UK school requires bike number plates

[10speedsemiracer]

Interesting situation, a South London High School, obviously in response to complaints from the public, has decided to ban all students riding bikes to school unless said bike has a school-issued number plate. Not sure what would stop a student ripping the number plate off as soon as they left school grounds and reattach "around the corner" before arrival, but hey..my concern is the edict that affects a student and/or their property outside of school. Fairly sure this'll last, oh about 48 hrs.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-45636870

[uart]

Interesting situation, a South London High School

Hmm, surely students that are not on bikes can still misbehave or act dangerously. Why no a large identification number attached to every student - to and from and during school. Oh that's right, that would seem draconian.

[10speedsemiracer]

Hmm, surely students that are not on bikes can still misbehave or act dangerously. Why no a large identification number attached to every student - to and from and during school. Oh that's right, that would seem draconian.

[Thoglette]

Headteacher Bulletin: new initiative to encourage safer cycling 24th September 2018

17th September 2018
cycling to and from school

Last week we asked parents to encourage their child to cycle. However, we are aware that across the borough, there are some children who are cycling in a way that endangers themselves and others.

We have decided to introduce a cycle registration scheme, and students who cycle to school will soon be issued with a bicycle number plate which must be displayed when riding to and from school. This will help us to identify students who are putting themselves at risk. Students without a number plate will not be permitted to cycle to school, or lock their bicycles on school grounds.

A letter will be issued to parents and carers with further details this week, which must be signed and returned to school before the plates are issued. This is seen as a measure to ensure the safety of our students who cycle, and a way of tackling the concerns drawn to our attention by recent reports.

Oh, "recent reports". Hmmm

[Jmuzz]

We got banned from riding in school uniform 25 years ago. We had to put a t-shirt on. Teachers would patrol in cars to catch us misbehaving.
That and other measures saw the transition from full bike racks to about 3 bikes over my highschool years.

[g-boaf]

Interesting situation, a South London High School, obviously in response to complaints from the public, has decided to ban all students riding bikes to school unless said bike has a school-issued number plate. Not sure what would stop a student ripping the number plate off as soon as they left school grounds and reattach "around the corner" before arrival, but hey..my concern is the edict that affects a student and/or their property outside of school. Fairly sure this'll last, oh about 48 hrs.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-45636870

I think this will get shouted down pretty fast.

What about kids not riding who behave in a way that endangers them? Will they be forced to wear number plates? Really silly.

[Ancientflatulence]

https://www.stanleyparkhigh.org.uk/intro/blog .... check the posts 17th and 24th

I detect a certain amount of arse-covering ...... they recently encouraged the children to ride bicycles and when they rode to school in a less than safe manner someone has obviously thought that if someone ends up under a bus they may be liable for encouraging the little darlings to ride to school.

In these litigious days we live in who is responsible for a child's actions and safety whilst riding to school is one of those horrible grey areas ......... and no doubt if there was an accident it would be all the government's fault (as everything always is cos they have the money to pay when you sue them).

The number plate is dumb but safety education and lights etc are all good .....

[fat and old]

We got banned from riding in school uniform 25 years ago. We had to put a t-shirt on. Teachers would patrol in cars to catch us misbehaving.

Wow, why? My school in the late 70’s - early 80’s insisted on the opposite. Until year 11 anyway, when I got my m/c license and a mini pretend Harley

[10speedsemiracer]

https://www.stanleyparkhigh.org.uk/intro/blog .... check the posts 17th and 24th

I detect a certain amount of arse-covering ...... they recently encouraged the children to ride bicycles and when they rode to school in a less than safe manner someone has obviously thought that if someone ends up under a bus they may be liable for encouraging the little darlings to ride to school.

In these litigious days we live in who is responsible for a child's actions and safety whilst riding to school is one of those horrible grey areas ......... and no doubt if there was an accident it would be all the government's fault (as everything always is cos they have the money to pay when you sue them).

The number plate is dumb but safety education and lights etc are all good .....

Bingo...

[Jmuzz]

Wow, why? My school in the late 70’s - early 80’s insisted on the opposite. Until year 11 anyway, when I got my m/c license and a mini pretend Harley

The school thought it hurt their reputation when kids broke the rules on bikes.
You know how terrified society is of teenagers on bicycles, even more frightening to some pensioners than bikie gangs.

[find_bruce]

I understand they are to be banned from wearing their school colours, from consorting with 2 or more other students or belonging to a Lawless Association of Degenerates.

