guard stopping for no lights on bike

Fatbiker · 19-12-2011 10:41am

manwithaplan wrote: »

Glad not to disappoint

One of these days I'll manage to have a genuinely original thought!

Ah! Now I get it. Doh!

I was yanked off my bike outside the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum at about 1.00am in 1978, as I had no lights on my bike and in my befuddled state, I tried to cycle past him. Alas, the instructions to the legs were diluted by several southern comforts and I made a slow motion escape effort! He just stepped off the path and grabbed me. Got a stern ticking off!:D

Sacred_git · 19-12-2011 2:06pm

i got done about 10 years ago for having no lights, on a very quiet road in Phibsboro, got fined 100 pound, i wouldnt mind but the dude up before me smashed a van window and robbed the contents, whilst obviously getting caught in the act, he gets fined 60 pound - like wtf, im still baffled at the judges thinking to this day!:mad:

Beasty · 19-12-2011 2:24pm

Sacred_git wrote: »

im still baffled at the judges thinking to this day!:mad:

It's obviously stuck with you ever since. Did you learn your lesson?;)

manwithaplan · 19-12-2011 3:14pm

Beasty wrote: »

It's obviously stuck with you ever since. Did you learn your lesson?;)

Might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb?

rab!dmonkey · 19-12-2011 10:00pm

Beasty wrote: »

It's obviously stuck with you ever since. Did you learn your lesson?;)

The judgement against the thief has probably stuck with him ever since. I wonder if he learnt his lesson?

Beasty · 19-12-2011 10:11pm

rab!dmonkey wrote: »

The judgement against the thief has probably stuck with him ever since. I wonder if he learnt his lesson?

The point I was alluding to was the judge may well have taken the view that a large fine would act as a deterrent in the cyclimg case, whereas he may have been dealing with a serial offender in the theft case, and any amount of fine may not have prevented re-offending. Of course this is entirely speculation on my part, but it may well be that the judge's judgement could have been spot-on. Perhaps if he'd been fined a tenner the message might not have got through.

As I said, pure speculation on my part, as I am not in possession of the facts;)

saa · 19-12-2011 10:18pm

Lights on bikes what a great idea, I want an alarm for mine,
so if anyone robs it an alarm goes off and then explodes.
and then the thief dies, lesson learnt.

Captain Havoc · 19-12-2011 10:29pm

patwicklow wrote: »

Did he ask to see your tax and insurance?

BostonB · 20-12-2011 3:20am

Pretty shocking that a cop enforcing the law is such a novelty.

Sacred_git · 20-12-2011 10:10am

Beasty wrote: »

It's obviously stuck with you ever since. Did you learn your lesson?;)

oh please, how do 2 people thank you for this statement, DELUSIONAL!

Sacred_git · 20-12-2011 10:12am

Beasty wrote: »

The point I was alluding to was the judge may well have taken the view that a large fine would act as a deterrent in the cyclimg case, whereas he may have been dealing with a serial offender in the theft case, and any amount of fine may not have prevented re-offending. Of course this is entirely speculation on my part, but it may well be that the judge's judgement could have been spot-on. Perhaps if he'd been fined a tenner the message might not have got through.

As I said, pure speculation on my part, as I am not in possession of the facts;)

how would the message not of got through, taking a half day from work and sitting in a courtroom for an hour with a load of knackers! I hate people like you, go watch Turbidy!

Lumen · 20-12-2011 10:25am

Sacred_git wrote: »

how would the message not of got through, taking a half day from work and sitting in a courtroom for an hour with a load of knackers! I hate people like you, go watch Turbidy!

Not have got through.

Jawgap · 20-12-2011 11:09am

Sacred_git wrote: »

i got done about 10 years ago for having no lights, on a very quiet road in Phibsboro, got fined 100 pound, i wouldnt mind but the dude up before me smashed a van window and robbed the contents, whilst obviously getting caught in the act, he gets fined 60 pound - like wtf, im still baffled at the judges thinking to this day as to why I didn't buy a cheap set of lights and keep them on my bike !:mad:

FYP for you there chief:)

BostonB · 20-12-2011 11:37am

What illogical is trying to apply logic to judges.

