legal advice for running a so called red light

[Archie_tect]

...and one's anticipation based on years of driving experience in a busy street with cyclists filtering past... not difficult is it.
Mind you, no-one in their right mind would go out of their way to deliberately irritate two policemen in a high-vis police car, which leads me to think the OP didn't do very much to cause offence, the 2 policemen were bored with not enough to do... sad that they are so ineffectual at their jobs that they feel it's necessary to bring the might of the law down on such a miscreant- it's not even theft or assault... perhaps they are surplus to need and should be made redundant.

 

[Boris Bajic]

The police driver states he was in slow moving traffic travelling at 10mph... but had to brake sharply... sounds like both policemen had nothing better to do, so bad luck, you've been nicked by bored officers who have copied each others statements... and it sounds like you did what they said however aggravating that may be for you... but what a waste of money and resources this is. Multiply this by the number of other unnecessary court proceedings and you start to see why the real criminals manage to evade punishment.

It may sound like that. It may even be so.

But if we observe the driving and cycling around us on a daily basis, we see many actions that might be worth a ticket or a fine. The police must see just as many (or almost as many, since some will be intimidated by the presence of Old Bill).

Yet they stop relatively few motorists... and VERY few cyclists. A stop like this has no kudos for a police officer. Even if bored, why bother? Lots of paperwork and hassle. He has a specific task and this falls outside his current posting.

Bored coppers may do many things, but it's unlikely that they stop RLJ cyclists for that reason. More likely (but I wasn't there) that they saw some incautious, discourteous or dangerous road behaviour and thought it worth a word. I may be wrong.

 

[Lanzecki]

the charge is furious cycling of which they can disqualify you.

My own personal goal. That and the 40kph local Speed camera

 

[stowie]

If you want some impartial legal advise maybe the cyclists defence fund could help? http://www.cyclistsdefencefund.org.uk/contact

I think they are part of CTC. At the least they may be able to provide guidance on typical fines for careless cycling.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Counter Terrorism officers eh?

Just be thankful you're not Brazilian.

 

[Archie_tect]

Bored coppers may do many things, but it's unlikely that they stop RLJ cyclists for that reason. More likely (but I wasn't there) that they saw some incautious, discourteous or dangerous road behaviour and thought it worth a word. I may be wrong.

A quiet word was all it merited... not a full blown summons and court appearance... one wonders whether there was a motive behind singling out one person from many doing the same.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

my take is harsh, but I think fair...

you filtered in front of plod, in a way said plod found unhelpful, and then ran a red light in front of same plod. I don't doubt you did all of those things and the tone of the OP convinced me of that before I read your 'court summons' document. Now you're protesting the unfairness of it all. You sound like, and have deployed all the arguments beloved of, a driver when plod catches them out.

I'm all for solidarity amongst cyclists, well some of the time I am, but in this case...

Man up, take it on the chin, and reflect on how you ride in the vicinity of marked police cars.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

A quiet word was all it merited... not a full blown summons and court appearance... one wonders whether there was a motive behind singling out one person from many doing the same.

Telling a police officer "I didn't do such-and-such" when s/he says they saw you doing it is a quick way to talk them out of being lenient.

 

[Archie_tect]

True.

 

[Andrew_P]

Trying to get my head around a summons, did you refuse or not pay a fixed penalty notice?

 

[martint235]

[QUOTE 2719163, member: 30090"]legal advice for running a so called red light

You don't do it and when you do and get caught you pay a fine - simples.[/quote]
What took you so long?

 

[Sara_H]

Trying to get my head around a summons, did you refuse or not pay a fixed penalty notice?

Me too. Why on earth has this been brought to court?

 

[steve52]

ya cooked be graceful in defeat

 

[buggi]

no fk it... Fight it all the way.. Like drivers do when they kill us!!!

 

[Roadrider48]

Cycling offences can not be applied to a driving license unless on a E bike or the charge is furious cycling of which they can disqualify you.

"Furious cycling"....LOL