A friend cycles to work and wears a helmet. I rode home with her, and she jumped every rad.
"You're putting yourself in danger!"
I said.
"There are no red lights"
she said.
"Just bad drivers".
RLJ who shoulda known better.
Personally I don think a holier than though attitude really helps me, as what will make me safer and my home city more pleasant is more bikes on the road. The fact that these will likely be inexperienced, and on occasion unlikely to understand the full importance of being visable and seen, is not reason to either condone bicylists as a whole or legislate against them. It is an educational issue, and if its really that much of an issue, why doesnt the government spend some money on it?
Last edited by Stonehead on 14 Dec 2007, 10:09pm, edited 1 time in total.
Stonehead wrote: I wasn't telling the cyclist off, just using the horn in its intended use - warning all and sundry of danger.
I'm hoping youre using the PC answer here. He deserved a good telling off and when youre at the wheel, the horn is the handiest method. No doubt, I'm going to get a rollocking from some of the posters that seem to have come aboard the forum recently about the horn being for warnings only and anger control, but I'll take it if necessary. A man could have been killed and an innocent driver and his family would have been at the centre of it.
Last edited by Stonehead on 14 Dec 2007, 10:09pm, edited 1 time in total.
Stonehead wrote:The Vauxhall was an unmarked police car and as I came off the roundabout, it went after the cyclist. The last I saw was the police car alongside the cyclist, left window open and an officer gesturing at the rider to stop.
So that's where the UK's one remaining traffic policeman is. Well done you on finding him. Next time you meet him, can you ask him to go to Pr*d* P*rk in D*rby to see how many drivers there are on hand-held mobiles?
"Little Green Men Are Everywhere... ...But Mostly On Traffic Lights."
I admit horn users are my pet bugbear. It's nearly always get out of my way or you gave me the fright of my life. The 'present tense' the highway code suggests is so rare in nine years driving one of my cars I could count the times I've used it on both hands and almost every one was a peep telling my wife indoors to get a move on, we'll miss the train/bus/plane.
All the horn use I hear is the motorised equivalent to 'you idiot!' after the incident has unravelled itself. When it's used in conjunction with anything other than a brake I despair.
All the horn use I hear is the motorised equivalent to 'you idiot!' after the incident has unravelled itself. When it's used in conjunction with anything other than a brake I despair.
Last edited by Stonehead on 14 Dec 2007, 10:09pm, edited 1 time in total.
Last edited by Stonehead on 14 Dec 2007, 10:09pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Tom Richardson
- Posts: 772
- Joined: 25 Jun 2007, 1:45pm
Stonehead wrote:I've done a lot of driving on the road, off-road and on the track in all manner of vehicles so I can do a lot very quickly in very little time, especially as I work hard to maintain situational awareness and anticipate. It takes good training and a lot of practice, but it's worth it.
In last night's situation, I anticipated what the cyclist was going to try, already had a list of actions, reactions and counter-reactions running through my head, and proceeded to implement the best ones as the incident unfolded.
I drive like that as well. I can see the future when I'm driving, analyse millions of outcome combinations and act on them within milliseconds. I'm really good and never crash unless its someone elses fault
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reohn2
Tom Richardson wrote:Stonehead wrote:I've done a lot of driving on the road, off-road and on the track in all manner of vehicles so I can do a lot very quickly in very little time, especially as I work hard to maintain situational awareness and anticipate. It takes good training and a lot of practice, but it's worth it.
In last night's situation, I anticipated what the cyclist was going to try, already had a list of actions, reactions and counter-reactions running through my head, and proceeded to implement the best ones as the incident unfolded.
I drive like that as well. I can see the future when I'm driving, analyse millions of outcome combinations and act on them within milliseconds. I'm really good and never crash unless its someone elses fault
Tonight I was waiting at a junction to get across the road. There was a queue of traffic from my right to left, and a side road behind me. The traffic coming from my right couldn't see into the road behind me because of a high wall. A pedestrian was walking up that road, hidden from the view of the traffic. A cyclist came whizzing along, decided he was too busy and important to wait in the queue so he undertook all the cars, and then where the road was too narrow to do so, he jumped up onto the pavement, just missed the pedestrian emerging from the side road, wheeched in front of me and back onto the road.
Another cyclist was coming along behind him, shaking his head and tutting and we both exchanged a "people like that give all of us a bad name."
Another cyclist was coming along behind him, shaking his head and tutting and we both exchanged a "people like that give all of us a bad name."
I can handle bars and cycle paths but I can't handle cars and psychopaths
http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/page/s/notinmyname
http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/page/s/notinmyname
I'm pleased to see the law's been mentioned! It's there for a reason.
Traveling to Dulwich every 2 weeks over the last 4 years, I've seen plenty of cyclists jumping Red lights. I've posted my thoughts in past threads, and in those past threads, numerous individuals have tried to justify there actions.
The responses to those threads mentioned the number of cars/lorries etc that jump Red lights. Well the truth is, at least on the section of the south circular between Wandsworth and Dulwich, that far fewer motorists jump Red lights than cyclists. It was also said that that cyclists do it as they feel safer due to the fact they aren’t then going to be overtaken by the traffic and pushed into the side of the road or cut up. I'll happily listen to the arguments, but my stance will remain.
Jumping Red lights is a Dangerous, and foolish act. Apart from putting your own life at risk, you put all other users of the highway at risk. If you're knocked of your bike whilst jumping a Red light, sure enough you'll come off worse, and the vehicle driver's likely to be relatively unhurt, but then again, it might not be just you and the driver involved…
Can you predict the future? Do you value your life, and others? Red is for danger, that’s why it means STOP!
I do agree that the attitude of motorists needs to be addressed, but then again, the attitude of some cyclists does too! Jumping Red lights gives decent law abiding cyclists a bad name, and doesn’t make for good relations with other users!
Traveling to Dulwich every 2 weeks over the last 4 years, I've seen plenty of cyclists jumping Red lights. I've posted my thoughts in past threads, and in those past threads, numerous individuals have tried to justify there actions.
The responses to those threads mentioned the number of cars/lorries etc that jump Red lights. Well the truth is, at least on the section of the south circular between Wandsworth and Dulwich, that far fewer motorists jump Red lights than cyclists. It was also said that that cyclists do it as they feel safer due to the fact they aren’t then going to be overtaken by the traffic and pushed into the side of the road or cut up. I'll happily listen to the arguments, but my stance will remain.
Jumping Red lights is a Dangerous, and foolish act. Apart from putting your own life at risk, you put all other users of the highway at risk. If you're knocked of your bike whilst jumping a Red light, sure enough you'll come off worse, and the vehicle driver's likely to be relatively unhurt, but then again, it might not be just you and the driver involved…
Can you predict the future? Do you value your life, and others? Red is for danger, that’s why it means STOP!
I do agree that the attitude of motorists needs to be addressed, but then again, the attitude of some cyclists does too! Jumping Red lights gives decent law abiding cyclists a bad name, and doesn’t make for good relations with other users!