Annoying what some other riders do..

[User16625]

I'm a guy in my 40s and have been commuting by bicycle in London for a fair amount of time now. I used to do all sorts of crazy things, like jumping red lights, but since getting my motorcycle licence (also commute by bike these days.. one with a motor, that is..), I don't do that any more and am a lot better behaved on the road.. although that doesn't mean you can't have some fun.. the best part comes when there is a traffic jam and you can just filter through whatever traffic there may be..

Cycling, although not as easy as it used to be when I was in my 20s, is still very enjoyable. Nice fresh air (yes, maybe a bit polluted..) is a lot better than being stuck in a tube train, if you manage to get on one.. In the summer, it's especially nice, unless it's baking hot, but still better than public transport.

So, here you are, in a typical daily commute and then you stop at the lights, as you do, and manage to position yourself in a way in which you don't have anything or anybody in front of you, so you can just go for it when the lights open.. when all of a sudden, some other cyclist arrives and stops inches next to you, or just ahead of you and ahead of where they should have stopped in the first place. I would not mind greatly if they were able to start pedalling quickly and get out of my way, but do they do that? No!, they make you go around them. Why? That's rude! I wish people stopped doing that..

Annoying thing number 2:
The other day I was going home and somehow I was fairly quick to start when the lights opened. There was this guy with a road bike who, as they do, took a couple of seconds to fiddle with his clip on boot before starting, so I always give them that time to get away before I start pushing harder.. but this guy didn't just want to get away.. As he didn't seem to want to go for it, I decided to start pushing. To my surprise, he immediately followed my wheel and got stuck behind me. I do not like anybody to benefit from my effort that way, that again is rude and dishonest.. so I tried to shake him off. I jerked to the right closer to the traffic, he did the same thing. I veered left, he followed. I got annoyed, typical latin me, and told him off...: "no, you're not following me, if you want to ride, ride on your own effort..". He became abusive, and said that I should "watch and learn.. " "Excusez moi. Me learn from you?" I said, "After decades of riding in London I don't think I can learn anything from you" (if anything, I could learn how to be a dick..). So after a while, it became clear that he was not going to be able to have his fun with me. He would not be able to follow me for a couple of miles, with me sweating hard just to try to outrun him, and at the last minute disappear into the distance, using all that energy he had been saving (and I would have wasted) by not having to ride into the head wind (same energy I would have wasted by shielding him from it..). Was this guy bored and wanted a bit of fun? Does he not have any integrity? Is this what he does normally in his life, benefit from somebody else's effort? Why are there people like that? That's annoying!.

Annoying thing number 3:
You try sometimes to be friendly to people, maybe give them some advice, and they laugh it off, like they know what they're doing and you should mind your own business..

There was this other guy on a road bike, but no lycra this time. He's using the highest gear possible to start off at the lights.. so I suggest he changes to a lower gear to make it easier (would you start your car at the lights in the 5th gear?) I used to do that until I thought there was a better way.. Did he acknowledge my advise? no, he just laughed. You know what, I don't need to give advise or be nice to people, I can just continue minding my own business.. And I think that is just what I'm going to do.

Annoying thing number 4:
While riding my motorbike home a few months ago, a guy decided it was a very good idea to jump the red lights and make a run for it across the road. The only problem was that, as the lights had just opened for me, I went for it, just to be faster than the taxi to my right. Unfortunately, I only saw this cyclist(?) after I had already started, and even though I braked hard, we still collided, albeit at a very low speed. He and is push bike were OK. My bike was on the floor, and my gear selector was bent, which made it tricky to ride home afterwards. The question again is why? Why do you do this? Do you want to die? Please stop! Respect the traffic lights and signals, that's what they're there for.

That is it so far.. but that's quite enough..


===
And after all the to-ing and fro-ing, and all the replies, it's time to call it a day.

In any case, this forum served its purpose. I have got an idea of what people think. Haters will hate.. as they do, and that's just how they have their fun I suppose.. I will just ignore those. No point wasting your energy playing their game as they're already experts... But others are more sensible and provide good advice, so thank you to those.

In any case, this has been a one off and I will go back to my life riding push bikes and motorbikes for another 20 years at least. Interesting experience this.. but not for me. I will try to reach my own conclusions, learn whatever there is to learn and move on. And that's that.

You're not alone in this. People in general do my head in. Usually people don't even have to be doing anything wrong, queing is enough, drives me mad being stuck in a que or a crowd. Same for being stuck behind a dawdler or slow driver, I feel like smacking them out the way. Its fair to say I'm not a people fan, I enjoy Attenborough documentaries. Animals are more interesting.

