Bury: just had words with a RLJer.

[MartinC]

Im sure that when motorists see good behaviour on the roads from said cyclist and this includes good behaviour towards pedestrians as well as following the rules of the road that they drive a bit better towards (me).

Ok doesn't always work but I like to believe it does.

Think I understand but it doesn't address the point. If the OP felt it was OK to disregard the HC because in their opinion it might achieve something useful then surely the RLJ'er can claim the same justification.

The question is - should we always follow the HC or only when it suits us?

 

[ChrisKH]

I don't like RLJ'ers for the simple reason that if we (anybody on the road) need others to follow the rules of the Highway Code then we should follow them ourselves. It begs the question then, of why the OP felt entitled to break those rules and sound their horn inappropriately just to voice their disapproval of another road user. If the OP feels that they can disregard the HC when it suits them why do they object to the RLJ'er doing the same?

Moral superiority? I hardly think tooting your horn compares with the RLJ'ing. I followed someone in on a full sus mountain bike into Southend this weekend admittedly at a fair lick and the guy ran every light and jumped up and down pavements to undertake buses and other traffic. I tooted him a couple of times, as I was trying to attract his attention and make him aware of our presence. Of course he didn't hear it as he was listening to his Ipod...........I would have liked to speak to him, but he had no respect for other road users or anyone on the paths and ploughed on regardless. In the absence of traffic cops, I hardly think acting like Gandhi solves anything. Sometimes some form of direct action is necessary.

 

[hackbike 666]

Think I understand but it doesn't address the point. If the OP felt it was OK to disregard the HC because in their opinion it might achieve something useful then surely the RLJ'er can claim the same justification.

The question is - should we always follow the HC or only when it suits us?

Yes.

I totally missed what the problem was with the OP though.

 

[Globalti]

What was my problem? I have two problems with RLJers:

1 - As a cyclist I don't want some other muppet giving me a bad image.

2 - As a car driver I don't want some muppet riding out in front of me unexpectedly.

I have strong feelings on this because a cyclist did the same thing to my father when I was about 14. My father had no way of avoiding the cyclist and killed him. It marked my father for the rest of his life.

 

[dondare]

I work at London University, and I have learned over the years that you can't educate people who don't want to know.
Not students who are there to pass the time (or get a visa); and not cyclists who think that the rules don't apply to cyclists or motorists who think that the rules only apply to cyclists.
Having words with such types is a waste of words.

 

[hackbike 666]

What was my problem? I have two problems with RLJers:

1 - As a cyclist I don't want some other muppet giving me a bad image.

2 - As a car driver I don't want some muppet riding out in front of me unexpectedly.

I have strong feelings on this because a cyclist did the same thing to my father when I was about 14. My father had no way of avoiding the cyclist and killed him. It marked my father for the rest of his life.

It wasn't your dads fault though.I think sometimes you have to move on.

 

[thomas]

i don't understand why you thinking bipping him with your horn and having a sanctimonious word is going to stop him?

It's really not worth the effort IMO. At least if you had of been on a bike at the time you'd of actually had something "in common".

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

y bother? maybe i'm just jaded by riding that road everyday. do you 'have a word' with motons when they do bad things? or is just fellow cyclists you harass?

 

[fossyant]

You can't and won't win.....too many folk don't give a **** (insert four letter word of choice).........simples.......

A big long loud press on the old 'horn' should be enough.......

Some cyclists give every other cyclist a bad name... same with car drivers, bus drivers, truck drivers.............. although most seem to remember the bad cyclist.....hmmmm - might scratch the car, rather than mash everyone in it ?????

 

[rb58]

My usual commute home from central London tonight, following a stream of cyclists, at least 60% of whom were RLJers. I stopped at one junction and a black cab pulled up alongside me, wound his window down and said to me "well done"! For stopping at the light apparently (and he wasn't being sarcastic). It obviously p*sses him off to see so many cyclists ignoring one of the more obvious rules of the road. And it winds me up no end as I really don't relish seeing one of them sprawled all over the road.

Last week I watched the boys in blue pulling over RLJs close to Liverpool Street Station and handing out tickets - fixed penalties I guess. Maybe they've decided it's become enough of a problem to worry about?

 

[MartinC]

A big long loud press on the old 'horn' should be enough.......

This sort of thing gives motorists a bad name. I don't want to be tarred with the same brush as you guys who only obey Rule 112 of the Highway Code when it suits you.

One thing I've always wondered though is when you sound your horn 'at' an RLJ'er how they're supposed to know that you're beeping them and not anyone else in the vicinity?

 

[hackbike 666]

It's a sad thing to be seen associated to cycling...it wasn't like this in the 1980's.