Topic: Drunk on a C5!!

[Wizbat]

Hi all.
It,s just a thought but does anyone remember a case back in the eigties when a scottish lawyer/barrister was tried for riding a C5 whilst inebriated.
I recall reading something about this many years ago yet I can,t find anything on the web.
As far as I can remember he beat the case under a technicality and I,d like to know what it is (simply for reference you understand!)

[Karl]

The first prosecution involving a C5 has been thrown out of court.

It involved a Kent University student who was pedalling a C5 back from a charity ball. He was arrested by the police who alleged he was drunk and prosecuted accordingly.


I reckon they tried the prosecution as a test case to see what would happen, especially if they didnt know how the C5 fitted into the existing vehicle laws.

It is possible to be charged with being drunk in charge of a bicycle 

[Wizbat]

It should be possible to find deails of it somewhere.
It would be a great selling point for the C5 if it were exempt from drink driving offences, may even be enough to restart production.

[blabblub]

I will try a couple of test runs when the rain stops

Drunk , driving a C5 all I need now is the naked dancing girls

[aandu]

It should be possible to find deails of it somewhere.
It would be a great selling point for the C5 if it were exempt from drink driving offences, may even be enough to restart production.

Great idea... Wizbat, May you be the one brave enough to bell the cat... If possible try to get a video of the whole episode!

In all probablity, if you are the only C5 owner in your county (and the stars align in your favor) then you might get away with it.

[DonkeySpank]

I found this surprising...

"Production of the C5 in Wales has been cut from 1000 a week to 100. Of the 100 workers, 90 have been reassigned to producing Hoover washing machines. Nichols blames the bad winter for poor sales in the UK."

That's dated June 1985 - just 6 months after launch!!!

[spudit2003]

as far as legality of driving a C5 whilst drunk goes, you can be charged with "riding a pedal cycle while unfit" which states that if you are unfit through drink or drugs  to the extent of being incapable of having proper control of the 'bike' in a public place then you are guilty of an offence, but you cant be arrested, but they cant breath test you so you can drive whilst 'legally drunk' as long as you are capable of driving safely, but this didnt come in until 1988, but there is also a law from 1872 about 'being in charge of any carriage, horse or cattle' in a public place, and this can be used against cyclists (apparently in case theyre not actually riding the cycle!?!). the C5 is exactly the same classifcation as a normal bike except you have to be 14 to ride it, apart from that all other restrictions fall on the makeup of the vehicle.
Lewes

[Nitrowing]

I will try a couple of test runs when the rain stops

Drunk , driving a C5 all I need now is the naked dancing girls

Pictures!!! Pictures!!!

[Wizbat]

Here,s an interesting thing wot happened to me today.
We (band) had a meeting with our video producer guy round at my place tonight and after all the biz side of the evening was concluded we had the usual 'so how ya doing' chit chat and my C5 came up in conversation and then came the ' actually a friend of mine from KENT was stopped by the police for being drunk on a C5 back in the eighties' Really said I!!!!
Seems that our video guy knows the chap from kent from Karls earlier posts and he,s going to have a word and see if he can get the details about how it got thrown out of court.
I,ll keep on this one a nd let ya,ll know what I find out.

It,s like 'the paper chase' without the dodgy art garfunkel hair!!!

[Wizbat]

Don,t get caught!!