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Cyclist passes footage of London drivers playing Pokemon GO to policepokemon_go_logo.png

Cyclist passes footage of London drivers playing Pokemon GO to police

Says it is “a matter of time” before there is a Pokemon-related road incident
by Alex Bowden
Tue, Jul 26, 2016 15:51
7

A cyclist has been passing footage of drivers playing Pokemon GO to the Met Police's Traffic Offence Reporting Team.

The road safety campaigner, who wishes to be known only as 'The Legend of Justice' caught one driver on Warwick Road in Westminster on Saturday and another in Trafalgar Square a day later.

The Pokémon GO website says: “For safety’s sake, never play Pokémon GO when you’re on your bike, driving a car, riding a hoverboard, or anything else where you should be paying attention.”

Woman arrested for stealing child's bike to go Pokémon hunting

In the first incident, the cyclist pulls up alongside a black BMW convertible at traffic lights. Footage shot with his helmet cam shows the driver holding a mobile phone which seems to display the Pokémon logo.

The cyclist told the London Evening Standard: "I think the smile on his face gave him away after I mentioned Pokémon.”

The second motorist claimed to have been using sat nav, to which the cyclist said: “It's clearly not as it does not even look like Trafalgar Square. The image has no roundabout shape of Trafalgar Square and the icon is a dead giveaway."

The Legend of Justice claims to have been hit seven times since 2009 and says of the phenomenon:

“I think it's time to clean up the streets. I am no vigilante. I just report as it happens.

"This new craze is more frightening, and a matter of time before we hear of Pokémon-related driving accidents. If I were a cop I would bust all day long. The police should have officers in plain clothes riding around with cameras, there are not enough on the streets I'm afraid."

There have also been reports of cyclists being distracted by the game. A teenager cycling in the middle of the road in Kingsdown was said not to have seen a car because he was playing the game.

The driver involved, Gemma Lovell, told the Kent and Essex Courier:

"I'm not opposed to the game – I've actually played on it myself. I just couldn't believe that the boy was cycling straight for me and didn't even see me or look up until I beeped at him.

"I think parents need to give an extra warning to make sure their children stay safe and aware of their surroundings, especially with the summer holidays coming up."

Pokémon GO
The Legend of Justice
Alex Bowden

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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7 comments

Avatar
StraelGuy | 8 years ago
0 likes

GMP do, it's called Operation Considerate. They are very happy happy to receive videos of bad driving (and bad cyclists) and will act if the evidence is clear. They just ask that the footage isn't aired publically before they decide if the evidence is suitable for a prosecution.

Avatar
Stumps | 8 years ago
0 likes

A lot of forces have a specific operation ongoing whereby you can submit cctv etc. Get in touch with your local force and they will advise you where and how. For those in the north east, Northumbria has op dragoon and other forces will have similar ops.

Avatar
robertoegg | 8 years ago
0 likes

Aren't you meant to submit video evidence with +/- 2 minutes?

I submitted evidence of a bus running me off the road and got nowhere due to Surrey Police's inability to review the evidence (Christmas time had nothing to do with it I'm told).

However, a second incident recently from my rear cycliq has resulted in a notice of intention to prosecute. This time, the car hit me as opposed to simply coming close.

I don't know if Surrey have got their IT in order and are able to review footage quicker, or whether I had someone who wanted to take it forward, or whether it was simply because someone actually hit me for no good reason.

I'd have no problem in submitting footage daily of people on thneir phones.

I also need a smellometer for all the doob...

Avatar
STiG911 | 8 years ago
0 likes

I thought some Police Services (don't say 'Force', it's against vocab guidelines) already had sites you could upload data to?

And didn't it say on another article that Pokewhatevs was configured to exclude speeds above 10mph? So what are these plebs doing? I mean, besides endangering everyone around them?

Avatar
Yorkshire wallet | 8 years ago
3 likes

I bet if you start punching a Pokemon playing motorist you won't get let off like that granddad who got annoyed about a cyclist abusing a traffic island.

Avatar
oldstrath | 8 years ago
7 likes

But it's so much more important to catch naked cyclists, and 'do something' about those evil people cycling through London with no respect for their betters. Is anyone really surprised that some cyclists snap occassionally and bash a few side mirrors?

Avatar
burtthebike | 8 years ago
3 likes

“I think it's time to clean up the streets. I am no vigilante. I just report as it happens.

"This new craze is more frightening, and a matter of time before we hear of Pokémon-related driving accidents. If I were a cop I would bust all day long. The police should have officers in plain clothes riding around with cameras, there are not enough on the streets I'm afraid."

Hear, hear.  The problem being unfortunately, a political one, and therefore unlikely to change soon.

This government is wedded to austerity, which is why there are fewer traffic police, and road law enforcement comes a distant second to protecting the assets of the wealthy, especially when the victims don't have the money to challenge the system.

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