God Given Right

Blandiblub

Did notice a cyclist coming up to a red t'other day and, rather than go through it, he used the pedestrian crossing instead, across one road, then across the one 90 degrees to that one and then back into the road and onward...

Urgh.

Maybe I should MTFU but I kinda like a little break at the lights, catch my breath, get ready for the next bit of the run. Mind you, I don't cycle in central London and I tend to get out and am done quite early so less traffic/stress on the roads at the time. Don't see many other cyclists, let alone those being prats!

veronese68

Did you hear about the constipated mathematician?

He worked it out with a pencil

thelawnet

Veronese68 wrote:

Did you hear about the constipated mathematician?

He worked it out with a pencil

How about the constipated mathematician?

He couldn't budget.

joelsim

thelawnet wrote:

Joelsim wrote:

To be honest guys. I'm shocked at the number of cyclists who ride through red lights. And no it's not different if you go through slowly!

Traffic lights don't exist on cycle tracks.

They only exist to make motorists culpable for their misbehaviour.

Cyclists are culpable - if a cyclist goes through a red light and gets killed, he's dead.

If a motorist speeds and kills someone, he blames sciatica/blackout/spider in the car/the sunshine/anything but himself, and he invariably gets away with a tiny penalty, or none at all.

It's what gets cyclists a bad name, and I'm sure contributes to some accidents and much less respect from other road users.

We should start a motion for all Radars to do the right thing and chastise those who don't.

I mean, what is the point??? Observe the rules of the road and everyone is happier.

Rant over.

Just chill. Observe the rules yourself - set an example.

I do. and it probably makes about 2 minutes difference over my 13 mile journey.

Kieran_Burns

thelawnet wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

Did you hear about the constipated mathematician?

He worked it out with a pencil

How about the constipated mathematician?

He couldn't budget.

Accountant surely?

t4tomo

Skippy2309 wrote:

I in the city I have seen it all too many times, people force themselves to the front of the group then pull away super slow, get over taken by everyone then squeeze to the front infront of everyone at the next set of lights if they actually stop.....

This situation, especially if its on one of the segregated cycle paths, always amuses me - such bad manners and such arrogance.

I found that shouting "lookout guys, wanker in a hurry coming through" tends to highlight this perfectly to them and raise a laugh from the rest of the waiting pelaton.

Koncordski

t4tomo wrote:

I found that shouting "lookout guys, wanker in a hurry coming through" tends to highlight this perfectly to them and raise a laugh from the rest of the waiting peloton.

I'm stealing that if you don't mind. RLJ'ing is my pet hate as it genuinely makes it less safe for everyone. Drivers give you a lot more space if they see you observing lights properly, it just needs to become socially unacceptable, which it will eventually.

davmaggs

The fool pushing past to a silly position is a real pain at the moment. What amazes me is that they must know that they will be going slowly so why block in others who keep going past them?

Oh, and I heard a cement lorry playing an audio message "I am turning left" this morning as it changed lanes in slow traffic. First one I've heard.

t4tomo

davmaggs wrote:

Oh, and I heard a cement lorry playing an audio message "I am turning left" this morning as it changed lanes in slow traffic. First one I've heard.

that's a great idea - hopefully it becomes standard fit on new such vehicles

thecrofter

t4tomo wrote:

davmaggs wrote:

Oh, and I heard a cement lorry playing an audio message "I am turning left" this morning as it changed lanes in slow traffic. First one I've heard.

that's a great idea - hopefully it becomes standard fit on new such vehicles

Isn't this what the little orange flashing lights are for

Ben6899

Some of the cycling I see in London leaves A LOT to be desired. Fair enough, some drivers make manoeuvres which put cyclists in danger, but I see many cyclists volunteering themselves for impact assessment.

We've all seen the video of the fixed courier on Old Street nearly buying it: http://vimeo.com/24136878

dhope

Ben6899 wrote:

We've all seen the video of the fixed courier on Old Street nearly buying it.

What vid?

Ben6899

I added it to my post.

Confusedboy

We are British (dammit, Carruthers). This means that we are culturally independent, individualist, arrogant and competitive. Our history is one of keeping to the left of the highwaytso as to be able to swing our sword effectively at the oncoming traffic. We just don't get how to ride en masse in traffic, like the Dutch, Danes, or Chinese do*. We think it's a race and we have to win it.

We need to grow TFU, but we probably won't. Until or unless we do, it is up to you as an individual how much you are going to allow yourself to get worked up by this. My own approach is to sit in my place in the traffic feeling smug and superior, maybe giving a sad but resigned shake of the head to those who misbehave. Which is the great majority of cyclists, and a small but highly visible minority of other road users. I do not regard it as any of my job to get involved in any of this, except to lead by quiet example.


*And don't give me all that stuff about the brilliant infrastructure they have in The Netherlands, Denmark and the like. They do, but I'm talking about how they behave on the roads.

W1

notsoblue wrote:

Joelsim wrote:

To be honest guys. I'm shocked at the number of cyclists who ride through red lights. And no it's not different if you go through slowly!

It's what gets cyclists a bad name, and I'm sure contributes to some accidents and much less respect from other road users.

We should start a motion for all Radars to do the right thing and chastise those who don't.

Please, please don't. :roll:

But Dad, we haven't had one of these threads for ages......

thelawnet

Kieran_Burns wrote:

thelawnet wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

Did you hear about the constipated mathematician?

He worked it out with a pencil

How about the constipated mathematician?

He couldn't budget.

