By seized by police!

georgehenry

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2015
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I think this incident came out of electric scooter riders whizzing about on the same path as gsm.terra .

Even the thickest of plod should be able to tell the difference between a scooter and an ebike.

I was at work yesterday and in a break popped out to a nearby take away. While waiting outside with other people three youths weaved their way between us on their black electric scooters.

If I was a youth again I could have been tempted myself. It looked fun and the scooters looked cool. They were in formation. Is there no regulation of them? Can anyone buy them with impunity? If so, then of course all sorts of people/kids will buy them and use them in all sorts of unsuitable ways.

However these scooters could bring less than bright plod down on ebike riders in a way that people riding a bit faster than 15mph never has.
 
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Deleted member 33385

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Yes but we still don't know what sort of ebike the OP had/has. If it's a Bafang, it can be programmed and the speed limit can be adjusted via the display. Strictly speaking, no Bafang BBSXX kits are legal - 36V 250W or no.
 

soundwave

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May 23, 2015
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flecc

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Oct 25, 2006
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Wow!

The bit that gets me is the OP tried to get the PC to check the actual law, but was threatened with obstruction. It may just about be accepted that PCs cannot be expected to recall the detail of every piece of legislation, but if someone says "here, constable, I genuinely believe I am acting within law. Please just check the letter of the law online on my phone" and /she just point-blank refuses then sadly and reluctantly my respect for the police has to be eroded a little bit.

What on earth have they got to lose by taking a minute or two double-checking their understanding of the law? If it's pride, then they do themselves no favours and only solidify the cheap stereotype of the jumped up little authoritarian throwing around their weight and abusing their powers and who, without the uniform, would likely be one of society's sad losers.
There are two problems in this matter. First is that they are taught to take command of any situation encountered and not let those they are dealing with gain the upper hand.

The second is that everyone claims they are innocent. Ask the over 80,000 in prison and they'll almost all tell you they are innocent and were framed by bent coppers and a rigged court system. Faced with everyone they encounter protesting innocence, every officer soon becomes so cynical that they ignore every attempted protest of innocence.
.
 
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Wander

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 8, 2013
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gsm.terra

As long as your bike is 100% legal just pop along to the police station local to the incident with a copy of your ticket or other paperwork if you were given any, a copy of your bike's specifications and a copy of the regulations. Print the regs out from .gov.uk rather than any other source.

Ask to speak with an Inspector saying you'd like to make a complaint.

Keep calm and explain to him / her that you understand that not all officers can know all the laws and some may make mistakes like these ones have. Explain that you'd like to take you bike away now & say that you'd like confirmation that no further proceedings would be taken.

Don't bother with lawyers etc. at this stage, they will be learning about e-bikes whilst you pay them to do it.
 
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georgehenry

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Nov 7, 2015
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Surrey
I may be wrong but I think this is quite simple, just like the plod involved.

They get called to catch kids/youths annoying people on this shared path.

They turn up and just like soundwave the kids have scarpered, long gone.

Along comes a nice man on his ebike.

Obvious to everyone but plod that he has nothing to do with what they have been called out to.

Never mind, this is easy, nick him.

I may of course be wrong, but........
 
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soundwave

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May 23, 2015
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I may be wrong but I think this is quite simple, just like the plod involved.

They get called to catch kids/youths annoying people on this shared path.

They turn up and just like soundwave the kids have scarpered, long gone.

Along comes a nice man on his ebike.

Obvious to everyone but plod that he has nothing to do with what they have been called out to.

Never mind, this is easy, nick him.

I may of course be wrong, but........

i can go faster than those things pmsl

this is the user manual but not in English lol

 
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Deleted member 33385

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soundwave

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May 23, 2015
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If the OP had/has a electric riverside 500 e hybrid, the Police don't have a case. (?)
no they just stole his bike just so it looks like they done something imo but it could take weeks to get it back!
 

sjpt

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Jun 8, 2018
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If the OP had/has a electric riverside 500 e hybrid, the Police don't have a case. (?)
Yes, OP says in the original post paddles, is limited to 25kph and the motor is 250w as per the regulations for “Pedelecs” and which was bought legally from Decathlon! so even if it wasn't that one it looks perfectly legit.

There's Soundwave trying to stir the police to action for years and not managing, and poor gsm.terra outsmarting him while remaining legit.
 
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Deleted member 33385

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There's Soundwave trying to stir the police to action for years and not managing, and poor gsm.terra outsmarting him while remaining legit.

I think Soundwave's intimidating jet black Dark Vader helmet, might be Police kryptonite - I must buy one of those. Or find out where Soundwave lives... ;)
 

soundwave

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May 23, 2015
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when i got raided last year the one guy was more interested in my bike helmet and where to get the dongles from as was going to get a ebike.

and this was a cid raid lmfao took 2 phones and a tablet and took over 2 months to get them back.

https://flic.kr/p/2jWP75v
 
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D

Deleted member 33385

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Yes, OP says in the original post paddles, is limited to 25kph and the motor is 250w as per the regulations for “Pedelecs” and which was bought legally from Decathlon! so even if it wasn't that one it looks perfectly legit.

If it hasn't been derestricted (can those be derestricted anyway?), the cops could be sued I should think, for emotional torture, loss of income, loss of pizza or something.

The demographic that can afford ebikes, will not stand for having them impounded like this.
 

Chainring

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 24, 2013
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This man throws some light on how the police work today.
'Auditing the auditors' on YouTube throws up a few views as well.
 

Nealh

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Aug 7, 2014
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Scots fuzz are known to be over zealous compared to south of the border, they got it wrong big time. They can't charge the user for illegal ebike as it is a pedelec and ridden legally on a shared path, it they did dare try charging refute any charge and take them all the way to court where it will be thrown out straight away. Then sue them.