Operation Close Pass

[Syd]

It seems South Worcestershire Police’s Operation Close Pass will not be taking place after a health and safety assessment has determined the risk is too great to their officers!

https://twitter.com/suptbrighton/status ... 10592?s=21

Supt Step Brighton later says her own Tweet has been “taken out of context”. Will be interesting to read the full explanation if it ever surfaces.

[thirdcrank]

News about the police doing nothing about close overtaking is up there with questions about the Pope's religious affiliations and the habits of bears.

It will stay like that until it's easier to do something about it than to answer the protests about doing nothing.

[greyingbeard]

I was overtaken very closely by a van the other day, I leaned over onto the kerb, just about stayed on the bike. Its frightening. And dangerous. People are sometimes killed like this. Many are put off cycling for life. Sometimes the traffic is too dense and fast to take a central position and force them to slow down.

"Bloody cyclists shouldnt be on the roads should be on the pavement.......yeah yeah sunshine just wait till theres a cut in fuel supply and you cant go hooning around......"

[Jdsk]

Jonathan

[thirdcrank]

It looks as though the protests have led to a change of tweet. More, much more of the same may see some action.

[philg]

Slightly relevant post

For the first time in the years I've had a camera on the handlebars I used it in anger yesterday afternoon.

Approaching my village I was shaved by a Ford Focus squeezing through a 'gap' between me and an oncoming transit van who just managed to swerve into the hedge and may have lost his door mirror.

Reported the incident with video uploads to Avon & Somerset police - less then 24 hours later I received this email

Result!

Mr Gxxxxx
Thank you for taking the time to upload your footage which has now been processed (a warning letter or a fixed penalty or a prosecution has been issued). Thank you for helping to keep our roads safe.
I can confirm that as you are a witness to this offence, you will not receive any further updates.

Michael Bxxxx
Team Supervisor
Central Ticket Office

[thirdcrank]

...
Thank you for taking the time to upload your footage which has now been processed (a warning letter or a fixed penalty or a prosecution has been issued). Thank you for helping to keep our roads safe.
I can confirm that as you are a witness to this offence, you will not receive any further updates. ...

I can see that's an all-purpose letter but am I alone in seeing a contradiction within it?

[Cyril Haearn]

The solution

images-8.jpeg (8.63 KiB) Viewed 794 times

[fastpedaller]

What happened to the old 'reflector on a stick' (sorry - I can't remember the correct name), as they always seemed a good idea.
Last week I was on my bike approaching 2 slower cyclists, when a car overtook me (no problem) and then disregarding the 40 yards between me and the other 2, he overtook with a car approaching. Fortunately the car coming the other way saw the danger and braked hard, otherwise the 2 may have been squashed! before anyone asks.... they were riding single file as well.

[Pete Owens]

What happened to the old 'reflector on a stick'

Problem with the reflectors on stocks is that the sticks were rather less than 1.5m long.

[greyingbeard]

images-8.jpeg

I like it.

Got to be a few of you to do that, safety in numbers, alone some lout will take exception to it

[Jdsk]

What happened to the old 'reflector on a stick' (sorry - I can't remember the correct name), as they always seemed a good idea.

Good question.

We called them "Swedish lollipops" and used them a lot in the 80s and 90s. I came across some in the garage at the weekend.

IIRC the swivel mounts broke and I never replaced them... certainly can't remember an active decision to stop.

Jonathan

[tatanab]

We called them "Swedish lollipops" and used them a lot in the 80s and 90s.

I remember them. I never saw anybody other than utility riders using them, and very very few at that.

[fastpedaller]

We called them "Swedish lollipops" and used them a lot in the 80s and 90s.

I remember them. I never saw anybody other than utility riders using them, and very very few at that.

I've never used one, but if they 'add width' say 50cm, then (hopefully) another vehicle will give an extra 50cm?

[Jdsk]

There were some measurements of that effect. A long time before Walker's observations.

Jonathan