Red-light jumper blackens my name!
Comments
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gtvlusso wrote:simple_salmon wrote:gtvlusso - you may not have had much abuse about it but there may be someone else who receives that abuse because someone saw you and wanted to take it out on the next cyclist they see.
IMHO - there are too many people who only think about themselves.
Thats how I'd feel if I lived in Leicester....like there is nothing else in my life..!
I've been doing this a very, very long time and am pretty comfortable and safe thank you, maybe I am single minded or arrogant in your opinion, I don't really care what people think in reality, I just ride hard and assess as I go - maybe, I'll stop at this light, maybe not....there are far worse things to be thinking about and I won't be lectured.
My pet hate is cyclists who don't look over their shoulder when manouvering and slow queue jumpers...Some people will never stop annoying me about it. In fact, in simple terms, the worst road users are cyclists......get used to it! I have over the last 10 years +!
People ride on pavements (another pet hate), ride very slowly blocking up the road, only ride in fair weather - every morning I see people on bicycles without lights, any safety equipment, bikes that are falling to bits, people not bothering to watch behind them as they manouver, hopping off pavements onto the road, hopping from road to pavement, riding through pedestrian zones....RLJ is way down the list of tarnishing acts. RLJ pisses drivers off, because they are simply stuck there and then have to overtake at a later point....blah!! We also get mixed in with kids who have no road sense at all and people who ride across ped crossings....IT WILL NEVER CHANGE, CYCLISTS WILL ALWAYS BE HATED ON THE ROAD, IT HASN'T CHANGED IN 10 OR 12 YEARS THAT I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS - LIVE WITH IT!!!!
So your response is to be rude about where I live and type in capitals whilst pointing out other things that give drivers a reason to hate us - what a well reasoned argument I may have to think about what I said.0 -
Bear with me as I ask a stupid question, and remember my commute is mostly rural with only one red light, mostly just cow sh1te and road kill.
By red light jumping are you talking about just ignoring traffic lights and riding on.
That would seem to be a bit of Russian Roulette to me, considering that IME car drivers also like to jump the lights.
Many* drivers will accelerate to the lights and try to get through on the turn. Belfast city centre is gridlock each rush hour, caused mainly by drivers who have gone through red lights and got stuck in the yellow hashed areas.
I've also seen cars driving on pavements to avoid traffic though TBF thats a bit rarer
*not all“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
Eat My Dust wrote:gtvlusso wrote:Utopia does not exist - car users will always hate anything that gets in the way (bicycles, lorries, caravans).
lol, I though you were claiming you were fast. I tend to travel at the same speed as the cars, in the centre of the road and I get plenty of respect from the cagers. There's occassionally an idiot, but then again he probably RLJs when he's out on his bike!!
Most of my commute is in a 50 zone! The 30 bit is easy!0 -
simple_salmon wrote:gtvlusso wrote:simple_salmon wrote:gtvlusso - you may not have had much abuse about it but there may be someone else who receives that abuse because someone saw you and wanted to take it out on the next cyclist they see.
IMHO - there are too many people who only think about themselves.
Thats how I'd feel if I lived in Leicester....like there is nothing else in my life..!
I've been doing this a very, very long time and am pretty comfortable and safe thank you, maybe I am single minded or arrogant in your opinion, I don't really care what people think in reality, I just ride hard and assess as I go - maybe, I'll stop at this light, maybe not....there are far worse things to be thinking about and I won't be lectured.
My pet hate is cyclists who don't look over their shoulder when manouvering and slow queue jumpers...Some people will never stop annoying me about it. In fact, in simple terms, the worst road users are cyclists......get used to it! I have over the last 10 years +!
People ride on pavements (another pet hate), ride very slowly blocking up the road, only ride in fair weather - every morning I see people on bicycles without lights, any safety equipment, bikes that are falling to bits, people not bothering to watch behind them as they manouver, hopping off pavements onto the road, hopping from road to pavement, riding through pedestrian zones....RLJ is way down the list of tarnishing acts. RLJ pisses drivers off, because they are simply stuck there and then have to overtake at a later point....blah!! We also get mixed in with kids who have no road sense at all and people who ride across ped crossings....IT WILL NEVER CHANGE, CYCLISTS WILL ALWAYS BE HATED ON THE ROAD, IT HASN'T CHANGED IN 10 OR 12 YEARS THAT I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS - LIVE WITH IT!!!!
