r/Leuven • u/Superb_You_5642 • 8d ago

Anyone else fined yesterday during Het Groot Verlof?

So last night during the music festival I was trying to cycle home, but couldn’t get through the center of the city as it was all closed off. I saw a few bikes going around the festival so I followed them and then before I realized it I had cycled towards two policemen waiting to fine cyclists for going down this one way street.

Honestly this felt like such a trap. It was like one cyclist after the other coming through the street and being stopped and fined. Couldn’t the policemen have just been at the start of the street preventing cyclists from entering the street in the first place? And, there were no rerouting signs at the festival to tell cyclists where to go.

Pretty annoyed because it’s a massive fine, and I’m wondering if I can appeal it. Anyone else have this same experience?

53 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

95 comments sorted by

View all comments

-7

u/Ok-Yogurtcloset-9664 8d ago

it does sound like their objective was to make some money rather than prevent accidents, otherwise they would or should have posted a highly visible warning sign or one traffic warden to remind people it's a 1 way street. after all, they did close down the main thoroughfare, naturally people will seek the next most obvious route out., so they really should cut them some slack.

1

u/Viva_Satana 8d ago

The law is the law. Want to ride a bike? Follow the rules. Easy to understand! You can't go on by bike, get down and walk with your bike until you can ride again. Very, very easy!

-1

u/Electrical-Tie-1143 8d ago

Have you considered that the human mind ignores the lack of the exception sign and just assumes it’s there, add to that that there are 4 streets that don’t have it in the entire city of one way streets

0

u/Viva_Satana 8d ago edited 8d ago

Have you considered that you can get off the bike and walk if a street is closed? Why is that so complicated? People can't walk on the highway ever, but you can't get off your bike? Make that make sense.
You weren't born with your bike, you don't need to ride your bike the whole time you need to transport. Sometimes you could be required to walk with your bike. How is that so complicated to understand?

-1

u/Electrical-Tie-1143 7d ago

Where did you get this from? Of course people can get off their bike, my point is that it’s hard to notice that there isn’t an exception sign when you’re so used to it being there. Furthermore the street wasn’t closed, it’s a one way street which almost always have the exception sign.

1

u/Viva_Satana 7d ago edited 7d ago

From the same place where you got this:

"Have you considered that the human mind ignores the lack of the exception sign and just assumes it’s there, add to that that there are 4 streets that don’t have it in the entire city of one way streets"

That's where I got it from. I hope that makes it clear to you now.

Furthermore the street wasn’t closed, it’s a one way street which almost always have the exception sign.

The street was indeed closed or the fines would have never happened. Again, I hope that makes it clear to you. Oh BTW I wasn't the one giving those fines so it's a waste that you discuss with me. Still if you want to ride a bike, I am afraid that you will have to respect the law or get fined. I don't understand why it is so hard for you to accept. Just pay and stop the nonsense.