West Mids Police-thanks for nothing

[MrHappyCyclist]

According to the HC, "should" is not something you have to do. If there's a line in the middle of the road and you're not on or to the right of it, you are keeping left....

Well, I was answering a point about an alleged "should" with a quote from an actual "should".

 

[gambatte]

Well, I was answering a point about an alleged "should" with a quote from an actual "should".

Yep, and in both cases, the cagers wrong

 

[pshore]

I just skim read this whole thread. Here's my take on it.

The OP has been a victim of crime regardless of the chances of a successful prosecution (see CPS guide below). There are two reasons to get this crime recorded:

1) So the police and government can track statistics on crime and focus on solving crime that we as a society tell them is a problem. If nobody tells the police that crime is happening they definitely won't make any plans to prevent or police it.

2) If this driver goes on to commit more offences, lets say one of which is causing the death of another person, the CPS might be able to use your prior report to assist prosecuting that driver.
In all serious offences there are potential early indicators of a serious offender. The minor offence information can be used for crime prevention. (eg someone looking at child porn might lead them onto sexual abuse of a child).

If you look at the CPS Guide:
Road Traffic Offences: Guidance on Prosecuting Cases of Bad Driving
(search for 'cyclist' in that page),

.... we cyclists get a couple of specific mentions because of public opinion.


My personal choice is to report people where I feel they have been driving dangerously (intentionally or not), or if they have maliciously tried to scare me where I have not provoked them. Where there are no independent witnesses I will not ask the police to pursue, just to record the information. I don't go around reporting everything, I try to filter out harmless mistakes and misjudgements, but sometimes those mistakes are too close to ignore.

If I can, I have a civil word with a driver. If they look like they are genuinely sorry and I feel like I have cured the problem or made them stop and think. If they are a nasty piece of work I do report it.

This approach works in rural areas, but perhaps not in London where it seems like a dog-eat-dog road life with cheeky self-advantageous manoeuvres buzzing around you all the time.

 

[doug]

How do we counter it if they point that out; it doesn't say how far to the left.

Just point to the white line in the middle of the road and ask them what side of it were you on.

I always interpreted that to mean we ride/drive on the left in the UK rather than on the right as they do in some foreign parts...

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

Just point to the white line in the middle of the road and ask them what side of it were you on.

Good response. I'll try that if the opportunity arises.

 

[upsidedown]

I just skim read this whole thread. Here's my take on it.

The OP has been a victim of crime regardless of the chances of a successful prosecution (see CPS guide below). There are two reasons to get this crime recorded:

1) So the police and government can track statistics on crime and focus on solving crime that we as a society tell them is a problem. If nobody tells the police that crime is happening they definitely won't make any plans to prevent or police it.

2) If this driver goes on to commit more offences, lets say one of which is causing the death of another person, the CPS might be able to use your prior report to assist prosecuting that driver.
In all serious offences there are potential early indicators of a serious offender. The minor offence information can be used for crime prevention. (eg someone looking at child porn might lead them onto sexual abuse of a child).

That's exactly the reason i tried to report it, the problem is that they said they can't record without taking action, and they can't take action because nothing happened. This must be a local West Mids policy as Warwickshire will record on the strength of an email.

I average one report-worthy incident every 4-6000 miles i guess so not exactly hysterical, it would just be nice to be listened to when the need arises.

 

[pshore]

That's exactly the reason i tried to report it, the problem is that they said they can't record without taking action, and they can't take action because nothing happened. This must be a local West Mids policy as Warwickshire will record on the strength of an email.

I average one report-worthy incident every 4-6000 miles i guess so not exactly hysterical, it would just be nice to be listened to when the need arises.

Hmm. Fishy. The cynic in me says it is because they don't want unsolved crime on their database, or maybe even just crime on their database so they can sound their trumpet and report that crime is going down in your area. That's was the New Labour way of doing things.

I guess what you do next depends on how much of a persistent pain-in-the-behind you want to be. Sometimes, you have to do what you think is right if you think the system is wrong.