So your response is to be rude about where I live and type in capitals whilst pointing out other things that give drivers a reason to hate us - what a well reasoned argument I may have to think about what I said.
Yes, yes you may - but I am not interested - unsubscribe!0 -
gtvlusso - 'Yes, yes you may - but I am not interested - unsubscribe!'
If you're not interested in other people's opinions then why post onto an internet forum? If you don't want criticism of your riding choices then why post about them?
So far you've only posted abuse to me; I mearly said that some people should not only think about thmeselves - you used the words 'arrogant' and 'single minded' to describe yourself - not me.
RLJ upsets people because it's illegal and dangerous and gives us all a bad name. I'm happy to discuss that statement in an adult manner but if you're only going to be abusive and rude then please don't bother responding; my time is better spent with people who can construct a coherent point.0 -
The struggle I have with those who justify RLJ'ing on their higher ability to judge the situation, is where does this selective adherence to the laws of the road stop?
As an example, if you used your mobile phone without a hands free kit while you drove (if you drive), you might argue that you are a more experienced driver and you have an ability to use your phone and it not affect your driving. In which case, should the Police not stop you? How should they decide who to stop and who not to stop when they observe drivers using their mobile phones? Should cyclists no longer be justified in getting annoyed with you using your mobile phone while driving? (I say this in recognition that there is a limited presence of traffic police these days, but bear with me)
Perceptions and behaviours do change, just look at drink driving. Yes, it does still occur, but it is much less socially acceptable now than 20 years ago.0 -
I think there are some people who will always find an excuse to hate cyclists. They may blame RLJing etc, but the bottom line is that they know damn well that if they break the rules of the road (and believe me they do), they risk a fine and points on their license, whereas cyclists don't. Lets face it, traffic lights were invented to stop motor vehicles from bashing into each other. If there were no motor vehicles we wouldn't need traffic lights. So it's perhaps understandable that some cyclists don't treat them that seriously. It's also worth noting that pedestrians (a proportion of whom also hate cyclists) are probably the worst offenders when it comes to RLJing.
So for me there are three reasons for not jumping red lights:
1) I don't want to get killed.
2) They're great excuses for a rest.
3) There are many drivers who are courteous and treat me with respect as they would any other road user. It would be bad manners on my part not to apply the same courtesy to them, and follow the rules.
A fourth reason "it might p*ss off a few drivers and make them hate cyclists", doesn't really come into it for me. The ones who are susceptable to being p*ssed off are going to be upset anyway when I zip past them in the traffic. They're also likely to be the ones who overtake me and then turn left, stop in the cycle lanes and boxes at the red lights, move over so I can't pass, buzz past at 40 in a 30 zone leaving me an inch to spare - like I give a toss about what they think.0 -
I'm not worried about what a driver thinks about me; however, if I act in an illegal manner and the reaction gets taken out on soemone else then I would feel bad. Think what you like about me sat behind my computer screen but I'm the sort of person who feels bad if my actions negatively affect someone else not involved.
If that deserves being told to 'unsubscribe' from the forum then cycling is in a worse state than I ever thought posible..0 -
simple_salmon wrote:If that deserves being told to 'unsubscribe' from the forum then cycling is in a worse state than I ever thought posible..0
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I don't jump lights on my commute. But I see lots of people who do. What i don't understand is jumping the lights in the morning... Who wants to get to work that quickly?!?
I like to ride fast when appropriate and all that, but I am in no rush to get to work at any point...0 -
...of course what I meant to add was....
I'd ignore that comment if I were you. Forums would be very boring if everyone agreed with each other!0 -
gtvlusso wrote:simple_salmon wrote:gtvlusso wrote:simple_salmon wrote:gtvlusso - you may not have had much abuse about it but there may be someone else who receives that abuse because someone saw you and wanted to take it out on the next cyclist they see.
IMHO - there are too many people who only think about themselves.
Thats how I'd feel if I lived in Leicester....like there is nothing else in my life..!
I've been doing this a very, very long time and am pretty comfortable and safe thank you, maybe I am single minded or arrogant in your opinion, I don't really care what people think in reality, I just ride hard and assess as I go - maybe, I'll stop at this light, maybe not....there are far worse things to be thinking about and I won't be lectured.
