Cycling south down Penton Street, Islington in the morning rush hour. Traffic queued up for a hundred yards (tube strike etc). Dozens of cyclists filtering. Approaching the highly visible (green surface, bike picture, unbroken white line) Mandatory Cycle Lane. Stationary British Transport Police patrol car stopped in the traffic queue completely obstructing the cycle lane. No other cars were in it. Looked like he'd driven into it deliberately and he could not have been unaware of the difficulty he was causing those cyclists who had to mount the pavement or go on the outside to get past him.
I cycled up to his window and said to get out of the cycle lane as he wasn't supposed to be in it at all with it being a Mandatory Lane. His colleague officer then got all shirty by saying there were no laws about driving in cycle lanes. His attitude was appaling so I asked him for his shoulder number which he initially refused to give. When I got the driver's number he then told me his as well. He then refused to give his name or which station he was based at. I made a verbal note of his shoulder number and his BTP force at which point he jumped out the car an demanded all my details.
I asked him why he wanted details and he said because I'd asked him for his although he'd refused everything except his number which he gave reluctantly after first refusing. I asked him what he was going to do me for and he just smirked. I then asked if he was going to make up some story about what happened, to which is naturally said he wouldn't, not sure though as he was that arrogant.
He continued to refuse to believe that his patrol car had committed any type of offence by entering the Mandatory Lane. I kept telling him he was in the wrong and that he knew he was. it was hopeless talking to him. He was arrogant, condescending and ignorant and tried to intimidate me by taking my details.
Anyhow I don't have to be spoken to like that or be asked for my details when I've not done anything. So I've complained about him to the BTP.
You'd think a officers in a police patrol car would know the rules concerning cycle lanes and ASLs and the rest. Clearly arrogant BTP officers don't.
He probably got fed up with being stuck in the traffic with so many bikes filtering past so decided to block the path then got annoyed when his idiotic logic and actions were questioned so decided to throw his weight around by taking details.
He should have joined the proper police force instead of playing about on the transport network. Where are the BTP when jobs are drunk and making a nuisance of themselves on early/late trains? No easier to go after polite cyclists who've done nothing wrong.
I cycled up to his window and said to get out of the cycle lane as he wasn't supposed to be in it at all with it being a Mandatory Lane. His colleague officer then got all shirty by saying there were no laws about driving in cycle lanes. His attitude was appaling so I asked him for his shoulder number which he initially refused to give. When I got the driver's number he then told me his as well. He then refused to give his name or which station he was based at. I made a verbal note of his shoulder number and his BTP force at which point he jumped out the car an demanded all my details.
I asked him why he wanted details and he said because I'd asked him for his although he'd refused everything except his number which he gave reluctantly after first refusing. I asked him what he was going to do me for and he just smirked. I then asked if he was going to make up some story about what happened, to which is naturally said he wouldn't, not sure though as he was that arrogant.
He continued to refuse to believe that his patrol car had committed any type of offence by entering the Mandatory Lane. I kept telling him he was in the wrong and that he knew he was. it was hopeless talking to him. He was arrogant, condescending and ignorant and tried to intimidate me by taking my details.
Anyhow I don't have to be spoken to like that or be asked for my details when I've not done anything. So I've complained about him to the BTP.
You'd think a officers in a police patrol car would know the rules concerning cycle lanes and ASLs and the rest. Clearly arrogant BTP officers don't.
He probably got fed up with being stuck in the traffic with so many bikes filtering past so decided to block the path then got annoyed when his idiotic logic and actions were questioned so decided to throw his weight around by taking details.
He should have joined the proper police force instead of playing about on the transport network. Where are the BTP when jobs are drunk and making a nuisance of themselves on early/late trains? No easier to go after polite cyclists who've done nothing wrong.
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