CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!

Should the Police have to Ride with Lights when it's dark?

(24 posts)

No tags yet.


  1. Mabs
    Member

    I was riding behind two officers on hard tails this evening as I was heading to Princess Street from Haymarket.
    Super luminous jackets aside they did not have their lights on.
    I also didn't get a photo as I was scared they'd book me for using my phone while riding and me being me I'd of questioned them on why they did not have their lights on.

    Perhaps the batteries were low or they had simply forgotten to put them on. It was just after 5 so not completely dark but I had mine on a good half an hour before.

    If a driver was to knock one off in accident etc would the same lines apply 'not sufficently visible etc'?
    Makes an interesting thought.

    I did get a quick chat with them at the junction as I had no idea where Nicholson street was.

    Apart from the lights I thought it was pretty cool seeing them as I had never seen officers on a bike before.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. Smudge
    Member

    Arguable, they may have felt there was sufficient light, it could work against them if there was an accident I'm sure though.
    That said though, the more Police on bicycles the better in my book :)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. wingpig
    Member

    The surprise their presence generates gives them extra visibility, especially when they're away from their usual North Meadow Walk lurking-grounds.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. chdot
    Admin

    "It was just after 5 so not completely dark"

    Believe it or not lighting up time today was 17:14:27

    http://blog.blmweb.com/sunrisesunset-calculator

    BUT it was pretty dull long before 5 and many cars and a few bikes had lights on - wisely.

    Police in Edinburgh seem to prefer cycling 'in the summer', so it's good to know they are around in Feb!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. Mabs
    Member

    Are they regulars there then?
    I think it's great they're on bikes. I've read there are a total of 11 bikes now.
    Comparing the speed of a bike in town compared to a car they should certainly get around fast enough etc.
    I've always been for a greater police prescence and like to see them in public places (not just cause I got thumped on a main street once).
    I wonder though if they are allowed to pursue on bike due to H&S etc.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. chdot
    Admin

    Posted 13 years ago #

  7. ruggtomcat
    Member

    Back in my courier days police bike baiting was a bit of a sport when there wasn't much work on. They tried hard bless them but they spent half their day at desks doing paperwork and didn't really have the speed or endurance to catch a determined courier.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  8. Smudge
    Member

    chuckles, be glad you never met my mate who is now a Policeman, don't know if he ever gets to ride at work but he's an Army qualified PT instructor and does triathalons for fun... I pity the poor criminal who attempts to run away from him!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  9. ruggtomcat
    Member

    obv I neither condoned or participated in said police baiting, (not a good idea for an ex pat) made for some funny stories sitting round with the guys/girls tho.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  10. SRD
    Moderator

    Apart from the lights I thought it was pretty cool seeing them as I had never seen officers on a bike before.

    At the MCC meeting we were told that the city centre officers use their bikes year round 'because they have no vehicles' but that the others will be getting back on their bikes now that it is lighter out.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  11. recombodna
    Member

    I have to admit when I was a courier I used love overtaking the cop bikes on the hills.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  12. ruggtomcat
    Member

    they do have a lot of equipment to carry, maybe its more sporting on a bent?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  13. kaputnik
    Moderator

    So how are the cops on meant to pull you over for speeding on your bike? I'm thinking the likes of Stepdoh here, who conducted a retribution scalping of a cheeky beggar on a Cinelli who decided to zoom past us as we cruised through Corstorphine :)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  14. ruggtomcat
    Member

    Oh you cant be done for speeding in a HPV :) well according to gaz545 who says:

    "@ruggtomcat Under the RTA of 1988, speed limits only apply to motorised vehicles. This means that a human powered vehicle such as a bicycle, is not subject to the speed limits."

    Dunno if this applies in Scotland @Morningsider @BicycleLegal?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  15. kaputnik
    Moderator

    but they can do you for cycling without care and attention or whatever it is. So if you were to zoom past them, no hands on the bars, on the phone on one hand, drinking from your bottle with t'uther and dinging your bell with an unclipped foot and decided they were going to bust you, they'd quickly find they couldn't. Until you fell into a pothole that is...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  16. Mabs
    Member

    The question is would they book you for flashing yer big chorizo if one was wearing a kilt..

    Posted 13 years ago #

  17. recombodna
    Member

    'they do have a lot of equipment to carry, maybe its more sporting on a bent?'

    Nothing more satisfying than scalping a cop with a box of A4 paper in your bag. I always had a good craic with 'em though. They didn't have the best bikes though....that was a long time ago mibbe got better ones nowadays.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  18. kaputnik
    Moderator

    They should have Pashleys, like PC Murdoch would.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  19. ruggtomcat
    Member

    "The question is would they book you for flashing yer big chorizo if one was wearing a kilt.."

    The organizer of the world naked bike ride event in Edinburgh a few years ago was specifically told that anyone naked would be arrested. :(

    Posted 13 years ago #

  20. Morningsider
    Member

    rugg - it's true about speed limits not appying to bikes, recumbants etc. The legal force behind speed limits is set out in Part VI of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 - this specifically deals with "motor vehicles" and nothing else.

    The Road Traffic Act 1988 does set out offences of "dangerous cycling" and "careless, and inconsiderate, cycling" which might in certain circumstances cover exceeding the speed limit - although I can't imagine it covering scooting down an open road, presenting no danger to other road users - ha, eat that Jeremy Clarkson - cyclists get away with speeding.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  21. tarmac jockey
    Member

    Perhaps they don't use traditional bike lights so that when they switch on the blue flashing lights you know to gangway?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  22. riffian
    Member

    I was scared they'd book me for using my phone while riding

    I thought you could ride and use a mobile because the regulations relating to phone use applied to motor vehicles?

    How sensible it is, is another matter!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  23. Stepdoh
    Member

    "Officer. He was on a much nicer bike than me and going really slowly on an open greenway. It was really him doing the crime."

    Posted 13 years ago #

  24. spytefear
    Member

    I saw those guys too I think - passed me as I was approaching from Palmerston Place Tuesday?
    As SRD says they get out with the lighter nights, maybe they think they can't see crime in the dark...
    They need to be stationed in Harrison Park West to catch the two lightless cyclists who nearly collided on the footpath! Criminals! Cyclists! Community COuncil will turn vigilante if we are not careful...
    Fetch me my bat zimmer Robin!

    Posted 13 years ago #

RSS feed for this topic

Reply

You must log in to post.


Video embedded using Easy Video Embed plugin