Aren’t fixies with brakes ok? I thought removing the brakes was a hipster thing to try to look cooler
fixt
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I blame the parents.
VB
my bad, word missing was ‘allegedly’…
The point I was trying to make, badly, was that asserting that sentences should be higher or lower based on press-opinion, post-rationalised, emotive views of the cyclist, victim or consequences of the accident are not a good basis for judging the appropriateness of sentencing.
This chap has been convicted for the consequences of not fitting a front brake - illegal and stupid but not premeditated or malevolent, hence the manslaughter charge was dropped. His post-accident comments on social media and in court persuaded the judge that he has not shown remorse and this also seems to have been reflected in the sentencing - the maximum for this offence is two years, so on the basis of what is visible he has had a degree of leniency, but not that much.
To those who say the sentencing should have been much longer, that seems to argue that cyclists (and I presume all road users) should be responsible for all the consequences of their errors or omissions. This would represent a shift to a harsher system – for example no driver has received the maximum 14 year sentence for dangerous driving since the law was introduced in 2004, most receiving much lower or suspended sentences. So it seems that courts do consider actions and consequences separately, which I tend to agree with in principle. If the law is to change I would like it to apply evenly to all road users and cyclists should not be singled out.
Cases of cyclists killing pedestrians are however extremely rare and this appears to have been a freak accident, so it seems to me that you would only need to reconfigure statute for cyclists if the law was inadequate in dealing with a widespread problem people being injured or killed by cyclists driving dangerously. And that doesn’t seem to be the case, despite what some parts of the press would have us believe.
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I’ll take my car on the roads and not fit the front brakes, I’m sure the courts will be as lenient with me as they have been with him.
Sometimes justice needs to be seen to be fair, in this respect the law does need to change wrt cyclists so they can be treated equally with other road users and not rely on some ancient law, which by dint of luck remained on the statue book, to secure some justice… The fact they don’t cause many deaths or injuries is immaterial I hope her husband’s campaign is successful.
If memory serves, one of the core principles of the British legal system is that “Justice be done, and justice be seen to be done”. Without the latter part you get an erosion of faith in the legal system, which can be very dangerous.
With regards to the three cases, to comment one at minimum needs to have read the judgements that the judges have put forward; they are usually free from the sensationalism of the press and actually present all the salient facts of the case. Personally, I don’t have time to do it with these three, but it’s what needs to happen to have a reasonable discussion.
I was only making the point that some laws that apply to drivers do not apply to cyclists, that is for Parliament to fix rather than the legal system. The legal system is bound by existing law so reading the full court notes is a bit of a busted flush in that respect.
Interesting to read the Judge’s summation of the Alliston cycling collision case.
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It’s an interesting read. Clearly being an utter cock is what really did for him.
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Fucking hell. There’s a bike that can give me the power to cycle faster than before? Shut up and take my money
‘I was entitled to go on’
Enough said right there.
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The second order effect of this case and the cunt’s behaviour that really grips me is the effect that he and his like have on people’s view of other cyclists, even those who don’t behave like that.
I’ve commuted in Bristol for a number of years and covered long distances on the road to raise money for charity.
I don’t go through red lights, I keep my bike in good shape with brakes that work, I’m not aggressive towards other road users, and I’m still ashamed to be identified as having the same hobby as this lowlife.
Clearer laws and more active policing of cyclists will be needed as numbers increase; hopefully this case will lead to some improvements…
Bristol cycle commuter here too. I used to work by Temple Meads, and I changed my route into the centre to avoid other cyclists on the Gloucester Road. Some much selfish fuckwittery abounds.
I now work out of town and commute mostly on cycle paths. Only this morning I had to take evasive action as an eejit coming in the opposite direction decided to overtake on a blind bend. Two-wheeled fuck nugget.
I gave up commuting because of those reasons.
Gloucester road is atrocious, the tour d’ fuckyou.
2 knocks offs where the car didn’t even bother to stop, thats enough for me.
There are some very militant cyclists in and around Oxford. Their attitude to others stinks. Jumping read lights is common, and when some do decide to stop they race away thinking they’re a car sitting in the middle of the road preventing traffic from passing when the council has provided cycle lanes ffs.
He’s quite a pretty boy, he should have a “good time” in prison…
Saved to the fap bank for the next riverbank session?
…and then you get this kind of stuff. Country’s going to the dogs.