Vikings · 21-12-2011 7:21pm

I've seen hefty fines dished out by judges for cycling with no lights and/or cycling through red lights. (Most of the time they go hand in hand, one draws attention to the other) For example a number of cyclists received a €75 fine per offence for no rear lamp, no front lamp and cycling through a red light. €225. How much does it cost to buy 2 decent lights and obey traffic lights?

And that was for the people who turned up. Those who didn't received twice the fine. I know of a certain division in dublin where if a cyclist is stopped with no lights they are to produce the bicycle with fully functioning lights the following weekend. Failing that then they get a summons. Part of the reason this is not more strictly enforced (imo) is because there is no fixed penalty for gardaí to issue to a cyclist on the side of the road for this, it must be a summons to court.

RacoonQueen · 29-12-2011 1:35am

Can the guards actually summons you to court for having no lights?

My brother was stopped yesterday, twice, by the same group of guards(some sort of check point) for no lights or hi-viz. First guard let him go(and offered him a hi-viz jacket) as he explained he does have hi-viz and lights at home but didn't realise he'd be that late leaving work etc etc

Second guard a few metres up the road asked him to produce ID, asked for his name and address and said if he didn't give them he'd confiscate the bike.

Dawn Rider · 29-12-2011 2:19am

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Can the guards actually summons you to court for having no lights?

Second guard a few metres up the road asked him to produce ID, asked for his name and address and said if he didn't give them he'd confiscate the bike.

Yes they can "By force if necessary". They'd only do that if you don't give your details, and try act the maggot.

I'll have a root around for the S.I. and get back.

monkeypants · 29-12-2011 10:23am

Is the high-visibility jacket a requirement now?

Beasty · 29-12-2011 10:41am

monkeypants wrote: »

Is the high-visibility jacket a requirement now?

No, but it sounds like the cyclist in question may have got away with no lights if they had hi-viz (possibly being given a verbal warning rather than having their personal details taken, with the possibility of a court summons to follow)

dubmess · 29-12-2011 2:46pm

I was stopped at a checkpoint a few years back and the garda threatened to summons me for having no reflectors on my pedals (spd's) and no bell. True story. It didn't help when I laughed in his face.

The only summons I actually received (this includes over 10 years of being the Boards-boogieman bike courier) was cycling home from the cinema one night through Rialto. I had previously been chased through the roundabout there by some guys in a stolen car...
It was 11pm and an unmarked car with 5 men in it did 2 laps of the roundabout. Fearing another chase by scumbags I boldly dashed through the red light at the pedestrian crossing. Wouldn't you know it I was pulled further up the road by said car which it turned out was 5 garda. Amazed they had nothing better to do in Rialto than announce themselves as police to a cyclist.

2 months later appeared in court, had to go in the dock and defend myself. Amazingly the garda showed up, looking somewhat embarrassed at being there. I received a €70 fine, reduced to €50 when it arrived in the post.
I learned no lesson, except that the whole day was a waste of my time and taxpayers money.

RacoonQueen · 29-12-2011 6:04pm

Beasty wrote: »

No, but it sounds like the cyclist in question may have got away with no lights if they had hi-viz (possibly being given a verbal warning rather than having their personal details taken, with the possibility of a court summons to follow)

Second guard sounded a bit of a arse to be honest. Told him he looked like he'd done drugs before, then asked him if he was under the influence and other various insulting comments. My brother can be very aggressive so his attitude probably didn't help him much... :rolleyes:

BostonB · 29-12-2011 6:11pm

dubmess wrote: »

I was stopped at a checkpoint a few years back and the garda threatened to summons me for having no reflectors on my pedals (spd's) and no bell. True story. It didn't help when I laughed in his face....

I could be wrong but I think reflectors and a bell are a legal requirement.

Dawn Rider · 29-12-2011 8:53pm

BostonB wrote: »

I could be wrong but I think reflectors and a bell are a legal requirement.

Not sure about the pedal reflectors but, a red one at the back and a white one at the front are required. As is the bell...

Dawn Rider wrote: »

Yes they can "By force if necessary". They'd only do that if you don't give your details, and try act the maggot.

