Rogue cyclists set to face on-the-spot fines MOD WARNING in first post

Qualitymark

cython wrote: »

Obviously this now makes it easer, but ultimately if a Garda sees a cyclist pass carefully through a red in the manner described, issuing an FCN is still an effort they have to make, and I can genuinely reckon most of them will see this as being too much effort under those circumstances!

Depends. There are times when juking the stats (© The Wire) means that gardaí on the street and on the beat will go for any easy catch. On-the-spot fines - especially of cyclists, unlikely to turn out to be government ministers and explode in the poor garda's face - would tempt me if I were they.

In normal times, though, most decent gardaí will ignore minor stuff if it's safe and not contemptuous of road use.

If they're interested in the quick arrest, I can direct them to the demon cyclist who shaved past my aged dog at around 20km/h on the pavement yesterday. Unfortunately the damned juvenile laws will probably protect this speed demon; she was about seven. Poor dog's still peering blindly around whuffing "What was that?"

Leroy42

Whether or not the Garda start handing out fines the main result is that drivers will continue to see cyclists passing them, changing lanes, grouping at the lights etc. It also won't do anything for the many cyclists that go out in the evenings or weekend on Howth or Wicklow or wherever.

What many motorists actually want is that cyclists get out of their way and off the road, stop slowing them up.

These new fixed penalty laws will not change that and so unless we see hundreds of cyclists being routinely stopped, a la the recent crackdown on the bus gate at college green for cars, then the perception will remain that the problem with the traffic is too many cyclists

Domane

Leaving aside the legal ramifications, cycling at night on country roads while dressed head to foot in black and with no lights on your bike is bloody stupid. If a driver hit and killed one of these ninjas, he'd have to live with that for the rest of his life. I cycle more than I drive but the selfishness of some cyclists (by putting the onus for their safety on the car driver's awareness) leaves me with no sympathy for those muppets if they do have an accident.

JBokeh

Domane wrote: »

Leaving aside the legal ramifications, cycling at night on country roads while dressed head to foot in black and with no lights on your bike is bloody stupid. If a driver hit and killed one of these ninjas, he'd have to live with that for the rest of his life. I cycle more than I drive but the selfishness of some cyclists (by putting the onus for their safety on the car driver's awareness) leaves me with no sympathy for those muppets if they do have an accident.

I'd be of the same view as yourself, don't see it much this time of year, but when the nights get earlier you'd see a fair amount of lads chancing an evening spin around about the time you'd be wanting to put lights on the bike (Light enough that you can see where you're going, but dark enough that you can see the bike light shining into the ditch and the road) Chances are the car lights will reflect back a glint off some shiny bit of the bike, but you will certainly see them later than if they had lights.

These FPNs were mainly brought in for urban cycling and not weekend roadies out for a spot of exercise, and as with anything brought in for our safety, it is to protect the seriously dumb end of the spectrum. Most people survive jumping a red on a bike, most people survive speeding in the car, the people too stupid to weigh up the risks, or even making sure the coast is clear to go ahead and take the risk. However as with driving the Gards are probably going to take the "shooting fish in a barrel" approach and have a big sting involving lots of undercover cars and vans, placed around a traffic lights at the end of a housing estate controlled by an induction loop, and then start sending out tweets about how many lawless cyclists they're after catching

RainyDay

Leroy42 wrote: »

Whether or not the Garda start handing out fines the main result is that drivers will continue to see cyclists passing them, changing lanes, grouping at the lights etc. It also won't do anything for the many cyclists that go out in the evenings or weekend on Howth or Wicklow or wherever.

What many motorists actually want is that cyclists get out of their way and off the road, stop slowing them up.

Or to be more accurate;

What many motorists actually want is that cyclists get out of their way and off the road, stop slowing them up on their mad rush to the back of the next queue of cars at the next traffic lights.

Zillah

Leroy42 wrote: »

Whether or not the Garda start handing out fines the main result is that drivers will continue to see cyclists passing them, changing lanes, grouping at the lights etc. It also won't do anything for the many cyclists that go out in the evenings or weekend on Howth or Wicklow or wherever.

What many motorists actually want is that cyclists get out of their way and off the road, stop slowing them up.

These new fixed penalty laws will not change that and so unless we see hundreds of cyclists being routinely stopped, a la the recent crackdown on the bus gate at college green for cars, then the perception will remain that the problem with the traffic is too many cyclists

I would love if we could do an experiment where all of the cyclists collectively decided to drive to work one day and see if we still get blamed for traffic.

Also has anyone been fined yet? I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary.

horsebox7

Has anyone any information on the number of court prosecution for cycling offences in dublin? The information is difficult to find.

lennymc

is it today or tomorrow we all get done for everything under the reasonable consideration clause?

tomasrojo

Zillah wrote: »

Also has anyone been fined yet? I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary.

