So just what are the penalties for drink-cycling, anyway? I ask only because someone – not me, obviously, but a friend – might have been at their work Christmas dinner and they might have thought it was a bit of a faff to get the train all the way into Waterloo and walk home instead of getting off at Vauxhall as usual and cycling back on their bike seeing as how it was there all waiting for them and the roads are quiet at this time of night anyway. And this someone might have heard that if you’re caught pedalling under the influence that you get points taken off your licence. And they might have thought ‘sod it, what are they going to do, disqualify me? And then what will I do then, cycle everywhere?’ and just cycled home anyway. Not that I condone that sort of thing, obviously. Not at all.
Still, the roads are lovely and quiet at this time of night, aren’t they? Apparently.
Disgruntled Commuter 
I don’t think the points on your licence thing can be right – what about all the people who cycle because they don’t have a driving licence?
Glad your ‘friend’ got home safely 😉
I’m not sure what they do. It’s definitely illegal but I don’t know what the penalty is. I’m sure if you caused an accident you’d be criminally liable, though.
But uh, I had a similar friend who has also cycled home a few sheets to the tail wind.
prehaps they’ll ( the police) will take away your friends saddle, or even wheel clamp it!
Next time, ask your friends to take extra care when riding thier bike drunk, as we will miss her blog, should anything happen.
BTW, Have a Merry Christmas.
Think you can get points if you have a license… and if you don’t they put points on your record for any future license you get. But then how many traffic coppers do you ever see? And is your average PSCO going to know any wiser?
You don’t get points taken off your licence, you get years taken off your life, usually all of them.
Heh, heh, I wonder what the limit is for bikes. Hypothetically speaking, of course.
I think David’s got it right. Just like they shouldn’t bother fining you at London Zoo if you go into the Lion’s enclosure – that really will cost you an arm and a leg …
Oh and merry Christmas to you all, too
I have to say (without wanting to sound self-righteous) I never risk it. Principally because I can imagine a drunk climbing into their car and thinking “the roads are nice and quiet”.
Or even worse you could encounter my friend weaving down the road towards you … The problem is, of course, that decisions which seem insane when you’re sober seem perfectly rational when you’re drunk. As I told my friend only the other day …
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