ASLs and Motorbikes and Scooters in London
Chunkers1980
Posts: 8,035
Motorbikes in ASLs really annoy me. To the point where if I can block them from getting in there I do - is this right or wrong of me? Discuss..
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Wrong. Deffo. Worry about yourself and not what others are doing.Vespa GTS 300 most days... Trek 7.7FX the rest0
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This only bothers me when their presence in the ASL prevents me from using it. Otherwise, I think it's fine - in fact I think they should be legally allowed to do so (albeit with cyclist priority). They can accelerate much quicker than we can and will be out of our hair, and traffic in general's hair, within seconds.0
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Purveyor of sonic doom
Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
Fixed Pista- FCN 5
Beared Bromptonite - FCN 140 -
OK I know what an ASL is but what do the letters stand for - excuse ignorance!
SimonCurrently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.0 -
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The Beginner wrote:OK I know what an ASL is but what do the letters stand for - excuse ignorance!
Simon
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I would like to know too.0 -
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Argh OK, I had thought of 'additional' (Advanced is a misnomer round my way as the box is behind the old stop line back to a new one further back!)
SimonCurrently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.0 -
It's all very well saying that you have to worry about yourself and not others but that's rather naive and unlikely to save you from being knocked off.
I was knocked off my bike last week by a guy on a Vespa who had stopped in an ASL and then accelerated as fast as he could away from the lights when they went green. Trouble was, he cut straight across the line I was taking.0 -
FrankM wrote:It's all very well saying that you have to worry about yourself and not others but that's rather naive and unlikely to save you from being knocked off.
I was knocked off my bike last week by a guy on a Vespa who had stopped in an ASL and then accelerated as fast as he could away from the lights when they went green. Trouble was, he cut straight across the line I was taking.
Then he's a useless tw@t on a Vespa.
Anyway, I've decided that the ASL boxes don't belong to bicycles anymore cos it seems in London at least that bicycles have decided not to use them even when they are empty. Bicycles go through them and stop the other side most of the time or RLJ. So, the ASL box is mine from now one - whether I'm on the Trek or the Vespa. :roll:Vespa GTS 300 most days... Trek 7.7FX the rest0 -
Unfortunately, we do have to worry about or keep an eye on the actions of others, be they scooters, bikes or any other vehicle.FCN 2-4.
"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."0 -
I had a nice encounter this morning.
I was filtering on the right, coming up to a red with an ASL. To my suprise a couple of motorbikes and a scooter had stopped short of the box. So I think I'll go round the front of the scooter and move over to the left. But as I arrived level with the scooter the rider started edging into the box, blocking my route. So I try to get a little further round in front, but as I try he keeps moving forward slowly, making me go further and further round.
I eventually held up my arm and asked what he was doing? To this I have my manhood questioned several times, I believe I was invited to have intercourse with my mother and treatened with a beating, nice. Oh and he did the classic pull off, then brake sharply, to get me to crash into him, thats one of my favs :roll: I congratulated him on his knowledge of the English language, but suggested he should take more lessons on his scooter.
VespaTrek has got a point on use of the ASL. I often sit there with droves of cyclists passing through the ASL. Seems very little point in me arguing motorbikes shouldn't be in there when we don't use them ourselves. I guess there could be a chicken and egg situation here, but I suspect RLJing is more to do with impatence than safety.0 -
cjcp wrote:Unfortunately, we do have to worry about or keep an eye on the actions of others, be they scooters, bikes or any other vehicle.
...or pedestrians... so nearly hit some tw@t yesterday morning at 5.40am that just walked out not looking...Vespa GTS 300 most days... Trek 7.7FX the rest0 -
VespaTrek wrote:cjcp wrote:Unfortunately, we do have to worry about or keep an eye on the actions of others, be they scooters, bikes or any other vehicle.
...or pedestrians... so nearly hit some tw@t yesterday morning at 5.40am that just walked out not looking...
Yes, and very definitely peds.FCN 2-4.
"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."0 -
cjcp wrote:Unfortunately, we do have to worry about or keep an eye on the actions of others, be they scooters, bikes or any other vehicle.
Indeed. Nearly had a massive off this morning in the Blackfriars underpass when some moron on one of those three wheeled mopeds (tricylce?) tried to overtake me whilst I was overtaking another cyclist, and at the same time tried to undertake a van. Four into one doesn't go, as we both found out. Luckily I noticed him over my shoulder and managed to swerve and swear loudly at him at the same time.....
