Idiots who ignore red traffic lights!! (Esp. in Oxford!)

KonaKurt

Don't you just hate people who ignore red traffic lights, thinking that they do not matter or that they do not apply to them?!?! And especially at busy or major junctions!!??

Personally , I would never in a million years risk running through any red light, so I cannot understand the minds of people who do! Is it just lazyness, stupidity or sheer arrogance?

Has anyone else seen alot of 'red lighters' these days...?

I frequently (EVERYDAY!) witness countless number of cyclists of all ages and types, who coast through, or dodge through RED lights, especially in Oxford City Centre (where I recently once counted 58 in just 20 miniutes!!) and also Banbury Town Centre.

I've witnessed two BAD accidents in my time, of red light jumpers getting hit and squashed.....

So what if you have to wait and have a little rest waiting at a red light... jumping lights is NEVER worth the risk, or for that matter worth showing yourself up in front of other road users!

IT IS LAW!

alfablue

This is probably the hottest topic on this forum, closely followed by the helmet debate. There are extensive RLJ threads every few weeks, so sit back and enjoy the mayhem

By the way, I'm with you

KonaKurt

Yes Alfa, I can well imagine it's a hot topic!

I can only hope that none of them are also train or petrol tanker drivers too!

Though I suspect that many have driving licences...

KK.

ride_whenever

I'm an oxford student, and spend a fair amount of time in central oxford. The issue is that bike is the easiest way to get round the city. But a large proportion of the students have bikes that are no-where near road-worthy and simply don't care about the rules of the road. It doesn't help that they almost perpetually have their heads in the clouds and can barely ride at all.

I personally don't rlj (unless it is really early or late and there is no-one to see me) and although I'm a fairly reckless and aggressive cyclist, some of the things i see appall me. But there isn't much that can be done until the police crack down on them. That said, at least the police are getting better about lights.

always_tyred

ride_whenever wrote:

I'm an oxford student, and spend a fair amount of time in central oxford. The issue is that bike is the easiest way to get round the city. But a large proportion of the students have bikes that are no-where near road-worthy and simply don't care about the rules of the road. It doesn't help that they almost perpetually have their heads in the clouds and can barely ride at all.

I personally don't rlj (unless it is really early or late and there is no-one to see me) and although I'm a fairly reckless and aggressive cyclist, some of the things i see appall me. But there isn't much that can be done until the police crack down on them. That said, at least the police are getting better about lights.

They don't have their heads in the clouds. The arrangement is far more compact.

A fun game is to try to count the number of times you have to overtake the same person. It correlates quite well to Daddy's salary. Turning up for lectures 10 minutes early is a good way to avoid 98% of all Oxford cyclists. Alternatively, become a grad student and turn up at 11:30, when it is also quiet (you should also leave at about 3pm, at the latest, which would still make you relatively hard working, particularly if you drop in for 10 minutes in a saturday, thereby "working weekends").

KonaKurt

Always-tyred, haha very true.
Ride_whenever, yes Thames Valley Police need to pull their fingers out, and actually do something about traffic light jumpers. You would think that it would be an important and obvious part of the average police officers working life, to observe and stop any road user jumping through a red light, but I guess they must have more important things to do with their time....

By the way folks, I am not talking about when traffic lights change to red through an amber, I mean when they are ON red, and have been red for a good 10 or 20 seconds, and there is a heavy flow of junction traffic whizzing about. To pick on Oxford again, classic bad junctions are St Giles, High Street and Broad St/Park Lane and Carfax, if any locals want to have a go at counting traffic light jumpers...!

While I completely understand that the average Oxbridge student has about as much roadsense as a ranaway hedgehog, they are not excused from the Highway Code and common sense. Well, not unless highflying 'daddy' is able to have a little word with some minister, and change the rules..!


