And some cyclists think it's safe to jump red lights....

[Pat "5mph"]

There's to say, though, that London at 3am on a weeknight is probably quite busy with traffic, while here all WV men are safely tucked up in bed.

 

[Brandane]

Just one circumstance for me. Occasionally I come across temp lights up a steep hill where there is plenty of room to cycle up the side of the road that's coned off. I'll cycle up the coned off bit so that I don't hold up traffic behind me when the light turns green

Ahhhhhh; so there ARE circumstances where you can justify it?
Next you'll be admitting that you ride across the footpath to access something, somewhere.
God forbid, but do you have reflectors on your pedals?

 

[Brandane]

And if we don't fall in line with motorists and obey the same laws we expect them to then public pressure will sooner or later give us a lot worse than that. A lot worse.

A lot worse WILL come, whether we obey the laws or not. But as you well know, it will be a money generating excercise dressed up as a safety and/or public opinion issue. One thing is for sure; it will have absolutely fark all to do with road safety, which is what I think this thread started out as.

 

[Drago]

It's not necessarily a case of doing what's right, but being perceived by an increasingly anti cycling public as doing what's right. The moaners won't notice you've got no pedal reflectors, but will climb up on the pedestal seriously quickly if they see a cyclist RLJ.

As a user group there's enough sheet on the horizon potentially coming our way already, without adding fuel to the fire by being seen to misbehave on the road. The same people that RLJ or just nip up that convenient foot way will be first in the queue to bleat if compulsory helmets, insurance or licence plates ever get shoved up us. Yep, there's some bad stuff afoot, so why make it even more likely to come out way? In any other situation people keep their heads down if trouble seems likely, but not cyclists.

 

[subaqua]

Ahhhhhh; so there ARE circumstances where you can justify it?
Next you'll be admitting that you ride across the footpath to access something, somewhere.
God forbid, but do you have reflectors on your pedals?

Across to access and along are different. So stop being silly

 

[slowmotion]

I think that being selective about the laws that you choose to obey is a bit of a slippery slope. Those who suggest that the rider was gambling solely with his own safety slightly miss the point. If he'd been a second earlier and had got pancaked by the bus, there would be a bus driver spending the rest of his life wondering if he could have done any better to avoid his death. That's selfish.

The guy was an utter nobber. Bring on the ridicule.

 

[raleighnut]

I feel a bit strange cos I keep agreeing with @Drago on this but he does have a point'
For me the worst ones are the RLJ nobbers that you keep passing, in that I stop at lights whilst an idiot cycles through then the lights change and you overtake said nobber but when you stop at the next set through they go again only for you to overtake again once the lights have changed to green.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

It's not necessarily a case of doing what's right, but being perceived by an increasingly anti cycling public as doing what's right. The moaners won't notice you've got no pedal reflectors, but will climb up on the pedestal seriously quickly if they see a cyclist RLJ.

As a user group there's enough sheet on the horizon potentially coming our way already, without adding fuel to the fire by being seen to misbehave on the road. The same people that RLJ or just nip up that convenient foot way will be first in the queue to bleat if compulsory helmets, insurance or licence plates ever get shoved up us. Yep, there's some bad stuff afoot, so why make it even more likely to come out way? In any other situation people keep their heads down if trouble seems likely, but not cyclists.

You have a point, that's why I never skip a red light if there are folks or cars about.
As I was saying, here in the sticks at 3am there is not a soul about.

 

[Brandane]

As a user group there's enough sheet on the horizon potentially coming our way already, without adding fuel to the fire by being seen to misbehave on the road. The same people that RLJ or just nip up that convenient foot way will be first in the queue to bleat if compulsory helmets, insurance or licence plates ever get shoved up us.

From a totally selfish POV, I would say - make hay while the sun shines. If it becomes the case that helmets are compulsory, bikes are registered, insurance is mandatory, some type of roadworthiness certificate akin to an MOT is introduced, road user fee, etc., then I'll be sticking to off road stuff; and polluting the planet getting there. I don't see it coming to that in my lifetime though.

 

[PK99]

I think that being selective about the laws that you choose to obey is a bit of a slippery slope. Those who suggest that the rider was gambling solely with his own safety slightly miss the point. If he'd been a second earlier and had got pancaked by the bus, there would be a bus driver spending the rest of his life wondering if he could have done any better to avoid his death. That's selfish.

The guy was an utter nobber. Bring on the ridicule.

The driver of the train that squashed my niece never drove a train again.

She was selfish as wa the cyclist.

 

[raleighnut]

The driver of the train that squashed my niece never drove a train again.

She was selfish as wa the cyclist.

I'd give your comment a 'like' but.......................
Sorry to hear about your niece.

 

[nickyboy]

Ahhhhhh; so there ARE circumstances where you can justify it?
Next you'll be admitting that you ride across the footpath to access something, somewhere.
God forbid, but do you have reflectors on your pedals?

Yeah, you're right. You caught me. Well done

 

[Drago]

From a totally selfish POV, I would say - make hay while the sun shines. If it becomes the case that helmets are compulsory, bikes are registered, insurance is mandatory, some type of roadworthiness certificate akin to an MOT is introduced, road user fee, etc., then I'll be sticking to off road stuff; and polluting the planet getting there. I don't see it coming to that in my lifetime though.

but you "making hay" gives ammunition to the anti brigade, makes it more likely that the rest of us one day get penalised because of your behaviour. That's incredibly selfish.

 

[Brandane]

but you "making hay" gives ammunition to the anti brigade, makes it more likely that the rest of us one day get penalised because of your behaviour. That's incredibly selfish.

If my sensible and common sense approach to red traffic lights "gives ammunition to the anti brigade", then they are just looking for an excuse to be anti. Which in a lot of cases, they are doing just that. Fair enough if they get a little peeved at nobber boy in the video, but at 2am outside Tesco in sleepy hollow? Come on!
I think we are failing to see the difference between harmless flouting of the law, and flouting of the same law that can have fatal consequences.

 

[nickyboy]

If my sensible and common sense approach to red traffic lights "gives ammunition to the anti brigade", then they are just looking for an excuse to be anti. Which in a lot of cases, they are doing just that. Fair enough if they get a little peeved at nobber boy in the video, but at 2am outside Tesco in sleepy hollow? Come on!
I think we are failing to see the difference between harmless flouting of the law, and flouting of the same law that can have fatal consequences.

I presume you'd be happy for all cyclists to take what they perceive to be a sensible and common sense approach? So what happens to the 10% of cyclists whose perceived common sense approach actually isn't common sense at all but is actually reckless and dangerous?