Is tis a wee bit OTT?

[Aaldtimer]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/s...nd/8148763.stm

[tonkatojo]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/s...nd/8148763.stm

Yes it is !.

[Mik.M.]

Police doing their job,fighting crime and keeping the public safe! (i`m being sarcastic)

[hotrod4]

Theres following the letter of the law and then theres some discretion.
If one of the officers had been cycling for Charity would he expect to be fined?
A bit of Empathy and taking the "crime" into context is what is needed for the guy, not points and a fine.
Hope Northern Constabulary arent waiting to pounce on this poor chap!!!

[rob1]

Errr. No. Bicycles arn't allowed on the motorway. The reason for this is that they are a danger to themselves and to other road users even if they are on the hard sholder. Perhaps he sould have invested in a pocket road map rather than an expensive satnav that clearly is not up to the job. Good call police.

[porshiepoo]

That's just ridiculous!
I fail to see how they can give a cyclist points on a driving licence anyway - he was not committing a motoring offence.
What would they have done if he'd not had a driving licence???? Bizarre!

Maybes these particular coppers were in a bad mood. I understand the need to get the cyclist off the motorway but I'm sure once the guy had explained the situation they could have helped him back on his way without any fines or points.

Let's hope he has the points (at least) reversed and the coppers are shamed into seeing that they themselves could have been a bit more charitable in this instance.

[tonkatojo]

That's just ridiculous!
I fail to see how they can give a cyclist points on a driving licence anyway - he was not committing a motoring offence.
What would they have done if he'd not had a driving licence???? Bizarre!

Maybes these particular coppers were in a bad mood. I understand the need to get the cyclist off the motorway but I'm sure once the guy had explained the situation they could have helped him back on his way without any fines or points.

Let's hope he has the points (at least) reversed and the coppers are shamed into seeing that they themselves could have been a bit more charitable in this instance.

That's the problem, bad moods head aches etc and the fact the are taught to be robotic in their manner and talk, they lost their human side when they enlisted. Not always but 99.9%.

[porshiepoo]

That's the problem, bad moods head aches etc and the fact the are taught to be robotic in their manner and talk, they lost their human side when they enlisted. Not always but 99.9%.

I have a brother in the Police force so I do sympathize with the police.
They must get so pee'd off with people taking the mick and get so many requests of "can't you make an exception this once?"
However I do think that these particular coppers may have taking this too far.

As for being Robotic in their manner - I guess that could happen to even the most mild mannered of people after just a few months of doing what a copper has to do.
99% of the time their work is dangerous, unforgiving, thankless and crappy pay to boot (especially with what they're expected to do in return).
Thankfully there are some people who are able to put that aside and do a job that they feel is worthwhile regardless of the attitudes they usually come across.
I don't think they lose their human side when they enlist but I do think they learn that their human side can make them vulnerable in their job and as such they learn to hide it. Sadly!
Basic survival instincts I guess.

I do hope this guy gets a reprieve though and it doesn't do anything to mar his enjoyment of a noble bike ride.

[Kevin Milkins]

What a complete pair of plonkers. It's no wonder that there is a greater divide growing between the police and the public.

If they had this guy in the car for thirty minutes then they would have had plenty of time to establish the facts and act accordingly and a telling off with a £5-00 donation to his charity would have gone a lot further in helping the police establish a better image.

It makes my bloud boil to see drivers as easy targets for the police and if my house got burgled it would take a week for them to come and have look.

[Aaldtimer]

Thankfully they have come to their senses! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/...nd/8149629.stm

[Mik.M.]

Thankfully they have come to their senses! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/...nd/8149629.stm

Hooray, common sense prevails. Kevin and Hotrod had the right ideas.

[tonkatojo]

I have a brother in the Police force so I do sympathize with the police.
They must get so pee'd off with people taking the mick and get so many requests of "can't you make an exception this once?"
However I do think that these particular coppers may have taking this too far.

As for being Robotic in their manner - I guess that could happen to even the most mild mannered of people after just a few months of doing what a copper has to do.
99% of the time their work is dangerous, unforgiving, thankless and crappy pay to boot (especially with what they're expected to do in return).
Thankfully there are some people who are able to put that aside and do a job that they feel is worthwhile regardless of the attitudes they usually come across.
I don't think they lose their human side when they enlist but I do think they learn that their human side can make them vulnerable in their job and as such they learn to hide it. Sadly!
Basic survival instincts I guess.

