Police Forcing Cyclists to Use Cycle Super Highways

[Pete Owens]

As far as I am aware, there is no law which says I cannot walk by the sea, in rough weather, with the attendant risk of being washed out to sea by a large wave.

If a Police Officer/PCSO were to suggest to me, that such action is dangerous, and best avoided, I would regard that as acceptable.

If a Police Officer/PCSO were to tell me I cannot do that, or, to attempt to restrain me from doing that, I would regard that as unacceptable.

This is wrong on so many levels that it is difficult to know where to start.

First - and most importantly - the police are not just patronising and irritating passers by who feel free to offer unwanted and ignorant advice that we can happily laugh off. They are in a position of authority, with the power to direct traffic. There are legitimate circumstances which might require the closure of a road and the police could legitimately tell people not to use it. See Highway code:

You MUST obey signals given by police officers, traffic officers, traffic wardens

Giving illegitimate and discriminatory instructions is an abuse of power. If a police officer gives you an order then that really IS restraining you from doing something. You have to be very confident of your rights and optimistic enough to assume that the magistrate doesn't hold equally anti-cycling prejudices if you are going to ignore them - as Daniel Cadden discovered to his cost. The chances are that if a police officer has tried this with one cyclist riding on the road then they will be doing this to others so it is important that an official complaint is made.

Second - the advice is plain wrong. Even if you accept the argument that a swearing abuse is friendly advice. Riding on the road is much safer than on a side path (which is why the OP was on the road in the first place) so the analogy would be for a policeman to scream at someone walking along a beach on a windy day that they must immediately leave the beach by climbing the adjacent cliff.

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

There's also the "we've built it for you, use it".

My retort to elderly drivers who use this line is : "I'm paying for your bus pass, you should use the bus and shouldn't be driving your car"

 

[jarlrmai]

"the police are not just patronising and irritating passers by who feel free to offer unwanted and ignorant advice that we can happily laugh off"

It's weird that so many cyclists report and record on video exactly this behavior then.

 

[mjr]

"the police are not just patronising and irritating passers by who feel free to offer unwanted and ignorant advice that we can happily laugh off"

It's weird that so many cyclists report and record on video exactly this behavior then.

I think "not just" there means "not merely" - as in, they have the power to punish those not obeying.

Most of this Pete Owens's post seems correct IMO, except the claim that the carriageway is safer - the evidence about that is rather weak; weak enough that I feel it's not substantiated.

 

[confusedcyclist]

indeed i have suffered paindfully since they were built .

and get the old bollix from drivers about " use that , thats YOURS "

Except when motorists want to park on it, or use it to get around stationary traffic.

 

[subaqua]

Except when motorists want to park on it, or use it to get around stationary traffic.

Oh yes.

Stands rolling eyes and sighing at how often that happens

 

[pjd57]

Do they grit the super highways?

In Glasgow there are only a few separated cycle lanes. It's mostly just a bit of paint in the road , which you can't see for parked cars.

But the few properly separated bits we have are most definitely not gritted.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

the few properly separated bits we have are most definitely not gritted.

I use the South West Cycle Way (SWCW) through Pollokshields and after three winters of complaining since it opened, it has finally been included in the gritting schedule as of just a few weeks ago. Indeed, it is now classed as a Priority 1 route.
That's not meant to sound like I got it done, it was pressure from many users plus support from a local councillor who is cycle-friendly.

It's still not done well enough or often enough but it is being gritted by one of those mini grit-droppers or occasionally a tractor with a hopper.

I don't know about the other segregated routes within the city as they're not on my route.

 

[pjd57]

I use the South West Cycle Way (SWCW) through Pollokshields and after three winters of complaining since it opened, it has finally been included in the gritting schedule as of just a few weeks ago. Indeed, it is now classed as a Priority 1 route.
That's not meant to sound like I got it done, it was pressure from many users plus support from a local councillor who is cycle-friendly.

It's still not done well enough or often enough but it is being gritted by one of those mini grit-droppers or occasionally a tractor with a hopper.

I don't know about the other segregated routes within the city as they're not on my route.

On the one occasion I tried using the SWCW in January it was completely covered in ice.
Wee bit annoying as I could have taken a more direct route on the bus lanes.

 

[mgs315]

Use the CS? Hah, most of the time I’m near CS7 but I’d rather avoid due to the number of vehicles parked in it. Most motorists I’ve encountered (kind of understandably as you’re changing ‘lanes’) expect you to yield to them when leaving the CS to move around obstacles. In such situations it would be better to have no CS at all.

 

[mjr]

In Glasgow there are only a few separated cycle lanes. It's mostly just a bit of paint in the road , which you can't see for parked cars.

But the few properly separated bits we have are most definitely not gritted.

Manchester seems to have started gritting - well done Boardman and Burnham?

View: https://twitter.com/UncleKempez/status/975998158546358272/photo/1


I think I've heard Cambridge has restarted but I've no link for that right now.

 

[Mile195]

I use the Embankment (CS8) every day from Vauxhall to Battersea. That one only has hours of operation from 7am-7pm, like a bus lane. As a result, it frequently gets used for drivers of powerful cars to undertake slower cars from 7:01 every evening.
I wonder if the officer in question would also tell someone off for cycling outside of it, but only up to 6:59pm...