement is bollocks then that’s your prerogative. A rather more intelligent way to respond might have been to produce any evidence that proves that what I was saying isn’t true, but that might be rather difficult to find because there isn’t any.
Rendel Harris wrote:
I love how this works, say something stupid and everyone has to Google it, but I will demand evidence or just dismiss it. I will smother my comments with childish insults and arrogance then walk away doing my happy wankdance. Are you related to that other dickhead on here?
don simon fbpe wrote:
That appears to be a perfect description of exactly what you’ve done on this thread.
Who’s that then?
Who’s that then?
I don’t know…a marzipan
I don’t know…a marzipan dildo could quite easily be formed into another shape or rolled out to cover a cake or Battenberg…seems quite useful to me.
Now there’s a, rather
Now there’s a, rather unpleasant, thought.
Also makes a high-energy post
Also makes a high-energy post-coital snack. Or you’ve stumbled upon an aero storage location for extra fuel on audaxes?
Anyone that generalises and
Anyone that generalises and thinks that the actions of a few is representative of “us all” is a bit of a divvy, in my humble opinion.
….and yet a growing number
….and yet a growing number of drivists have successfully managed to breed resentment amongst other road users (but somehow not tarred all of us when we are on the road) by bowling about with a sense of entitlement, impunity and a general thumbing of the nose towards basic road safety. Aren’t culture wars great!
There are many more instances
There are many more instances of car dashcams being used as evidence in Road Traffic violations than cyclist cams, and despite the sheer volume of incidents (just search Dash Cams UK into YouTube search bar, and see what results you get) it doesn’t get reported or sensationalised in mainstream media or in other social circles. It is subconsciously accepted as normal and oft ignored in instances like this.
Admittedly, a dash cam might not pick up a mobile phone in someone’s lap but RLJ motorists, dangerous manouvres and other transgressions are regularly caught via this method.
Matthew Acton-Varian wrote:
I think the difference in attitude is the car people are saving money on their insurance and protecting their cars. Cyclists are trying to make themselves and others safer.
Objects are more important than humans when it comes to drivist brain so the cyclist is clearly in the wrong and is persecuting others, where the drivist is just looking out for themselves.
Dashcam = responsible driver
Dashcam = responsible driver
Cyclist with camera = vigilante
Similar to hard-pressed motorists and Lycra louts
Agree with you PRSboy
Agree with you PRSboy (unpopular opinion here, so please do not waste your keyboard, I know that you know that I am wrong) I believe such videos makes cyclists seem more like annoying lazy hobbyists rather than making people scared of the consequences of the law, but at least here the rider is not on the motor traffic pavement. Usually CM makes nice U-turns in the middle of the road to get a better camera angle.
PRSboy wrote:
Underlying that statement are two assumptions.
Firstly, that it does indeed breed resentment. Whereas it is more likely that only motorists who use their phones at the wheel would, possibly, feel resentment at the thought that they might be caught. That is still a way off from most motorists. Many motorist don’t want phone-drrivers any more than they want drink-drivers on the road.
But more important is the assumption that any such resentment is of more consequence than the offence itself. Only if you feel that there’s no harm done by mobile phone use at the wheel could you then you’d feel the game is not worth the candle.
I’d find it a bit weird and
I’d find it a bit weird and creepy if I was in a car and someone peered in, armed with a camera, trying to catch me doing something illegal.
Would you find it weird and
Would you find it weird and creepy to be sat in full view of any passer-by doing something illegal though?
“peered in” in the original post is a bit of a giveaway for “I don’t agree with laws about phones or that doing this is unsafe. I’m so convinced of this – and that my car is my castle – I’ve no qualms about doing it in public! Until I get busted, then it’s ‘spies and snitches’…”
Depends on what it is. I
Depends on what it is. I wouldn’t find using a phone weird and creepy, just stupid, irresponsible and selfish.
john_smith wrote:
Freedom is not consequence-free.
But do you think that using a
But do you think that using a mobile phone at the wheel reflects badly on all drivers?
Or does collective responsibility only apply to people when they are riding bikes?
PRSboy wrote:
It’s the least of cyclists’ concerns.
The ambulance driver would
The ambulance driver would also have HR policies about driving and general use of a vehicle and would have contrevened those leading to a potential disciplinary.
You can tell that the
You can tell that the ambulance driver knew they were doing wrong by how furtive they were being.
If they were doing something correct and above board, then the phone wouldn’t be down in their lap – it would be up in the air where it could be clearly seen.
In my place of work, office based staff can be disciplined if they are caught having a phone call with someone that sounds like they are in a moving vehicle.
None of our engineers and subbies will even answer the phone on hands free … we have a total, blanket ban on any phone or device use while driving or a passenger in anything other than a bus or train.
Oldfatgit wrote:
Where I work we’re not allowed to use our phones, except hands free, while walking anywhere on our campus. Let alone while driving.
Professional (!!!) drivers.
Professional (!!!) drivers. So extra extra responsibility to hehave correctly in traffic. Not that Joe Public commenting on social media would actually be aware of that, of course, given they never really reflect about anything.
As per the drivists code of
As per the drivists code of conduct I feel compelled to comment on the embankment video. So many cyclists and so few cars. Whats the point of all these roads if no one is using them. So much money for roads and drivers still don’t use them.
Anytime someone complains
Anytime someone complains about “empty” cycle lanes, I suggest pointing to empty bus lanes, pavements and potentially empty sections of road and say “Why have all that there when it is empty and unused?”.
I think your point may be a
I think your point may be a bit subtle for the pavement parkers out there.
Bus lanes certainly seem next
Bus lanes certainly seem next in line for what gets the frothy mouthed fossils going in our local rag…I’m surprised pavements aren’t fair game for their arguments.
a good example.
https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/hull-bus-firm-condemns-return-9043144?utm_source=linkCopy&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar
On the Brixton Cycles story:
On the Brixton Cycles story: how the AF does an “external electrical fault” last for three weeks? Surely there are grounds for some serious compensation from the electricity company?
(sorry – just read that back and it sounds spectacularly naive…)
I like the way the Wout dummy
I like the way the Wout doll has even got the original Wout’s facial expression.
If anyone should be aware of
If anyone should be aware of the disastrous consequences of phone driving, it’s a paramedic. Promote them to the cycle response team.
Is this actually the same
Is this actually the same paramedic who allows himself to be constantly wheeled out as an argument against cycle lanes, LTNs and generally any measures in favour of active travel? If so he deserves everything that’s coming his way at the moment.
Now we just need to catch his colleague from the fire brigade using his phone behind the wheel…