Police stopping cyclists in Preston

[Chutzpah]

Assuming the coppers who stopped me were friendly about it and explained why I had been stopped I wouldn't have an issue. It's not a huge amount different to when I was younger and being asked to pull over in my car a few times and prove it was my car and that I was insured to drive it. In the first instance the policeman was up front and said it was because of my age, the second time they were again upfront and said it was because of my age and the fact I was doing the speed limit at 2am in the morning

In both cases the police were great and I mentioned that I would be happy if the police pulled over my stolen car, or a drunk driver (which is what they assumed the second time I was pulled over)


So yes, it would be the attitude. For all of my bikes I could tell tales of where I'd bought them, the rides I'd been on, photos of me with them, where certain marks on the frame are, mention my contents insurance etc. plus my main bike is on the Immobilise database.

 

[pshore]

And asking cyclists' for proof of ownership of bike as part of an operation to crackdown on bike crime.

We featured this story on our site yesterday and have had plenty of comments already. Would be great to know how you feel about what the Police are doing up in Preston

http://www.goinggoingbike.com/blog/stop-and-proof-campaign-brings-results/

Ha ha. I'd struggle to find receipts but I would hapilly tell the bikes life story. They would be sending me on my way before you can say narcolepsy.

 

[Red Light]

I think failing the Attitude Test like that would be grounds for reasonable suspicion.

You mean whether I was riding nose up or nose down?

 

[Red Light]

And reasonable suspicion might well be a sleek carbon road bike being ridden by Joe Slob wearing a pair of holey jeans and a loose fitting hoodie. In much the same way a 17 yr old with a baseball cap on driving a Bentley might be stopped.

Both might well be innocent of any crime but it looks suspicious.

"And that one in the spotlight, he don't look right to me.
Get him up against the wall."

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Not entirely the best advice to give.

Maybe supplying your name and address so the police can at least verify who you are would be a good idea otherwise you may find yourself arrested on suspicion of theft of pedal cycle.


Have you heard of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.

Yes and I've been arrested under it countless times - and subsequently "de-arrested"

The police are our servants* not our masters

*not my preferred choice of terminology

 

[CopperCyclist]

There doesn't seem to be any of that going on here.

I'm more concerned by your statement suggesting an attitude from a police officer that people shouldn't make complaints of heavy handed policing if they want help from the police if they become victims of crime themselves.

Police state was actually mentioned once, albeit prior to my post!

I'm not for a second trying to suggest that. I am however insinuating that from experience, the people who are most outspoken about human rights are then the first to complain of lack of action/inability of the police to act when they later require it.

The above statement should not be read as 'I do not believe in human rights'. I'd also add that the people who speak out the most for human rights tend to be the most law abiding citizens that you can meet, that _possibly_ don't always have a full understanding of how low humans can really go.

Without scrolling up, the poster that suggested the make/model question spelt out exactly how I would act if on this initiative. Foolproof? Course not. Am I going to arrest you if you panic and forget your bike in the face of being stopped by the police? Unlikely. Am I going to weigh up the entire situation, and ask you a few more questions? Most probably.

 

[Silver Fox]

Yes and I've been arrested under it countless times - and subsequently "de-arrested"

Is there a reason why you've been arrested countless times ?

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Is there a reason why you've been arrested countless times ?

Yes, there is

There is also a reason why I have been released without charge countless times

 

[Wankelschrauben]

My bike has no identifiable marking, no numbers on it anywhere and I have no proof of purchase.

Are they confiscating the bikes of those without proof of ownership?

 

[wiggydiggy]

Is there a reason why you've been arrested countless times ?

He likes to dress in stripey jumpers, wear a mask and carry a bag with 'swag' written on the side

 

[Jezston]

I heard it was because he discovered he looked really good in a bomb vest.

 

[MontyVeda]

My bike has no identifiable marking, no numbers on it anywhere and I have no proof of purchase.

Are they confiscating the bikes of those without proof of ownership?

Are you making it up as you go along?

 

[Little yellow Brompton]

Police state was actually mentioned once, albeit prior to my post!

I'm not for a second trying to suggest that. I am however insinuating that from experience, the people who are most outspoken about human rights are then the first to complain of lack of action/inability of the police to act when they later require it.

The above statement should not be read as 'I do not believe in human rights'. I'd also add that the people who speak out the most for human rights tend to be the most law abiding citizens that you can meet, that _possibly_ don't always have a full understanding of how low humans can really go.

Without scrolling up, the poster that suggested the make/model question spelt out exactly how I would act if on this initiative. Foolproof? Course not. Am I going to arrest you if you panic and forget your bike in the face of being stopped by the police? Unlikely. Am I going to weigh up the entire situation, and ask you a few more questions? Most probably.

And to each would be the same answer. "Mind your own business", with various levels of doppler shift as I pedal into the distance.

I would object to being stopped by the police for random questioning if I was on a bike , in a car, mBike, lorry , on foot or in a train. For those that whitter "What have you got to hide?" I would point out that as an innocent man I would expect to be able to make any journey without having to answer questions asked by the police.

 

[benb]

Assuming the coppers who stopped me were friendly about it and explained why I had been stopped I wouldn't have an issue. It's not a huge amount different to when I was younger and being asked to pull over in my car a few times and prove it was my car and that I was insured to drive it. In the first instance the policeman was up front and said it was because of my age, the second time they were again upfront and said it was because of my age and the fact I was doing the speed limit at 2am in the morning

...

As opposed to 2am in the afternoon?

 

[GGB_Andrew]

My bike has no identifiable marking, no numbers on it anywhere and I have no proof of purchase.

Are they confiscating the bikes of those without proof of ownership?

Not every cyclist. From what Lancashire Police told me, decisions on confiscation after a cyclist has failed to prove ownership was very much based on the subjective decision of the officer doing the questioning. They were at pains to say that not every bike was confiscated