Heavy police presence foils dastardly bicyclists
Discussion
I was wandering up Bond Street just after midday, and saw a crowd of Reclaim the Streets bicyclists up ahead. I've seen them around town a few times before, and usually they'll be moving slowly but not blocking traffic. It looks to be an excellent form of passive protesting and after all, someone on a bicycle is hardly threatening, are they?
Obviously, someone in authority was concerned that these evildoers could be . . erm, well, I'm not entirely sure what they thought a group of 50 bicyclists could do that would merit following them with:
- 5 police on bicycles
- at least 10 (count 'em) bike cops
- Jam sandwich with two officers
- Van with several officers wearing body armour
Now, this struck me as being so completely excessive and disproportionate to the level of policing I've seen for any other event, I started to query whether the stories we've been hearing about the Americans dictating security might just be true.
Not the best PR exercise you've ever carried out, guys.
Obviously, someone in authority was concerned that these evildoers could be . . erm, well, I'm not entirely sure what they thought a group of 50 bicyclists could do that would merit following them with:
- 5 police on bicycles
- at least 10 (count 'em) bike cops
- Jam sandwich with two officers
- Van with several officers wearing body armour
Now, this struck me as being so completely excessive and disproportionate to the level of policing I've seen for any other event, I started to query whether the stories we've been hearing about the Americans dictating security might just be true.
Not the best PR exercise you've ever carried out, guys.
There's a lot of so called "intelligence" being touted by the press that there are a load of slightly less desireable people planning on hijacking peaceful protests whilst Shrub's in town. If there is some truth in this then it's possible that the high viz policing was to dissuade anyone from joining in.
Then again I could just be too trusting of the Police.
Then again I could just be too trusting of the Police.
[quote=whoozit]
It looks to be an excellent form of passive protesting and after all, someone on a bicycle is hardly threatening, are they?
[quote=whoozit]
Excellent really , you think so do you
[quote=whoozit]
Obviously, someone in authority was concerned that these evildoers could be . . erm, well, I'm not entirely sure what they thought a group of 50 bicyclists could do that would merit following them with:
[quote=whoozit]
Err they could enrage tax paying motorists who actually have a job to get to - from
[quote=whoozit]
It looks to be an excellent form of passive protesting and after all, someone on a bicycle is hardly threatening, are they?
[quote=whoozit]
Excellent really , you think so do you
[quote=whoozit]
Obviously, someone in authority was concerned that these evildoers could be . . erm, well, I'm not entirely sure what they thought a group of 50 bicyclists could do that would merit following them with:
[quote=whoozit]
Err they could enrage tax paying motorists who actually have a job to get to - from
[quote=whoozit]
whoozit said:On this occasion they may not have been, because they're protesting against Dubya. But cars are their usual target (why do you think they're called 'Reclaim the Streets'?), in which case they don't hesitate to obstruct the traffic. Bunch of selfish lentilist to55ers who don't care if other people have got jobs to get to and lives to live, just because they haven't. I'm surprised to see them getting sympathy on PH, of all places!
usually they'll be moving slowly but not blocking traffic
DrSeuss said:
(why do you think they're called 'Reclaim the Streets'?), in which case they don't hesitate to obstruct the traffic. Bunch of selfish lentilist to55ers who don't care if other people have got jobs to get to and lives to live, just because they haven't. I'm surprised to see them getting sympathy on PH, of all places!
Me too, bunch of unwashed unworking lentil chewing
peopleHave you looked into the RTS mob? Their mission seems to be to turn streets into pedestrian only zones, hence the name. It seems that what they do is temporarily block the street for a couple of minutes (just have a bunch of pedestrians hanging around getting in the way of traffic), while this is going on another bigger mob set up obstacles in the street that permanently blocks it. For example setting up a street party with a few hundred people who spend all day there. They are carefully briefed what to say when the police turn up and apparently it is extremely difficult to get rid of them once they're dug in. I even seem to remember reading on their website how they completely blocked one motorway long enough to plant some trees in the middle of the carriageway - which seems a little hard to believe but possible I guess.
