Leave the poor bugger alone

[Oscar Namechange]

Another one dragged through the courts by idiotic police looking for an easy collar.

No doubt he was offered a caution before being dragged through a trial.... well good for him.

It's pensioners on those motorised wheelchair buggies they need to out-law...... they're lethal. How can they weave in and out of pedestrians at 15 mph and yet this man is taken to court?

Rollerblading pensioner is taken to court for 'endangering public' | Mail Online

[OpenMind]

If the old guy is skating past shop doorways, the copper may have a point but otherwise the copper's just going for an easy nick.

How about ruddy cyclists on pavements who seem to think they have more of a right on them than pedestrians. And they whizz past shop doorways. Guess the copper would have to exert himself to catch them.

[Oscar Namechange]

OpenMind;1131765 wrote: If the old guy is skating past shop doorways, the copper may have a point but otherwise the copper's just going for an easy nick.

How about ruddy cyclists on pavements who seem to think they have more of a right on them than pedestrians. And they whizz past shop doorways. Guess the copper would have to exert himself to catch them.


Absolutely right. The first thing i thought on seeing this was 'easy collar'.

I totally agree about bikes.... I have lost count of the amount of times i have had a very near collision on a pavement and they are not all kids.

Good on the guy for taking it to trial and i hope he gets off.

You simply can not have one rule for one and another rule for another. As i said, what about these motorised wheelchair buggies? They get up to speeds of 15 moh on pavements and yet, it's legal.

[OpenMind]

oscar;1131775 wrote: Absolutely right. The first thing i thought on seeing this was 'easy collar'.

I totally agree about bikes.... I have lost count of the amount of times i have had a very near collision on a pavement and they are not all kids.

Good on the guy for taking it to trial and i hope he gets off.

You simply can not have one rule for one and another rule for another. As i said, what about these motorised wheelchair buggies? They get up to speeds of 15 moh on pavements and yet, it's legal.




It would be ridiculous if we have to start introducing speed limits on pavements (max. 5mph in shopping centres). But this is because of the self-centred thoughtless society we've become.

[Oscar Namechange]

OpenMind;1131786 wrote: It would be ridiculous if we have to start introducing speed limits on pavements (max. 5mph in shopping centres). But this is because of the self-centred thoughtless society we've become.


Besides which, when you really delve into how thoughtless our society is, i ask myself how many times have i seen:

Young children running around precincts manically bashing into anyone?

Kids running around supermarkets bashing into elderly folk?

Cars parked up on pavements so mums with buggies have to step in the road?

Wheelie bins left in the middle of pavements so the blind bash into them?

I could go on and on :-5

Typical of our plods....... pick on some poor guy trying to stay fit instead of trying to bring back standards where people pay respect to others in public.

[Amber Sun]

LOL, you guys aren't being fair. The police didn't bother the old man until a complaint was laid. The officer then had to watch him to see if the complaint was justified. Since the man was 'weaving in and out' of pedestrian traffic at what a pedestrian would term 'high speed', the policeman had to speak with him. The same would be done with a car driver weaving in and out of other traffic at high speeds. If the old man wants to stay fit are there no parks in the area for him to skate instead of on crowded streets and flying past shop doorways? You really have to look at both sides of the issue. A complaint was made and it had to be followed up.

Not long ago my nephews g/friend got angry with my half-sister. The g/friend phoned the police and told them my half sister had big guns hidden in the closet, one was a 'bazuka(?)'. Anyway the police didn't believe it because they are acquainted with my half sister her b/friend (and their case of beer), but by law they had to check it out. When the police knocked on her door and asked her if she had a bazuka (?) in the closet I am sure they felt quite foolish. This however was quickly alleviated when my half-sister turned to her b/friend and asked him if there was one in the closet:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl She didn't even know what it was.

The point is that no matter how foolish the complaint is, by law it has to be checked out. I have a real problem with skateboarders. I've seen the idiot using one fall off and the damn skateboard flying through the air. One kid said "well skateboarding isn't illegal". Well, LOL, neither is running around naked, it just depends on where you doing it.



Well, now that I've straightened you out on this I'll say by for now because I have a good book waiting.:-6:-6

[Oscar Namechange]

Amber Sun;1131813 wrote: LOL, you guys aren't being fair. The police didn't bother the old man until a complaint was laid. The officer then had to watch him to see if the complaint was justified. Since the man was 'weaving in and out' of pedestrian traffic at what a pedestrian would term 'high speed', the policeman had to speak with him. The same would be done with a car driver weaving in and out of other traffic at high speeds. If the old man wants to stay fit are there no parks in the area for him to skate instead of on crowded streets and flying past shop doorways? You really have to look at both sides of the issue. A complaint was made and it had to be followed up.

