Interesting Crash this morning!

soundninjauk

scattered pedals wrote:

So if no cyclist ever RLJed ,all cars would stop safly at all red lights?!

I think you just blew my mind.

W1

ooermissus wrote:

Sometimes you give the impression that you think that most bad things that happen to cyclists are either their fault, or the fault of other cyclists. As a class, we have annoyed other road users and now deserve what we get.

I think that as a group we receive much less respect than our vulnerability would suggest we ought to, and the reason for that is due to poor, inconsiderate, dangerous and illegal riding undermining the majority of cyclists who don't behave in such a way. It's not that we "deserve" what treatment we get - it's just that I'm not surprised by it. What I am surprised by is how many keen, regular and competent cyclists (like most on here) disagree that cyclists as a group ought to enforce their right to be on the road (and the respect that should come with that) by abiding by the rules of the road.

We should be condeming those who enforce the negative stereotype of cyclists, which endagers us all.

W1

scattered pedals wrote:

W1 wrote:

scattered pedals wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

JamesFree wrote:

Due to the place he eventually stopped being just before the line at the front of the bike box and a good 8 foot past where he was meant to stop and this was after he had done an emergency stop at the last minute when seeing me.

This is what leads me to think he had completely forgotten to stop or didn't see the lights (as there are just before another set 25 yards up the road)

Indeed doesn't look as though he was planning on stopping at all. That said, the fact that such an explanation occurred to him does suggest that he at least wouldn't be surprised to see cyclists jump red lights.

the excuse is irrelevent - if the cyclist had RLJed everyone would have been happy

Or if cyclists - as a group - didn't RLJ so often that excuse/reason/cause would never have occurred.

So if no cyclist ever RLJed ,all cars would stop safly at all red lights?!

Wow! Such a great leap - are you aiming for the long jump gold in 2012?

scattered pedals

W1 wrote:

scattered pedals wrote:

W1 wrote:

scattered pedals wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

JamesFree wrote:

Due to the place he eventually stopped being just before the line at the front of the bike box and a good 8 foot past where he was meant to stop and this was after he had done an emergency stop at the last minute when seeing me.

This is what leads me to think he had completely forgotten to stop or didn't see the lights (as there are just before another set 25 yards up the road)

Indeed doesn't look as though he was planning on stopping at all. That said, the fact that such an explanation occurred to him does suggest that he at least wouldn't be surprised to see cyclists jump red lights.

the excuse is irrelevent - if the cyclist had RLJed everyone would have been happy

Or if cyclists - as a group - didn't RLJ so often that excuse/reason/cause would never have occurred.

So if no cyclist ever RLJed ,all cars would stop safly at all red lights?!

Wow! Such a great leap - are you aiming for the long jump gold in 2012?

I was trying to understand your point. Mine is that I was almost hit in this way last week - they took out the motorbike next to me. I don't want to be smashed from behind so am considering RLJing in some circumstances (after checking for approaching traffic) even if I don't jump everytime -statisticaly I would prob be safer

soundninjauk

scattered pedals wrote:

I was trying to understand your point. Mine is that I was almost hit in this way last week - they took out the motorbike next to me. I don't want to be smashed from behind so am considering RLJing in some circumstances (after checking for approaching traffic) even if I don't jump everytime -statisticaly I would prob be safer

Law of averages probably means you're ok right? Lightening never striking the same place twice?

In any case, there's no way you could back that up with actual numbers. I'm with W1 on the whole negative stereotype enforcement thing. I've actually been shouted at by another cyclist to get out of the way when I stopped at a red light. I was even behind traffic and everything.

W1

scattered pedals wrote:

I was trying to understand your point. Mine is that I was almost hit in this way last week - they took out the motorbike next to me. I don't want to be smashed from behind so am considering RLJing in some circumstances (after checking for approaching traffic) even if I don't jump everytime -statisticaly I would prob be safer

If you think that's safer then you should jump every single red light. If you stop at any of them you risk a rear end collision - there's no correlation between the junction being clear enough for you to RLJ and the chance of getting hit from behind.

As RJSterry rightly said there are other RLJ threads which may be better for this topic to continue.....

scattered pedals

W1 wrote:

scattered pedals wrote:

I was trying to understand your point. Mine is that I was almost hit in this way last week - they took out the motorbike next to me. I don't want to be smashed from behind so am considering RLJing in some circumstances (after checking for approaching traffic) even if I don't jump everytime -statisticaly I would prob be safer

If you think that's safer then you should jump every single red light. If you stop at any of them you risk a rear end collision - there's no correlation between the junction being clear enough for you to RLJ and the chance of getting hit from behind.

As RJSterry rightly said there are other RLJ threads which may be better for this topic to continue.....

OK still don't think you see my point though

snooks

scattered pedals wrote:

I don't want to be smashed from behind so am considering RLJing in some circumstances

I'm considering waiting for some buses by standing in the middle of the road, cos one day a bus hit the bus shelter.

scattered pedals

snooks wrote:

scattered pedals wrote:

I don't want to be smashed from behind so am considering RLJing in some circumstances

I'm considering waiting for some buses by standing in the middle of the road, cos one day a bus hit the bus shelter.

yeah go do that mate

hstiles

snooks wrote:

scattered pedals wrote:

I don't want to be smashed from behind so am considering RLJing in some circumstances

I'm considering waiting for some buses by standing in the middle of the road, cos one day a bus hit the bus shelter.

