£30 fine for no lights

[ufkacbln]

Make it £60 and 10 lashes

I am removing my lights as we speak, and ensuring that a particular WPC arrests me!

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

Nick em, sends out the right message.
I am totally in favour of it, and when they have got them, get the rest that cycle down the one way streets the wrong way, jump red lights, cycle on pavements,

 

[Sore Thumb]

I am surprised that the police could see the cyclists that had no lights. Maybe the police have been issued with night vision goggles........

 

[Bigsharn]

Make it £60 and 10 lashes

I agree with this. If they increase the amount that you can be fined for having no lights, it might encourage less ninjas.

On the flip side, I've seen dozens of cars in increment weather recently with no lights on at all. They should also be fined IMO

 

[cloggsy]

No sympathy for 'em, but it's an easy target... Yet another 'Stealth Tax' IMHO

 

[goo_mason]

No sympathy for those riding in the dark with no lights.

Having said that, I'd like to see the police having a parallel initiative and stopping the growing number of vehicles on the roads with one or more non-working lights (see the separate thread in Commuting).

 

[BSRU]

If people knowingly break the law they deserve the punishment they receive, if caught.

 

[Dan B]

What on earth does stealth tax mean in this context?

You get taxed £30 for riding too stealthily, I assume

 

[goo_mason]

You get taxed £30 for riding too stealthily, I assume

I'd like to see it officially named as the 'ninja' tax!

 

[Jezston]

We should stop calling lightless cyclists 'ninjas'. The term 'ninja' has too many positive connotations. Ninjas are cool.

Can't think of a better term, unfortunately. Anyone?

I reckon we should call people with inadequate lighting 'dimwits', though.

 

[Twanger]

People seem to have missed Cubists post which hit the nail on the head. Neighourhood policing means that the community get to choose what they want their local neighbourhood bobbies to spend time doing (to some extent). In reality, this means a very small proportion of the community (the type likely to attend the meetings) get what they believe to be 'issues' addressed.

If you don't like it, then you need to attend said meetings and put your suggestions forward. That said, I'd be very unlikely to attend one of these meetings myself so can't blame you anyway.

It's the whole problem with the Neighbourhood policing concept. It's akin to my boiler breaking down, pipes bursting, house flooding, and have a plumber who turns up and says 'Show me what to do'. You're the expert, you fix it!

This worries me, if you are a policeman, as your handle suggests. I may be misunderstanding your post, but you seem to see the local community as a machine, and the police's role to be fixing it when it breaks down - and, moreover, that the police know what the best way to fix a broken community is, and what makes a properly "fixed" community, because they are professionals. I guess the community should then just shut up and be policed uncomplainingly and in its own interests.

FWIW, I like plumbers who come along and say "Hey, I can do this, this or this, and this is what each one will cost...what's your priority?"

Forgive me if I have read things into your post which aren't there, but my son works for the BTPA, and I'm an old hippie (sort of), and we argue this a lot....

Oooops...perhaps too much thread drift...

I have no problem with Old Bill using valuable resources to get ninja's to lighten up.

 

[Twanger]

We should stop calling lightless cyclists 'ninjas'. The term 'ninja' has too many positive connotations. Ninjas are cool.

Can't think of a better term, unfortunately. Anyone?

I reckon we should call people with inadequate lighting 'dimwits', though.

'Dimwits' is too crude. I like Ninjas. It's more subtle, suggesting they are more into style than intelligence.

 

[summerdays]

CopperCyclist said:↑

People seem to have missed Cubists post which hit the nail on the head. Neighourhood policing means that the community get to choose what they want their local neighbourhood bobbies to spend time doing (to some extent). In reality, this means a very small proportion of the community (the type likely to attend the meetings) get what they believe to be 'issues' addressed.​

​

If you don't like it, then you need to attend said meetings and put your suggestions forward. That said, I'd be very unlikely to attend one of these meetings myself so can't blame you anyway.​

​

It's the whole problem with the Neighbourhood policing concept. It's akin to my boiler breaking down, pipes bursting, house flooding, and have a plumber who turns up and says 'Show me what to do'. You're the expert, you fix it!​

​

This worries me, if you are a policeman, as your handle suggests. I may be misunderstanding your post, but you seem to see the local community as a machine, and the police's role to be fixing it when it breaks down - and, moreover, that the police know what the best way to fix a broken community is, and what makes a properly "fixed" community, because they are professionals. I guess the community should then just shut up and be policed uncomplainingly and in its own interests.

Having attended a couple of PACT meetings I can understand their point of view. It is a very small proportion of the local community that attends these meetings - I would guess somewhere between 20-40 at the ones I've been to, and I doubt anyone there is under 30, and most are double that age. They then discuss what they see as the local priority for the police. I do think they are a useful tool but not by any means perfect. I've gone along on the occasions that I've wanted an input into what they are discussing. (But I can't say I enjoy going and often feel sorry for the various police/councillors/etc that have to sit there fielding questions).

 

[Twanger]

Having attended a couple of PACT meetings I can understand their point of view. It is a very small proportion of the local community that attends these meetings - I would guess somewhere between 20-40 at the ones I've been to, and I doubt anyone there is under 30, and most are double that age. They then discuss what they see as the local priority for the police. I do think they are a useful tool but not by any means perfect. I've gone along on the occasions that I've wanted an input into what they are discussing. (But I can't say I enjoy going and often feel sorry for the various police/councillors/etc that have to sit there fielding questions).

Yes, I get that, and agree. My problem is more the plumbing analogy.

 

[139NI]

It takes about 15 mins to issue a ticket - what a waste of police time.
There are cyclists out there who genuinely dont realise - i'd rather they be let off so they could go buy some lights.
Then there are always those with an attitude when talking to police [either cos they do or dont know]- i suggest the police take an inordinate amount of time with these people and give them a fat ticket at the end. Its much about the changing a state of mind.