Police Threaten To Confiscate 4-Year-Old’s Bike For Riding On The Sidewalk

training-wheels-bikeYes, there are laws. Yes, they should be obeyed by all citizens. Except the ones that shouldn’t. The ones that require some common sense on the part of police officers — which is something we all hope the people patrolling our streets have, right? A police officer in the UK threatened to confiscate a 4-year-old’s bike after he saw her riding on the sidewalk. Because, that makes sense.

The four-year-old was on a bike with training wheels and had stopped to look at some ducks. That’s when, according to her father, the officer pulled her over and told her to get off her bike. He told BBC News that the officer then said, “‘The law is the law’ and she was not allowed to ride on the path. He said ‘If I catch you put her on her bike further up the road I will turn around and confiscate the bike.'” The father added that he thought the cop’s actions were “daft.”

Roger Geffen, member of the Cyclists’ Touring Club told BBC News the officer was “unfair” and “wrong”. He says children under the age of 10 are below the criminal age of responsibility so they can’t break laws and can technically ride on the pavement. That’s quite a reach for an argument — probably just easier to agree that a 4-year-old on training wheels accompanied by her parents really isn’t a danger to other pedestrians.

It’s illegal to ride on the sidewalks pretty much everywhere, but stopping a four-year-old on a bike with training wheels is ridiculous. The action was made even more ridiculous by then threatening to confiscate the little bike if she did it again. Everyone lets their kids ride on the sidewalk. Maybe if she was some demon-child making a game out of taking out the elderly on their morning walks, it would be understandable. But considering that she was stopped while looking at ducks, this probably wasn’t the case.

Must be a slow crime day if an officer has to approach a four-year-old on a bike with training wheels looking at ducks — so at least that’s a plus.

(photo: Getty Images)

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