Thank god I stayed in red brick schools...!
KK.

downfader

I think you'll find many of us are with you on this KK. They should be considered to many cyclists what drink drivers are to other drivers, a separate minority in most places. There have been clamp downs in Southampton, London and Bristol to mention three cities but more will no doubt be done by the police in future elsewhere.

I would also imagine that the local councils and police perhaps have lost touch with whats going on and need to be reinformed by the public. This can start with letter writing to the local paper, councillers and the force. In any letters you need to emphasise that you yourself ride and know of the dangers and hope that you can encourage change.

(BTW, AlwaysTyred... planning a vendetta are we? )

fonty1978

I was slowing down for a red light this morning and 2 cars sped past me and straight through the red lights, so not just RLJing cyclists then... :evil:

alex16zx

I do think it's a bit harsh correlating it to perceived poshness. I'm sure students at former polys and the like are equally culpable!

lost_in_thought

alex16zx wrote:

I do think it's a bit harsh correlating it to perceived poshness. I'm sure students at former polys and the like are equally culpable!

+1!

always_tyred

lost_in_thought wrote:

alex16zx wrote:

I do think it's a bit harsh correlating it to perceived poshness. I'm sure students at former polys and the like are equally culpable!

+1!

(a)Do you perceive Oxford students to be posh, then?
(b)Do you perceive ex-poly students to be otherwise?

Tsk, you betray yourselves in your responses to my deliberately provocative stereotyping. (Other than the thing about grad students, which is FACT).

ride_whenever

AT, the grad student thing is an enourmous lie :evil:

I'm a grad student, i get in around 10 and leave around 4, which is about now actually so there 8)

DonDaddyD

I don't agree with the whole class debate, the ability to RLJ can be an action carried out by all and is not limited to wage, education, social background etc. My views on the british class structure is that its an outdated mechanism to enable some to feel that they are 'better' than others.

I'll RLJ at a crossing and only if the crossing is clear. I won't RLJ at a junction.

I will also RLJ if there is a lorry (one of those large car carrying lorry's) behind me and he is too close to know that I am there.

I'll also RLJ if I'm in front of a pimple faced boy racer revving his engine, music all loud and who is desperate to go on amber.

I'll RLJ whenever the need to RLJ is a matter of increasing my safety or when its simply not necessary to stop (like at a empty pelican crossing with no junction).

Headhuunter

fonty1978 wrote:

I was slowing down for a red light this morning and 2 cars sped past me and straight through the red lights, so not just RLJing cyclists then... :evil:

Absolutely! I see cars RLJ-ing every morning!

DonDaddyD

I won't RLJ if I'm in the middle of an SCR however, then I'll wait at the lights regards of what lights and speed off again to ensure that I've won my scalp. Thems be da rules!

always_tyred

ride_whenever wrote:

AT, the grad student thing is an enourmous lie :evil:

I'm a grad student, i get in around 10 and leave around 4, which is about now actually so there 8)

Mrs_Ragbrutty

Would never RLJ. Can't see the point.

Personally I quite like red lights. In winter I can take a few mins to warm my hands and in summer I can use the time to catch my breath before my next assult on the roads.

I do not feel intimidated by other traffic. I do not see it as safer to rlj than to not. If I felt at risk then where poss I would get off the bike and mount the pavement. (or grass verge as has been known).

As for rlj at a pedestrian crossing - you have not seen me sprint for that green man have you! I always consider what I would be doing as a pedestrian or runner or cyclist or motorcyclist.

blackworx

Had a word with an RLJer last night. Totally unrepentant. Couldn't ride in a straight line for toffee either.

andy jackson

sometimes I stand forward of the white line, especially if there are cars in the green box, mainly to make a point to the tosser sat there. and if there is no one crossing pellican crossings and it is clear & safe i slow down to a crawl and set off when the amber is flashing.

nowt wrong with that imho

andy

.

_Brun_

andy jackson wrote:

...and if there is no one crossing pellican crossings and it is clear & safe i slow down to a crawl and set off when the amber is flashing.

nowt wrong with that imho.

