Red Light means stop!!!

benkxk

While riding through London today on CS7 the number of cyclists going/sneaking through red lights was incredible. I do some cyclists not know that red lights also apply to them?

Really annoys me. Is it just me that thinks this? Really wanted to shout at one who kept doing it.

Grill

Can of worms opened!

I'm sure there have been many threads discussing this exact point. To me commuters are not cyclists and it annoys me that I get pigeon-holed because of their actions (I speak in generalisations as some commuters are cyclists and they don't all run red lights). I also get annoyed at those who don't use lights when it's dark.

rolf_f

Well done! First red light jumping thread of the year! I thought it wouldn't happen until at least the weekend

benkxk

It's been a while since I've been on so might as well start as I mean to go on

rolf_f

Grill wrote:

Can of worms opened!

I'm sure there have been many threads discussing this exact point. To me commuters are not cyclists and it annoys me that I get pigeon-holed because of their actions (I speak in generalisations as some commuters are cyclists and they don't all run red lights). I also get annoyed at those who don't use lights when it's dark.

Oh how nice! Some of us who commute to work as well as riding at the weekends do count as cyclists? I am very relieved to hear it......

(you should probably stop pigeon holing people about being pigeon holed as you'll just confuse people........ )

Strith

Aaaaand we're off.

So the idea is not to pedal, but coast through, while nonchalantly chatting on the phone. Yes?

DavidJB

I have always said there is a difference between people who ride bikes and cyclists.

Grill

Rolf F wrote:

Grill wrote:

Can of worms opened!

I'm sure there have been many threads discussing this exact point. To me commuters are not cyclists and it annoys me that I get pigeon-holed because of their actions (I speak in generalisations as some commuters are cyclists and they don't all run red lights). I also get annoyed at those who don't use lights when it's dark.

Oh how nice! Some of us who commute to work as well as riding at the weekends do count as cyclists? I am very relieved to hear it......

(you should probably stop pigeon holing people about being pigeon holed as you'll just confuse people........ )

smidsy

I witnessed this very thing the other day and noticed how said offender was frantically pedalling right up to the white line, then stopped pedalling all togther, coasted through the red lights, then started pedalling frantically once across the other side.

As if the fact that he was not pedalling meant he was OK going through the red light ... Wierd!!!!

prawny

Some cyclists sneak through red lights too, some commuters don't. Some people are just twats, their choice of hobby makes no difference.

dee4life2005

What if you bunny-hop over the stop-line ... does this still count as riding through the stop light ??

In all seriousness, I would only ever ride through one stop light on my commute - and it's one where there is no sensor to trigger them and they change to stop whenever they feel like it even when no cars waiting at the other junctions (which are clearly visible). If there are cars waiting at the other junction then I stop, otherwise I just carry on. Takes about 01:30 for these lights to cycle, so waiting seems like an eternity.

Frank the tank

DavidJB wrote:

I have always said there is a difference between people who ride bikes and cyclists.

+1 to this.

Marcryan206

I do a 12mile trip to work then back again. I come across 8sets of lights, I stop at them all. I over take people who then over take me going through red lights soon catch them up but just want to say something?! But end of day they risk there own lives and I'm the safe one!

cookeeemonster

I ride most of the cs3 and some of cs8 and overall the majority stop, but there are still loads who are cnuts and do as they please. The same lot who refuse to stop at pedestrian crossings/look before turning and give any consideration to other road users whether they be in cars or on cycles.

And so many of them are funking slow, get in my way constantly and time and time again think it's ok to pass me at a red light. It's not, you're a tw*t.

Now the touchpaper is lit, step back and enjoy!!!

Mikey23

Yup, annoys the heck out of me and antagonises other road users too. So I get tarred with the same 'cyclists jump lights' brush

Strith

Perhaps someone should start a helmet thread too....

Bozman

I don't live in your big smokey place but I will turn left on a red if there's no traffic.
I think that this is a London/big city thing

ricky1980

Bozman wrote:

I don't live in your big smokey place but I will turn left on a red if there's no traffic.
I think that this is a London/big city thing

most countries in the world have similar traffic laws for motor vehicles, we have filter lanes at lights for turning into traffic flow...

Bozman

ricky1980 wrote:

Bozman wrote:

I don't live in your big smokey place but I will turn left on a red if there's no traffic.
I think that this is a London/big city thing

most countries in the world have similar traffic laws for motor vehicles, we have filter lanes at lights for turning into traffic flow...

USA

benkxk

CookeeeMonster wrote:

And so many of them are funking slow, get in my way constantly and time and time again think it's ok to pass me at a red light. It's not, you're a tw*t.D

They have to skip the red light to actually get anywhere before it's the next day

cookeeemonster

BenKxK wrote:

CookeeeMonster wrote:

And so many of them are funking slow, get in my way constantly and time and time again think it's ok to pass me at a red light. It's not, you're a tw*t.D

They have to skip the red light to actually get anywhere before it's the next day

No they don't. They are just ignorant, selfish funkwits. :evil:

robertsims

would happily pay extra tax for snipers to be perched on top of red lights. no warning . problem solved!

lotus49

It does infuriate me too. A lot of people who drive but don't cycle hate cyclists. I used to when I lived in London and it seems to have got worse since I left. It is this sort of behaviour that drivers use as an excuse to behave aggressively towards the rest of us.