-6:-6


Amber.... you have real police.....we have 'Blunkett's numpty's' to contend with.

we are due for an election in about 18 months time and one of the opposition (:yh_rotfl) pproposal is to get rid of the government text book targets that our police have. These targets stop them from 'Policing' and look for soft targets and our country is sick of it. The Police are under enormous pressure to perform. Most crimes especially first offences don't even get to the courts. It's a quick notch on plod's truncheon and another statistic for his station. It is fact that if a station is under performing, plods will go for the easy option.

We have PSCO's here who are community plod's with no power of arrest. They were brought in as a back up to deal with more trivial matters and arbitrate in disputes such as this. This man should have had arbitration not arrest.

It is damn right hypocritical to allow a motorised buggy that can do 15 mph weaving in and out of small children on pavements and then target this man.

[Amber Sun]

oscar;1131823 wrote: Amber.... you have real police.....we have 'Blunkett's numpty's' to contend with.

we are due for an election in about 18 months time and one of the opposition (:yh_rotfl) pproposal is to get rid of the government text book targets that our police have. These targets stop them from 'Policing' and look for soft targets and our country is sick of it. The Police are under enormous pressure to perform. Most crimes especially first offences don't even get to the courts. It's a quick notch on plod's truncheon and another statistic for his station. It is fact that if a station is under performing, plods will go for the easy option.

We have PSCO's here who are community plod's with no power of arrest. They were brought in as a back up to deal with more trivial matters and arbitrate in disputes such as this. This man should have had arbitration not arrest.

It is damn right hypocritical to allow a motorised buggy that can do 15 mph weaving in and out of small children on pavements and then target this man.


When a journalist prints up a story (they also are under pressure to perform) they basically give the facts, however many times it is not correct. This I know for sure. The article doesn't state whether or not these PSCO's (whatever it stands for) were involved with some sort of arbitration. However it was stated that the man had been talked to and warned. Really Oscar, how would you feel if you and a friend were getting ready to leave a shop with your purchases and as you walked out the door a step or two before your friend this old man speeding along ran into you and sent you and your friend flying off your feet. He no doubt would also be sent flying and at his age would likely sustain some injury to his bones. And what injuries might you sustain because of his reckless behavior? A broken hip or arm perhaps?

I can understand your feeling about the motorized buggies, but from what I have seen of them they can stop instantly on a dime. There doesn't have to be a slow down time. But roller blades can outrun a buggy so there must be a difference in speeds and perhaps even buggies.

[Oscar Namechange]

Amber Sun;1132037 wrote: When a journalist prints up a story (they also are under pressure to perform) they basically give the facts, however many times it is not correct. This I know for sure. The article doesn't state whether or not these PSCO's (whatever it stands for) were involved with some sort of arbitration. However it was stated that the man had been talked to and warned. Really Oscar, how would you feel if you and a friend were getting ready to leave a shop with your purchases and as you walked out the door a step or two before your friend this old man speeding along ran into you and sent you and your friend flying off your feet. He no doubt would also be sent flying and at his age would likely sustain some injury to his bones. And what injuries might you sustain because of his reckless behavior? A broken hip or arm perhaps?

I can understand your feeling about the motorized buggies, but from what I have seen of them they can stop instantly on a dime. There doesn't have to be a slow down time. But roller blades can outrun a buggy so there must be a difference in speeds and perhaps even buggies.


The newspaper this article came from is Britains highest calibre of reporting.

When i look at the picture of the old man rollerblading up the pavement, i do not see pedestrians leaping out of the way or infact, not even that bothered.

A PSCO is a police support community Officer and the title is an exact description of what they should do and one of those things is to deal with incidents like this.

I understand you view point where if i were coming out of a shop and i agree however, there is no evidence to show that the man was a real menace and it's just a case of a grumpy few complaining exactly the same as the police being inundated with complaints about people on bycycles on pavements.

The man is in his seventies and how can any-one prove what speed he does unless the police used a speed gun on him?

We had a craze here of rollerboots and a few years back when they were the 'in' thing, the pavements were full of kids whizzing up and down pavements on them. I don't remember there ever being a case of a prosecution like this before.

It is the hypocricy of our police that i am objecting to. I myself have been cut up on pavements before by kids on bikes and rollerboots even in the dark when they have no lights on their bikes. They get away with it and we never see them coming to court. It is hypocritical to say that this man is worthy of arrest and prosecution when others get away with similar if not worse every day. If our police want to make an example, then pick on the idiots who are regually on bikes on pavements not a man in his 70's.

[Amber Sun]

oscar;1132762 wrote: The newspaper this article came from is Britains highest calibre of reporting.

When i look at the picture of the old man rollerblading up the pavement, i do not see pedestrians leaping out of the way or infact, not even that bothered.

