guard stopping for no lights on bike

radiat

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?

(i'm not suggesting it's okay not to have lights)

Darkglasses

Never heard of it happening before, great initiative.

kincsem

Is it a first to see a guard on the quays?

Bluefoam

Is it a first to see a cyclist without lights?

patrick151

never seen it myself, but a friend of mine got pulled in, along with another cyclist, on Dawson street back in april for having no lights

Lusk Doyle

patrick151 wrote: »

never seen it myself, but a friend of mine got pulled in, along with another cyclist, on Dawson street back in april for having no lights

Proper order.

-Chris-

There seems to be a general clamp down at the moment.

europa11

Presumably the soon to be martyred one was cycling on the footpath as per the Sacred Code of The Two Wheels Good, Four Wheels Bad Order.


Lights on bikes!!!...what will they think of next?

Ellis Dee

How times have changed! When I was a teenager reading the court reports in the local rag (the Carlow Nationalist), at least half of them were about people, names and addresses stated, up before the district court and being fined five or ten shillings for not having a light on their bike.:):)

Wishbone Ash

Ellis Dee wrote: »

How times have changed! When I was a teenager reading the court reports in the local rag (the Carlow Nationalist), at least half of them were about people, names and addresses stated, up before the district court and being fined five or ten shillings for not having a light on their bike.:):)

When a child in the 1970s I got a warning from a Garda about being out at night without a light. I wouldn't have had any access to money then but I suppose my parents should have ensured I had one.

Jawgap

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?

(i'm not suggesting it's okay not to have lights)

The cyclist should've been dealing drugs - they seem to leave those guys alone on the Quays!

tayto lover

Why complain about a Garda stopping for an unlit bike? These are very dangerous and a car hitting an unlit bike can have very serious consequences for both the cyclist and car driver. It is no better or worse than an unlit car.

Wishbone Ash

tayto lover wrote: »

Why complain about a Garda stopping for an unlit bike?

Who's complaining?

cantalach

Speaking of no lights...

As I was walking out home along the Douglas Road last Saturday night around 2:30AM, I was passed by a female cyclist with no lights. My attention was drawn initially as she approached from behind because she was being raucously catcalled and cheered by a few lads from a passing taxi. Their interest was piqued not by the fact that she had no lights but by the fact that she had no skirt (literally). The taxi driver had unkindly slowed down to facilitate their fun and the bould lass was giving as good as she got in terms of abuse. The whole incident was so bizarre that 1-2 minutes later I was wondering "did I just imagine that?" (No, no funny stuff at all had been consumed on my part but I did have about 5x Beamish, 2x G&T, and 3x V&RB).

happytramp

I always thought that a two week blitz of fines for cycling infringements would go along way towards stamping out dangerous cycling practices.

For example, If Gardai spent a couple weeks fining people for breaking red lights (by my approximation about 60-70% of the cyclists in Dublin) There would be a couple of weeks of moaning by the public possibly followed by a general acceptance that if you break red lights you get in trouble. I'm sure their are many problems with this approach but something about it appeals to the fascist totalitarian in me!

Beasty

happytramp wrote: »

For example, If Gardai spent a couple weeks fining people for breaking red lights (by my approximation about 60-70% of the cyclists in Dublin) There would be a couple of weeks of moaning by the public possibly followed by a general acceptance that if you break red lights you get in trouble. I'm sure their are many problems with this approach but something about it appeals to the fascist totalitarian in me!

It's been done - you must have missed this thread last month;)

Jawgap

tayto lover wrote: »

Why complain about a Garda stopping for an unlit bike? These are very dangerous and a car hitting an unlit bike can have very serious consequences for both the cyclist and car driver. It is no better or worse than an unlit car.

Who's complaining?

The only point I was making (perhaps not very well) is that east of O'Connell Bridge as far as Matt Talbot Bridge there are much worse things going on and if a Guard is out in that neck of the woods and the worst he can find is a cyclist with no lights, then it must be really dark - or the dealers have gone home because of the cold.

On the general principle of ninja cycling, I'm all for a bit of enforcement - the real barrier to it though is the absence of a mechanism whereby Guards can dish out fix penalty notices for this and other cycling related offences as opposed to clogging the court up with what are, in the overall scheme of things, relatively trivial offences.

If the punishment was more proportionate in terms of application and time needed to administer it, there'd be more enforcement and a better level of compliance. There will never be absolute compliance though, thankfully:)

Surveyor11

-Chris- wrote: »

There seems to be a general clamp down at the moment.

It's instead of Operation Freeflow.:rolleyes:

Chips Lovell

I lived in that area for years. There isn't such a non-stop orgy of crime going on there that the cops don't have a minute to enforce road traffic law.

studiorat

ah! glorious days!

"Where would ye be going without a light on yer bike!"

Delboy007

cantalach wrote: »

Speaking of no lights...

As I was walking out home along the Douglas Road last Saturday night around 2:30AM, I was passed by a female cyclist with no lights. My attention was drawn initially as she approached from behind because she was being raucously catcalled and cheered by a few lads from a passing taxi. Their interest was piqued not by the fact that she had no lights but by the fact that she had no skirt (literally). The taxi driver had unkindly slowed down to facilitate their fun and the bould lass was giving as good as she got in terms of abuse. The whole incident was so bizarre that 1-2 minutes later I was wondering "did I just imagine that?" (No, no funny stuff at all had been consumed on my part but I did have about 5x Beamish, 2x G&T, and 3x V&RB).

Some thing like this happened to me on Cork steet D8, but this time the female had no cloth on at all, could not belive my eyes,

Mycroft H

Yep a mate of mine got pulled on baggot street without a front light on his bicycle. Got fined 20 euros.

manwithaplan

cantalach wrote: »

Their interest was piqued not by the fact that she had no lights but by the fact that she had no skirt (literally).

How do you know she had no skirt on? She might have had no trousers on.

Trevor451

Can you still be fined/prosecuted if you have no lights on your bike even though you are cycling in daylight?

Beasty

Trevor451 wrote: »

Can you still be fined/prosecuted if you have no lights on your bike even though you are cycling in daylight?

No

Morlar

I know cyclists will hate this but I think the Gardaí should confiscate on the spot any bike without lights after dark. The cyclist to pay for removal and storage and return. Any uncollected bikes should be made roadworthy then auctioned off.

monument

Morlar wrote: »

I know cyclists will hate this but I think the Gardaí should confiscate on the spot any bike without lights after dark. The cyclist to pay for removal and storage and return. Any uncollected bikes should be made roadworthy then auctioned off.

You'd be surprised how many cyclists would agree with you.

cantalach

manwithaplan wrote: »

How do you know she had no skirt on? She might have had no trousers on.

You know, when I wrote that, I thought "I bet somebody will comment on the skirt vs trousers"

manwithaplan

cantalach wrote: »

You know, when I wrote that, I thought "I bet somebody will comment on the skirt vs trousers"

Glad not to disappoint

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

patwicklow

Did he ask to see your tax and insurance?

carthoris

patwicklow wrote: »

Did he ask to see your road tax and insurance and helmut?

FYP

Fatbiker

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

patwicklow wrote: »

Did he ask to see your tax and insurance?

BostonB

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

Sacred_git

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

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

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

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

What illogical is trying to apply logic to judges.

Vikings

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

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

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

Is the high-visibility jacket a requirement now?

Beasty

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

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.