Also nowt wrong with that if you're driving a car.

always_tyred

andy jackson wrote:

sometimes I stand forward of the white line, especially if there are cars in the green box, mainly to make a point to the tosser sat there. and if there is no one crossing pellican crossings and it is clear & safe i slow down to a crawl and set off when the amber is flashing.

nowt wrong with that imho

andy

.

Neither of these qualify as RLJing mate. I also make my own ASL in front of police cars without concern, and flashing amber is proceed with caution.

Sewinman

DonDaddyD wrote:

I don't agree with the whole class debate, the ability to RLJ can be an action carried out by all and is not limited to wage, education, social background etc. My views on the british class structure is that its an outdated mechanism to enable some to feel that they are 'better' than others.

I'll RLJ at a crossing and only if the crossing is clear. I won't RLJ at a junction.

I will also RLJ if there is a lorry (one of those large car carrying lorry's) behind me and he is too close to know that I am there.

I'll also RLJ if I'm in front of a pimple faced boy racer revving his engine, music all loud and who is desperate to go on amber.

I'll RLJ whenever the need to RLJ is a matter of increasing my safety or when its simply not necessary to stop (like at a empty pelican crossing with no junction).

That is pretty much what I do. +1

KonaKurt

Blimey, my topic here seems to have also verged on acedemic class structure..! (something I am against by the way, i went to an 'old' poly!) RLJing applied to all road users...

Back to the topic in hand:

Seen today in Oxford!!!! Two coppers slowly riding together on their poorly equipped police issue marin mountain bikes with naff silver old fashioned bells (and not in single file either!). One talking to the other while riding one handed slowly down busy road. Quite an involved conversation by the looks of it. Possibly some police matter, or maybe where they can find a decent kebab later while on duty. (?) Still coasting along. Approaching pedestrian crossing on amberlight. Still talking and coasting along. Lights flick to red, they are half a second away from crossing over the thick white stop line. Still talking and coasting. The one on left nearside misses old lady starting to cross with her shopping trolley, by about 1 or 2 inches. Coast straight through and onwards with no idea of what they did! Some guy yells 'hey!' They STILL are oblivious to what they did.

If anyone knows of where such a legendary and distracting kebab house can be found in the Oxford area, where thought of their food is so good, it sends you into a day dream, then send you answers on a postcard, to.....

KK.

always_tyred

KonaKurt wrote:

Blimey, my topic here seems to have also verged on acedemic class structure..! (something I am against by the way, i went to an 'old' poly!) RLJing applied to all road users...

Back to the topic in hand:

Seen today in Oxford!!!! Two coppers slowly riding together on their poorly equipped police issue marin mountain bikes with naff silver old fashioned bells (and not in single file either!). One talking to the other while riding one handed slowly down busy road. Quite an involved conversation by the looks of it. Possibly some police matter, or maybe where they can find a decent kebab later while on duty. (?) Still coasting along. Approaching pedestrian crossing on amberlight. Still talking and coasting along. Lights flick to red, they are half a second away from crossing over the thick white stop line. Still talking and coasting. The one on left nearside misses old lady starting to cross with her shopping trolley, by about 1 or 2 inches. Coast straight through and onwards with no idea of what they did! Some guy yells 'hey!' They STILL are oblivious to what they did.

If anyone knows of where such a legendary and distracting kebab house can be found in the Oxford area, where thought of their food is so good, it sends you into a day dream, then send you answers on a postcard, to.....

KK.

Well now you mention it, there used to be a blindly good bab van parked up on Broad Street in the evenings...... for some reason the food was revolting until about 1am, at which point it mystically became the world's finest elephant's leg.

lost_in_thought

Always Tyred wrote:

KonaKurt wrote:

Blimey, my topic here seems to have also verged on acedemic class structure..! (something I am against by the way, i went to an 'old' poly!) RLJing applied to all road users...

