Cycling UK Forum

Sometimes I feel, I wouldn't give a **** if I were arrested: at least it'd make for a change of lifestyle.

The nearest we came to it, I suppose, was being stopped by the doorman at Tesco's, because there were two of us. We pleaded that we were cyclists and needed two bikes to carry the shopping. He let us in, but warned us that the one-person rule would be enforced in the future. I suppose it's a 'necessary evil', but it'll force a change in habit which has lasted ever since we got married, nearly 40 years ago. One of us will have to wait outside, I suppose.

Sometimes I despair that this grievous situation will ever end - or at least, ever end while I'm still alive. Succumbing to Covid or anything else almost seems like a welcome option...

In normal times, the traffic around here is very heavy, although I think a lot of it is on some sort of balancing act: there's not much between jammed solid and moving fairly freely. I see queues which would have attracted tv cameras a few years ago which now go unremarked. School holidays make a big reduction and things like petrol price hikes have had an effect. A couple of years ago fuel was IIRC in the £1-50 a litre bracket during the Summer hols and traffic was much lighter.

My unscientific measure is the length of the queues I pass on my morning walk to the newsagent. In normal times it's either stationary or moving at little more than walking speed. I don't remember it being anything like that during the pandemic and - bearing in mind it's 30mph emerging from a heavily traffic-calmed 20mph, a lot of drivers are literally foot-down, accelerating as hard as they can, in the absence of the usual traffic.

Audax67 wrote:During our last lockdown I heard of at least one idiot getting 6 months in jail for repeatedly flouting the regulations.

Our next lockdown will probably be announced tomorrow.

In France I guess ? In the UK the legislation is summary only so you can't be locked up. My guess is that if you fail to pay your fine, itt goes to court and you fail to pay again then eventually you might do jail time further down the line.

Unfortunately our legislation is full of loopholes. I've just had a two day debate elsewhere with a Barrister who assures me there is absolutely nothing to stop anyone travelling the length of the country to exercise and that many of the fines issued for these trips are actually unlawful.

Went to the local COOP last week for some essentials and there were a group of yoofs having there names and addresses taken by the local plod. One saving grace I suppose, is that they were all on bicycles. By all accounts, a local builder was charged with assault for battering another yoof in said same COOP a few days earlier, who apparently was breathing down his neck without a mask on.

ossie wrote:

Audax67 wrote:During our last lockdown I heard of at least one idiot getting 6 months in jail for repeatedly flouting the regulations.

Our next lockdown will probably be announced tomorrow.

In France I guess ? In the UK the legislation is summary only so you can't be locked up. My guess is that if you fail to pay your fine, itt goes to court and you fail to pay again then eventually you might do jail time further down the line.

Unfortunately our legislation is full of loopholes. I've just had a two day debate elsewhere with a Barrister who assures me there is absolutely nothing to stop anyone travelling the length of the country to exercise and that many of the fines issued for these trips are actually unlawful.

There's nothing to stop a suspect being arrested for a summary offence. eg a failure to give name and address can book a trip to the nearest police station. Otherwise, the enforcement of all summary offences would depend on the agreement of the suspect, which was indeed the case formerly, for those summary offences which didn't have a specific power of arrest. FWIW, without reading your exchange with your learned friend, I fancy they are right. See the debate elsewhere on the forum about the law -vs- the "rules."

661-Pete wrote:Sometimes I feel, I wouldn't give a **** if I were arrested: at least it'd make for a change of lifestyle.

The nearest we came to it, I suppose, was being stopped by the doorman at Tesco's, because there were two of us. We pleaded that we were cyclists and needed two bikes to carry the shopping. He let us in, but warned us that the one-person rule would be enforced in the future. I suppose it's a 'necessary evil', but it'll force a change in habit which has lasted ever since we got married, nearly 40 years ago. One of us will have to wait outside, I suppose.

Sometimes I despair that this grievous situation will ever end - or at least, ever end while I'm still alive. Succumbing to Covid or anything else almost seems like a welcome option...

I'm bored silly.
Chucking it down out there, and been foggy and dank all day.
Mrs Mick F is away in a bubble, the dog is fast asleep, and I'm bored .............

