Grampian Police - Bobbies on Bicycles

We were horrified to read that there is to be 200% increase in the number of Grampian Poice bobbies going about on bicycles. Horrified, that is, until we learned that this is an increase from one bobby on one bicycle to three bobbies on three bicycles, in a very rural area. Nothing to see here. Move along now... It's not as if these cycling officers are going to be in urban areas getting in the way of the important drivers of Aberdeen Cars as they nip about creating much needed economic growth.

We read the details as part of our distasteful undercover research on the Aberdeen Cycle Forum Spring Newsletter.

Grampian Police's Sgt. Inness Coull said:

The feedback we have had in relation to our previous Police bicycle was positive ... This investment has also allowed us to redeploy our original bicycle to another area of Garioch to boost our visibility there.

PaveParking Promoted by Grampian Police

It's great to see our local constabulary taking advantage of the annual chance to get their vizog on the gogglebox during the Xmas anti-drink-driving campaign.

This year's Grampian Police poster boy is PC John McOuat, who can be seen here addressing the STV cameras at the police's blow-in-the-bag-please-sir PR demo on Aberdeen's Great Southern Road on Wednesday.

Click for a big copy of the pic.
Print it out and it'd be suitable for the mess wall at Lodge Walk

Can you see what he's done there? Yes, it's great to see power being devolved to the most local possible level; PC John, in defiance of the eco-warrior's charter which is the Scottish Government's Cycling Walking and Safer Streets strategy for sustainable transport, has parked his impressive 4x4 Land Rover Discovery reg SV59 BNU in its Hi-Vis Transport Police Livery right on the pavement of Great Southern Road.

This way, PC John manages to transmit both the once-a-year anti-drink-driving message as well as the year-round anti-pedestrian message. Never mind what the Highway Code says

SECTION 244

You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London, and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it. Parking on the pavement can obstruct and seriously inconvenience pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs.

Yeah, whatever. 

You see, it's all very well for the politicians in their ivory tower at Holyrood and boffins at the Department of Transport setting these pie-in-the sky policies, but when it gets down to 'street level' the local police know best. Walking is simply unacceptable in Aberdeen. Thank heavens we have local agencies prepared to reinforce that message. Loud and Clear.

Vergeparking, too.