Moped Menace
Created by CliveThere have been numerous reports of local residents riding mopeds on Kingsway in a dangerous manner. I myself witnessed 3 youths on one moped (with no crash helmets), speeding along Thatcham Avenue recently.
Quedgeley Community Police (Gloucester South SCT) have asked me to bring this issue to your attention by publishing the following:
We’ve had a few reports recently of mopeds being riden around Kingsway estate, with little or no consideration to anyone else in the area.
However, we are a bit short of information as to who might be doing this.The Police are looking for information as to what bikes are being riden anti-socially, with a view to speaking to the rider(s) and enforcing any relevant piece of road legislation where necessary.
Info’ that I would require is: Time, date, which road, what the registration number is, and a quick description of why it was dangerous/careless/anti-social.
You can contact the local Police by ringing 0845 0901234 and asking for the Quedgeley Police Station.
Alternatively – for incidents of dangerous driving / riding without crash helmets etc – you should dial 999.
This entry was posted
on Saturday, June 27th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
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June 29th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
I don’t wish to sound heartless, but this behaviour will soon stop.
The reason… one or more of these kids is going to get killed on the estate!
As you can guess by my name, I live on Holbeach drive, and on more than one occasion, I have come very close to being involved in an RTA with one of these mopeds. The riders seem to disregard the traffic lights, go the wrong way around the roundabout in front of Barratt showhome, and generally drive like they are immortal.
My car weighs almost a ton and a half, and as soon as it comes into contact with a 50kg moped coming the wrong way of the roundabout, the driver will be dead. No if’s no but’s… he will be DEAD!
You can usually get a good look at the 4/5 riders cruising around the estate about 7/8 pm every evening, their usual route is from Thatcham Avenue, down Valley Gardens, under the underpass and then meeting up on the Matalan car park, then doing the exact same route in reverse.
I just hope that I am proven wrong, and rather than one of these idiots getting killed, one or more get collared by the Police.
HM.
June 29th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Hiya HM
You’re right of course!
It’s easy to act the idiot until you get involved in a serious accident… it has a way of waking you up real quick (if it doesn’t “put you to sleep permanently” first)!
The other danger is – of course – to the other driver(s) involved, as well as any pedestrians in the vicinity.
Let’s hope we can identify them, and the Police can talk some sense into them. before there’s a serious / fatal accident
June 30th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Well a good 6 of them have just thundered down Thatcham Ave about 5 minutes ago, one with a "passenger" without a lid.
I’ve got to say I’m getting a little sick and tired of the noise, yes I know I live on a road but I can deal with the noise cars make but mopeds at full whack make a hell of a noise.
Didn’t get the reg’s of the bikes especially the one with the passenger as he had his feet covering it; But I will keep an eye out.
So if you see a man in his mid 30’s staring out of his window with a note pad in hand, you’ll know why
June 30th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Hi
I can give you 2 registrations:
A Red scooter VX55KVD and a very noisy bike (that takes the picture off our TV as it goes by) is Y879YDG which I have taken by day but again in the dark unable to see the registrations, but they’re an absolute menace late at night.
Not sure if these are the ones carry passengers without helmets, although I have seen the bikes going by carrying the passengers late at night.
Regards
Tog
July 1st, 2009 at 12:55 am
Hi,
I popped down to the video shop earlier this evening about 9:45pm and there were about 10 mopeds just outside the Next Retail unit.
One of the Mopheads came towards Matalan, stopped and headed back towards them doing a wheelie… Now on a moped that is NOT safe!
July 1st, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Hi FlipFlop / Tog,
If you see them riding without helmets, please call 999 and report them.
Hi MissC,
It’s not really funny of course, but a moped doing a wheelie is actually quite impressive
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:48 am
Well it had to happen didn’t it?
About 01:40 last night I was woken up by the noise of a moped and a scraping sound, so I jumped out of bed and looked out the window and what did I see? A Police car pulling up to a young girl (I think) who’d come off her moped just before the traffic calming island just before the Persimmon homes build on Thatcham Ave
Within minutes the marked Police car was joined by an unmarked one – making me think they were on the look out – and also 2 car loads of her young ‘friends’ who as normal showed no respect by shouting at the top of their voices when mocking the girl who’d come off.
