"decided that cycling up hill along Lauriston Place wasn't their idea of fun"
It's not is it?!
Always steeper and bumpier and busier than you 'expect'.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
Police Crackdown - New EEN article
(175 posts)-
Posted 11 years ago #
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Went through a red light deliberately outside Corstorphine Police Station yesterday lunchtime. In my defence I had sat in front of it like a plum for 2 whole cycles realising that it was never going to acknowledge my presence and add my lane to the lighting sequence. Waited for a clear spot when all traffic was on red and went on my merry way. Probably should have gone straight to the station without passing GO and handed myself in for the salt mines.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I passed a couple of cycle police on the island at the MMW/Teviot place/Forrest Road/Lauriston Place junction this morning.
They looked pretty bored so I almost cycled back to them a few minutes later to suggest they might be better employed sorting out the chaos of badly and illeagally parked cars, vans, lorries, coaches and (ironically) police cars on Chambers Street.Posted 11 years ago # -
@kaputnik, you are allowed to go through a red light carefully if it is not working. Any light that does not detect bicycles is by definition not working, therefore you may go through it with care, as you did.
Your trip to the salt mines will have to wait.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"They looked pretty bored"
My assumption is that they have been sent to capture the mythical red light jumping cyclist, which they have read about in the EEN. Their cunning plan fails to take account of the fact that cyclists are really observant folk (as we have to be to stay alive) so they are unlikely to see much as they stand in one place in their day-glow bibs.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@threefromleith - I think that shambles is worse than it started out a few months back - should be a joy in midwinter.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Agreed - it's getting more cluttered and narrow as each day passes. More fencing, more cones, more abandoned shopping trolleys and utility covers half-open with cables coming out of them.
Why have they finished 'the tramworks' along this stretch, but not yet put the new lights and crossing into operation opposite Macro? It's like they've forgotten they had it left to do...
Posted 11 years ago # -
By the way, hs anyone seen the police actually looking for and stopping any bad drivers? I thought this was supposed to be a campaign to tackle all bad road users?
Posted 11 years ago # -
It's all about accessiblity: it's arguably easier to stop a cyclist infringing a red light than it is a car. ASL/Z legalities notwithstanding.
And the bored polis would probably have remained bored even if you'd have cycled back to chat with them, Luath - no doubt you'd have had the response that it's the domain of traffic wardens, irrespective of the truth of that statement.
Posted 11 years ago # -
If anyone else is concerned that their reflectorless cleat-pedals might put them at risk of being Plodded during Action Fortnight I am pleased to announce that I recently found my roll of amber retro-reflective tape, with which my shoes, pedals and cranks are now adorned.
Plenty spare if anyone wants any.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"
Pedal Reflectors
Four are required, coloured amber and marked BS6102/2 (or equivalent), positioned so that one is plainly visible to the front and another to the rear of each pedal.
Exceptions and explanations
Age brings privileges. To name but two: cycles manufactured before October 1990 can have any kind of white front lamp that is visible from a reasonable distance, and pre-October 1985 cycles don’t need pedal reflectors.
"
http://www.ctc.org.uk/cyclists-library/regulations/lighting-regulations
So most of my bikes don't need them!
But, as mentioned on another thread up and down motion of reflection things is a good idea.
Conversation was about slap bands, but same applies to pedal reflectors - if they are clean and not hidden by feet!
Posted 11 years ago # -
Rear of my shoes have (white) reflectors.
Frame is 1997, tt's traditional lugged steel - would your average jobsworth know it wasn't 1985?
Posted 11 years ago # -
I'd frankly be surprised a police officer would pick up on pedal reflectors unless either expressly told to, or really desperate to get someone in trouble. Even those of us "Self-righteous" cyclists (copyright EEN commenters) by and large do not comply with that particular rule. I'm not sure any current clipless pedals (certainly of a sporting nature) have reflectors.
Besides, if you wear ankle reflectors or even have reflective detailing on your shoes/overshoes, chances are it's far more effective then that on a pedal as your foot will likely obscure the reflector during at least part of the stroke, depending on your pedalling style.
