Why do we do it?

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
binsted
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Why do we do it?

Post by binsted »

Driving through our local town yesterday and watched a cyclist in road gear just ride through the red lights, didn't even look round to see who was watching and just weaved through the traffic.

I was tempted to wind down my window and let him know my feelings but !!.

Why do we do it, we are giving the anti-cycling brigade all the ammunition they need, never a policeman about when you need one!!

I somehow felt embarrassed, can you believe that!! Would love to know his logic. :x
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Why do we do it?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Do you feel embarrassed whenever you see a speeding motorist? You should.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
thirdcrank
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Re: Why do we do it?

Post by thirdcrank »

The thread title assumes that cyclists are a species with shared behaviour. "We" includes "me" and I don't do it and I'm not unique, even if the behaviour of some is more noticeable.

I suspect "they" do it because it suits their convenience - often because traffic lights are operated for the convenience of motor traffic rather than cyclists - and they don't anticipate enforcement. I also suspect that there's a generation of cyclists of which many of the members believe that traffic lights do not apply to them.

(And on [xap]Bob's theme, the same explanation probably applies to a lot of traffic offending.)
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661-Pete
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Re: Why do we do it?

Post by 661-Pete »

Thirdcrank makes a good point: we shouldn't be using 'we' here - except in the royal sense! It amounts to one person who happens to be cycling, witnessing another who also happens to be cycling. Nothing else in common.

I don't venture very often into the metropolis, but it so happened I was cycling in Brighton a few days ago. Approaching one of the city's busiest and most notorious junctions (Preston Circus), I found myself in the company of two other cyclists. I and one other stopped at the red lights; the third didn't. She didn't get very far though, she reached the actual junction itself (the traffic lights are set a few yards back) and then commonsense prevailed and she waited for the crossing traffic. I remarked to my erstwhile companion "She didn't gain much did she?". He launched into a brief, bitter homily about the shortcomings of some young whippersnappers on bikes, "letting us all down", etc. etc.

So was this law-abiding middle-aged bloke, waiting alongside me, one of 'us', whereas the RLJing young lady wasn't? I think this is a generalisation too far.

I suppose - we (ok I'll use 'we' here) feel embarrassed because we feel vulnerable: we know that some motorists get angry, and it only takes one idiot at the wheel to 'take it out' in a revenge pass on a completely innocent person.
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reohn2
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Re: Why do we do it?

Post by reohn2 »

Coincidence alert.
Yesterday in the middle of town I was behind a car with four occupants,at a fairly large junction,stop on on red then just seemed to get fed up of waiting and drove through on red. :?
There was no chance the driver could've mistaken a green for another lane or anything similar as everything facing us(and the three cars behind me)was red,the drive just stopped waited 10 seconds or so then drove through.
I just thought 'idiot' I didn't associate myself with him or his driving habits,he's just an idiot,as I don't associate myself with similar behaviour of any other road users stupid antics.
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kwackers
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Re: Why do we do it?

Post by kwackers »

I went for a jog along the waterfront in Liverpool yesterday, on my return I waited to cross on the ped crossing.
The lights changed and a van on the inside stopped, green man came on I started to cross and stopped when I heard the sound of car on full chat. Next thing a golf shot through at (I'd estimate) 60 plus and at least 5 seconds after the lights had changed.
He had to stop in the queue at the next set probably 200 yards further up.

See behaviour like that all the time, see drivers jumping lights at pretty much every set (although not usually so dangerously) and for every cyclist I've seen RLJ'ing I see probably half a dozen that don't.

I must admit to frequently jumping off the bike and walking it to the other side rather than wait though... :wink:
binsted
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Joined: 6 Jun 2012, 1:13pm

Re: Why do we do it?

Post by binsted »

[XAP]Bob wrote:Do you feel embarrassed whenever you see a speeding motorist? You should.


