Clarion down!

[tonycollinet]

Then harassing them, then sitting on them in preparation for arresting them, and fining them for causing "harassment, alarm and distress" in public.

         Italian student tells of arrest while filming for fun |
            UK news |
            The Guardian
   

The PCSO seems a bit cocky - would be nice if he'd taken his chewing gum out when talking to a member of the public - but it's hard to feel much sympathy for her. If she had been a little more courteous from the outset then I imagine the PCSO would have said 'fine' and walked on.  Just my opinion (stands by for flame throwers).

You dont' arrest someone for failing to provide information that they are not required by law to provide. We don't live in a police state (or at least we didn't)

[Redlight]

I agree, Tony,  that the subsequent events appear to be heavy-handed but my point was that had a bit more civility on both parts would probably have prevented things getting out of control. Do we live in a police state? No, in my opinion, but there is some sloppily-drafted legislation that could be abused. Perhaps it was in this case (I'm hedging my words because I know only what is in that bit of film) but I don't think the lady helped herself with her response to what started out as a perfectly reasonable question.

[Gandalf]

Surely if a building is 'iconic' then people are more inclined to take photographs. 

Him belatedly bringing up the alleged cycling offence just sounded like a rearguard action.

[tonycollinet]

He was a class 1 tosser.

Sure - she could have been a little more co-operative. But the police are trained (or at least paid) to deal with the public in the correct way. That was simply heavy handed bullying.

[Gandalf]

He was a class 1 tosser.

Sure - she could have been a little more co-operative. But the police are trained (or at least paid) to deal with the public in the correct way. That was simply heavy handed bullying.

Yebbut he wasn't a policeman, just a pretend one with delusions of grandeur 

[clarion]

Just thought I'd mention that it's been a week I've been waiting for a callback.

I guess the Met were too busy to deal with an attempted murder because they were inundated with more important stuff...

[clarion]

Never got that callback, unsurprisingly.  I did get a letter saying they'd investigated, and there were no CCTV cameras nearby. Eh?  That one on a stick, then, that just for show?

They CBA.



Meeeeeanwhile, however, Merton Council have got their tardy arses in gear and removed the no cycling sign at the mouth of Manship Road.  Took them seven months, but they did it.  And they've filled in the unlit massive dip in the cycle path.  And fenced off (temporarily) where people were driving across the cyclepath onto the grass, breaking the path and destroying the park, just so they could park their cars.