A PSCO is a police support community Officer and the title is an exact description of what they should do and one of those things is to deal with incidents like this.

I understand you view point where if i were coming out of a shop and i agree however, there is no evidence to show that the man was a real menace and it's just a case of a grumpy few complaining exactly the same as the police being inundated with complaints about people on bycycles on pavements.

The man is in his seventies and how can any-one prove what speed he does unless the police used a speed gun on him?

We had a craze here of rollerboots and a few years back when they were the 'in' thing, the pavements were full of kids whizzing up and down pavements on them. I don't remember there ever being a case of a prosecution like this before.

It is the hypocricy of our police that i am objecting to. I myself have been cut up on pavements before by kids on bikes and rollerboots even in the dark when they have no lights on their bikes. They get away with it and we never see them coming to court. It is hypocritical to say that this man is worthy of arrest and prosecution when others get away with similar if not worse every day. If our police want to make an example, then pick on the idiots who are regually on bikes on pavements not a man in his 70's.


We don't have a problem with bikes because for the main part they aren't allowed on sidewalks, if caught the biker can be fined or the bike confiscated. But I certainly wish that all skateboards should be banned in public places. They are far more dangerous to passersby then bikes, motor buggies or roller blades. I have seen a user fall off and the damn thing flying through the area as far as 60-70 meters before coming to a stop.

[Oscar Namechange]

Amber Sun;1132770 wrote: We don't have a problem with bikes because for the main part they aren't allowed on sidewalks, if caught the biker can be fined or the bike confiscated. But I certainly wish that all skateboards should be banned in public places. They are far more dangerous to passersby then bikes, motor buggies or roller blades. I have seen a user fall off and the damn thing flying through the area as far as 60-70 meters before coming to a stop.


Our government invested mega bucks into making cycle paths for bikes and no-one uses them which is the annoying part here. They are now, really, no go area's as your likely to get mugged on them.

I wish our government would take America's stance and ban bikes from pavements. it is illegal to be on a pavement on a bycycle here and this is what i meant by the hypocracy of the police. It's not just kids, all ages use pavements with their bikes and no-one seems to get prosecuted. Any British person who has ever been in rush hour in London will tell you about cyclists and how flaming dangerous they are here yet they get away with it because our police are far too busy to be doing with it.

We had a big craze for skateboards with the kids as well and they were also a nusience however, local councils recognised it and funded proper skateboard parks to keep both the public and the kids safe.

I'll be very interested to see the outcome of this trial.

[OpenMind]

I did my cycling proficiency test at school and I'm appalled by the behaviour of the cyclists, not only on the pavements, but on the roads as well. They are mostly (there are exceptions) very dangerous.

It is barely two years since that guy knocked down and killed that teenage girl on the pavement. He was shouting at the group of teenagers to clear out of the way because he's not stopping. I do not understand the mentality of these cyclists.

[Oscar Namechange]

OpenMind;1133181 wrote: I did my cycling proficiency test at school and I'm appalled by the behaviour of the cyclists, not only on the pavements, but on the roads as well. They are mostly (there are exceptions) very dangerous.

It is barely two years since that guy knocked down and killed that teenage girl on the pavement. He was shouting at the group of teenagers to clear out of the way because he's not stopping. I do not understand the mentality of these cyclists.


I so agree..... The apathy of the police is criminal when it comes to cyclists.

My husband phoned the police one night when there were about 12 kids, two on each bike. It was about half eleven at night, they were on a main roundabout with no lights on their bikes and wearing dark clothing. Cars were narrowly missing them and pubs were turning out.

We got a call from plod a whole three days later to say that the kids were moved on. When he objected that they had no lights etc, plod said 'They are 14 to 15 years old and old enough to look out for themselves'. Exactly a week later one of them did right outside the police station and was hit by a car. By co-incidence, we knew the person who witnessed it. The driver was not speeding and was perfectly legal yet he was arrested as proceedure, breath tested etc etc and was cleared of all blame.

Why should some-one who hits these idiots have their lives ruined because the police won't do bugger all about it?

[OpenMind]

As a boy, I often wondered why great empires declined and now I know. It comes down to the politics in the end.

[Oscar Namechange]

OpenMind;1133291 wrote: As a boy, I often wondered why great empires declined and now I know. It comes down to the politics in the end.


Very true. If we don't address the issue's that some see as minor, we can't solve the bigger puzzle.

And what about bloody horses on the road? :-5:-5:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl

[OpenMind]

oscar;1133293 wrote: Very true. If we don't address the issue's that some see as minor, we can't solve the bigger puzzle.



And what about bloody horses on the road? :-5:-5:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl


I've never objected to horses on the roads as such. They're a reminder that the rest of us lead too fast a life in our cars. Mostly they go along quite orderly.