Posted 11 years ago # -
If I remeber the CTC article right, they make the point that it's highly unlikely that a police officer will ever pull you over for not having reflectors.
The problem comes, as they point out, when you are involved in a collision. The other side's lawyers will pick up on the absence of reflectors and will be in a position to get you to prove when the bike was built. If you didn't have reflectors when you should have had, they will doubtless claim that this was the sole reason there was a collision so you should take all the blame.
Since reading this, and realising that the same is true for lights, I've put a effort into making sure that my bike is completely compliant with the letter of the law so nobody can wriggle out of their responsibilities.
Posted 11 years ago # -
If I remeber the CTC article right, they make the point that it's highly unlikely that a police officer will ever pull you over for not having reflectors.
Sounds like an ideal piece of legislation to get repealed - seems very out of date if a bike has otherwise appropriate lighting.
I wonder if a petition might be in order here...
Posted 11 years ago # -
Well, the polis are unlikley to pull anyone over for anything if they are not even there.
After a sighting on Wednesday, seen none yesterday or today so far crossing town. Seems a very limp crackdown, unless they are really active everywhere I am not going.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Re: Police patrols: had to laugh yesterday as I went past the Haymarket jug handle ca. 5:45pm. The taxis were as usual backed up in the rank to well past the 'Extent of Taxi Rank' sign and right on to the main drag. Then two foot police emerged from the station and headed towards the rank. It was like watching woodlice when you turn over a rock in the garden...panicking taxis taking off in all directions to get away from the policeman's notebook... :-)
Posted 11 years ago # -
I went past Jug Handle at about 515 and there were 2 taxis U-turning into it from eastbound lanes and another had just U-turned out back into the eastbound lanes. It's being openly treated as a merry-go-round.
A solid central reservation would sort that lot out.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I just saw my first police officer of the week cycling slowly along Roseneath Street before turning left down Argyle Place. He cycled right past a double parked Volvo outside Eddie's and didn't even seem to bat an eyelid about it. Good to see they're really cracking down on this sort of thing. I'm sure if someone had been cycling on the pavement he would have ignored that too. :-/
Posted 11 years ago # -
And of course Hatton Place still has cars parked all day on double yellow lines at blind T-junctions on an official Family Quiet Cycle Route.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Coming back to the high vis pedals - has anyone bought some decent reflective tape that actually sticks? Like reflective duct tape?
Posted 11 years ago # -
Before I moved office I sometimes saw the cycle cops cycle round Bristo Square, and disappear along the pavement outside the Med School.
Quis custodiet and all that.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"I just saw my first police officer of the week cycling slowly along Roseneath Street"
So did I!
I was cycling in the opposite direction.
He seemed to be looking for something.
Unusual to see one on their own.
He was also on a Trek which didn't have POLICE in large letters, so I wasn't sure at first if he was a policeman.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"He was also on a Trek which didn't have POLICE in large letters, so I wasn't sure at first if he was a policeman."
I saw one cop at POP2 on a non-standard issue bike. I assumed at the time that perhaps they'd brought more officers in that day than they had bikes in the pool, and that he was maybe on his own bike (or maybe even an unclaimed recovered one I suppose). I could even be an undercover bike ;-)
Which reminds me of an interesting article on UK police bike use.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@chdot That was the one. I also thought it unusual that he was riding a Trek and was alone. As you say, he did seem to be looking for something/someone. Maybe he was looking for his partner or his standard issue bike? ;)
Posted 11 years ago # -
FOUR cycle cops at the corner of Shandwick Place/Stafford St just now!
Posted 11 years ago # -
Edinburgh city police twitter account was tweeting they'd be out on bikes today looking for offenders. Not clear if they meant bikes or others. Hay market was mentioned though,
Posted 11 years ago # -
On their way to Haymarket station no doubt...
Posted 11 years ago # -
Police out in sub-zero without studs shock.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@twq
I bought a few A4 sheets of Scotchlite self-adhesive stickers - one was a complete A4 sheet of the stuff so you could trim your own shapes. This has been sticking nicely to the front and backs of my cranks for the last month without showing any sign of coming off yet.Posted 11 years ago #
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