Back on topic, I could feel the discomfort of the sole motorbike in the ASL by VB this morning - he'd also ridden up the cycle lane to get there....0 -
VespaTrek: Isn't there something slightly inconsistent with what you've said.
First you say: "Worry about yourself and not what others are doing." So if I'm on a scooter, I take that to mean that irrespective of whether people on bikes jump the red lights, I should wait outside the ASL if I'm on my scooter (i.e. I'm not worrying about what they're doing but I'm doing what I should).
But then you say that you go into ASLs on your Vespa anyway because all the people on bikes jump red lights.
I have a bike and don't jump the red lights and was knocked off by someone on a scooter who went into an ASL. I also have a Vespa and don't drive into ASLs or use bike lanes.
A little more consideration by all road users would be nice.0 -
FrankM wrote:VespaTrek: Isn't there something slightly inconsistent with what you've said.
First you say: "Worry about yourself and not what others are doing." So if I'm on a scooter, I take that to mean that irrespective of whether people on bikes jump the red lights, I should wait outside the ASL if I'm on my scooter (i.e. I'm not worrying about what they're doing but I'm doing what I should).
But then you say that you go into ASLs on your Vespa anyway because all the people on bikes jump red lights.
I have a bike and don't jump the red lights and was knocked off by someone on a scooter who went into an ASL. I also have a Vespa and don't drive into ASLs or use bike lanes.
A little more consideration by all road users would be nice.
Yes I agree it does look inconsistent. What I'm trying to say is that most of the time I wouldn't use the ASL box when on the Vespa, stopping short of it etc; though I hold my hands up and say that when I go round 10 cars to the front at the lights then yes I will have to use it in order to position myself safely in front of the first car. I also give bikes loads of room, slow as I pass them in bus lanes etc etc. BUT, I feel it's getting to the point that I might as well use the ASL box as here in central London at least the bicycles are failing to use them, and when I sit behind an ASL box and 6/7 bicycles go through it and wait or RLJ then I start to think fkit, bikes should use it or lose it.Vespa GTS 300 most days... Trek 7.7FX the rest0 -
VespaTrek wrote:FrankM wrote:VespaTrek: Isn't there something slightly inconsistent with what you've said.
First you say: "Worry about yourself and not what others are doing." So if I'm on a scooter, I take that to mean that irrespective of whether people on bikes jump the red lights, I should wait outside the ASL if I'm on my scooter (i.e. I'm not worrying about what they're doing but I'm doing what I should).
But then you say that you go into ASLs on your Vespa anyway because all the people on bikes jump red lights.
I have a bike and don't jump the red lights and was knocked off by someone on a scooter who went into an ASL. I also have a Vespa and don't drive into ASLs or use bike lanes.
A little more consideration by all road users would be nice.
Yes I agree it does look inconsistent. What I'm trying to say is that most of the time I wouldn't use the ASL box when on the Vespa, stopping short of it etc; though I hold my hands up and say that when I go round 10 cars to the front at the lights then yes I will have to use it in order to position myself safely in front of the first car. I also give bikes loads of room, slow as I pass them in bus lanes etc etc. BUT, I feel it's getting to the point that I might as well use the ASL box as here in central London at least the bicycles are failing to use them, and when I sit behind an ASL box and 6/7 bicycles go through it and wait or RLJ then I start to think fkit, bikes should use it or lose it.
Vespa - you might be an exception to the rule, but, IMHO, most scooterers use the ASL for much the same reason as cyclists who RLJ: they can't be @rsed to wait (cyclists for the lights to go green, scooterers behind other traffic). It's the same reason why scooterers (and cyclists) push to the front of the traffic at traffic lights are stop beyond the Stop Line even if there isn't an ASL (e.g. any one of Chelsea, Albert or Battersea Bridge lights). The ASLs at Westminster and VB lights and along Thames Street are classic examples where scooters and motorbike automatically ride to the front of the row of traffic regardless of whether cyclists want to use it.FCN 2-4.
"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."0 -
Yes, I am exceptional
Or one of the few exceptions to the rule I guess... Vespa GTS 300 most days... Trek 7.7FX the rest0 -
VespaTrek wrote:
Yes I agree it does look inconsistent. What I'm trying to say is that I'm an utter c*ck.0 -
MatHammond wrote:VespaTrek wrote:
Yes I agree it does look inconsistent. What I'm trying to say is that I'm an utter c*ck.
Oh dear, are you one of the really sh1te cyclits that seem to make up 50% of the cycling community these days?Vespa GTS 300 most days... Trek 7.7FX the rest0
