Cycling under the influence

[harlechjoe]

On todays bike ride the manor of cycling by a chap on the same stretch of road led me to suspect something was not quite right. Cycling alongside I asked if he was alright then the stench of beer combined with the silly way he was talking suggested drunkeness , so stayed I alongsidE and humoured him until he got home safely.

I'm aware that cycling when drunk is illegal in the UK and whilst my interest was to ensure he came to no harm and caused no harm, I wonder if police action Is ever been taken to cyclists riding under the influence?

 

[fossyant]

Unless he was a danger, and the police caught him, it's very rate. You'd have to be totally ratted to get caught, and unlucky.

 

[Milkfloat]

As a student I was once stopped by the police after a skinfull for cycling along weaving in and out of the dashed centre lines on the road in Coventry. I told them I was riding like that so I did not crash into a parked car. They simply told me to walk home and push the bike which I did. They drove past me a few minutes later and gave me a thumbs up for pushing the bike along still.

I suspect that nowadays they may not be so lenient, mainly for my own protection.

 

[winjim]

You could have just titled the thread 'what's the drunkest you've ever been riding a bike?' and be done with it, because that's what's going to happen. As a younger man I would regularly ride home from my pub job absolutely smashed off my face and nobody ever stopped me. Fell off quite a lot and sometimes had to stop for a tactical vomit but no coppers ever got involved.

 

[fossyant]

I only ever did it on the odd occasion from my mate's house on his home brew. Only 4 pints at most. I didn't have a pub bike, so the feet did the work instead.

 

[Dayvo]

A mate of mine back in the early ‘80s, studying to be a solicitor, was cycling home from the pub after a skinfull. He was stopped by a patrol car and, mostly for his own safety, was ‘advised’ to get off and walk the bike home.
My mate, in his state, was saying, a bit too keenly, that as a purveyor of the law he fully respected and understood the constables.
After they drove off, he remounted his bike, only to be met by the coppers a few moments later, who thought he was a smart-arse smarmy student.
They told him to lock his bike up where they were and then drove him to the cells for a cold night where he could learn the bit about non-compliance with the law.

 

[Profpointy]

An acquaintance, I'd hesitate to say friend, was done for cycling drunk "drunk in charge of a carriage" was the charge. He was also done for TWOK'ing said cycle which had been left unlocked. He didn't get done for the more serious charge of theft as when challenged wobbling along on it the officer asked "is that your bike sir" He'd answered "no, I was just having a go". He plead guilty and was duly fined a hundred quid or whatever it was. I dare say they'd have let him off with a bollocking if he'd been on his own bike.

 

[raleighnut]

I got knocked off my bike on the way to work on a Monday, despite my many protestations that I hadn't been drinking since I got up I got fined for 'Cycling whilst unfit' but only cos it was half ten at night (nightshift worker) and the car driver who hit me claimed "He just fell over" despite having to reverse to go around me and drive off (caught on CCTV) no other witnesses so i had no option but to plead guilty.

 

[cougie uk]

I was driving home from a friend's house late one night and queuing onto a roundabout.
A cyclist wobbled out of a side street and straight into the van in front of me.
It was at this point they turned on their blue flashing lights.

Pretty sure he got arrested.

 

[Scotchlovingcylist]

I got knocked off my bike on the way to work on a Monday, despite my many protestations that I hadn't been drinking since I got up I got fined for 'Cycling whilst unfit' but only cos it was half ten at night (nightshift worker) and the car driver who hit me claimed "He just fell over" despite having to reverse to go around me and drive off (caught on CCTV) no other witnesses so i had no option but to plead guilty.

How very odd. Were you breathalysed? Could the CCTV not be accessed if you argued the toss and it went to court? How was the driver interviewed to state you just fell off if he reversed around you yo drive away?
I wouldn't have plead guilty unless I knew I was

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Many years ago I was a student in Nottingham

I went to a party at a friends house - I might have had a few drinks - the party was about 30 minutes ride away

Naturally I went on my bike - and hence rode home a silly o-clock in the morning
I do remember my friend and her boyfriend (I was their best man a few years later) stopped me leaving and insisted I drink black coffee for a while before I was 'allowed' to go

I felt fine but after a while I started to think I was far more drunk than I thought - really couldn't keep the bike in a straight line - so I decided to walk instead
Still couldn't keep the bike straight!
I stopped and had a look and realised the rear axle nuts were VERY loose so the rear wheel was wandering around left and right as I rode
I tightened them as mush as possible with just finger and all was fine after that!

 

[si_c]

On one occasion I might have got totally wasted at an oktoberfest event, despite only having gone for one, then got up early the next morning for a forum ride. I remember thinking I felt a little tipsy when I woke up, but it struck me I was totally hammered still when I started to ride to the station. I remember clearly thinking, please don't let there be police about.

On another occasion I might have had a few drinks in town and wobbled past the police on the way home, they didn't say anything though, probably had bigger worries in a city centre on a friday.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Reminds me of a story about a friend of mine. He was stopped by the police for riding his bike around Paddington station. He's a cheerful, honest chap and was in a good mood, so when the police asked him "have you been drinking?" he replied happily "Yeah, loads!"

They just rolled their eyes and asked him not to ride his bike in the station.

 

[newfhouse]

Were you breathalysed?

There is no legal level of blood or breath alcohol against which to judge a cyclist, so there is no point asking you to take a breathalyser test nor any compulsion to do so.

Instead, the police have to make a subjective assessment about your fitness to ride and control the bike and potentially have that challenged in court. That may be the main reason why they rarely bother to do more than advise you to walk home. The other reason of course is that you are mostly a danger to yourself and not others. Cars kill, bikes not so much.

 

[raleighnut]

How very odd. Were you breathalysed? Could the CCTV not be accessed if you argued the toss and it went to court? How was the driver interviewed to state you just fell off if he reversed around you yo drive away?
I wouldn't have plead guilty unless I knew I was

The Copper who 'investigated' twisted the case to make me seem guilty leaving out things I had said like "why did they run into me, I'd got a bunch of rear lights on (4)" to "I've got loads of lights" and "the cycle appeared undamaged" despite me saying to him that they'd wrecked the rear wheel (buckled so badly it wouldn't turn) amognst other distortions in his statements.
Basically going to court would have meant me calling him a Liar (which he was) and would probably have resulted in a bigger fine whereas simply pleading guilty by post was the easier option (and a far lower fine)

BTW I don't think the girl who was the 'registered owner' was actually driving the car, it was more likely a younger brother who was 'racing' another car that hit me as this is quite common amongst the Asian community in Leicester (insurance too expensive for a 17yr old lad so the car is registered to another family member)