CS7 Blue cycle route London - The Police are watching you

[Matthames]

This morning I got pulled over after jumping a red right.... the road was perfectly clear I was in no danger to myself or any other road users but I blatently jumped the light and got fined £30!! I was in the wrong shouldn't of jumped the lights blah blah sh*t happens.... or dose it!

Lets face it we all jump lights - I do it when I know its safe I take the risk and jump them to save time.... just like every other cyclist - everyone knows this. Over six weeks the police are going to pick up bucket loads of cash in fines. It's unjust, it feels like to me they are just recovering money spent on the blue cycle lanes and now they are just targeting cyclists to foot the bill!

We all commute to work for our own reasons, but in doing so we are all helping the environment etc etc etc the government try to promite this by setting up the cycle lanes but then why police them in such a way that they are giving with one hand and then taking straight back with the other!

Please any one who uses this cycle route be very carefull for the next 6 weeks and stop at the lights, I don't know where that copper was hiding because I didn't see him at the lights but he saw me. They are out there to get you!!!

Firstly, we all don't jump lights and for very good reasons. Just because loads of other people do it, doesn't make it right. For instance loads of people speed and park on double yellow lines, but it doesn't make it right though. Jumping red lights gives us law abiding cyclists a bad wrap from the anti cycling lobby.

The assertion you made about not being a danger to yourself and other road users is clearly wrong given what you said. You couldn't spot a policeman at a set of lights on a road that as you say was perfectly clear. I am afraid to say that to carry on jumping red lights, one day your luck is going to run out and you are going to end up dead.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

 

[martint235]

I see a RLJer about once a month, I do wish the rest of you would calm down and stop exaggerating. It gives cycling a very bad image that people constantly exaggerate it.

Once a month? Do you live on a farm or something?

I will frequently see 2 or 3, sometimes more, at one red light particularly on my way in to work.

 

[Femto]

I agree that only a few do it in Bradford, where I find myself a lot of the time but I would say that there aren't many days where I don't see anyone jump a red.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

This morning I got pulled over after jumping a red right.... the road was perfectly clear I was in no danger to myself or any other road users
.............
I don't know where that copper was hiding because I didn't see him at the lights but he saw me. They are out there to get you!!!

Right...so let's get this right

You know the road was clear
You knew the light was red
You didn't see the full grown policeman

Now let's say that policemen was a kid crossing the road, knowing the road was clear and the light to be against the cyclist, steps out from wherever the copper was...

If you couldn't see a policeman then there may have been another hazard that you couldn't see...get my drift?

 

[martint235]

Popcorn is ready

I've had my say. Any popcorn left?

 

[mcshroom]

Once a month? Do you live on a farm or something?

I will frequently see 2 or 3, sometimes more, at one red light particularly on my way in to work.

I'd be surprised if I saw one that often, then again their aren't may lights to jump in rural Cumbria. It's like riding without lights; the lack of street lighting tends to persuade most cyclists not to take the ninja approach

 

[ianrauk]

Try a morning commute through London Paul.... You will see a whole years worth in on one at certain lights.

I see a RLJer about once a month, I do wish the rest of you would calm down and stop exaggerating. It gives cycling a very bad image that people constantly exaggerate it.

 

[JamesAC]

Good, I hope they fine you every time you jump a light. I hate you 'kers who jump lights. One of you caused my friend a serious back injury after crashing into him, and I'm tired of taking the blame for your p1$ poor riding from every ranty motorist.

There are loads of good riders who don't jump lights. It's only a bad minority like yourself that cause these problems. Now go and play in the traffic or something.

+1. If you break the law, and get caught and fined, don't winge .

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Never jumped a red light and don't like cyclists who do. But I have stopped for a green traffic light which made the pedestrain's day when my response to 'it's green!' was 'missed that one!'

If you drive, would you go through on red in a car, or should that read 'do you drive through red lights in a car? No, then why as a cyclist? Serious shame the police office gave the game away though.

 

[4F]

I've had my say. Any popcorn left?

Yep, here you go ....

 

[mr_cellophane]

I hope they are also on Cable Street where RLJ cyclists are a danger to themselves (not that I really care about that), other cyclists and motorists.

Only 6 weeks, should be a permanent presence. 

 

[Jezston]

Never jumped a red light and don't like cyclists who do. But I have stopped for a green traffic light which made the pedestrain's day when my response to 'it's green!' was 'missed that one!'

LOL I've done the same! I think I get confused when you get pedestrians crossing even when the light is green (and the man red) when there's no cars around and end up stopping. And waiting for it to turn red. Then realising I'm a numpty.

But back to the OP - I can understand your anger having just got fined for something you don't think was wrong. Hopefully from the responses you've read here you'll realise the miriad reasons why you were wrong, and won't do it again.

 

[Eoin Rua]

Lets face it we all jump lights...just like every other cyclist

Sounding like an echo, but no we don't...sometimes think it funny when I'm stopped at lights (young guy, clad in lycra, race bike) and older (30+) men and women in hi-vis, panniers, old bikes just cruise through reds, all I can say is good luck to you!

edit: And if you do get fined for breaking the law then fair enough, you deserve it!

 

[marinyork]

Once a month? Do you live on a farm or something?

I will frequently see 2 or 3, sometimes more, at one red light particularly on my way in to work.

No, I live in a major metropolitan area and see plenty of cyclists. They don't jump lights. I have however in 2010 seen a fair bit pavement cycling. You're putting forward your view that it's the end of civilisation as we know it, I'm putting forward the view that people jumping red lights in london and people going on about it all the time gets us outside London a lot of aggro for something that is pretty rare.

I would have thought it obvious that if someone thinks a lot of people are going to be using the smurf highways that the police will be out patrolling them at some point.

 

[4F]

No, I live in a major metropolitan area and see plenty of cyclists. They don't jump lights. I have however in 2010 seen a fair bit pavement cycling. You're putting forward your view that it's the end of civilisation as we know it, I'm putting forward the view that people jumping red lights in london and people going on about it all the time gets us outside London a lot of aggro for something that is pretty rare.

I would have thought it obvious that if someone thinks a lot of people are going to be using the smurf highways that the police will be out patrolling them at some point.

I wouldn't say it is rare at all. I don't see many other cyclists on my commute through Ipswich but would say that on average half of them RLJ