The sad thing is these people are a minority yet they are allowed to screw up business and peoples day. And worse they then get elected to councils and then screw it up further. I had to go into Bristol today, normally I travel from just outside Bristol to Southampton daily. It takes an hour and half to do 100 miles, 13 miles today took longer. Why? The answer was that the council has turned the roads red with Bus lanes everywhere, dual carrigways now have two person lanes, and guess what no one in them,but the single ocupancy lane qued miles, saw one bus, empty.Bristol is run by car hating idiots who have succeded where the Germans failed to bring the City to its knees. They wondered why Bristol did not get the city of culture award, the answer is probably the judges gave up trying to drive in and went home. When we all have bikes and have no jobs to go to on them the council will be happy.
spaximus said:
The answer was that the council has turned the roads red with Bus lanes everywhere, dual carrigways now have two person lanes, and guess what no one in them,but the single ocupancy lane qued miles, saw one bus, empty.Bristol is run by car hating idiots who have succeded where the Germans failed to bring the City to its knees. They wondered why Bristol did not get the city of culture award, the answer is probably the judges gave up trying to drive in and went home. When we all have bikes and have no jobs to go to on them the council will be happy.
And, on top of that, they want to take over the M32 and put a bus lane in, thereby reducing it to a single carriageway each way.
And they are thinking about introducing congestion charging. The congestion, of course, is caused by the fu
ing bus lanes in the first place, but the Council don't let logic get in the way of political dogma 
Don't forget the local elections in May .....
spaximus said:
The sad thing is these people are a minority yet they are allowed to screw up business and peoples day. And worse they then get elected to councils and then screw it up further. I had to go into Bristol today, normally I travel from just outside Bristol to Southampton daily. It takes an hour and half to do 100 miles, 13 miles today took longer. Why? The answer was that the council has turned the roads red with Bus lanes everywhere, dual carrigways now have two person lanes, and guess what no one in them,but the single ocupancy lane qued miles, saw one bus, empty.Bristol is run by car hating idiots who have succeded where the Germans failed to bring the City to its knees. They wondered why Bristol did not get the city of culture award, the answer is probably the judges gave up trying to drive in and went home. When we all have bikes and have no jobs to go to on them the council will be happy.
Have you tried cycling in Bristol??... not advised unless you love hillclimbing!
spaximus said:
Why? The answer was that the council has turned the roads red with Bus lanes everywhere,
Just like they have done all over London, taken busy 2 lane roads and doubbled the jam waiting time by making one of them a red bus lane! And then they say that cars cause polution? Hardly supprising if they half the amount of roads!
Sadly, i have had to Police this abortion for the past 2 years and if you dont mind me saying its a right old pain in the arse.
Firstly, the majority of these demonstrators (in the loosest of terms), are out to cause trouble in any way that they can. They ride along attempting to cause maximum disruption and we that are meant to be Policing it do not, (as i suspect that they dont either), have a clue where they are going next.
How they are allowed to do this is beyond belief.
Ive seen some nasty things going on by the minority and sadly it takes a lot of manpower to stop them grinding the Capital to a complete and utter hault.
Once they have had their 'fun', they set off in splinter groups and if they are not followed by the Police, they simply sit down in the road without due regard for anyone or anything. Often, members of the public get the complete arse with them and again it all turns ugly.
Hopefully, they will not be allowed to do this next year and we can concentrate on what we do best.
As i left work tonight, there was sadly another Fatal on the A1........miles of tailbacks and not many Trafpols to deal with it......priorities eh?
Firstly, the majority of these demonstrators (in the loosest of terms), are out to cause trouble in any way that they can. They ride along attempting to cause maximum disruption and we that are meant to be Policing it do not, (as i suspect that they dont either), have a clue where they are going next.
How they are allowed to do this is beyond belief.
Ive seen some nasty things going on by the minority and sadly it takes a lot of manpower to stop them grinding the Capital to a complete and utter hault.
Once they have had their 'fun', they set off in splinter groups and if they are not followed by the Police, they simply sit down in the road without due regard for anyone or anything. Often, members of the public get the complete arse with them and again it all turns ugly.
Hopefully, they will not be allowed to do this next year and we can concentrate on what we do best.
As i left work tonight, there was sadly another Fatal on the A1........miles of tailbacks and not many Trafpols to deal with it......priorities eh?
whoozit said:
I was wandering up Bond Street just after midday, and saw a crowd of Reclaim the Streets bicyclists up ahead. I've seen them around town a few times before, and usually they'll be moving slowly but not blocking traffic. It looks to be an excellent form of passive protesting and after all, someone on a bicycle is hardly threatening, are they?