But I notice they don't pick up the sh1t now which was a legal requirement. I don't know if it still is a legal requirement.

I remember one incident once, though, concerning walkers. this was a country road and they were doing as the country code required, ie. walking facing the traffic. The trouble is that they were right up to a bend (for them, a right hand bend - for me, a left-hand bend). I had no idea they were there. If I'd been a mad lunatic, a few of the vanguard would have been injured at least.

It occurs to me that the country code needs amending to have a couple of advance lookouts on the opposite side to the walkers when coming to blind bends in the road. Either that or they should sound a very loud klaxon as they approach a bend.

Bear in mind that most country roads and lanes have a 50mph speed limit which does not guarantee that the driver is not going faster than this.

[Oscar Namechange]

OpenMind;1133307 wrote: I've never objected to horses on the roads as such. They're a reminder that the rest of us lead too fast a life in our cars. Mostly they go along quite orderly.

But I notice they don't pick up the sh1t now which was a legal requirement. I don't know if it still is a legal requirement.

I remember one incident once, though, concerning walkers. this was a country road and they were doing as the country code required, ie. walking facing the traffic. The trouble is that they were right up to a bend (for them, a right hand bend - for me, a left-hand bend). I had no idea they were there. If I'd been a mad lunatic, a few of the vanguard would have been injured at least.

It occurs to me that the country code needs amending to have a couple of advance lookouts on the opposite side to the walkers when coming to blind bends in the road. Either that or they should sound a very loud klaxon as they approach a bend.

Bear in mind that most country roads and lanes have a 50mph speed limit which does not guarantee that the driver is not going faster than this.


And the damage it would have done to you should you have hit them or a horse was spooked and reared up.

I think it comes down to the rider be it bike or horse. If they are inconsiderate, it doesn't matter what they're on.

I baby sat a Rottwieler while his owners went to the States for three weeks. he had hardly any training in walking to heel and i did some Ceasar Milan moves on him helped by taking a bag of hot dogs out on walks for treats. he was a very difficult dog to control on the lead just out of his brute strength but i handled him well and by the time his owners got back, I'd stopped him from pulling.

Anyway, one evening on a damn cycle path of all places, two horses came towards us taking up all of the cycle path. I got him into the verge as far as i could but the horses just left no room. As they got on top of us, the dog got spooked and reared up. My god, i don't know to this day how i hung on to him. I can't repeat what i said to the riders but i never even got an acknowledgement let alone an apology. The B******s :-5:-5:-5

[Amber Sun]

oscar;1133186 wrote: I so agree..... The apathy of the police is criminal when it comes to cyclists.

My husband phoned the police one night when there were about 12 kids, two on each bike. It was about half eleven at night, they were on a main roundabout with no lights on their bikes and wearing dark clothing. Cars were narrowly missing them and pubs were turning out.

We got a call from plod a whole three days later to say that the kids were moved on. When he objected that they had no lights etc, plod said 'They are 14 to 15 years old and old enough to look out for themselves'. Exactly a week later one of them did right outside the police station and was hit by a car. By co-incidence, we knew the person who witnessed it. The driver was not speeding and was perfectly legal yet he was arrested as proceedure, breath tested etc etc and was cleared of all blame.

Why should some-one who hits these idiots have their lives ruined because the police won't do bugger all about it?


Police aren't babysitters Oscar, where were the parents of these kids?

I was sitting on a bench behind our library one day when 2 police officers where called in by the street patrol because some foul mouthed teens about 14-16 were giving them a hard time. The street patrol had told these brats that they would have to take their skateboards elsewhere as it is city property and signs are posted all over saying no skateboards. Well the 2 officers did come and tried to talk to the kids. One officer told the leader of the bunch to hand over the skateboard. I watched as a slow smile crept across the punks face and then he said to the officer "make me". Now if the police were to handle that juvenile delinquent in any fashion there would be big splashes all over the newspaper about child abuse. The officer didn't make a move. When the rest of the brats seen what was happening they started jeering at the officers saying things like "ok pig, take me by the arm, go ahead, see how fast my parents get you into court". The police could do nothing but walk away in the face of sneers and jeering obscenities. And the skateboarding continued.

I don't know what kind of laws you have in England, but here an adult can't take hold of a young teenager physically. These punks can do anything they damn well please and can get away with it. We even have a law here in Manitoba that says a parent can't spank a child in any manner because social services views that as abuse and can remove the child. I know parents who are scared to smack their child's hand when it simply refuses to listen. Young children will be screaming and kicking on the bus (transit) but the parent has to just sit there along with everyone else, because the parent can't physically take hold of that child and settle it down.

If you have these same laws in England then you know why the police can't do anything. If you don't have these same laws then ask yourself why the police should do the job that parents are supposed to be doing.