Didn’t catch what the Police were saying as I wanted to sleep, but she seemed to be trying to say she’d just bought the bike 2 hours ago, so even if she was telling the truth I’m guessing she has no type of insurance.
Anyhow… happy moped spotting ;o)
July 2nd, 2009 at 1:08 pm
The one that is often carrying passengers without helmets is a red (Peugot I think) reg VX55KVD. The passenger often covers the plate with his feet when being carried (But on one occasion his feet soon came off when a car pulled out of a side road in front of him)! Seems to always be blasting up and down Thatcham Avenue with the blond haired lad on the back.
As a matter of interest VX55KVD is showing as insured on http://www.askmid.co.uk, but the one that tog mentioned Y879YDG is not insured!
HM
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Hi Flipflop /holbeach,
As you say it had to happen but as I requested before, we need a speed ramp to slow them down. A temporary "bolted to the road type" would do.
But it’s not just bikes, some of the cars are using the road like a race track, passing on the wrong side of the islands etc.
Yes I was woken up to "what on earth are they doing racing around at this time of night", as you say shouting and no consideration for anyone.
However she did not have any insurance or licence.
How long until it is more serious?
teddybear.
July 8th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
These bl00dy things are tearing up and down Thatcham Avenue at all hours of the night, not just 8 – 9 pm, but 11pm, 12pm and 1am. I have been woken up on many occassions by the annoying sound of those ‘pea in a tin can’ engines that these things have.
As a biker myself (never a flippin’ ’scooter’ I might add (and, let’s face it, these ain’t REAL sccoters)), I know that there are laws about the amount of noise that these irritating little things are able to emit, and I would be very surprised if they are within those limits. I would suggest that the Police would easily be able to sit discreetly on site and monitor these anti-social little sods as they whip past. I also believe that they can seize and crush un-insured vehicles.
The other thing, of course is the speed that the cars travel up and down Thatcham and the other roads on the estate. Lots of these idiots are speeding as the children are going to, or coming home from school. The others are idiots who speed up and down in the late evenings.
I, for one, would welcome a series of ’sleeping policemen’ to be bolted to the so called ‘traffic calmed’ roads that we are supposed to have on the estate. Let’s face it… one of those bolt down rubber things ain’t gonna cause any more damage to a sensible driver’s car than the massive pot holes that litter our main routes…
And then… isn’t it about time that our roads and pathways have their top surfaces applied?
July 16th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
As far as I can see everybody drives fast down Thatcham Ave’. Young and old, even women with kids in the car.
July 17th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
darrjeff,
You are right about the speeds down Thatcham, I am noticing more people driving faster down here.
July 22nd, 2009 at 8:06 am
I don’t wish to be premature, but the ‘Moped Menace’ seems to have almost dissapeared recently. Have they given up terrorising Kingsway and moved elsewhere, or have they have their bikes confiscated/written off/etc?
Here is hoping!
HM
July 22nd, 2009 at 9:09 am
Sadly Moped menace hasn’t disappeared, merely moved to the back of Matalan.
He is there quite regularly and with his li’l posse in tow. I actually had words with him as I know some of the ppl that were there and was told in no uncertain terms that it is none of my business and to get a life. I told them he had made it my business by driving like an idiot up and down residential areas and that I shall make a point of making an example of you and get you done for reckless driving.
July 22nd, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Maybe we should all meet up and hunt him down, then tell him who needs to get a life! The Police should be doing more too, maybe a camera facing the road might help?
Thatcham Avenue is very dangerous because of all cars parked up either side.
The road should have been wider to accomodate the parked cars. We need a few speed bumps down there too, the other side has right of way and turnings do nothing.
July 22nd, 2009 at 7:32 pm
The road does not need to be wider. People should park in their driveways, plus some of the houses have parking behind their houses. It’s just that they are too lazy.
People should stop blaming other people when they also part of the problem themselves.
July 26th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Darrjeff,
As stated in a previous post, provided that a car is insured and taxed, it is legal to park on a public highway, so long as it is not:
a) Expressly prohibited (DYL, Clearway, etc)
b) Causing an obstruction to traffic on said highway.
The problem of speeding traffic has nothing to do with the parking, it has to do with idiotic drivers not just travelling too fast for the conditions, but travelling way in excess of the speed limit on the road.
HM