After all that, I forgot today was the start of the FCNs!

horsebox7

Today according to this leaflet given to me at traffic lights by a gard. I don't think I ever seen gards handing ur leaflets to drivers on penalty points before. It may be an attempt to stamp down their authority a little.

check_six

tomasrojo wrote: »

After all that, I forgot today was the start of the FCNs!

Did you forget to get your summons-ible traffic offence spree rampage in yesterday?

Me too!

mjsc1970

About to talk about FPN on Newstalk now

Eamonnator

I was out for a spin on my bike this morning, headed out towards Navan. I was just at Kentstown. There are pedestrian lights, at the school, which is just outside the village. The lights were red for me. There was nobody in sight, so I slowed down and cycled through the lights. Next thing a Gard appears from behind a bush and stops me, he frightened the life out of me. He asked for my name and address, which I gave him. He said he didn't believe me, and asked for identification. I had none. He said, that I had given him a name, which he believed to be false or misleading and that he was confiscating my bike. I asked him how I was supposed to get home(I was about 20Kms from home) He said, that he didn't care. He took my bike, using some force, and threw my bike into the back of his jeep.He told me, that I could collect my vehicle from Navan Guards Station, if I produced proper identification. He told me that I would also have to pay 40 Euro for going through the red light. He fecked off with my bike. I had to ring the wife to come and collect me.
WTF

mjsc1970

Eamonnator wrote: »

I was out for a spin on my bike this morning, headed out towards Navan. I was just at Kentstown. There are pedestrian lights, at the school, which is just outside the village. The lights were red for me. There was nobody in sight, so I slowed down and cycled through the lights. Next thing a Gard appears from behind a bush and stops me, he frightened the life out of me. He asked for my name and address, which I gave him. He said he didn't believe me, and asked for identification. I had none. He said, he said that I had given him a name, which he believed to false or misleading and that he was confiscating my bike. I asked him how I was supposed to get home(I was about 20Kms from home) He said, that he didn't care. He took my bike, using some force, and threw my bike into the back of his jeep.He told me, that I could collect my vehicle from Navan Guards Station, if I produced proper identification. He told me that I would also have to pay 40 Euro for going through the red light.
WTF

Jayyyybus. I pass thru 31 sets of lights in my commute and I didn't see one guard today.
They said on the radio that AGS always had the power to take the bike away if they believed the ID given by the cyclist was false or misleading.

check_six

Eamonnator wrote: »

WTF

Woah! That's pretty extreme!

Did you look particularly shifty? Creeping past an empty school in your cycling gear?

Or is this a well thought out scam? Hmm, might get myself a hi-vis jacket, a hat, and a new bike this afternoon so!

LpPepper

Eamonnator wrote: »

I was out for a spin on my bike this morning, headed out towards Navan. I was just at Kentstown. There are pedestrian lights, at the school, which is just outside the village. The lights were red for me. There was nobody in sight, so I slowed down and cycled through the lights. Next thing a Gard appears from behind a bush and stops me, he frightened the life out of me. He asked for my name and address, which I gave him. He said he didn't believe me, and asked for identification. I had none. He said, he said that I had given him a name, which he believed to false or misleading and that he was confiscating my bike. I asked him how I was supposed to get home(I was about 20Kms from home) He said, that he didn't care. He took my bike, using some force, and threw my bike into the back of his jeep.He told me, that I could collect my vehicle from Navan Guards Station, if I produced proper identification. He told me that I would also have to pay 40 Euro for going through the red light. He fecked off with my bike. I had to ring the wife to come and collect me.
WTF

And so the mess begins, what a joke.

check_six

Supplementary question: Did the "Guard" have his tracksuit trousers tucked into his socks?

mcgratheoin

mjsc1970 wrote: »

Jayyyybus. I pass thru 31 sets of lights in my commute and I didn't see one guard today.
They said on the radio that AGS always had the power to take the bike away if they believed the ID given by the cyclist was false or misleading.

How do AGS arrive at this belief that you're giving false ID? Surely they can't just abandon someone in the middle of nowhere without transportation - what would happen if you got knocked down/hypothermia/lost etc.. Surely AGS would be liable for the consequences?

tomasrojo

Eamonnator wrote: »

I was out for a spin on my bike this morning, headed out towards Navan. I was just at Kentstown. There are pedestrian lights, at the school, which is just outside the village. The lights were red for me. There was nobody in sight, so I slowed down and cycled through the lights. Next thing a Gard appears from behind a bush and stops me, he frightened the life out of me. He asked for my name and address, which I gave him. He said he didn't believe me, and asked for identification. I had none. He said, he said that I had given him a name, which he believed to false or misleading and that he was confiscating my bike. I asked him how I was supposed to get home(I was about 20Kms from home) He said, that he didn't care. He took my bike, using some force, and threw my bike into the back of his jeep.He told me, that I could collect my vehicle from Navan Guards Station, if I produced proper identification. He told me that I would also have to pay 40 Euro for going through the red light. He fecked off with my bike. I had to ring the wife to come and collect me.
WTF

Thought you were joking for a minute, it seemed such a match for some of the more exaggerated predictions made in the run-up to today.