That's not all, I heard that London Transport Police have implemented a shoot to kill policy for all twentysomething men of indian and/or pakistani descent because several of them were responsible for a bombing public transport network some years ago.

danlikesbikes

If that had been me on the bike it would have sent me about 5 feet down the road and and unexplainable trip to A&E to remove the saddle from somewhere not so nice!

itboffin

Glad the OP is okay.
In a infinite number of parallel universes I was killed today, never have I encountered such shocking driving.

Gulp! Be safe ride like everyone IS trying to kill you.

danlikesbikes

Unfortunately lots of the traffic lights round my way have these cycle/motor cycle boxes and I see drivers just stopping in them, then again they cant even stop before the standard white lines so I'm not surprised.

Just glad that OP is Ok - hope that the driver doesn't turn out to be a fake though, as theirs nothing worse than in injury and possible damage to the bike only to find out that the person at fault has no insurance or they gave incorrect contact info.

deptfordmarmoset

@ scattered pedals - I took a photo of a nuthatch in Greenwich Park last week and it looked as blurred as your avatar does

So, off topickery out of the way, back to the subject....

I've had one car written off while stopped at a red light (retired gent in a rush) and another one needed the rear hatch replacing after a very stoned uninsured driver of an old non-MOTd Golf with 6 (six!) new-age passengers used my car to help him stop at the red light because his brakes weren't good enough to do it on their own. Had I been on a bike, the first would probably have killed me, and the second would have hospitalised me. And if they couldn't see a car, they certainly wouldn't have seen me on a bike. So I'm very aware - though not quite paranoid - of what's behind me. There are idiots out there.

And yesterday I technically RLJd, running over the stop line at a recently changed-to-red light. A car had just pulled very late into the lane and was very close on my tail. I wasn't going to stop until I knew that the driver had seen the red light and not a ''London green.'' Once I knew the car had stopped, I stopped too. So I guess that I'm a little like the guy waiting for a bus in the middle of the road because buses plough into bus stops.

shouldbeinbed

W1 wrote:

A great lesson for the advocates of RLJing here.....this sort of accident is what you've achieved.
.

+1 and the Petronella Wyatt's and other Daily Mail-esque commentators that demonise and vilify us all as Pavement riding RLJ'ing selfish cretins that give people either this perception or this line as an excuse.

OP glad you're ok and taking it in good spirit, chapeau to your good nature.

W1

shouldbeinbed wrote:

W1 wrote:

A great lesson for the advocates of RLJing here.....this sort of accident is what you've achieved.
.

+1 and the Petronella Wyatt's and other Daily Mail-esque commentators that demonise and vilify us all as Pavement riding RLJ'ing selfish cretins that give people either this perception or this line as an excuse.

OP glad you're ok and taking it in good spirit, chapeau to your good nature.

Indeed. Although such villification could only occur (and receive support) due to cyclists actually being guilty as charged. Which many are....

snailracer

I wonder if fixies are more likely to get rear-ended? As the legs keep moving, it's not obvious they're going to stop.

SimonAH

Rear ended? Nah, I can't be arsed.

tarquin_foxglove

rjsterry wrote:

:shock: if this happened to me, I'd be punted down the road with the nose of my saddle firmly wedged where it shouldn't be.

:eek

Danlikesbikes wrote:

If that had been me on the bike it would have sent me about 5 feet down the road and and unexplainable trip to A&E to remove the saddle from somewhere not so nice!

:eeek

SimonAH wrote:

Rear ended? Nah, I can't be arsed.

Ah thank god for that. I thought I was the only one not rimming themselves with the nose of the saddle at traffic lights.

biondino

Cafewanda wrote:

:shock: :shock:

"The van driver apologised and straight away admits fault as he 'did'nt expect me to stop at the lights' and was going to stop in the bike box at the lights" Priceless :shock:

headhuunter, this is all your fault.

JohnVilliers

Yikes - that's one of your 9 lives gone! Glad all ok though.

JamesFree wrote:

Had a interesting crash this morning and managed to walk away from it without a scratch (considering what happened was very lucky) but had a very trashed rear wheel.

Was approaching a red light at a pedestrian crossing so slowed down and stopped in the area marked out for bikes and then less than a second later felt a impact from behind and bike goes flaying forward and im left standing there with no bike any more but still standing in almost the same position in complete shock I look around to see a white van about 6 inches from my back and then look forward to see my bike a little while up the road.

The van driver apologised and straight away admits fault as he 'did'nt expect me to stop at the lights' and was going to stop in the bike box at the lights I managed to get his details including a good picture of his driving license with all his details readable, his reg number and also had another cyclist give me his details as a witness incase he turned out to be dodgy.

I really felt I was very lucky to come away with this completely untouched, also glad I had borrowed the girlfriends bike to ride to the station as I have a throat infection and a full commute wasn't the best idea.