Here's the S.I.
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1961/en/act/pub/0024/sec0108.html#sec108

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Can the guards actually summons you to court for having no lights?

My brother was stopped yesterday, twice, by the same group of guards(some sort of check point) for no lights or hi-viz. First guard let him go(and offered him a hi-viz jacket) as he explained he does have hi-viz and lights at home but didn't realise he'd be that late leaving work etc etc

Second guard a few metres up the road asked him to produce ID, asked for his name and address and said if he didn't give them he'd confiscate the bike.

DublinWriter · 29-12-2011 8:58pm

radiat wrote: »

there was a guard on the quays at the IFSC today and he stopped a bike because he had no lights. Is this a first?

My folks were married in 1969 and managed to get their picture in the Evening Press. On the page under their photograph is a small story about a guy who was fined 12 shillings for not having lights on his bicycle.

So there we go...successful arrest AND prosecution in 1969!

tomasrojo · 29-12-2011 9:05pm

Dawn Rider wrote: »

Not sure about the pedal reflectors but, a red one at the back and a white one at the front are required. As is the bell...

No white one required at the front.

The bell, I think, is required for bikes not constructed for racing or something like that. All a bit of a dead letter. Virtually no-one will be taken to court for not having pedal reflectors or a bell.

On the other hand, pedal reflectors are reasonably effective; down low in the path of dipped lights and in bio-motion. More effective than you might think for their size.

seve65 · 29-12-2011 9:41pm

www.drivingschoolireland.com/pedal-cyclist.html

lol and lol again

, remember you can take your hands off the handlebars to signal !

Mycroft H · 29-12-2011 10:21pm

tomasrojo wrote: »

No white one required at the front.

The bell, I think, is required for bikes not constructed for racing or something like that. All a bit of a dead letter. Virtually no-one will be taken to court for not having pedal reflectors or a bell.

On the other hand, pedal reflectors are reasonably effective; down low in the path of dipped lights and in bio-motion. More effective than you might think for their size.

The road traffic act seems to think differently

PART IV. OBLIGATORY LIGHTING OF OTHER CLASSES OF VEHICLES.

Pedal cycles.

29. (1) Every pedal cycle shall at all times while ridden, or wheeled by a person on foot, in a public place during lighting-up hours be equipped with and, subject to sub-article (2) of this article, show duly lit a front lamp complying with the provisions of sub-article (3) of this article and a rear lamp complying with the provisions of sub-article (4) of this article...................

........................

(3) A front lamp fitted to a cycle shall—

(a) when lit, show to the front of the cycle a white or yellow light visible during lighting-up hours for a reasonable distance,

www.irishstatutebook.ie/1963/en/si/0189.html#zzsi189y1963a22

tomasrojo · 29-12-2011 10:56pm

The "white one" I was referring to was a reflector.

-Chris- · 29-12-2011 11:06pm

Are bicycles "adapted for racing" not exempt from the reflector requirement?

tomasrojo · 29-12-2011 11:11pm

-Chris- wrote: »

Are bicycles "adapted for racing" not exempt from the reflector requirement?

They are exempted from the bell requirement anyway.

93. (1) Every pedal cycle (other than a cycle constructed or adapted for use as a racing cycle) while used in a public place shall be fitted with an audible warning device consisting of a bell capable of being heard at a reasonable distance, and no other type of audible warning instrument shall be fitted to a pedal cycle while used in a public place.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1963/en/si/0190.html

EDIT: and reflectors, as well (sort of)

Defence in case of racing vehicles.

53. Where a person is charged with a contravention in the day time of articles 9, 22, 29 and 33 of these Regulations, it shall be a good defence to show that the vehicle was primarily constructed or adapted for the purpose of racing or trials and was either being used for such purpose or was travelling to or from the venue of a race or trial in which the vehicle had taken part or was intended to take part.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1963/en/si/0189.html#zzsi189y1963a9

Article 22 is Obligatory lighting (cycles and invalid carriages).
Article 29 is OBLIGATORY LIGHTING OF OTHER CLASSES OF VEHICLES, as BX 19 quoted above.
Article 33 is Obligatory rear reflectors.

guard stopping for no lights on bike

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