We went shopping at the weekend and there was a sign on the door at Lidl's suggesting politely, that one person only. Mrs Mick F went in, and I followed on a few minutes later. We had a shopping list, and we met back up again at the check-out.

The world is changing. This situation won't end quickly or even soon and when it does end, it won't be the end. We will never go back to the way things were and whole generations of younger people will be scarred for life. It's ok (except for the boredom) for we older people perhaps.

If the weather was nice, I'd be out cycling .......... but where too? Just going round in circles?
It's bad enough walking the dog ....... up the same roads, along the same river paths, and back home again. When (if?) the pubs open again, he and I will at least have an aim ........ walk to a pub, dog bikkies for him and a couple of pints for me, then home via a different route. Meanwhile we'd have socialised, chatted, got the local gossip, met friends, had tummy tickles (the dog, not me!) and had a reasonable time.

I'm bored, it's chucking it down, the pubs are shut and I'm bored.

thirdcrank wrote:
There's nothing to stop a suspect being arrested for a summary offence. eg a failure to give name and address can book a trip to the nearest police station. Otherwise, the enforcement of all summary offences would depend on the agreement of the suspect, which was indeed the case formerly, for those summary offences which didn't have a specific power of arrest. FWIW, without reading your exchange with your learned friend, I fancy they are right. See the debate elsewhere on the forum about the law -vs- the "rules."

Yes, aware of that (I used to be job) however was referring to Audax saying someone got six months, so was talking about jail time for breaching the legislation (something that can't happen here but clearly can in France). I should have made the ' locked up' point clearer I guess.

Mick F wrote:[
I'm bored, it's chucking it down, the pubs are shut and I'm bored.

Same here, its bloody soul destroying. I have been doing a massive amount of walking lately. There isn't a street , path, alleyway, wood, park in a three mile radius that me and the dog haven't explored... numerous times.

To make things worse the very stressy daughter is back at home having been furloughed, the better half is taking enforced annual leave and the weather is totally shocking.

Sorry: I took locked up = arrested, probably with the thread title in mind.

To be thread to needle, I think it's correct to say that this bit of legislation is punishable by fine only, so the only way to to get sent down would be for non-payment. (Without wanting to labour the point, there are summary offences which may attract imprisonment.)

thirdcrank wrote: FWIW, without reading your exchange with your learned friend, I fancy they are right. See the debate elsewhere on the forum about the law -vs- the "rules."

Best not read it, it didn't end well for me Although he was probably correct, it was simply his condescending attitude and manner. Suddenly I was back in Crown Court getting cross examined by Rumpole of the Bailey and drilled about my alleged lack of knowledge of basic law (which was quite amusing )...

thirdcrank wrote:Sorry: I took locked up = arrested, probably with the thread title in mind.

To be thread to needle, I think it's correct to say that this bit of legislation is punishable by fine only, so the only way to to get sent down would be for non-payment. (Without wanting to labour the point, there are summary offences which may attract imprisonment.)

No worries, as I said I should have been clearer. I also really should let it go having been out for nearly a decade but its good to have the old grey matter tested every now and then.

Twenty three years since I retired.

On the subject of our learned friends and lockdown, there was an opinion piece in the Daily Telegraph by Baron Sumption recently, behind a paywall.

https://wiki2.org/en/Jonathan_Sumption,_Lord_Sumption

A top learned friend if ever there was. But he's retired too, at least from the Supreme Court.

The first part of his piece said pretty much same as I've said on here. In short that the police should enforce only the law, not government advice etc.

He then went on to give his own views on lockdowns in pandemics (he's not in favour) which seem to go way beyond his expertise as a lawyer and historian: ie he's not medically qualified. What makes this worse for me is that on appointment to the Supreme Court he was given a life peerage. Now, he's an unelected member of the legislature - House of Lords. At least, all I do in retirement is waffle on social media.

Went to the local COOP last week for some essentials and their were a group of yoofs having there names and addresses taken by the local plod. One saving grace I suppose, is that they were all on bicycles. By all accounts, a local builder was charged with assault for battering another yoof in said same COOP a few days earlier, who apparently was breathing down his neck without a mask on.

Sorry for the double post yet again I was endeavouring to correct a typo. I am starting to think it's an age thing.

thirdcrank wrote: ............ At least, all I do in retirement is waffle on social media.

There we all are eh?