Are cameras always useful?

[Origamist]

However, it is the responsibility of the vehicles behind me to make a safe overtaking manoeuvre if they want to pass me. End of story.

When I flip it around, the same rule applies. If I'm filtering, the vehicle in front owns that piece of road, and if I choose to overtake it must be safe for me to do so. This is why I very rarely pass down the left. Often I filter down the right and pull back in, then filter out again if it is safe to do so.

I see plenty of clips that violate this principle, leading to the person filming flinging out a list of expletives... despite it being their job to do the filtering safely.

(Yes, I know mirrors etc. are there for a reason, but as with driving a car it's always better to expect the unexpected......)

I used to spend most of my commute overtaking on the right, rather than passing queues on the left, but now due to the cycle superhighway that has been introduced on my commute it's much more difficult to do so (the CS lane is 1.5m to 2m in the vid below). Motorcyclists and cyclists struggle to overtake due to the pedestrian refuges and the change in traffic dynamics (ptws often use the CS now). If you want to make progress, the left is the way to go, watch:

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=pY4QG0f-Xrw

As it happens, I often don't bother with this 1km section of my commute now as it's too much hassle.

 

[JoysOfSight]

Also, IAM teaches (i think), not bothering to signal if there isn't anyone around. Actually, in your driving test at some points you could get a minor for signalling when no one is around as it shows you're not paying attention (eg. if you don't signal, it's because you have looked and no one would see the signal anyway)....like when you're moving off from stationary, or just pulling up to the kerb.

Whenever I hear this rubbish, I ask people if they'd prefer to have manually-activated brake lights, so they could only use the brake lights when somebody else would benefit (then we could make it that you'd get a minor for frivolous brake lights while driving in the test).

No thanks, I like to know when people are slowing down irrespective of their judgement of whether they need to signal it, and indicators likewise!

 

[JoysOfSight]

I messaged testeranimal1 last night, pointing to this thread and maybe to calm down over the minor stuff. he replied:

Not really sure what to make of it. If anyone wants to see my message I'll post it.

He is a very friendly chap. I left a couple of comments pointing out that you can hardly shout at a driver for edging over the line when you've just ridden right out into the junction, and he said

"NO I ****ING WELL DID NOT ****ING JUMP THE fUCcKETTY ****ING
RTED ****ING ****ERATIG LIGHT THANNK YOU VERY ****ING KUCH>

U NEVER DO TGHAAT.

SO **** THE **** oFF WITH UNFOUNDED ****ING ASSERTIONQS"

Yes, I am also glad that he is not behind the wheel of a car!

 

[potsy]

He is a very friendly chap. I left a couple of comments pointing out that you can hardly shout at a driver for edging over the line when you've just ridden right out into the junction, and he said

"NO I ****ING WELL DID NOT ****ING JUMP THE fUCcKETTY ****ING
RTED ****ING ****ERATIG LIGHT THANNK YOU VERY ****ING KUCH>

U NEVER DO TGHAAT.

SO **** THE **** oFF WITH UNFOUNDED ****ING ASSERTIONQS"

Yes, I am also glad that he is not behind the wheel of a car!

Sounds like you've made a new friend there JoS

Blimey he does need to calm down.That's a heart attack waiting to happen.

 

[thomas]

Whenever I hear this rubbish, I ask people if they'd prefer to have manually-activated brake lights, so they could only use the brake lights when somebody else would benefit (then we could make it that you'd get a minor for frivolous brake lights while driving in the test).

No thanks, I like to know when people are slowing down irrespective of their judgement of whether they need to signal it, and indicators likewise!

It's hardly rubbish and your analogy is stupid. So you're cycling down a country lane and your about to turn off onto another lane. There is no one around, not in front, behind...not even a friendly moo from a cow in the field next to you. Do you still indicate that you're turning into this other lane? Even though absolutely no one will see the signal?

If you do signal then, why do you? if you do you're just nutty. : )

 

[DrSquirrel]

It's hardly rubbish and your analogy is stupid. So you're cycling down a country lane and your about to turn off onto another lane. There is no one around, not in front, behind...not even a friendly moo from a cow in the field next to you. Do you still indicate that you're turning into this other lane? Even though absolutely no one will see the signal?

If you do signal then, why do you? if you do you're just nutty. : )

We all know that sometimes cars "dont see us", either from not looking properly/at all or just missing us because of high invisibility coats... so wouldn't it be better to indicate for road users you have possibly missed?

I think the analogy fits.

 

[As Easy As Riding A Bike]

Saw his video of getting clipped by the passing van (although I'm not sure it hit him as I didn't hear any sound of impact) ... someone asked him if he had gone to the police and he responded with whats the point they won't do anything anyway. Yeah, and screaming at people for the smallest infraction is going to change the world. You utter tool.

I'm not going to excuse TesterAnimal's rage - some of it is certainly justified, some of it certainly isn't - but AFAIK he has taken many clips of blatantly piss-poor driving to the police, and has not had a single positive outcome.

At least that is what he has told me when I have asked him whether he has taken a clip to the police.

He's simply given up, because the local plod don't seem to care.

Perhaps that explains the rage.

(And he was clipped by that van - I can't possibly conceive of how he suddenly ended up swerving all over the road like that without some contact).

 

[JoysOfSight]

Even though absolutely no one will see the signal?

I bet almost all of the 30,000 people KSI'd on the roads this year *thought* they were safe at the time - but they were wrong.

 

[thomas]

We all know that sometimes cars "dont see us", either from not looking properly/at all or just missing us because of high invisibility coats... so wouldn't it be better to indicate for road users you have possibly missed?

I think the analogy fits.

If you're driving/riding properly, you shouldn't be missing people. In situations like that, signalling or not, the likelihood for a bad outcome is quite serious.

I bet almost all of the 30,000 people KSI'd on the roads this year *thought* they were safe at the time - but they were wrong.

That has nothing to do with not signalling...you didn't even mention signalling. Most people probably think they were safe until something goes wrong. That's how it happens. I don't go for a bike ride thinking I'm in peril the whole ride...just for the moments when someone passes too close, etc.


I should also point out that my original post stated that in a driving test, when pulling away from stationary. Look all around you, mirror, blind spot, etc, you can see it's clear. If you miss someone then you'd of already failed for not being able to read the numberplate.

 

[Chutzpah]

I used to spend most of my commute overtaking on the right, rather than passing queues on the left, but now due to the cycle superhighway that has been introduced on my commute it's much more difficult to do so (the CS lane is 1.5m to 2m in the vid below). Motorcyclists and cyclists struggle to overtake due to the pedestrian refuges and the change in traffic dynamics (ptws often use the CS now). If you want to make progress, the left is the way to go, watch:

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=pY4QG0f-Xrw

As it happens, I often don't bother with this 1km section of my commute now as it's too much hassle.

I completely understand that. I'm not a big fan of cycle lanes if I'm honest, as we all know they're often half baked afterthoughts from the council and tell drivers that your place is on the left. I'm lucky enough (?) to not have any on my route to work. The lack of cycle lanes is one of the main reason I don't filter down the left - there isn't enough room.

 

[400bhp]

Also, IAM teaches (i think), not bothering to signal if there isn't anyone around.

They did teach it when I sat their test 7-8 years ago.

The theory IIRC is that you should be paying attention enough to realise when to use signals. Consequently by using signals 100% of the time it becomes an autonomous process therefore less thought is gone into the manouvre.

I personally didn't buy that. Other things the IaM teaches you are antiquated but on the whole the experience is very positive.