Whatever about the light breaking, which you don't contest, what grounds did he give for disbelieving you?

Sweepstake for first person to be done for not wearing hi-viz and/or helmet by overzealous Garda, misled by their own information leaflet?

Zillah

Eamonnator wrote: »

I was out for a spin on my bike this morning, headed out towards Navan. I was just at Kentstown. There are pedestrian lights, at the school, which is just outside the village. The lights were red for me. There was nobody in sight, so I slowed down and cycled through the lights. Next thing a Gard appears from behind a bush and stops me, he frightened the life out of me. He asked for my name and address, which I gave him. He said he didn't believe me, and asked for identification. I had none. He said, he said that I had given him a name, which he believed to false or misleading and that he was confiscating my bike. I asked him how I was supposed to get home(I was about 20Kms from home) He said, that he didn't care. He took my bike, using some force, and threw my bike into the back of his jeep.He told me, that I could collect my vehicle from Navan Guards Station, if I produced proper identification. He told me that I would also have to pay 40 Euro for going through the red light. He fecked off with my bike. I had to ring the wife to come and collect me.
WTF

what

I thought this was a long-winded joke for a second. Tell the press, they'd gobble this up. Can anyone confirm the bike confiscation thing? On what grounds can they base their suspicion that you're lying? Is it "show ID or lose the bike"?

What a wanker.

tomasrojo

Or for not having red rear spoke reflectors.

check_six

Second supplementary question: did you give him your Boards.ie name, or your "human" name?

check_six

Zillah wrote: »

what

I thought this was a long-winded joke for a second. Tell the press, they'd gobble this up.

Can you imagine the comments from the mouth-breathers on the web version of an article? Hanging's too good for him! Water Charges! Where's my NAMA? etc.

nullzero

Eamonnator wrote: »

I was out for a spin on my bike this morning, headed out towards Navan. I was just at Kentstown. There are pedestrian lights, at the school, which is just outside the village. The lights were red for me. There was nobody in sight, so I slowed down and cycled through the lights. Next thing a Gard appears from behind a bush and stops me, he frightened the life out of me. He asked for my name and address, which I gave him. He said he didn't believe me, and asked for identification. I had none. He said, he said that I had given him a name, which he believed to false or misleading and that he was confiscating my bike. I asked him how I was supposed to get home(I was about 20Kms from home) He said, that he didn't care. He took my bike, using some force, and threw my bike into the back of his jeep.He told me, that I could collect my vehicle from Navan Guards Station, if I produced proper identification. He told me that I would also have to pay 40 Euro for going through the red light. He fecked off with my bike. I had to ring the wife to come and collect me.
WTF

The Rodney King of cyclists. I predict civil unrest as a result of this.

Eamonnator

check_six wrote: »

Second supplementary question: did you give him your Boards.ie name, or your "human" name?

I told him I was the Big Eamonnator.

rp

check_six wrote: »

Second supplementary question: did you give him your Boards.ie name, or your "human" name?

It was very unfortunate to be christened 'Seymour', wasn't it, Mr Butts?

Leroy42

Eamonnator wrote: »

I was out for a spin on my bike this morning, headed out towards Navan. I was just at Kentstown. There are pedestrian lights, at the school, which is just outside the village. The lights were red for me. There was nobody in sight, so I slowed down and cycled through the lights. Next thing a Gard appears from behind a bush and stops me, he frightened the life out of me. He asked for my name and address, which I gave him. He said he didn't believe me, and asked for identification. I had none. He said, he said that I had given him a name, which he believed to false or misleading and that he was confiscating my bike. I asked him how I was supposed to get home(I was about 20Kms from home) He said, that he didn't care. He took my bike, using some force, and threw my bike into the back of his jeep.He told me, that I could collect my vehicle from Navan Guards Station, if I produced proper identification. He told me that I would also have to pay 40 Euro for going through the red light. He fecked off with my bike. I had to ring the wife to come and collect me.
WTF

Once again, the true horror of your parents choice of name comes back to haunt you. PLenty of people of course called Bloggs, but why, why did they need to go with Joe!!!

Of course that only serves to increase the problem of when you moved into the curiously name little cottage. I'm sure the name appeared quant at the time but looking back maybe naming it 'Some Place' which happens to be on Main Street was a mistake

eeeee

Fcukin hell Eamonnator that's ridiculous! And your poor nike I hope they pay for any damage done to it…

That's exactly the kind of situation I was afraid of hearing about. How can you reasonably prove who you are whilst legally going about your business without ID? I can't imagine what he's consider 'reasonable consideration'. Whilst you were wrong to break the light the response is grossly disproportional. :mad: :mad:

Eamonnator

I did point out to him, that it was Friday.

check_six

Eamonnator wrote: »

I told him I was the Big Eamonnator.

Perfectly acceptable. What did he say his name was?
"Uhh... my name? My name is Mister Garda..."