[outnabike]

How do you get a rego plate for a bike in a country that does not register bicycles?.....Or have I missed something?

[10speedsemiracer]

How do you get a rego plate for a bike in a country that does not register bicycles?.....Or have I missed something?

yeah, that's the other bit.
The school issues and fits the plates, sort of suspended from the top tube and tethered to the downtube, like the advertising placards that were on delivery bikes in the days of yore.

Which raises the other question of who pays for this? Well, the parents obviously. And who pays for the damage the plate may cause to the paint/cable housing? I'd be pissed if this were my kids school and I had built up a nice bike for either/both and then some jumped-up administrator who doesn't want to get sued decides, 'oh let's make them display number plates'.....wot a bunch of complete muppets

[queequeg]

Wow, why? My school in the late 70’s - early 80’s insisted on the opposite. Until year 11 anyway, when I got my m/c license and a mini pretend Harley

The school thought it hurt their reputation when kids broke the rules on bikes.
You know how terrified society is of teenagers on bicycles, even more frightening to some pensioners than bikie gangs.

Nek minute, BMX Bandits lol

[10speedsemiracer]

...

Nek minute, BMX Bandits lol

and the resurgence of the words grouse and ace...and maybe even the mullet.

Such a dystopian future

[Jmuzz]

Such a dystopian future

Checkout the movie Turbo Kid for just how horrible a dystopian future that is.

[10speedsemiracer]

Checkout the movie Turbo Kid for just how horrible a dystopian future that is.

ok, that was actually quite funny.

[queequeg]

Such a dystopian future

Checkout the movie Turbo Kid for just how horrible a dystopian future that is

That was pretty hilarious

[fat and old]

What’s wrong with “grouse”? Daily user here

[uart]

The school issues and fits the plates

I wonder how long before one of the kids gets the bright idea of making up his own plate with, the same number of headmaster's car. And then breaking every law that he can, in front of every traffic camera he can find.

[10speedsemiracer]

The school issues and fits the plates

I wonder how long before one of the kids gets the bright idea of making up his own plate with, the same number of headmaster's car. And then breaking every law that he can, in front of every traffic camera he can find.

Fairly sure the planned system isn't that sophisticated, rather just an internal school thing. I think the idea is for the plates to provide a measure of accountability for when nosy OAPs living near the school ring in with complaints of teenage hooligans doing wheelies up and down the street. I do however like the way you think...

[Jmuzz]

The trick is to swap plates with a friend on a day when you got dropped off by mum or even better weren't even at school.
Get them to run up complaints.
Get mum to go ballistic at principal over her innocent baby being falsely accused on day she knows it was impossible.

[Ancientflatulence]

I would like the OAP bashers here to consider life as a ..... say, 75 year old lady who may have osteoporosis and a bit of arthritis and is not so steady on her pins, walking down the street possibly burdened by her shopping. She may not be feeling very confident as age has robbed her of the agility that she may have once had. She knows that if she falls, which could be due to being startled by a close pass by a young fit person on a bicycle, who she didn't hear coming behind her, as, you guessed it, her hearing ain't so good either, there is a good chance that she will injure herself. Could be bruising or a split/cut injury, old skin cuts and bruises easily and doesn't heal like it once did. A bang on the head from a fall can easily trigger a stroke in the elderly. Or it could be a broken bone. If it is a leg or hip she will spend time laid up, with the attendant loss of mobility and strength which one does not bounce back from at her age so her quality of life and even possibly life expectancy may be curtailed. Now factor in how all this affects her mentally, even if it is a fall without significant injury, it is still a scary experience which further undermines her confidence.
How would you like your mum to got through that? Maybe consider other peoples lives and situations before condemning their responses to what they perceive as a threat to their wellbeing.

[10speedsemiracer]

I was more thinking along the lines of the person inside their home with the cordless phone looking out the window while watching telly, but point taken A/F...
The scenario you've described though is better handled by those empowered to handle careless or reckless use of a vehicle...not little Johnny's year 8 geography teacher.

The main issue is the school's disproportionately clumsy response to risk management. No offence intended, and really only posted here for awareness/discussion.

[Mulger bill]

Wonder how they deal with all the psychomums and dads who'll happily run people off the road to ensure little Charles or Portia is dropped off right at the gate?
I foresee a roaring trade in removable cable ties around there as little johnny travels incog for the bulk of the trip...

Here's one we prepared earlier...