Accountant surely?

er yeah, can't tell jokes to save my life

jonny_trousers

We do it cos we can. Sailing to the front of a line of stationary traffic is one of the sweetest experiences in cycle commuting, but yes, it's not always prudent. Given the choice, 9 times out of 10 I will take the riskier option. Usually it pays off, but occasionally I have to mentally slap my own wrists. On rare occasions I will even think, you know what, it's not worth it, and will hang back with the traffic.

I do take risks, but at least I try to be aware, for my sake and for those around me. All good fun, though.

Applespider

davmaggs wrote:

The fool pushing past to a silly position is a real pain at the moment. What amazes me is that they must know that they will be going slowly so why block in others who keep going past them?.

I asked one girl the other day as she barged past me for the 3rd time. Her answer was that if she stayed behind us then she'd feel under more pressure from the cars since she knew she wasn't that fast. If she was ahead of us, she'd have more time to get going before the cars did. And she didn't feel confident setting off from within a group in case she swerved etc, she felt safer in front.

jimmypippa

Applespider wrote:

davmaggs wrote:

The fool pushing past to a silly position is a real pain at the moment. What amazes me is that they must know that they will be going slowly so why block in others who keep going past them?.

I asked one girl the other day as she barged past me for the 3rd time. Her answer was that if she stayed behind us then she'd feel under more pressure from the cars since she knew she wasn't that fast. If she was ahead of us, she'd have more time to get going before the cars did. And she didn't feel confident setting off from within a group in case she swerved etc, she felt safer in front.

:shock:

Applespider

:shock: followed by :roll: may have been visible on my face... but then the lights changed...

nation

This is probably an appropriate time to chime in with the fact that most of the aggressive, close, passes I experience occur after filtering to the front of a queue of traffic.

I always put it down to the drivers in question getting irrationally angry about the fact that someone "jumped the queue".

jejv

nation wrote:

This is probably an appropriate time to chime in with the fact that most of the aggressive, close, passes I experience occur after filtering to the front of a queue of traffic.

I always put it down to the drivers in question getting irrationally angry about the fact that someone "jumped the queue".

Yes, I don't like being on my own at a red light for this reason. When I could filter, I usually don't, because of this, and because I don't want to get left hooked if the lights change. I figure that the motor vehicle behind me is less likely to do silly stuff if he or she can see that trying to overtake me would be fairly pointless.

Then I've been at a red light behind a motor vehicle, and WVM pulls up behind, sounds the horn, and tells me to get out of the way (lights are still red). Rather provocatively - for talking to a class CDE - I suggested that he had a look at the Highway Code. This prompted him to leave his van to attack me. As it happened a resident doing a bit of gardening heard this and said something to the effect of "If you do anyhing, I'm a witness", which mysteriously prompted the CDE to get back in its van. As G66 said, I should really have asked him why he likes watching his dad fuck his kids.

nation

I do filter, but only in instances where the traffic queue is long enough that I won't make it through the next set of lights. I don't always go right to the front, though. I usually look for an opportunity to establish myself back in primary before the lights go green.

prj45

iPete wrote:

I'm sick of seeing cyclists berate other road users when its their own stupidity that nearly got them run over.

+1

I saw a guy on a bike go mental at a cab driver the other week for a situation that was so obviously going to happen (I mean the cab driver was indicating to change into our lane, but well before he did so) all he had to do was hold back a bit and it wouldn't have happened. In fact I held back, and had no issue at all, we were all about to have to stop at lights anay

I had a word "at" him for making us all look like twats in cab driver's eyes (I did apologies to the cab driver on his behalf too).

Thing is, as the cyclist rode off he did what the cab driver (unwittingly) did to him about five times to other road users the shouty mouth lycra clad hypocrite twat. And he rode through the red light, what a c****T.

graham.

nation wrote:

I do filter, but only in instances where the traffic queue is long enough that I won't make it through the next set of lights. I don't always go right to the front, though. I usually look for an opportunity to establish myself back in primary before the lights go green.

Yep. Me too.
Graham.

antikythera

I'm dreading the day I'll need to be a witness for a car driver and explain how the body on the road ran a red light

However my admission might not be popular with some, but... I'm fed up with motorcyclist and pedestrian on the equivalent of a motorcycle BSO (scooters) filling up the ASL. I make a point of "confidently :roll:" making my way ahead of them often having to sit right on the pedestrian crossing. I'm reasonably imposing (big boned) and have a turn of speed (SCR=3) I'm hoping that I might be an inconvenience that shows it's not all about them!

Last Friday I reached a traffic light and was accidently bumped by a fellow cyclist he apologised and we chatted. Light heartedly I said "we shouldn't try and kill each other as there are enough a*sehole in cars and motorbikes trying to do that" There was a motorcylist (sitting in the ASL) who heard it and started complaining that it was all of us RLJ cyclist that were the problem. Unfortunately the lights changed but I wanted to ask how much of a d*ck he felt like saying that to all the cyclists waiting at the lights :roll:

roger_merriman

Went for a friends picnic on Hampstead heath.

Came from work so 36 mile around trip, - I think the main problem is that it's often so congested that people just stress and don't think.

watched a bloke wait just behind a left indicating car, and when lights turned sailed though making the car jump on the brakes and so on.

And the ever present RLJers one jumped every light from Sherperds Bush to Notting Hill Gate.

But the cyclists are low in numbers, the ones I had to watch where the Taxies who seem to think a inch clearance at 30/40 mph is fine.