Back to the topic in hand:

Seen today in Oxford!!!! Two coppers slowly riding together on their poorly equipped police issue marin mountain bikes with naff silver old fashioned bells (and not in single file either!). One talking to the other while riding one handed slowly down busy road. Quite an involved conversation by the looks of it. Possibly some police matter, or maybe where they can find a decent kebab later while on duty. (?) Still coasting along. Approaching pedestrian crossing on amberlight. Still talking and coasting along. Lights flick to red, they are half a second away from crossing over the thick white stop line. Still talking and coasting. The one on left nearside misses old lady starting to cross with her shopping trolley, by about 1 or 2 inches. Coast straight through and onwards with no idea of what they did! Some guy yells 'hey!' They STILL are oblivious to what they did.

If anyone knows of where such a legendary and distracting kebab house can be found in the Oxford area, where thought of their food is so good, it sends you into a day dream, then send you answers on a postcard, to.....

KK.

Well now you mention it, there used to be a blindly good bab van parked up on Broad Street in the evenings...... for some reason the food was revolting until about 1am, at which point it mystically became the world's finest elephant's leg.

I loved that van... Really loved it. On my rambles back to cowley it was perfectly located right in the middle of my regular stumble from that nightclub the name of which I forget back to James Street... I don't think it's there any more.

ride_whenever

Nah, st giles kebab vans are where it is at...

the organic kebab van rules all.

always_tyred

Oh no!!!!!!!
Does that mean that it has been replaced by an indistinguishable alternative bab van that parks in roughly the same place and also sells highly seasoned elephant leg?

There is a factory somewhere that takes nice new ford transit vans and saws holes in the side, fits them out with imitation 70's formica (which is increasingly hard to come by) and sprays all of the nooks and crannys with a special gel that attracts dirt. The suspension has to be softened also, to enable the van to tilt over and assist the driver in handing you a kebab.

KonaKurt

Always: haha! Yeah, most kebabs do have that strange time dependent quality to them! Used to also be one most nights in the High street near Turl Street. Was very generous with meat portions sometimes late at night, but it only tasted edible with two large squirts of garlic mayo. I often wondered if I could re-grease my hubs with their mayo, but then decided against the idea when the thought of stray dogs licking and lapping at my bearing crossed my mind. (I mean real stray dogs, not drunk bimbos pouring out of the clubs...)

I can remember one night from my distant club faring youth, when I had a few drinks and kebab, and then later in some tacky disco, I was unable to focus properly on all the different coloured disco lights flashing about... especially the red and orange ones I found!

Could this be a scientific breakthrough...?!?! Amend the Highway Code with a new kebab clause!

KK.

KonaKurt

By the way, if I may say so, I especially hate taxi drivers who do it (RLJ that is) who seem to think their license grants them the right to ignore the law of the road when it suits them...

I would imagine it happens alot (RLJ) in London.

KK.

KonaKurt

Yet again for the 1000th time, more stupid twats seen jumping blatantly through red traffic lights in Oxford, on my way home from work. This time three teenagers (students? they had bad haircuts, greasy hair....) drift in a line through red lights near Debenhams, then onto a busy pavement alongside Debenhams and slowly pedal THROUGH a crowd of shoppers along the pavement, who have no choice but to jump out of their way as they slowly coasted down the busy city centre pavement!!

I hope the CCTV cameras got a good look at them.

The damn cheek of not only going trough the lights, but expecting a crowd to make way for them on a pavement, like it was their right to cycle down it! I'm amazed there was no accident. Could have been old people, pushchairs, blind or disabled people on there..!

Sorry to rant, but when will this madness END?! No way does Oxford deserve any kind of 'cycle capital' reputation.

KK.

tailwindhome

@ KonaKurt

Don't really see the point in resurrecting another RLJ thread a week after it died a natural death:roll: