Is the Justice system a joke ?

[Observer II]

I've always thought that riding a bike on the pavement was illegal ?    However, the case of the female pedestrian, who waved a female cyclist off the pavement into collision with a car, and subsequent death; has resulted in her imprisonment.  What do you think ?

[Bill]

As it stands now, I think the woman was in the wrong as it’s not her place to try and enforce a questionable minor law.

As I see, it there are loads of minor laws in this country that the police don’t really enforce. They’d no doubt claim that they just don’t have the time to stop such people and do all the required paperwork, especially while the real criminals are out there.

In the case of riding on the pavement, it’s an out of date “law” brought about when there were more pedestrians than cars and made absolute sense at that time. These days though, I’d choose to ride on the pavement if the roads were busy and the pavements empty and I’d expect not to be thrown under a bus by a member of the public because I didn’t have a bell, or my back light wasn’t working.

 

Bill 😊

[Evil Sid]

not knowing the details make it hard to comment on this.

cyclists should not use the footpath according to the highway code.

cyclist must take care when using a shared route and give pedestrians priority according to the highway code.

there is a hierarchy in the highway code that was introduced in 2022. those most at risk from injury are at the top, so pedestrians, then it is cyclists and other such road users,

basically the more potential for causing harm the lower down the pecking order so HGV's buses and the like are at the bottom.

the onus of care is taken to be the responsibility of the vehicle that can cause the most harm.

the big problem is that not everybody has read the highway code since they passed their driving test which in my case would be about 47 years back give or take a year.

[Observer II]

Looking at the CCTV,  she didn't touch the victim, merely called to her and gestured.   I think prison in these circumstances is rather severe. What next, prison for killing someone in the act of burgling your home ?     

[Evil Sid]

that being the case obs then either cyclist was at fault or the driver of the other vehicle or bot. The cyclist as they did not have to veer off the footpath just slow down or even stop. that way they could have had a proper slanging match with nothing hurt but sensibilities.

merely calling out to somebody and gesturing is not grounds for a prison sentence or other fine.

if that was so then approximately 75% of drivers would be done at some time, especially at traffic lights.....👆

[Bill]

I’m sure the woman in question didn’t mean to cause a death, and the sentence does seem harsh but none the less, her actions were chosen and deliberate and that’s how the courts would see it.

She saw the other old lady approaching but made no effort to move, and instead started swearing and waving her arms out forcing the cyclist into the road and path of the oncoming vehicle. The fact that she didn’t touch the other lady is irrelevant.

She may have though that she had every right do this, but like road rage, it can’t be justified, and if it leads to a death, then it’s man slaughter.

 

Bill 😊