Video: London cyclist gets £50 for straying off shared use path blocked by phone box

Local authorities regularly put pointless cycle lanes where it is cheapest to do so. Recently there was piece on here about traders loosing money because a cycle lane had replaced parking spaces, to me it was evident that the council had ticked the "cycling box" by changing the writing on the road. Pointless no real gain to cyclists but a negative impact on trade, the elderly and handicapped and ultimately creating more anti cycling members of the public. There should be cycle lanes but they should be fit for purpose not just thrown in where theres a gap.Amateur politicians, the same people who deploy PSCO's (via an increasingly political police force), onto our street to tick another box, pointless waste of money. The issue that I'm beating around is the sometimes rabid support of anything pro cycling shown here does nothing for the cause. There are individuals who try to introduce conciliatory opinions but they usually get taken apart and insulted by some hero from behind the security of a computer screen. If the opinion and attitude of some of the contributors was mirrored by those who promote cycling then nothing would be achieved. A move from the current polarisation of opinion amongst road users will be essential if meaningful changes are to occur.

The Cyclists' Defence Fund (CDF, which is now a subsidiary charity of CTC) is now calling for donations to support Kristian's challenge to this FPN and other cases like it. To contribute, please visit http://justgiving.com/FPNfightingfund

Roger Geffen
Campaigns & Policy Director, CTC

This hasn't quite managed to rouse me to anger this morning. All I can manage is a mild sigh and a dispirited "yup".

I've had precisely one interaction with a PCSO since their introduction. One shouted "shouldn't you be on the road" at me, when I cycled passed on a shared use pavement. To be fair, he did shout sorry when I gave him an exasperated look and gestured at the sign.

Lesson to be learned - get out of the cycle paths and onto the roads!

Money has just been spent building a completly useless shared use path in the town where I live recently. It's not at all intregrated with the road network, so I've no idea how you are even supposed to access it and it doesn't actually seem to go to or from anywhere. Worst of all it's only a few hundred yards long so only good for about 20 seconds of cycling, which would take much longer as you'd need to give way to cross a side street and avoid dozy pedestrians. It's going to be great for pavement cyclists but that's about it. I'll stick with the road thanks chaps, how about sorting out some of those pot holes seeing as you've got money to throw away?

This reminds me of the Daniel Cadden case, where police got it completely wrong, though his conviction was eventually overturned on appeal.

PCSO's are possibly the most pointless creations ever, you either have been trained to know the law and enforce it, or you haven't. It's pretty clear which category this plastic copper falls into.
They're out in force at the moment outside Southwark tube station and having witnessed a really bad high speed near miss with a car recklessly turning right across a cyclist and watched the PCSO turn actively his back on it and walk away just earlier in the week, I can only include they are a form of tax raising drones.

I'd like to know why it is that police are allowed to piss off cyclists with their petty 'spirit of the law' ignoring egotistical badgering of cyclists but apparently your average copper is not authorised to do anything about traffic violations by motorists other than call the traffic cops, which of course they're not going to do.

That has to be jut a bout the worst cycle path in the coutry. Who on earth thought it was a good idea to put a lane hard up against a brick wall?

Lights blue touch paper and wait to be flamed!

The Plod is correct, the footage clearly shows a departure from the lane to avoid the slower cyclist, this was maintained by going to the right of the signpost and the double sign. Before taking the line of desire to the crossing point. And that's after the phone box.

There also seems to be cyclist moving quickly on the road.

This is just moronic!! Maybe they should fine pedestrians who stray (Walk the entire length) in cycle lanes. The guy was just trying to overtake a slower cyclist (who was riding in the wrong lane of the cycle path), and also why did they do nothing about the (at least) 2 others that did exactly the same thing, and 1 that continued past the No Cycling sign?!! Complete muppets!!

I would of just ridden off.

What a twat! Give some one a uniform …….. I wouldn't even have stopped, let alone given him the chance to think about writing a ticket…… It would have been see you later pillock when the lights changed to cross the road. As for all the posts and phone box along that cycle path it looks so furkin' dangerous!

That slovenly excuse for a PCSO shuffling with his hands in his pockets would have been politely told to fuck off by myself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oImdrcVkHe0

As I understand it you don't have to accept a fixed penalty notice. That's an admission of guilt. I'd have said 'see you in court'. I'll take the chance it costs me 2 days' pay - fine and lost earnings.