Here's another example:

Your words, not mine.

He must have come from somewhere.

Green means you may go, if it is safe to proceed. Doesn't sound as though it was safe to proceed, and your attention was on beating the taxi.

Well no shoot, I'm gonna ride into a burning LPG tanker, but only when the lights go green.
Sounds to me it was reasonably safe to go. While traffic does need to give people crossing the road some way, you cant expect to just cross at random and expect to be in the right, which is what it sounds like that cyclist did.

 

[classic33]

You're not alone in this. People in general do my head in. Usually people don't even have to be doing anything wrong, queing is enough, drives me mad being stuck in a que or a crowd. Same for being stuck behind a dawdler or slow driver, I feel like smacking them out the way. Its fair to say I'm not a people fan, I enjoy Attenborough documentaries. Animals are more interesting.

Here's another example:


Well no shoot, I'm gonna ride into a burning LPG tanker, but only when the lights go green.
Sounds to me it was reasonably safe to go. While traffic does need to give people crossing the road some way, you cant expect to just cross at random and expect to be in the right, which is what it sounds like that cyclist did.

Lights at a junction tend to be all at red for a period, to allow the junction to clear.

However, as said in the, now edited first post, their attention was on beating the taxi to their right, away from the lights.

If you consider it safe to ride into a vehicle on fire, that's upto you. Whatever the lights are at.

 

[classic33]

Worth noting as well that there's a slight change in the wording of events further into the thread.

 

[Markymark]

Worth noting as well that there's a slight change in the wording of events further into the thread.

It's funny how many cyclists own invisibility cloaks and then whip them off in front of bad drivers as we keep appearing out of nowhere.

 

[mjr]

While traffic does need to give people crossing the road some way, you cant expect to just cross at random and expect to be in the right, which is what it sounds like that cyclist did.

Traffic needs it, huh? Not arrogant motorists who have either forgotten or never learned that red man/bike at crossings means "give way" not "stop", that we don't have "jaywalking" in this country because we're civilised and we don't run people over then blame them for walking on a highway?

 

[User16625]

Traffic needs it, huh? Not arrogant motorists who have either forgotten or never learned that red man/bike at crossings means "give way" not "stop", that we don't have "jaywalking" in this country because we're civilised and we don't run people over then blame them for walking on a highway?

It's situation dependant. Walk out onto the road at random and you can easily cause an accident. On the other hand if you come up to a junction and want to turn right, but there is a ped already in the road, that ped has the priority and you should wait.
What I'm saying is it sounded, based on what I read, that someone jumped the red light and ran/cycled into the road just as the lights went green. OP sped up just before this point not knowing a cyclist was about to do something stupid. I dont blame OP merely for wanting to get in front of a taxi, possibly to get himself out its blindspot.

 

[mjr]

What I'm saying is it sounded, based on what I read, that someone jumped the red light and ran/cycled into the road just as the lights went green.

I read "across the road" as meaning they were on a crossing. That's not jumping the red light, because it's only advisory.

I dont blame OP merely for wanting to get in front of a taxi, possibly to get himself out its blindspot.

Me neither. If anything, I blame OP for driving recklessly in order to MGIF.

 

[mustang1]

I hate being drafted. Usually I slow down and they just pass me before I resume my former speed.

Ps: fill your water bottle with Rubens or some other liquid that becomes annoyingly sticky when dry and squirt it behind you, over your head.

 

[classic33]

It's situation dependant. Walk out onto the road at random and you can easily cause an accident. On the other hand if you come up to a junction and want to turn right, but there is a ped already in the road, that ped has the priority and you should wait.
What I'm saying is it sounded, based on what I read, that someone jumped the red light and ran/cycled into the road just as the lights went green. OP sped up just before this point not knowing a cyclist was about to do something stupid. I dont blame OP merely for wanting to get in front of a taxi, possibly to get himself out its blindspot.

What was never mentioned in the edited first post is where it happened. Was it at a junction which allowed a right turn for traffic coming the other way and the direction of travel of the cyclist(Partial answer later). The taxi was in the right-hand lane of the dual carriageway, the motorbike rider in the left-hand, riding in the gutter.

If what they said about going as soon as the lights changed, just to beat the taxi, before hitting the cyclist had been caught on camera, what then? They've just dropped themselves in it, in a crash hard enough to cause damage to a motorbike but not the bicycle(The other vehicle they hit. The motorbike being the only vehicle involved).

Hit a bike broadside on and caused no damage to it or rider!

