critical mass illegal??

[Velouria]

What about the anti-convoy act? You know ... 'if six or more vehicles are travelling with a common purpose, then they are committing an offence'?

 

[Crispy]

It wouldn't be so aggravating to the authorities if it didn't go through red lights en masse (the police treat the whole mass as one vehicle, so if the front goes through green, everything else is allowed to follow)

 

[zenie]

It wouldn't be so aggravating to the authorities if it didn't go through red lights en masse (the police treat the whole mass as one vehicle, so if the front goes through green, everything else is allowed to follow)

Well that's rather silly

 

[Jonti]

Well that's rather silly

It is. It's certainly not how the annual London to Brighton bike ride is managed.

 

[laptop]

FNS plan their route out in advance with the stewards taking a practice run of it beforehand so I think they esacpe the unwanted attention.

Do they ask nicely, too?

I have a feeling that's what this is about -

Nice cop: "if only you asked nicely beforehand, we could work together and make sure it goes off well"

Nasty cop: "show some fucking respect - nothing happens on the street without our say-so"

Subtext to both: "oh fuck - are they going to block Parliament Square or something?"

 

[Sweetpea]

Well that's rather silly

How so? Surely keeping the mass together is good traffic management. I’ve been on big CM’s where allowing the mass to be split would have been counter-productive for all involved.

 

[Sweetpea]

It is. It's certainly not how the annual London to Brighton bike ride is managed.

Oh, what happens? I've not had the chance to participate in the L2B ride. Surely it's not directly comparable, as CM takes place in a highly congested area.

 

[tendril]

innit

 

[detective-boy]

What about the anti-convoy act? You know ... 'if six or more vehicles are travelling with a common purpose, then they are committing an offence'?

Which "law" is that then? Are you sure you're not imagining things?

(I think you are probably thinking of s.61 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, which makes it an offence to trespass on land with the common purpose of residing there, one condition of which is having six or more vehicles on the land ... which is VERY different from Critical Mass)

 

[detective-boy]

Any offences committed by participants (e.g. lighting offences, going through red lights or whatever) would be actionable if it were just "a lot of cyclists all going the same way, because there would be no exemption from normal traffic rules).

On the other hand, if it were to comply with the law and become a procession then the police may well decide to facilitate it's progress as they do with many other processions.

You cannot have it both ways. Informal, comply with usual laws and do not draw attention to yourselves (which rather defeats the object). Formal, comply with the law and negotiate acceptable restrictions.

(It sounds very similar to the old Custom Car rally which took place in Chelsea once a month years ago - eventually they took the piss to the point where it was causing so much hassle for everyone else they got policed out of existence (or, at least, sent off to the wastelands which are Battersea Park ))

 

[Velouria]

Which "law" is that then? Are you sure you're not imagining things?

(I think you are probably thinking of s.61 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, which makes it an offence to trespass on land with the common purpose of residing there, one condition of which is having six or more vehicles on the land ... which is VERY different from Critical Mass)

Ah right, thanks. I thouht it was the Public Order Act 1986 ... designed to stop the Peace Convoy? But then I couldn't find any hard proof of it, so you're probably right

 

[corporate whore]

Any offences committed by participants (e.g. lighting offences, going through red lights or whatever) would be actionable if it were just "a lot of cyclists all going the same way, because there would be no exemption from normal traffic rules).

On the other hand, if it were to comply with the law and become a procession then the police may well decide to facilitate it's progress as they do with many other processions.

But it's just recently that the attitude of the police toward CM has shifted. It was allowed to be 'just a bunch of cyclists going the same way,' and the police would look out for the safety of participants as priority.

It's not as if CM takes up a whole lot of police resources - maybe 6 cyclists and a motorbike outrider - but the Met no longer seems willing to provide this public safety role, even though they must know there's no way of stopping a bunch of people cycling round town of a Friday evening.

Anyway - anyone go yesterday?

 

[detective-boy]

Ah right, thanks. I thouht it was the Public Order Act 1986 ... designed to stop the Peace Convoy? But then I couldn't find any hard proof of it, so you're probably right

There was stuff about processions in there which is still operative but it doesn't include anything specific about six vehicles. I don't remember any other specific offences either.

 

[detective-boy]

But it's just recently that the attitude of the police toward CM has shifted. It was allowed to be 'just a bunch of cyclists going the same way,' and the police would look out for the safety of participants as priority.

I suspect it's primarily a communication issue.

There are aspects of liability should anything go wrong. If the police have approved the procession then they will have some liability. If they have not then they may be asked why did you allow it to go ahead?

It sounds like it is being perceived that the police want to stop it, when they probably want to regularise it so that it can be formally approved. Unfortunately, in our ever-increasingly litigiuos society the police have less and less opportunity to "turn a blind eye" to things like this. And the lawyers, insurance companies and other "no win, no fee" sharks circle constantly looking for easy pickings and the police / taxpayer funds are a very attractive potential snack!