It may just be me being a bit of a belligerent tw@ but if a PCSO, who have limited powers of arrest, were to stop me in this situation i would tell them to kindly do one and ride off at great speed giggling with a cry of 'You'll never take me alive copper!"
What is Chief Wiggum going to do? Chase you? This fella certainly isnt up to the job to a high speed chase on foot.
Silly twerps - what a fucking waste of time and resources.
Pathetic, and they should be treated with the contempt they deserve.

The PCSO's are standing on a section of shared footway, as indicated by the sign on the reverse of the no cycling sign - on the pole behind them, and just before the traffic signals is a banner sign indicating that the cycle route returns to the carriageway across the space in which the PCSO's are standing (in the way of cyclists using the cycle route).

It does indicate the imbecilic design where a telephone box sits in the line of the cycle path which simply stops either side of it - with no warning of an obstruction that could easily be ridden into (waiting for a claim?). Then where the path ends the banner sign indicates 2 90 degree turns - clueless that bikes do not make 90 degree turns on the spot.

10 other cyclists appear to make exactly the same move with no reaction from either officer, and an eleventh one carries on past the no cycling sign - again with no reaction. from the officers.

This seems a particularly selective piece of policing, and certainly does the reputation of PCSO's no good at all.

he was in a pedestrian zone, he got a fine, good, get over it. If you don't like the cycle path man up and get on the road where we should be.
if we are bullied my motorist this is what we turn into, we bully, pedestrians, dog walkers, even pcsos, that makes us just as bad and un educated as the next fat taxi driver.
join me, guys, all need to:
get back on the road
Get in lane
get insurance
get a helmet
get bright, get lights
get signalling
get off the cycle path, out of the gutter
get back britains roads from the motorists

you know it makes sense, we will live longer after all

I like the way the PCSO makes the cyclist stand with him in the cycle path, forcing the next riders that come past out onto the footpath. Good thinking.

Things like this really annoy me like you wouldn't believe. That PCSO is a complete and utter twat for issuing a ticket in those circumstances. I would like to think this vid is pointed out to him by his colleagues and maybe even his bosses that I hoped squirmed like hell when they saw it and told him themselves he was a twat.

PCSO's are a complete waste of taxpayers money and they should not be allowed to issue tickets period. Hopefully their numbers will continue to dwindle till there's none left. People like this idiot do not help with the public's confidence in the Police Service.

I hope the guy who got the ticket challenges it and shows the video in court. Where are all the foot pedestrians that were put at unecessary risk? Feckin idiots

Wow, road.cc: This article needs a "Dislike: Author is having a bout judgemental, intolerant cock moment" button added to the comments (georgee to a certain extent, then darrenleroy's comment which is pretty much "WTF?!" level racist).

I've noticed a heavy police prescence on London streets the past few weeks during my morning and evening commutes. Typically this is 3-4 officers standing at junctions.

Been totally unimpressed by their lack of action during numerous instances of motorists, buses and motorbikes jumping red lights and parking in the ASL next to cyclists!

The police seem more interested in talking to each other than doing anything... An empty exercise and waste of tax payer money.

The frustrating thing for cyclists suffering the total disregard other road users have for the ASL is that its a criminal offence but can only be brought against road users when directly witnessed by police.

The quicker TFL get this decriminalised and turned into an automatic camera penalty perhaps the ASL might eventually be fit for purpose as its a f*cking joke in London at the moment!

Naughty person on bike should know better than to be naughty.

I've always just ridden in the bus lane on this road - not perfect, but I would rather be in a fairly empty bus lane than in a tiny bike lane, 20ft from the road, up against a wall.

Oh I only wish plod applied same due diligence against law breakers In motorised vehicles on the roads.

Surely to park 2 officers to collect against this serious antisocial crime is not in the public interest when so many real crimes are left unpunished.

There should be an intelligence, fitness and language test, although I have a suspicion this might interfere with the Met's obsession with creating a happy, smiley-multi-national police service that reflects the 'wonderful diversity' of the nation's capital. I'd rather just have decent PCSOs who aren't like the moron in this video.

I cycle/walk that path most days. The cycle way is pretty poor and does have a phone box in the middle. However cyclists do tend to stray all over the pavement and more than once I have been covered with wheel spray thanks to inconsiderate cyclists that swerve around you and cover you with road muck. When you are trying to make a meeting in your suit or work clothes it is quite irritating. The offenders are usually the supermaket/Halfords hybrid riding crowd.

Saying that, this particular fellow seems to have adhered to the path till the very end when he seems to be trying to overtake the slower cycle in from of him.

That bit of road I hate as it terminates with you being flung into the road with no safety measures of any kind. it is better to cycle on the bus lane in the main road.