I do hope this guy gets a reprieve though and it doesn't do anything to mar his enjoyment of a noble bike ride.

"crappy pay" £22104.00 - £34707 for a constable is certainly not crappy.

[golach]

"crappy pay" £22104.00 - £34707 for a constable is certainly not crappy.

I think your decimal point has slipped ever so slightly for a constable

http://www.police-information.co.uk/...htm#constables

[tonkatojo]

I think your decimal point has slipped ever so slightly for a constable

http://www.police-information.co.uk/...htm#constables

£22104.00p - £34707.00p or twenty two thousand one hundred and four pounds zero pence - thirty four thousand seven hundred and seven pounds zero pence.

going off your link, with pay rises the next two year.

[golach]

£22104.00p - £34707.00p or twenty two thousand one hundred and four pounds zero pence - thirty four thousand seven hundred and seven pounds zero pence.

going off your link, with pay rises the next two year.

I do apologise, I cleaned my screen, and I stand corrected, not very good wages for shift work and weekend work though

[tonkatojo]

I do apologise, I cleaned my screen, and I stand corrected, not very good wages for shift work and weekend work though

Accepted , I would agree in high crime areas, but the likes of Caithness, come off it.

[porshiepoo]

"crappy pay" £22104.00 - £34707 for a constable is certainly not crappy.

Hmmmm, depends how you look at it.
As someone with a brother in the police force that puts his life on the life literally every day then I say it's crappy pay.

If something happens to my brother do you think us or his wife and kids will think that £500 a week was a decent enough price for his life???

Don't get me wrong, it's a no win situation, it would be impossible to state an amount that anyone with forces family would say is a decent trade for the risk they take or the loss of life.
For me what makes it worse is that there is no respect or gratitude from the majority of people for what the police force actually do.
Yes, they signed up for the job and knew what they were getting into and yes, there are coppers who are obnoxious, up themselves and general prats but it seems as though the mistakes of a handful of police officers is laid at the foot of the entire police force.
In general it seems that many people believe the entire police force is made up of those obnoxious few. The heroes and the ones that just want to protect and serve are in the majority but we choose to focus on the numpties instead.

[tonkatojo]

Hmmmm, depends how you look at it.
As someone with a brother in the police force that puts his life on the life literally every day then I say it's crappy pay.

If something happens to my brother do you think us or his wife and kids will think that £500 a week was a decent enough price for his life???

Don't get me wrong, it's a no win situation, it would be impossible to state an amount that anyone with forces family would say is a decent trade for the risk they take or the loss of life.
For me what makes it worse is that there is no respect or gratitude from the majority of people for what the police force actually do.
Yes, they signed up for the job and knew what they were getting into and yes, there are coppers who are obnoxious, up themselves and general prats but it seems as though the mistakes of a handful of police officers is laid at the foot of the entire police force.
In general it seems that many people believe the entire police force is made up of those obnoxious few. The heroes and the ones that just want to protect and serve are in the majority but we choose to focus on the numpties instead.

whilst a lot of what you say is right, where I dont agree is why their lives are more important than any one else, they are not the only one that have a hard time some time,most people in their jobs or walk of life dont have it cushy either. £500 pound a week is a small fortune to most folk working in dangerous jobs,take mine it was an apprenticeship for £1 2 shillings and 11 pence per week when I started, not £22104 per anum minimum and my job was no piece of cake either. what value do you put on my life ?. or any one else?.
And thats without the huge pension they are entitled to on retirement at what age 45-50 or something like it !.

[Alice in Blunderland]

there are coppers who are obnoxious, up themselves and general prats but it seems as though the mistakes of a handful of police officers is laid at the foot of the entire police force.

There are these sorts of people in all walks of life not just the police force.

Its the sad case of the minority spoiling it for the majority.

[Kodiak]

"crappy pay" £22104.00 - £34707 for a constable is certainly not crappy.

I agree, as I believe that a Private's Salary in the Army is only £16,227 and they put their lives on the line far more than any Policeman.

Getting back to this thread, the police have now said :-

"The matter is now closed and the force wishes Mr Barton a safe and successful conclusion to the remainder of his charity cycle".