My pet hate is cyclists who don't look over their shoulder when manouvering and slow queue jumpers...Some people will never stop annoying me about it. In fact, in simple terms, the worst road users are cyclists......get used to it! I have over the last 10 years +!
People ride on pavements (another pet hate), ride very slowly blocking up the road, only ride in fair weather - every morning I see people on bicycles without lights, any safety equipment, bikes that are falling to bits, people not bothering to watch behind them as they manouver, hopping off pavements onto the road, hopping from road to pavement, riding through pedestrian zones....RLJ is way down the list of tarnishing acts. RLJ pisses drivers off, because they are simply stuck there and then have to overtake at a later point....blah!! We also get mixed in with kids who have no road sense at all and people who ride across ped crossings....IT WILL NEVER CHANGE, CYCLISTS WILL ALWAYS BE HATED ON THE ROAD, IT HASN'T CHANGED IN 10 OR 12 YEARS THAT I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS - LIVE WITH IT!!!!
So your response is to be rude about where I live and type in capitals whilst pointing out other things that give drivers a reason to hate us - what a well reasoned argument I may have to think about what I said.
Yes, yes you may - but I am not interested - unsubscribe!
It's fair to say you're a bit of a dick.
RLJ'ing is illegal whereas the issues you pointed out, with a couple of exceptions, are legal.
Mind you, I noticed on another thread you boasted about driving a motorbike with no road tax or insurance. :roll:0 -
simple_salmon wrote:gtvlusso - 'Yes, yes you may - but I am not interested - unsubscribe!'
If you're not interested in other people's opinions then why post onto an internet forum? If you don't want criticism of your riding choices then why post about them?
So far you've only posted abuse to me; I mearly said that some people should not only think about thmeselves - you used the words 'arrogant' and 'single minded' to describe yourself - not me.
RLJ upsets people because it's illegal and dangerous and gives us all a bad name. I'm happy to discuss that statement in an adult manner but if you're only going to be abusive and rude then please don't bother responding; my time is better spent with people who can construct a coherent point.
Everything we do gives us a bad name......not just RLJ. Just get used to it - nothing has changed in 10 years + (It may be 12 years of commuting/tt racing and triathlon - I forget when I started)! And I ain't gonna stop because you say so.....
End!0 -
By jumping the red light you are saying to every other road user "I do not believe these rules apply to me". This cannot be construed as anything other than a selfish and rude attitude.
If you can justify that to yourself then that is your business. But imho there are too many selfish and rude people in all walks of life and not least on the roads. I am by no means perfect but I do try to behave on the roads in a responsible manner.<a>road</a>0 -
RLJing is the in vogue hate inducing behaviour though. Like it or not, RLJing does give us all a bad name and whilst its possibly not the worst behaviour in the world (arguably going at twice the speed limit on a motorbike is worse) it does focus hate on cyclists.gtvlusso wrote:simple_salmon wrote:gtvlusso - 'Yes, yes you may - but I am not interested - unsubscribe!'
If you're not interested in other people's opinions then why post onto an internet forum? If you don't want criticism of your riding choices then why post about them?
So far you've only posted abuse to me; I mearly said that some people should not only think about thmeselves - you used the words 'arrogant' and 'single minded' to describe yourself - not me.
RLJ upsets people because it's illegal and dangerous and gives us all a bad name. I'm happy to discuss that statement in an adult manner but if you're only going to be abusive and rude then please don't bother responding; my time is better spent with people who can construct a coherent point.
Everything we do gives us a bad name......not just RLJ. Just get used to it - nothing has changed in 10 years + (It may be 12 years of commuting/tt racing and triathlon - I forget when I started)! And I ain't gonna stop because you say so.....
End!
I'm afraid you are wrong in this instance gtvlusso. By all means carry on, but be aware that most people justifyably take a dim view of it. As a result, fighting off criticism on here is something akin to Custer's last stand.
So. School zones. I reckon my reaction times are pretty good, so I drive at 40mph through them. What about you pooftahs?0 -
BoardinBob wrote:gtvlusso wrote:simple_salmon wrote:gtvlusso wrote:simple_salmon wrote:gtvlusso - you may not have had much abuse about it but there may be someone else who receives that abuse because someone saw you and wanted to take it out on the next cyclist they see.
IMHO - there are too many people who only think about themselves.
Thats how I'd feel if I lived in Leicester....like there is nothing else in my life..!
