Surreal thing happened to me today...
- Thread starter HoneyBadger
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Is this a macho/male thing? "I must show the world I'm ready to fight!"
I haven't been in a fight since I was about 12, and really have no interest in getting into (potentially) life and death fights over scooters.
But congratulations for being so ready to get into a scuffle. It's ... admirable?
Talk about projecting your own insecurities, do masculine men frighten you?
Depends if they're acting in a threatening way? Or if I'm being asked to attack them when I have absolutely no reason to?
As someone who isn't a fighter, I would be very wary indeed of getting into a fight with anyone. It's not something I have any desire to do...
So I absolutely do not understand the mentality of people falling over themselves to say how they would ignore any risk to get into a fight with a "huge gay" over a scooter. Seems like a great way to shorten your life.
Associate
Neither have I been in a fight since Junior.
Wether I'm seen as a traditional male is utterly irelevant.
The law as of is that riding scooters is illegal. The debating of if it's a good law is moot, but the law stands.
The officer clearly thought for whatever reason he needed detaining and the scooter rider thought he was above the law. He clearly overstepped the mark in wanting to get away to the point of assault.
It's a moral compass thing to me.
I'd like to think I'd have acted like the OP, but who knows. I know I wouldn't be a photo taker at least.
I live where the first thing that comes to my mind isn't I'm going to get shanked, but an officer needs some help.
I think you need to expand your horizon above where you live.
Soldato
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Perhaps I misunderstood but you said
". The police themselves have refused to help people (eg drowning) on health and safety grounds.
If it's OK for them it's OK for us (not to help out of concern for one's own safety)."
I countered that the vast majority of plod are not like that and if you said they were in the wrong company and you would get a slap for it.
Note. I am not macho and I would be terrified.... But this was not about OP getting involved over a scooter. It was a man helping a police officer who was taking a beating for doing his job.
Would I have the stones for it? I don't know but I hope I would as it was the right thing to do imo. I sure as hell word be worried doing it because unlike op I DONT have any self defence skills.
It's not a fight over a scooter, it's helping a Police Officer who is in trouble, just like they would help you if you were getting attacked.
We just going to ignore the fact that it's their job that they are trained and equipped for, but not mine? I'm not generally wearing anti-stab vests for a start.
Also that nobody forced them to be a cop.
And nobody forced this particular cop to get into a fight over a scooter
Soldato
I would have, a person (who was the officer in this case) is in trouble and needs help. Not sure if its just a northern thing, or maybe because my reaction is never "film it for facebook." Also, having a blackbelt in kickboxing would possibly help in this situation for subduing them.
Man of Honour
We just going to ignore the fact that it's their job that they are trained and equipped for, but not mine? I'm not generally wearing anti-stab vests for a start.
Also that nobody forced them to be a cop.
And nobody forced this particular cop to get into a fight over a scooter
I don't think anyone is ignoring any of that
We just going to ignore the fact that it's their job that they are trained and equipped for, but not mine? I'm not generally wearing anti-stab vests for a start.
Also that nobody forced them to be a cop.
And nobody forced this particular cop to get into a fight over a scooter
The Police was enforcing the law. He shouldn't be assaulted for doing his job. I bet 100 times out of 100 if the guy complied with the Copper he doesn't get arrested and goes on his way.
I was unfortunate enough to get into a scuffle on a night out the other week, I didn't start it and I didn't throw any punches, I cooperated with the Police and I got a taxi home with my friends at the end of the night. The Police just want an easy shift most of the time so if you find yourself being arrested you probably deserve it.
If this bloke was being arrested for merely riding a scooter then I guarantee he mouthed off and ignored the Coppers probably reasonable request
Worst argument I've ever heard for why e-scooters should be illegal. Do you know how many cyclists die every year in London? No one asks to make bikes or e-bikes illegal.
E-scooters are illegal because they've somehow fallen into a grey area in the law and are treated like a motorised vehicle.
They will be legal within a few years as their popularity soars around the world.
It was only in 2015 that regulations around e-bikes were massively simplified in the UK.
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmgeneral/deleg6/150224/150224s01.htm
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Associate
Why is riding an electric scooter illegal?
Soldato
I know, it's dumb as **** ain't it? Everyone is banging on about the environment and how we should use our cars less on shorter journeys, but anything that helps us to do that seems to be illegal. Mate of mine has a Segway sat in his garage doing **** all. He was going to use it to get to and from the train stations on his commute, but thanks to the idiot law makers it's been sat unused now for a couple of years now and he just uses his car.
Antiquated laws.
Yet some in this thread are outraged that I or others won't help enforce this stupid law that needs to (and eventually will) change.
I love the very first comment from the committee discussing the very same issue with e-bikes.
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmgeneral/deleg6/150224/150224s01.htm
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Soldato
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Actually the scooter offence, whatever that was or wasn't, is just a subsiduary point. The story could have started from a solo police officer coming of worse in a scuffle with another individual and nobody helping. I've got a feeling HoneyBadger in a few months from now will receive a commendation of some kind.
Soldato
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Who has done that in this thread? Are you seriously saying " if you don't like a law break it and assault any policeman trying to enforce it"?
This thread is nothing to do with the scooter
If what you seem to be intimating is correct, being a traffic warden would be a very high risk job!
Man of Honour
The Police don't choose which laws are sensible or stupid though. Electric scooters are currently illegal. Police are having a publicised crackdown on electric scooters for a number of reasons, including a recent fairly high profile death.
Ergo, being stopped for riding an illegal electric scooter should not be a surprise to the rider, regardless of how unfair he believes this law to be.
"Oh come on copper, riding an electric scooter isn't really that bad a crime, I didn't kill anyone!"
"You know what dude, you are right. Sod the fact that I'm in the middle of a clampdown organised by my employer. I've changed my mind - on you go and have a nice day. **** the system!"
Not. Gonna. Happen.
Because its the UK and we never can have nice things. Other parts of Europe happily use them without any problems.
Soldato
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I don't agree with all our laws either and I even break some of them knowingly using my judgement. BUT IF I get caught, my response is not to flee from the police or start a fight with them .....
That is the issue in this post.
That is the issue in this post.
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