 

[r04DiE]

10 out of 10 for honesty.

There are lots of egos out there and it is best to live and let live. If someone want's to draft me, I take that as a compliment that they can't get past me. If someone wants to get a head start at the lights, again, they obviously need the head start. If someone that I overtook wants pole position back, go for it. I don't give a sh*t.

^^THIS. Again and again and again!

 

[User16625]

What was never mentioned in the edited first post is where it happened. Was it at a junction which allowed a right turn for traffic coming the other way and the direction of travel of the cyclist(Partial answer later). The taxi was in the right-hand lane of the dual carriageway, the motorbike rider in the left-hand, riding in the gutter.

If what they said about going as soon as the lights changed, just to beat the taxi, before hitting the cyclist had been caught on camera, what then? They've just dropped themselves in it, in a crash hard enough to cause damage to a motorbike but not the bicycle(The other vehicle they hit. The motorbike being the only vehicle involved).

Hit a bike broadside on and caused no damage to it or rider!

WTF? Missed that bit. I assumed he was in the left hand lane, taxi in the right hand lane. It would have been daft to undertake another vehicle already in the left hand lane by riding in the gutter. I ride a motorcycle also. Sometimes I will filter up to the lights if im confident I can do so before the lights turn green. I would filter inbetween the cars in the middle of the road, not on the left in the gutter.

Now I would question if the cyclist crossed as (or just before) the lights turned green. Both actions sound a bit iffy to me. Bottom line:

Cyclist should have either crossed at a safer place, or cross just after the lights went from green, not after they have already been on red a while.

Motorcyclist should have either waited behind vehicle in left hand lane, (I assumed there was one because you said he rode in left hand gutter), or filtered between the taxi and the car in the left hand lane assuming sufficient room to do so.

 

[classic33]

WTF? Missed that bit. I assumed he was in the left hand lane, taxi in the right hand lane. It would have been daft to undertake another vehicle already in the left hand lane by riding in the gutter. I ride a motorcycle also. Sometimes I will filter up to the lights if im confident I can do so before the lights turn green. I would filter inbetween the cars in the middle of the road, not on the left in the gutter.

Now I would question if the cyclist crossed as (or just before) the lights turned green. Both actions sound a bit iffy to me. Bottom line:

Cyclist should have either crossed at a safer place, or cross just after the lights went from green, not after they have already been on red a while.

Motorcyclist should have either waited behind vehicle in left hand lane, (I assumed there was one because you said he rode in left hand gutter), or filtered between the taxi and the car in the left hand lane assuming sufficient room to do so.

They made no mention of any other motor vehicle other than the taxi, in the right hand lane. Nor the direction of travel of the cyclist in the first post. Later put as crossing from the other side of a dual carriageway, who they never saw until they collided with them.

The being in the gutter came later, "kerbside with the taxi to his right". With their intention set on beating the taxi when the lights changed.

m

 

[Drago]

I've yet to see one of these road users who materialise in front of me and "appear out of nowhere". Everyone appears from somewhere and there are visual clues in every case if a rider could be bothered to look for them. Dropped kerbs, gaps in hedges, side roads, are all indicative of danger. Stationary or parked vehicles, crowds of people etc all provide opportunities for concealment, and one should ride accordingly.

" Appeared out of nowhere" is gibberish for "I was displaying poor roadcraft."

 

[Ajax Bay]

" Appeared out of nowhere" is gibberish for "I was displaying poor roadcraft."

I think you are being a little harsh, officer. You're stationary (on a motorbike in the inside of two lanes of an urban dual carriageway with a high(ish) sided taxi in the lane next to you, waiting for the lights to go green. They go green and the road ahead of you and within your vision left and right is clear. You start accelerating (whether to 'beat' the taxi or otherwise). Simultaneously a cyclist appears travelling from the other side of the taxi across your path. The OP did his best to stop/avoid and managed to mitigate the collision to a minimum, and one which did not harm the cyclist. "Going for it" from lights to "beat the taxi" is a mindset that'd be worth moderating, but the OP's request was:

Please stop! Respect the traffic lights and signals, that's what they're there for.

The primary cause of this collision is (according to the account) the cyclist crossing two lines of vehicles on red, presumably in the knowledge that the lights were about to turn green.

 

[Drago]

What about houses?



No, we're not ever going to let you live this down....

In my defence, I was going very slowly so had a cyclist materialised they would have been unharmed.

Ajax, I'm sat on one of my motorbikes thinking "Lights will change in a moment. I wonder what's on the other side of that taxi?", and would ride accordingly.