I've been doing this a very, very long time and am pretty comfortable and safe thank you, maybe I am single minded or arrogant in your opinion, I don't really care what people think in reality, I just ride hard and assess as I go - maybe, I'll stop at this light, maybe not....there are far worse things to be thinking about and I won't be lectured.
My pet hate is cyclists who don't look over their shoulder when manouvering and slow queue jumpers...Some people will never stop annoying me about it. In fact, in simple terms, the worst road users are cyclists......get used to it! I have over the last 10 years +!
People ride on pavements (another pet hate), ride very slowly blocking up the road, only ride in fair weather - every morning I see people on bicycles without lights, any safety equipment, bikes that are falling to bits, people not bothering to watch behind them as they manouver, hopping off pavements onto the road, hopping from road to pavement, riding through pedestrian zones....RLJ is way down the list of tarnishing acts. RLJ pisses drivers off, because they are simply stuck there and then have to overtake at a later point....blah!! We also get mixed in with kids who have no road sense at all and people who ride across ped crossings....IT WILL NEVER CHANGE, CYCLISTS WILL ALWAYS BE HATED ON THE ROAD, IT HASN'T CHANGED IN 10 OR 12 YEARS THAT I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS - LIVE WITH IT!!!!
So your response is to be rude about where I live and type in capitals whilst pointing out other things that give drivers a reason to hate us - what a well reasoned argument I may have to think about what I said.
Yes, yes you may - but I am not interested - unsubscribe!
It's fair to say you're a bit of a dick.
RLJ'ing is illegal whereas the issues you pointed out, with a couple of exceptions, are legal.
Mind you, I noticed on another thread you boasted about driving a motorbike with no road tax or insurance. :roll:
Yeah - those were the days - lost yoof, teenage years and so on....I now have a new kitchen in lieu of a motorbike....:-(. It is fair to say that I have roosted in the henhouse and wallowed in the pigsty over the years...And bloody enjoyed myself, few illegal/dangerous acts keep you from living in Leicester.
Lots of stuff is illegal - probably most days you do something that is illegal. I probably do, just don't realise it - once I am going on the bike, I don't wanna stop - I want to be in the zone where I am working like a bad m*therf*cker and building more fitness and strength (I have to if I am going to compete in an Ironman next summer!)
I may be a dick, but your a pussy....we all know that dicks f*ck pussies.....Team America?!0 -
you sound like a real cool guy GTV<a>road</a>0
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gtvlusso wrote:simple_salmon wrote:gtvlusso - 'Yes, yes you may - but I am not interested - unsubscribe!'
If you're not interested in other people's opinions then why post onto an internet forum? If you don't want criticism of your riding choices then why post about them?
So far you've only posted abuse to me; I mearly said that some people should not only think about thmeselves - you used the words 'arrogant' and 'single minded' to describe yourself - not me.
RLJ upsets people because it's illegal and dangerous and gives us all a bad name. I'm happy to discuss that statement in an adult manner but if you're only going to be abusive and rude then please don't bother responding; my time is better spent with people who can construct a coherent point.
Everything we do gives us a bad name......not just RLJ. Just get used to it - nothing has changed in 10 years + (It may be 12 years of commuting/tt racing and triathlon - I forget when I started)! And I ain't gonna stop because you say so.....
End!
Not everything we do gives us a bad name at all; I've received many smiles and friendly waves of thanks from drivers when I've ridden in a courteous and legal manner.
I also haven't asked you to stop at any point in this thread - I merely suggested that there is a group of people who might want to think about how their actions affect others.
Personally I've been riding for over 30 years from schoolboy to adult and now I promote cycling as an alternative method of commuting and I see no reason why cycling cannot become a normal activity for the majority of the population given the correct tools, infrastructure and education. My belief is that the way to get people onside is to act in a socially responsible manner and set a good example; if you believe otherwise then all power to you but you'll get the message across better if you argue you point rather than just being rude.
And if you don't like being 'lectured to' then don't act like a spoilt teenager.0 -
I wish, I am not cool, but I do smell bad...I am wearing yesterdays pants and did not shower this morning..
I just wish that a few of you would no take it all so seriously!!
And if you did not have fun in your teenage years, then I feel sorry for you....0 -
Not everything we do gives us a bad name at all; I've received many smiles and friendly waves of thanks from drivers when I've ridden in a courteous and legal manner.