I would add riding on the pavement to the list of city cycling crimes - it is dangerous for pedestrians (most of whom are probably car drivers as well). A couple of months ago a cycle courier almost knocked my 7 year old daughter over on the pavement in London. I was livid.

teisetrotter

I did a red light yesterday. Feeder lane onto A21 bus/bike lane at Farnborough High St and there were no cars ...... it was naughty I know ..... it was raining ...... I was cold ........ I wanted to get home to mummy ....... I'm sorry.

But I agree red is red.

displacedaussie

I was in a car with a friend recently when he drove through a red light (by accident, which is probably even worse).

This made me so mad at car drivers that I keyed a dozen cars* later that day, and punched a few drivers who were stopped at traffic lights**.




* not really
** not really

Hoopdriver

displacedaussie wrote:

I was in a car with a friend recently when he drove through a red light (by accident, which is probably even worse).

This made me so mad at car drivers that I keyed a dozen cars* later that day, and punched a few drivers who were stopped at traffic lights**.




* not really
** not really

A parody, but he has a point with all these overblown dramatics on here about the misbehaviour of a few road users (whatever their choice of vehicle) some people are disorderly. Get over it. Move on.

Critch

Hoopdriver wrote:

A parody, but he has a point with all these overblown dramatics on here about the misbehaviour of a few road users (whatever their choice of vehicle) some people are disorderly. Get over it. Move on.

Agreed. I've said it before, but half of you cyclists (and motorists) who saw a cyclist dismount at a red light, step onto the footpath and run quickly with bike 20 yards to the other side of the road before getting back on and furiously pedalling off would somehow and strangely still feel aggrieved by it even though its perfectly legal.

Red is Red, but certainly in my town I see lots of motorists everyday going through red lights and I dont mean Amber Gamblers either, these are drivers who go through red under acceleration because they dont want to wait. Some of them have phones tucked up against their ears. Drivers have become complacent with traffic law because its not enforced to the level it once was. Personally, I might see 0 to 6 cyclists a week jump reds (often its low, sometimes none). Of course its only what I see so there will likely be more. In contrast I personally see 20+ car/van/lorry/bus drivers (yes bus drivers take the pee) charge through on red. Who creates more danager not stopping at red? Those on 12kg bikes with styrofoam helmets or those cocooned in vehicles weighing up to 40 tons and surrounded by airbags, with a phone up one ear concentrating on the call not the road? You have to look at the potential damage and injury that can be caused and while I accept that cyclists who jump busy red lights can be the catalyst for a major accicent, the vehicles will always be more dangerous.

I have never gone through a red light since I got above the age ~21 (before that it was ignorance and a lack of traffic lights!) Do I go round Red's? I will admit that on occasion when its midnight and there is no traffic or pedestrians about and I do not trigger the sensors in the road or the ones mounted on the traffic lights I will mount the pavement and cycle 15 or 20 yards to rejoin the road safely so I dont actually run reds and I never do it in busy traffic.

I'm sure some would chase me with pitchforks and want me crucified for that but lets have a bit of rationale! Spend as much energy on complaining about motorists jumping reds, using phones and driving dangerously and maybe there will be a perception of balance. Right now its like cyclists are at each other throats while drivers look on, bemused.

edewer

I adhere to the red lights in both directions when commuting. On my way home yesterday i came up to a set of lights just before i get home. theres a left feed i take, but the straight on lights are about 2 seconds ahead, so as i see them change i'll start to roll and clip in, so by the time i reach the stop line theyre amber at worst. Had some bloke in a Rnage Rover yesterday scream abuse at me for 'jumping a red light'!!!!!

I just dont get it, i wasnt breaking a law or endangering a life, so whats the problem!

asjc

Very occasionally it can be safer to run the light-thats gonna get me in trouble isnt it-I do 'move off' a little early on a rounabout light as it puts me in front of the traffic also going all the way round. Havnt experienced cars right up my backside scaring the bejesus out of me since i started doing this 2 years ago. It doesnt fill me with joy to do but it can be safer. Wasnt there some government talk of making traffic lights more bike friendly?

Critch

asjc wrote:

... Wasnt there some government talk of making traffic lights more bike friendly?

You might be talking about green wave signals where certain sets of traffic lights turn green in waves to let well, er, waves of cyclists through several sets at once through clever syncronisation. The reason behind it is to stop RLJ's. It works in Copenhagen. With London getting these supposed new cycleways the logical next step is to give cyclists their own traffic lights when their cycleways need to pass over busy, arterial roads (unless they can pass under?)

MattC59

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