VERY IMPORTANT POLICE NOTICE - EVERYONE PLEASE READ

[John the old'un]

[quote="marco"].
I think the main thing from this is PC Cox wants people to write to him to let him know their concerns -
The club through Andrew has rightly done what has been asked - ie the message has been put ou

What we now know though is we can email or write to PC Cox whenever we see a driver use excessive speed, cross the white line while waiting at a junction, fail to give enough space when passing etc.
I wholeheartedly recommend we take him up on his offer and aid the police by regularly providing them with this valuable information.

[Tony]

Why not invite him along to a club-run on his bike? He could then make first-hand observations of both cyclists and car-drivers behaviour and, of course, he could take the opportunity to demonstrate how to ride properly on public highway.

[Dombo]

We'd have to tell him to go easy on the Proficiency Test hand signals though. I rode behind a bicycle copper once - anyone alongside him would get smacked in the face every time he indicated he was pulling out to avoid a pothole or parked car.

[kieran]

from the website he has asked for any concerns regarding the olympic cycling events and probably meant to be over concerns of road closure, access to premises etc, but it would seem many just whinge on about cyclists in general. Bombarding mole valley police with whinges from cyclists probably would not really help them have (whatever) sympathy (they have) for cylists?

I do feel sorry for the police, having to respond to general complaints from residents/drivers, probably due to political pressure etc, just imagine having to deal with paedophiles, child neglect, domestic violence, drug smuggling, human traffickings, rape etc and then have to listen and seem to sympathise with the complaints about cyclists from busybodies.

[Amy]

Have we any members of the police riding with us? The Midweek section of the SW London DA have a couple and it's very useful. One incident reported to me by my Dad a few years back now was about how some overexcited motorist threatened to call the police out for their inconsiderate behaviour (probably riding two abreast and holding him up) only for one of the riders to tell him that he was a policeman - exit motorist

Mind you, I agree with Kieran, that a number of people (not just police) treat people on bikes like they are not human... Copper tried to blame my Mum's accident on her by saying her headset was loose as he swung the handlebars back and forth - ummm, they're supposed to do that and if the headset IS loose maybe being hit by a car and then bouncing off the road didn't help??? A car driver had flung open her door without looking and quite literally caught the tip of my mother's left hand/handlebars (which showed she was at the correct distance out from the car bar a millimetre or two...). Fortunately a motorist coming the other way was absolutely wonderful and more than happy to witness the fact that it was the fault of the woman car driver.

Oh, got a book called Talking Blues and it's full of quotes from police about policing and their view of things - one of them does say that cars are practically a legitimate murder weapon...

[Dombo]

[quote="Amy"] ...cars are practically a legitimate murder weapon...

[McTaffy]

You should try NFS:Hot Pursuit where using the car as a weapon is a must, but thankfully no cyclists to take out in the battle.

My 2 video cameras are in the post so I will have some evidence soon. We just need to decide if anything is worth sending in.

[Phil H]

I have mixed feelings about helmet cams. When you see some of the footage on EweChoob, it's almost like the people with helmet cams go out of their way to get "good" footage. Or, in other words, people who go looking for trouble often find it.

Mind you, there have been some prosecutions based upon footage. Without evidence or witnesses you're normally stuffed when bringing a complaint against a driver.

[Bo-Gilly]

I'm thinking of getting a helmet cam so that I can send Pc Cox hours of footage for him to look at. I might also bombard him with phone calls and emails every time someone upsets me when I'm out cycling.

Mind you, I'm also thinking of not getting traumatised by a letter sent by a copper and getting just on with my life and riding my bike.

........it's a difficult one

[McTaffy]

I don't plan to look for trouble, just want to enjoy the ride some more, especially when I have no idea where I am or so knackered climbing the hill all i see is the 2 metres of tarmac ahead. But also nice to have the insurance just in case.

[Amy]

Two cameras??? I'd need 3 considering how close some cars have been this year - I'd need one pointing down on my right-hand side so it can show how close I have been to getting into the passenger seat

[Andrew G]

[quote="Bo-Gilly"][Mind you, I'm also thinking of not getting traumatised by a letter sent by a copper and getting just on with my life and riding my bike.

........it's a difficult one

[Snoop Doug]

Just curious....given all the comment generated by this letter from the police, did anyone actually get in touch with the PC and attempt to engage in any dialogue? If so - what was the result please?

Cheers - Snoop

[John the old'un]

[quote="Snoop Doug"]Just curious....given all the comment generated by this letter from the police, did anyone actually get in touch with the PC and attempt to engage in any dialogue? If so - what was the result please?

Cheers - Snoop

[Dombo]

I thought all policemen or WPCs were PCs, ie Police Constables, hence his boss would be the Chief Constable of Surrey.
Perhaps if we have any coppers in the club they can enlighten us.