Your'e probably right in hindsight I should have wound down the window launched a verbal tirade about bloody cyclists and posted on the motoring forum. :)
VanDriver
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Joined: 31 Jan 2010, 8:24pm

Re: Why do we do it?

Post by VanDriver »

Some cyclists think red lights don't apply to them............ some drivers think VED gives them priority over cyclists or pedestrians......... some lorry drivers think it's ok to drive a couple of yards off your rear bumper............... some motorcyclists think it's ok to use full-beam headlights all the time
Some.
AlaninWales
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Joined: 26 Oct 2012, 1:47pm

Re: Why do we do it?

Post by AlaninWales »

binsted wrote:Driving through our local town yesterday and watched a cyclist in road gear just ride through the red lights, didn't even look round to see who was watching and just weaved through the traffic.

I was tempted to wind down my window and let him know my feelings but !!.

Why do we do it, we are giving the anti-cycling brigade all the ammunition they need, never a policeman about when you need one!!

I somehow felt embarrassed, can you believe that!! Would love to know his logic. :x

We? Who the h3ll's WE?
Ayesha
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Joined: 30 Jan 2010, 9:54am

Re: Why do we do it?

Post by Ayesha »

What's all this "WE"?
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Why do we do it?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Ayesha wrote:What's all this "WE"?

What happens if you drink too much?
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
binsted
Posts: 329
Joined: 6 Jun 2012, 1:13pm

Re: Why do we do it?

Post by binsted »

AlaninWales wrote:
binsted wrote:Driving through our local town yesterday and watched a cyclist in road gear just ride through the red lights, didn't even look round to see who was watching and just weaved through the traffic.

I was tempted to wind down my window and let him know my feelings but !!.

Why do we do it, we are giving the anti-cycling brigade all the ammunition they need, never a policeman about when you need one!!

I somehow felt embarrassed, can you believe that!! Would love to know his logic. :x

We? Who the h3ll's WE?


OK its obviously a bit too deep for a few on this forum, I,m off for a ride :)
AlaninWales
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Joined: 26 Oct 2012, 1:47pm

Re: Why do we do it?

Post by AlaninWales »

binsted wrote:
AlaninWales wrote:
binsted wrote:Driving through our local town yesterday and watched a cyclist in road gear just ride through the red lights, didn't even look round to see who was watching and just weaved through the traffic.

I was tempted to wind down my window and let him know my feelings but !!.

Why do we do it, we are giving the anti-cycling brigade all the ammunition they need, never a policeman about when you need one!!

I somehow felt embarrassed, can you believe that!! Would love to know his logic. :x

We? Who the h3ll's WE?


OK its obviously a bit too deep for a few on this forum, I,m off for a ride :)

No, it's not too deep at all. We understand perfectly that you are participating in the categorisation a group of road users as an out-group in order to extend blame to all of that group, for what you percieve as bad behaviour by some of the group (whose membership you have defined).
As Robert Davis said in 'Death on the Streets' "Isolating particular minority groups is an absolutely classic way of maintaining the status quo by refusing to identify problems as being closer to home - it is always easier to criticise small groups than to generate and support the much more necessary self-criticism".
As a motorist you are used to seeing cyclists made an out-group in this way and buy into the group-think which (by some strange contagious magic) attributes blame to all members of this artificially created set. As (presumably) a cyclist you are uncritical of that group-think and attempt to apply it in a place where many of us reject being placed in such an outgroup (for the reasons RD outlines and others).
But perhaps that's all a bit too deep for you...
Phil Fouracre
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Re: Why do we do it?

Post by Phil Fouracre »

I'm with the Welshman :D oops, almost forgot, think my tag line might apply!
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity
binsted
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Joined: 6 Jun 2012, 1:13pm

Re: Why do we do it?

Post by binsted »

Phil Fouracre wrote:I'm with the Welshman :D oops, almost forgot, think my tag line might apply!


:D Looks good from my side of the fence :D
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