Shouted at a RLJer today

Was sat at a set of lights and a 'fellow' cyclist rides through, stops and waits for the junction to clear then carries on. The lights change and I set off and catch up with the RLJer and ask him "Do you know what the different coloured lights mean?", it looked like he fiddled with his ear and took an earphone out. Got to the next set of lights and was expecting some verbals from him but no, he stopped at the lights.
I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
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There is a junction in Norwich that every cyclist jumps the reds at. It's a nasty corner if you set off at the same time as the cars and there's no ASL. So every single cyclist I've ever seen there goes through the red light and stops in the 4 metres or so of road there is before the junction.
Yes, technically jumping a red light, but doesn't do anyone any harm.
My Cove Stiffee
You know, if everyone of those cyclists got proactive and campaigned they might have an ASL. :?
They might do at some point, I believe that area of the city that is to have some redevelopment done. Quite a few places have had ASL's added in the past couple of years and that's the only junction I can think of that could really do with one.
However, I don't see what the problem is with cyclists pulling ahead of the cars in that situation. They're not pulling into a lane of traffic or getting in the way of pedestrians. They're not ignoring the red light as they're still coming to a stop they're just doing so in a safer way than stopping at the light. The traffic up to the junction is always horrendously slow, so it's not always possible to get into primary for the lights.
My Cove Stiffee
Are ASL's those pink coloured boxes with strange diagrams of motorbikes in them?
Yes, there are some odd looking bikes in these things in Bristol, looks like a tandem with only one saddle and bars.
Hi,
I went throught that junction last Saturday morning on a early ride out. I sat in the bus lane waiting for the lights to go green, after a minute or so I took the car lane and through the green light for the cars!
What a mess that junction is.
I'm sure council planners NEVER ride a bike
Phil
I'm genuinely looking for enlightenment here, why is it really such a bad thing to do?!
It shouldn't make any difference to their driving, but I think it does. Therefore, when you run a red light, I feel less safe.
I understand why you do it, but I think that there are side effects. Given that its perfectly possible NOT to rlj, I wish people wouldn't.
Can't you just carry on with your life and not let "RLJ'ers" bother you so much? Jeez.
Its not proportionate, I agree. But until we can improve relations about a billion %, that life. It doesn't imact anyone else's safety to stop them running a red light.
To be honest, I think that cyclists should be able to proceed across box junctions diring the pedestrian cycle of lights. But it isn't legal and motorists seem to regard indiscrssions by cyclists to be somehow a million times worse than flooring it on amber or going twice the speed limint. Since they have large metal boxes and we don't I prefer to pander in this regard.
To put it in context, I am a VERY assertive cyclist and I'm not afraid to hammer liberally on bodywork, and to enter into educational debates with driver's who have just tried to kill me in order to come to a stop behind another car sooner. RLJing would deprive me of the moral high ground. :?
I completely agree with you AT - other people's RLJing ultimately makes my ride more dangerous.
Also - if you want to be treated with respect and like an equal vehicle on the road then act like one. You are, after all, a vehicle on the road and therefore all the rules of the road apply to you.
By the way, when people are raising the "strict compliance with the law" argument, do those people also never exceed 70mph on motorways and never cross a road without the green man?
I might give not RLJing a go, but I reckon I'd be in a very small minority. Which is strange given that reading this forum I would appear to be in the minority for doing it in the first place...
If all cyclists in Central London started religiously obeying red lights, there'd probably be a three or four fold increase in the number of bikes at the head of the queue everytime the lights turned green. I'm very confident that drivers would soon realise that being held up while a dozen cyclists of various abilities sorted themselves out, is much more frustrating than witnessing them sporadically jumping the lights while they're held at a red.
I don't think you'd be in a minority, btw, just an inconspicuous majority.
Because I stop at red lights I am there when car drivers shout at the RLJing cyclists or hit their horns in frustration and anger. I also talk to friends and family who drive and they get incandescent with rage if I gingerly raise the subject of RLJing. The behaviour of a (sizeable) minority affects reaction towards the entire cycling community.
I don't personally jump red lights, but i don't get all het up when i see others doing it. That's their beef. Similarly, i didn't get irate when a headphone-wearing pedestrian walked out into the road this morning and nearly got hurt badly by me. Neither of us got hurt, let's move on. 8)
So, You live in your world and I will live in mine - my world moves faster......and I will be home before you. 10 years + man and boy doing it - so don't give me the "it's unsafe" bullshit - it is as safe as you make it and your observations. And I don't give a damn what the law says on this.....
17 years on motorbikes (road racing, advanced instructor certification)
16 years car (raced a Jag for a year, but it was boring and expensive)
10 years + on bicycles (commuting, road racing, triathlon and MTB)
Occasionally, I go to work too....
I am experienced anough to make my own decisions and probably would not take kindly to a "talking to".....see the thread about "Your worst reaction when commuting".
But why is everyone in such a blind rush these days. I'll tell you I'm in no hurry to get into work. I wait for all the red lights and still get in 30 mins quicker than public transport. I'm sure if I jumped reds I'd get home 2.5 mins quicker, but really 2.5 mins isn't that important in the grand scheme...
If I want to hoon it non stop then I head for the Surrey Hills, or my parent's home down in Sussex where the roads are long (and emptyish) if you know where to look. I maybe spend 25 mins waiting at red lights a week, and you know what, I reckon I can live with that. Anyway, it's good thinking time.
2020 Canyon Ultimate CF SLX
2020 Canyon Inflite SL 7
On the Strand
Crown Stables
I don't jump the lights, although if there is no ASL, (or, as is increasingly the case on Blackfriars road turning into The Cut, a Taxi is sitting in it) I'll sit on or just ahead of the white line so I can have some space and make the traffic behind aware of me.
So imagine how annoying it is when you've got past the five or six slow-censored cyclists only for them to jump the light and get ahead again, only for you to have to overtake, an often risky manoeuvre.
It seems to be the poor cyclists who break the most rules, and generally a poor cyclist is also pretty slow.
Not saying that at all - its a totally different proposition to drive through a red light in a car. You pose a far greater threat to others, you lack the ability to make a quick decision on change of trajectory, and if you get caught you will (in theory) face a hefty penalty. Bikes are not cars. There is no need to pretend they are. They fall somewhere between motor vehicles and pedestrians in terms of how they fit into the whole vehicular hierarchy. There are things you can do on a bike (like have a couple of beers in a country pub) that just aren't acceptable in a car.
And you didn't answer my previous question about whether you slavishly follow every single law across the board, or just on a bike. I need to grow up a lot less than you need to get real.
Cyclist 1 shouts at the RLJers. Cyclist 2 starts 'discussing' with cyclist 1; something along the lines of: why can't they RLJ as cars encroach on the ASL (apologies if you are reading this and that doesn't fairly reflect your opinion as put). The 'discussion' gets so 'involved' that neither of them noticed the lights change to green :roll: Cue beeps from the cars and vans being held up.
On a personal note, I just shake my head (hoping that any affected drivers recognise that not all cyclists RLJ or think it is acceptable). I don't intervene.
Stuart
PS, yep, I do break the law. I have speeded, for example (3pts + £60). Doesn't make it right; doesn't justify other wrong things being done; and I'm not proud of it.
Precisely!
"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."