Is this in Narnia? Your so full of it!0 -
Always Tyred wrote:RLJing is the in vogue hate inducing behaviour though. Like it or not, RLJing does give us all a bad name
And that's the thing. You have a dozen cyclists waiting at the lights, and one rides through. Ask the drivers sitting in their cars which one they remember. It will be the same one that they will be first to mention when the subject of "bloody cyclists" comes up.
If someone's daft enough to do something that risks their neck, I couldn't give a toss. But if that same something has an adverse impact on how people perceive me, then I do care. A lot. I'm afraid RLJing doesn't fall into the "it only affects me and no one else" category.Always Tyred wrote:So. School zones. I reckon my reaction times are pretty good, so I drive at 40mph through them. What about you pooftahs?
I think you've just outed yourself as a pooftah with really slow reaction times.
40? That's a crawl. I bet you kepp your eyes open and everything :twisted:0 -
Greg66 wrote:Always Tyred wrote:RLJing is the in vogue hate inducing behaviour though. Like it or not, RLJing does give us all a bad name
And that's the thing. You have a dozen cyclists waiting at the lights, and one rides through. Ask the drivers sitting in their cars which one they remember. It will be the same one that they will be first to mention when the subject of "bloody cyclists" comes up.
If someone's daft enough to do something that risks their neck, I couldn't give a toss. But if that same something has an adverse impact on how people perceive me, then I do care. A lot. I'm afraid RLJing doesn't fall into the "it only affects me and no one else" category.Always Tyred wrote:So. School zones. I reckon my reaction times are pretty good, so I drive at 40mph through them. What about you pooftahs?
I think you've just outed yourself as a pooftah with really slow reaction times.
40? That's a crawl. I bet you kepp your eyes open and everything :twisted:
I agree with you Greg66 - it does affect everyone, so does riding on the pavement. I'll still carry on though - I have so few lights, light traffic and very few "dangers" that I may as well get my head up and pump it hard - my commute is probably very different than most on here, but I have commuted in London and various other cities around the world....0 -
gtvlusso wrote:Not everything we do gives us a bad name at all; I've received many smiles and friendly waves of thanks from drivers when I've ridden in a courteous and legal manner.
Is this in Narnia? Your so full of it!
I guess you get back what you deserve in life - call it karma if you like.
But anyway another well constructed argument - I think you may be winning me over.0 -
simple_salmon wrote:gtvlusso wrote:Not everything we do gives us a bad name at all; I've received many smiles and friendly waves of thanks from drivers when I've ridden in a courteous and legal manner.
Is this in Narnia? Your so full of it!
I guess you get back what you deserve in life - call it karma if you like.
But anyway another well constructed argument - I think you may be winning me over.
Winning you over about what? The above quote makes me both cringe and laugh - my colleague next to me is pissing himself laughing!0 -
I've had smiles and waves too. Amazing what happens if you demonstrate good manners.0
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2 fingers is not a wave...And the bearing of teeth...0
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Like I say - karma; you get out what you put in...
I'm glad your colleague is enjoying it maybe it will encourage him to take up cycling. I must admit though I had assumed you were still at school.0 -
gtvlusso wrote:I don't wanna stop - I want to be in the zone where I am working like a bad m*therf*cker and building more fitness and strength (I have to if I am going to compete in an Ironman next summer!)
I may be a dick
Just to point out that your training for an ironman would probably benefit from you stopping at the reds.0 -
I am glad you think Iook so young - my avatar is not a great shot (wifes phone), but I am quite fresh faced from training so much and E45 lotion.....Note to self, never admit to E45.
Smiles and Waves - you lot keep me entertained...Lol!
I wish some of you would not take simply getting about so seriously, live a bit less of a boring life! Go and do a triathlon and use your commute as your bike training.....go do! I have 120 miles to do this weekend - doubt I will be stopping at all between Bristol and Newbury - red lights, round-a-bouts, hills, wind, rain, snow (may stop if it snows!).0 -
Eat My Dust wrote:gtvlusso wrote:I don't wanna stop - I want to be in the zone where I am working like a bad m*therf*cker and building more fitness and strength (I have to if I am going to compete in an Ironman next summer!)
I may be a dick
Just to point out that your training for an ironman would probably benefit from you stopping at the reds.
Fraggle rock.....nuff said.0
