Help UK law and unicycle

Off-topic
1

Hello

 I've been fined for unicycling in town and I want to obtain advise about British law with unicycle and also more generally in contestation of fine and going to court.

The fact
I was unicycling in a first part on a single way road and have been ask to stop by a police officer,
One hour later I was unicycling on an pedestrian area where cycle are allowed and the same police officer bring me to the police office
She finally fined me for the contra flow on a one way road.

 My pratic this day was really soft with one foot, Wheel walk, wheel walk one foot everything under control without banging or risking to bang anybody. 
The police officer said she has cctv shootage (obviously there is no town in England who don't) and say she has phone call of complain and witnesses what I doubt because has you know 99% of reaction are positive, children open huge eyes ans even grand mother said me it is joly good.

My motivation
I’m usualy using this road for reason explain further away in text during the day when city is a bit full and go later to the pedestrian area when shop are close and give me plenty of space.
I can’t contest having taking the road in the other way I did it maybe 30 times in 30 minutes. But if I accept there sanction I’m banned from city center without any place to practice.

Question 1)
I’ve been fined for taking a road in wrong way (30£). Which is difficult to contest. But the problem involve in taking a road in the wrong way is to put myself and other road user in danger.

Ok it’s contra-flow but If I go there it is for this reason, I always unicycle in this street because it has a good surface, it’s really wide, it’s low traffic, it’s one way making it easy to spot and hear car coming. Is a court might understand that?

Question 2)
If I go to court to contest what can I risk?

Can they also charge me with some other reason, like not doing what the police women ask me to? And fining for every time I took it wrong way…?
If I lost can I have to pay a huge bill?

Question 3)
How possible if I decide to complain they will not go to court for a stupid 30pound unicycle fine.

Question 4
After being ask to move from their I,ve been in the city center which is regarding to the sign is A “pedestrian area where no vehicle are allowed appart cycle in the evening and anytime on sunday” (It was a sunday). Am I on my right to practice unicycle on this part of the city?

Please, what will who do if you where in my position?

Thanks
Tom

2

Next, you can ask your solicitor for advice about Level 10 unicycling skills.

The road is a public highway, and if you are using it for practising one foot wheel walking against the flow of traffic then you are asking to be stopped by the police.

What if you’d been hit by a car driver who was practising steering with his feet because it was a quiet road?

Pay the fine and learn from the experience.

3

Got to agree with Mikefule. Though I don’t know about UK law, the common-sense part of that makes perfect sense. If you were in the roadway, practicing tricks, you were making a hazard of yourself.

Not sure about the UK but on American roads (in general, at least) you area allowed to cycle opposite the flow of traffic on one-way streets, assuming you keep to the correct side (right side for us) and follow the rules, etc.

You would probably not have been stopped if you had continued in one direction, which is what the street is for. Same may be the problem in your city center. Riding through (or to get somewhere) is probably fine but if you’re using the area to practice they may look at it differently. It might be time to find a car park of a private business that is closed, or where the management doesn’t mind you being there…

4

In the UK, a one way road is a one way road, whatever you’re driving or riding.

Apart from that, there are general “catch all” clauses in the law about being in control of your vehicle, making reasonable progress, not causing an obstruction or a hazard, and so on.

I spent about 10 years of my life investigating road traffic accidents and reading medical reports and Coroner’s reports on injuries and death.

The road is not a playground. 9 people a day die on UK roads, and ten times as many are injured. That’s equivalent to a 9/11 disaster every year, year in, year out.

I get treated differently as a motorcyclist because some bikers do wheelies and burnouts, have illegal pipes, etc. I get treated differently as a bicyclist because some bicyclists ignore traffic lights, hop up herbs and speed through pedestrian zones. I do not want to get treated differently as a unicyclist because someone makes a test case about the rights and wrongs of doing stunts on a unicycle, against the flow of traffic, after being asked not to by the police.

No sympathy here, I’m afraid.

Take your licks and move on.

5

Thanks for first reply. I appreciate having opposite opinion too.

  1. To clarify a bit.
    When I say contraflow it is to explain that’s i’m in the wrong way, not in the middle of traffic. This road is really quiet and wide. I always give way with plenty of room and never obstruct any traffic. I’m not a rebel teenager, I’m respectfull and carefull.

  2. What about pedestrian area allowed to cycle? What about every day, have I to been on the road or on the pavement. In France I think a unicycle is not a bike but a toy because didn’t fit in definition

  3. It is a small city (nearly a town if we didn’t have a cathedral), It is the only spot where it’s possible to practice in good condition and where anyone will tell you it is safe to do. I’m unicycling for 5 years, being banned from cycling there, will simply mean stopping unicycling.

I quiet agree in the idea of paying this one because fact are against me but I want at least to be allowed of practising in the pedestrian area after closing of the shop (where cycle are allowed by sign)

6

yes going the wrong way down a one way street is an utter no-brainer.

Cycling on the pavement is permitted for small-wheeled bikes, you might have an interesting case if you were riding a 16" but for any other uni you’re travelling significantly faster than foot traffic and you can expect to get told off if you get caught.

An area designated as ok for bikes has got to be ok for unicyclists, I couldn’t see any problem with your practising there during permitted hours.

Much easier if you find a carpark, deadend, or public tennis court, skatepark or playground to practise in. Google Earth is very good for finding places to ride nearby that you had no idea were there.

7

There is nothing in the law to differentiate between wheel sizes. Or even age. Legally, my 4 year old nephew could get done for riding his training bike on the path (although his parents would have to pay the fine). In practice, most coppers are fair and decent, and wouldn’t dream of prosecuting for something like this, but technically they could.

The fact that it is quiet, or wide, or you are being careful are irrelevant. If it is a one-way road that you are riding up the wrong way it is still illegal. As I mentioned above, most coppers are fair and decent, and maybe on another day you wouldn’t have had a problem, or might have just got off with a talking to, but unfortunatley you got done doing something that is illegal.

A got done by the police for riding on the pavement a couple of years ago (search rec.sport.unicycling for full details), and although I think I was probably almost certainly within the law, and should have been able to argue in court to get let off, I decided to swallow my pride and paid the £30. I didn’t want to risk a court case that set a precedent that either unicycles are only allowed on the path, or only allowed on the road - so I paid up.

STM

8

Basically it boils down to this. £30 aint much.

That police women could cause you alot more trouble than £30 if she wants. Especially in this case of a one way road. Go the right way on it and you’ll be fine.

9

I’m not sure if this is true now, but in the fifties / sixties one was allowed to ride up to a twenty inch wheel bicycle on the pavement - presumably to permit children to ride in safety.