Obviously, someone in authority was concerned that these evildoers could be . . erm, well, I'm not entirely sure what they thought a group of 50 bicyclists could do that would merit following them with:
- 5 police on bicycles
- at least 10 (count 'em) bike cops
- Jam sandwich with two officers
- Van with several officers wearing body armour
Now, this struck me as being so completely excessive and disproportionate to the level of policing I've seen for any other event, I started to query whether the stories we've been hearing about the Americans dictating security might just be true.
Not the best PR exercise you've ever carried out, guys.
I would also like to point out that sadly, you only saw a splinter group...the rest were all over the place
tonyrec said:
As i left work tonight, there was sadly another Fatal on the A1........miles of tailbacks and not many Trafpols to deal with it......priorities eh?
I never meant to disagree with the fact that a bicycle mob is a pain in the arse. Just that it's less of a pain in the arse than the severe diversion of assets from normal policing duties. After all, there aren't that many bike cops in London. Having 10 of them controlling one small group would have made a material dent in resources for the rest of the capital. Multiply that by the number of other security-type operations that must have been going on at the same time and it becomes difficult to understand how that level of presence was justified - particularly as I've seen similar bicycle activist events that were much larger and had far fewer police attending. As you said, priorities were a little skewed. Who set those priorities?
I think any protest is going to get a major police response at the moment, had a load of fraggles outside the Greek tourism office in Conduit St (presumably protesting about the limited cuisine and amount of cockroach-on-wall docu-soaps about Faliraki) at the weekend,
There were about 10 crusties + 1 manky dog on knotted string Vs 4 Riot vans full of coppers!
Thing is, it's only a short, doughnut fuelled trot from Saville Row nick.
Pi55ed myselflaughing when one bloke tried to get everyone chanting but no-one could be arsed, was a bit like the Spike Milligan scene in 'Life of Brian'.
Dave
Edited for froidian slip'Geek tourism office' indeed!
>> Edited by DJFish on Thursday 20th November 08:39
There were about 10 crusties + 1 manky dog on knotted string Vs 4 Riot vans full of coppers!
Thing is, it's only a short, doughnut fuelled trot from Saville Row nick.
Pi55ed myselflaughing when one bloke tried to get everyone chanting but no-one could be arsed, was a bit like the Spike Milligan scene in 'Life of Brian'.
Dave
Edited for froidian slip'Geek tourism office' indeed!
>> Edited by DJFish on Thursday 20th November 08:39
I was at that fatal on the A1 last night. It was unfortunately a double. Motorcyclist and a pedestrian. As I surveyed the scene it just struck me how pointless it was. The bodies were removed whilst I was sorting out traffic chaos, when I walked back up the A1 to survey the scene, it just hit me how sad it all was. I stood and looked at the motorcyclists crash helmet and rucksack left lying on the floor beside the medi packs and needles left by the paramedics, the position of his body had been marked only with an F and an H. All that remained of the pedestrian was his boot and a large amount of blood now pooling in the road.
The motorcycle was approximately 150 metres further up the road in a hedge.....my Traffic Garage has now dealt with 11 fatal accidents in 15 days. I reckon that alone is good enough reason to have more traffic Police.
The motorcycle was approximately 150 metres further up the road in a hedge.....my Traffic Garage has now dealt with 11 fatal accidents in 15 days. I reckon that alone is good enough reason to have more traffic Police.
tonyrec said:
Sadly, i have had to Police this abortion for the past 2 years and if you dont mind me saying its a right old pain in the arse.
Firstly, the majority of these demonstrators (in the loosest of terms), are out to cause trouble in any way that they can. They ride along attempting to cause maximum disruption and we that are meant to be Policing it do not, (as i suspect that they dont either), have a clue where they are going next.
How they are allowed to do this is beyond belief.
Ive seen some nasty things going on by the minority and sadly it takes a lot of manpower to stop them grinding the Capital to a complete and utter hault.
Once they have had their 'fun', they set off in splinter groups and if they are not followed by the Police, they simply sit down in the road without due regard for anyone or anything. Often, members of the public get the complete arse with them and again it all turns ugly.
Hopefully, they will not be allowed to do this next year and we can concentrate on what we do best.
As i left work tonight, there was sadly another Fatal on the A1........miles of tailbacks and not many Trafpols to deal with it......priorities eh?
CS gas or pepper spray would move the sh1tes!!!
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