Stopping Traffic ?

[Rockburner]

The first time I did the Ace Cafe Toy Run, which would probably have been Christmas 2001, there was no police escort but there were so many bikes the roads were de facto shut anyway. The next year the police started providing an escort.

I remember one year a fella was trying to edge out into the stream of a few hundred bikes all running a red light and inevitably getting waved at alot etc. Someone stopped to speak to him - it may have actually been our own RB come to think of it - and it turned out he was actually trying to get his daughter to hospital! IIRC he got his own police escort through the bikes after that.

Now you say it - yes I remember that.

[Dickyboy]

We used to do it on MAG demo rides, when there was usually one police rider in attendance anyway, but on other ride outs we'd just have riders to mark each junction so other riders knew the direction to go, we'd never stop or direct any traffic.

[Bigyin]

Police have legal powers.

I was one of the first members of the National Motorcycle Escort Group and we were trained by police to escort cycle races and so on to near-police standards... but it was also firmly explained we had no powers to stop traffic.

Having worked on high speed convoys we used to block roundabouts frequently to get the team through in a hurry, but in unmarked vehicles , so there was a large element of risk attached to it but lobbing on a Police chequer banded baseball cap generally answered why we were doing it. Mate did it once when he was on the unmarked bike in plain riding gear and not in a car and was driven through by a Transit van. Finished his surveillance career.

I have seen it done by a large Harley group when out on the bike on my own and it pissed me off to the extent i rode round the "blocker" and carried on my way with abuse and swearing behind me.

[Whysub]

Mate did it once when he was on the unmarked bike in plain riding gear and not in a car and was driven through by a Transit van. Finished his surveillance career.

When I was working, a couple of colleagues were happy to block junctions on their unmarked (and with out blues and two's) bikes, to let a convoy of vehicles through. Probably the most stupid thing I ever saw anyone do at work. I was happy to block a junction in a car for others to go through, but to do so on a bike was a no no.

Which is just what your post points out.

[DefTrap]

The coppaz were doing it for them on a DGR run in Cambridge a few years back. I was surprised but maybe it was because most of the riders weren't used to any sort of rideout etiquette?

I was also surprised how rude the coppaz were when you didn't get out the way quick enough for them and their silly procession. Nasty men. Hope they fell off.

[The Spin Doctor]

Having worked on high speed convoys we used to block roundabouts frequently to get the team through in a hurry, but in unmarked vehicles , so there was a large element of risk attached to it but lobbing on a Police chequer banded baseball cap generally answered why we were doing it. Mate did it once when he was on the unmarked bike in plain riding gear and not in a car and was driven through by a Transit van. Finished his surveillance career.

I have seen it done by a large Harley group when out on the bike on my own and it pissed me off to the extent i rode round the "blocker" and carried on my way with abuse and swearing behind me.

[McNab]

Yeah I saw it once a number of years ago as I was going round the Hangar Lane roundabout on the A40. A couple of riders stopped the traffic at the lights to let a big group through from the Ace Cafe I guess. But we were waiting for ages and there were big gaps between riders coming through. I must have waited 3 or 4 cycles of the lights before I thought "Fuck it" and went on the next green with a gap in the bikes.

They were all going onto the A40 out of town so surely they could have sorted themselves out into the group by adjusting their speed a bit on there.

[ZRX61]

It's damn near endemic here. I ignore the fuckers. These muppets did it & didn't notice the light changed so they started out blocking right of way & then the last few ran a red light.. including the car behind them that also blew the red. I guess he wasn't expecting me to go on green.

[asmethurst99]

Kids in Japan do it - the wannabe bozosuki (sp) 70 or 80 400's with noisy pipes and ridiculous fairing ringing the throttle for the noise - everyone just stops out of politeness .

[asmethurst99]

It's damn near endemic here. I ignore the fuckers. These muppets did it & didn't notice the light changed so they started out blocking right of way & then the last few ran a red light.. including the car behind them that also blew the red. I guess he wasn't expecting me to go on green.

some shocking teapots there

[Whysub]

It's damn near endemic here. I ignore the fuckers. These muppets did it & didn't notice the light changed so they started out blocking right of way & then the last few ran a red light.. including the car behind them that also blew the red. I guess he wasn't expecting me to go on green.

Why are most of the riders wearing black corsets?