Umbrellas annoy me. They are dangerous. Some woman nearly had my eye out the other day. What's more, umbrella users are selfish, taking over the pavements with absolutely no consideration for other pedestrians' personal space. I think we should have number plates for umbrellas.
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Bicycle number plates
- Thread starter £1.99
- Start date
Whatabout us pedestrians that have cyclists ride through a red light as we cross ? Are we morons for getting wound up about that as well ? Or the multiple idiotic cyclists that ride on the pavement ?
I do have a solution though, I'm highly tempted to carry a metal pole as I walk. Any bikes on the pavement will get it shoved through their front wheel. I doubt they'll ride on the pavement again after that.
There needs to be a proper understanding as to why cyclists jump red lights. In my experience using red lights as a 'give way' on a bike massively reduces the interaction the rider has with motor traffic. It often feels safer to ride illegally. This is also why people cycle on pavements - it feels safer to the rider to break the law.
THIS is the issue that needs fixing - make it feel safer to ride legally and fewer people will break the law. Painted lanes simply don't cut it - would you be happy if pavements were removed and replaced with a white line? Would it feel safe?
We need high-quality protected cycle infrastructure that is safe for EVERYONE to use.
THIS is the issue that needs fixing - make it feel safer to ride legally and fewer people will break the law. Painted lanes simply don't cut it - would you be happy if pavements were removed and replaced with a white line? Would it feel safe?
We need high-quality protected cycle infrastructure that is safe for EVERYONE to use.
m20gull
Well-known member
When cyclists act like tw*ts they put themselves at risk, yet there are cyclists arguing for fault to be presumed to be the car driver's.
When I ride a bike I rarely use cycle lanes because the ones around here are very poorly designed. I ride defensively, think like a car driver and try to behave courteously. I get as fed up with bad cycle riding as I do bad car driving; my impression is that the former just comes in many forms. Most cars keep broadly to the same traffic stream but mistakes happen. Cyclists who jump red lights, ride the wrong way down one-way streets, ride on pavements in a busy high street, or after dark with lights, or on BMX with no brakes - all of these are done deliberately without consideration for others.
Two recent examples - I have a drive that exits across a broad pavement. While leaving the drive (driving forward - I am very stressy about cars being the wrong way round on my drive) two cyclists (father and son on MTBs) were racing each other along the pavement, and I do mean racing. In a neighbouring road where there is parking on one side I (unusually) parked facing uphill with the driver's door on the wrong side, i.e. by the pavement. Looking up to check there were no pedestrians and it was safe to open the door a young lad came hurtling down the hill on the pavement. This sort of behaviour is selfish and dangerous, yet rarely fatal.
banjo
GOSBTS
I find whilst riding My bike or driving My car being kind and courteous goes a long way. It's easier for Me as I ride more than I drive to just give a little room when passing a cyclist and then on the flip side give a thumbs up or wave a car pass when it's safe for them to do so. You'll be amazed how happy both can be sharing the road. I do agree that it's wrong to jump red lights though.
So if, say, there's a mode of transport that's causing a problem, we should ignore it until such a time that there are no needless deaths caused by cars and vans? Can we do the same with crime - ignore all other crime until all murders are stopped?
Rowdey
Well-known member
The initial post that annoyed you was talking about Cyclist's who jump lights, and PG's comment was based upon their vulnerability when they do this.
Of course you are right, cars and vans also jump lights, but actually PG falls very much on your side of the vulnerability scale - He's a motorcyclist, so not so typical at all. Some might say we're on the same side.
rogersix
Well-known member
- Jan 18, 2014
- 7,909
genuinely interested; why does cyclists jumping red lights annoy anyone, it costs you nothing. chill baby,
try riding a bike then you can get away with it too
i stop when there's something coming(stopped at a green once, would be dead otherwise, true story)
an when there aint i go. simple rule, but its served me well over the decades
try riding a bike then you can get away with it too
i stop when there's something coming(stopped at a green once, would be dead otherwise, true story)
an when there aint i go. simple rule, but its served me well over the decades
Garage_Doors
Originally the Swankers
rogersix
Well-known member
- Jan 18, 2014
- 7,909
if there's no one their the first three aren't applicable, and no one cares about the law. nearly all motorists
speed, and who thinks " i know, i'll kill them; ooo, better not, its illegal".
why does it eat you up to see someone getting away it? think about something else; you need a hobby,
cycling is very enjoyable
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Why is it inconsiderate, anti social and dangerous if, as [MENTION=28856]rogersix[/MENTION] states, he is only doing it if there is no one there? Is it then no different to being a pedestrian and walking across the road on a red when there is no traffic?
I suspect the answer is that cyclists (usually) get away with it, and it is this that gets on peoples nerves.
Not all cyclists make sure that there is no one there but then not all pedestrians do either and it really isn't that rare to see a car speed through lights as they are turning red.
rogersix
Well-known member
- Jan 18, 2014
- 7,909
if a tree should fall thru a red light and there is not a policeman there to witness it, is it illegal?
It still doesn't explain why the anger? You don't see drivers getting angry on the roads because people are breaking speed limits.
As well you know it's all about priorities.
'we can't afford to breathalise people (middle aged men) this Christmas because we are attempting to license all cyclists, what's the worst that could happen?'.
There are laws in place to prevent all road users jumping red lights.
Adding a whole massive layer of bureaucracy to a healthy, promoted, cost effect, lifestyle for the sake of counteracting an annoyance, seems somewhat OTT.
Esp when you consider the 10+ deaths a day caused by motor vehicles.
and yet you speed in your car.
Who knows you might even have thought 'yeah I can still make that', while approaching changing lights.
That coming from a man who overtook me and undertook [MENTION=19321]Pogue Mahone[/MENTION] AT THE SAME TIME.
What on earth are you on about ? If there is a red light ( and it's working ) there is a legal obligation for motorists and cyclists to obey it. That's all I said.
pb21
Well-known member
- Apr 23, 2010
- 6,349
I suspect the main reason the car drivers get so irate is because they cant do the same thing!
Car drivers speed all the time and constantly moan about speed cameras stopping them breaking the law and legal parking enforcement stopping them break the law, yet they get so worked up about a cyclist going through a red light, which most likely hasn't been put there with the cyclist in mind, rather the drivers of extremely heavy and large metal lumps travelling at 30+ mph!
Car drivers speed all the time and constantly moan about speed cameras stopping them breaking the law and legal parking enforcement stopping them break the law, yet they get so worked up about a cyclist going through a red light, which most likely hasn't been put there with the cyclist in mind, rather the drivers of extremely heavy and large metal lumps travelling at 30+ mph!