Bike Radar informs me that this week's Traffic Cops has a cyclist pulled over for 5 offences including red light jumping, no lights and being drunk and fined £900 as a result.
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(9 posts)-
Posted 13 years ago #
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after reviewing. I think he got off lightly. I didn't realise that "I'm a cyclist" was some sort of immunity from the law!
Posted 13 years ago # -
What a pillock, hope the court throws the book at him.
Though the red light was a bit iffy having seen the slow motion replay.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Actually having just seen the end of it with them reviewing the "day" the motor bikers got away with points and a trivial fine for driving >100mph in one case the other was driving with his front brake locked on and fishtailing up the motorway. The woman driving with out a licence got points on her provisional licence and the pob got a £700 fine for endangering no one but him self for riding without lights and basically just being in front of the line but not in the junction when the lights changed.
We don't know what went on in court and i hope he stood up and made a fool of himself and annoyed the judge other wise that is massively disproportionate. The guy was clearly a self important moron since he obviously filtered passed the cop car with no lights the rlj but still by comparison its a bit hefty.
Posted 13 years ago # -
lesson of the day is saying "yes officer. no officer. won't happen again officer. can I go now officer?" is the best approach to take when busted.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Actually, if we're honest about it £700 for riding without lights and bouncing a junction would probably be quite a good deterrent - certainly the usual fixed penalties don't deter either cyclists or motorists from ignoring the lights round these parts.
However, when it's not unusual to hear of a killing resulting in a lesser penalty, you do have to wonder how bizarre the sense of proportion is. For example, when Robert McTaggart killed Jason MacIntyre in broad daylight, he was given just a £500 fine.
It's a sad indictment that people can be proud of a system which manages to penalise you almost 50% more for having defective lights and ignoring a stop than it does for killing a man.
(I guess what I'm trying to say though is that if the Robert McTaggarts of the world were getting life bans, big fines and lengthy community service after taking a life, the £700 would not trouble me at all).
Posted 13 years ago # -
Posted 13 years ago #
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After being so lippy to the law about knowing his rights, you think he might have turned up to have his day in court...
Posted 13 years ago #
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