Pavement cycling/RLJ

[classic33]

Is wanting to avoid a red light, by taking to the pavement, a valid reason for doing so.

Short war of words with a pillioch on a bike on Saturday who seemed to think that making everyone on the pavement move out of his way, to jump a red light was a valid excuse.
He agreed that what he was doing was wrong, that a pedal cycle is a road vehicle, but that his "excuse" was still valid!!

 

[Arch]

Rubbish, he's just an antisocial sod.

Suppose drivers started doing it en masse?

 

[Smokin Joe]

If you believe it is ok to ignore the laws which inconveinence you while expecting everyone else to stick to the rules which apply to them, yes.

If not, no.

 

[dubman]

i will jump red lights , jump on pavement , do this most mornings on a bridge , if lights on red hop on pavement and over the footpath then back on to the road i would slow down for people and move to the side , ive even cycled past police on the beat and they dont bother , if i think its safe i will do it

 

[Smokin Joe]

Perhaps I ought to take the same attitude to speed limits when I am driving.

 

[Arch]

i will jump red lights , jump on pavement , do this most mornings on a bridge , if lights on red hop on pavement and over the footpath then back on to the road i would slow down for people and move to the side , ive even cycled past police on the beat and they dont bother , if i think its safe i will do it

I hope you never meet a car driver doing what they think is safe, on the occasion they are wrong...

Why not just stop and wait, like you're supposed to?

 

[marinyork]

It may be joked about on here but strangely enough I see pavement driving far more often than cycling.

Cycling on the pavement just trades in one thing for another - pavement for RLJ.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

Is it acceptable to dismount then walk across the pavement in order to miss a red light? I've seen a few people doing this.

 

[marinyork]

Is it acceptable to dismount then walk across the pavement in order to miss a red light? I've seen a few people doing this.

Of course.

 

[Arch]

Is it acceptable to dismount then walk across the pavement in order to miss a red light? I've seen a few people doing this.

yes, perfectly legal, and worth doing perhaps if you're in a hurry and know the lights will be a long time. I hardly ever bother though....

 

[Chuffy]

i will jump red lights , jump on pavement , do this most mornings on a bridge , if lights on red hop on pavement and over the footpath then back on to the road i would slow down for people and move to the side , ive even cycled past police on the beat and they dont bother , if i think its safe i will do it

Then you, sir, are a pillioch.*



















* - whatever one of them is. Is it a cranially underdeveloped relation of the pilchard?

 

[TheDoctor]

Then you, sir, are a pillioch.*


* - whatever one of them is. Is it a cranially underdeveloped relation of the pilchard?

I don't think it's that far up the evolutionary ladder TBH.

 

[gbb]

There, as always, are a myriad of circumstances which dictate whether it's acceptable or not.
In Peterborough, we have a maze of cycleways and paths in urban and built up areas (not the city centre itself). Its not always obvious to cyclists or peds which is which..and accordingly both get on fine most of the time. Even the Police on cycles use most pathways...so why would average joe cycist not do the same.
As always (myself included) if you push the boundaries and ride on the path, cause an accident, or get seen by a zealous policeman...you're going to pay the price.

I should state, there is ONE set of TL on my commute where the phase is very long. IF there is no-one on the path beside, i will use about 6 ft of it..and go on my way. I will dismount and walk if there are peds.

Am i wrong...yes
Am i doing any harm...probaby not.
Does anyone else around me care...no. I believe that a good percentage of motorists are glad you gone from their view. You're one less thing to worry about.

It's about common sense. Dont do it if there are any pedestrians.

 

[ComedyPilot]

I did a RLJ and a pavement ride to get through North Bar Without in Beverley. Was sat on the road at the lights for 5 mins early one morning, they wouldn't change, (the opposite junction did about 3 cycles of letting cars through), don't know why, but the road did have those sensors that detect a vehicle. I didn't ride like an idiot though, and was wary of any peds.

If you are a pillock in life, your mode of transport won't change anything.

 

[Carwash]

...Was sat on the road at the lights for 5 mins early one morning, they wouldn't change, (the opposite junction did about 3 cycles of letting cars through), don't know why, but the road did have those sensors that detect a vehicle. I didn't ride like an idiot though, and was wary of any peds.

If I recall correctly, this is the one situation where the Highway Code allows cyclists to RLJ: on junctions where the sensor controlling the lights cannot detect bicycles. Proceed with caution though, and all that.