CS7 Blue cycle route London - The Police are watching you

[400bhp]

Er..

1: It is illegal
2: As you may have spotted from all the above: It allows all sorts of crap drivers to justify their crap driving by claiming that 'all cyclists jump red lights' Therfore all cyclists are selfish, smug w@nkers . Therefore it doesn't matter how crappily the crap driving is driving as it can't be as bad as the cyclist they have just left hooked & left lying in a heap in the road.

1. Not enough for any intelligent person to have utter hatred of something.
2. Are you intimating that RLJ make car drivers more likely to drive into a "law abiding" cyclist?

 

[400bhp]

whilst most people tend to either ignore or forgive the motons.

I disagree mike. For example I use[d] several motor enthusiasts forums and spend a lot of my spare time around cars/racetracks etc and one of the largest amounts of vitroil is directed at car RLJ's (perhaps the largest is middle lane morons/poor lane discipline).

Car RLJ is generally far more dangerous than bike RLJ and is one area I am happy for cameras to be located a traffic lights.

 

[BentMikey]

Except that's not in line with reality. Everyone complains about cyclists jumping red lights, and we hardly ever hear about motons jumping them. What I said about the out group is exactly right.

 

[400bhp]

Except that's not in line with reality. Everyone complains about cyclists jumping red lights, and we hardly ever hear about motons jumping them. What I said about the out group is exactly right.

I've not disagreed with your point about the out group. Perhaos you hear about "everyone" complaining about cyclists because you are directly affected (interestingly, ignoring this website I don't recall anyone complaining about cyclists RLJ). I probably hear more than the average of people complaining about car RLJ. I'm not convinced one outweighs the other in the general populace.

Perhaps different in inner city London.

 

[DrSquirrel]

I disagree mike. For example I use[d] several motor enthusiasts forums and spend a lot of my spare time around cars/racetracks etc and one of the largest amounts of vitroil is directed at car RLJ's (perhaps the largest is middle lane morons/poor lane discipline).

Car RLJ is generally far more dangerous than bike RLJ and is one area I am happy for cameras to be located a traffic lights.

I reckon better would come from Red Light Cameras instead, though even better, speed cameras on the other side so you can stop people going extra fast not to get caught by the red

After all - its more dangerous to speed through a junction than it is going above 30/40mph on a large dual carriage way

Except that's not in line with reality. Everyone complains about cyclists jumping red lights, and we hardly ever hear about motons jumping them. What I said about the out group is exactly right.

I do hear a lot of car owners moaning about the lights personally.

 

[BigSteev]

I think it serves you right for using these stupid cycle lanes anyway.

 

[DrSquirrel]

I think it serves you right for using these stupid cycle lanes anyway.

When a blue strip covers more than half of the lane - how easy would it be NOT to "use" them...

 

[Dan B]

I disagree mike. For example I use[d] several motor enthusiasts forums and spend a lot of my spare time around cars/racetracks etc and one of the largest amounts of vitroil is directed at car RLJ's (perhaps the largest is middle lane morons/poor lane discipline).

I suspect "motor enthusiasts" view the majority of drivers as "cycling enthusiasts" view POBs. The largest amounts of vitroil I see directed at bike RLJ's is on bike forums ...

 

[hackbike 666]

Except that's not in line with reality. Everyone complains about cyclists jumping red lights, and we hardly ever hear about motons jumping them. What I said about the out group is exactly right.

I blame the press...it seems they have hyped it up into a frenzy.

 

[schlafsack]

I blame the press...it seems they have hyped it up into a frenzy.

I'm not so sure it's a new thing. My dad still turns apoplectic over the topic of London cyclists, despite having moved to deepest, darkest Scotland over ten years ago. He's unable to pin down exactly why they anger him so much, but red light jumping was definitely on the list.

 

[ferret fur]

1. Not enough for any intelligent person to have utter hatred of something.
2. Are you intimating that RLJ make car drivers more likely to drive into a "law abiding" cyclist?

1: Obviously. But unfortunately there are a lot of not very intelligent people out there who we all have to deal with.
2: Yes.

maybe not deliberately, but if a car driver has a lack of respect for a cyclist's right to be there then they are likely to treat them accordingly. Acting illegally legitimises car drivers attitudes. This is rather brilliantly demonstrated by the Daily Mail's treatment of Jon Snow as reported on another thread. I'm not saying the avearge Mail reader would suddenly turn into a cyclist loving vegetarian but they get reinforcement of their prejudices every time some selfish idiot decides the law doesn't apply to them.

 

[Twiggy]

I'll freely admit I've jumped red lights.

Like at two in the morning on a sensor based light, with no traffic around and I'd been sitting there for ten minutes.
Or that time a pedestrian had crossed, and the lights changed afterwards to allow them to cross.
Or that time when I was pelting down a hill and I couldn't bring myself to a stop till I was past the crossing. (aren't they supposed to change slowly btw?)

 

[400bhp]

1: Obviously. But unfortunately there are a lot of not very intelligent people out there who we all have to deal with.
2: Yes.

maybe not deliberately, but if a car driver has a lack of respect for a cyclist's right to be there then they are likely to treat them accordingly. Acting illegally legitimises car drivers attitudes. This is rather brilliantly demonstrated by the Daily Mail's treatment of Jon Snow as reported on another thread. I'm not saying the avearge Mail reader would suddenly turn into a cyclist loving vegetarian but they get reinforcement of their prejudices every time some selfish idiot decides the law doesn't apply to them.

1. You quoted this as a reason. Are you retracting it now?

2. You are suggesting that RLJ is wrong because it upsets Daily Mail readers.

I see where you are coming from; RLJ gives us a bad name in some sections of the populace but that's dumbing down to suit the lowest common denominator (the populace who are too stupid to realise that such actions befit the individual, not the fact they are riding a bike).

In some circumstances and where common sense is applied I don't see it as a problem.

 

[Davidc]

I'll freely admit I've jumped red lights.

Like at two in the morning on a sensor based light, with no traffic around and I'd been sitting there for ten minutes.
Or that time a pedestrian had crossed, and the lights changed afterwards to allow them to cross.
Or that time when I was pelting down a hill and I couldn't bring myself to a stop till I was past the crossing. (aren't they supposed to change slowly btw?)

The bold one's a faulty traffic light so its legal to pass it at red.

 

[Number14]

This morning I got pulled over after jumping a red right.... the road was perfectly clear I was in no danger to myself or any other road users but I blatently jumped the light and got fined £30!! I was in the wrong shouldn't of jumped the lights blah blah sh*t happens.... or dose it!

The copper tells me boris spent X amount of money on these blues lanes blah blah we are here patroling the entire route for the next 6 weeks - so basically they are picking up anyone who jumps lights etc and giving them a fine. I continued my journey to see 2 other cyclists pulled over by police officers on motorbikes issuing tickets to them.

Lets face it we all jump lights - I do it when I know its safe I take the risk and jump them to save time.... just like every other cyclist - everyone knows this. Over six weeks the police are going to pick up bucket loads of cash in fines. It's unjust, it feels like to me they are just recovering money spent on the blue cycle lanes and now they are just targeting cyclists to foot the bill!

We all commute to work for our own reasons, but in doing so we are all helping the environment etc etc etc the government try to promite this by setting up the cycle lanes but then why police them in such a way that they are giving with one hand and then taking straight back with the other!

Please any one who uses this cycle route be very carefull for the next 6 weeks and stop at the lights, I don't know where that copper was hiding because I didn't see him at the lights but he saw me. They are out there to get you!!!

Is this what they call a stealth tax - Policemen in yellow fluorescent jackets dishing out fines or is it a tax on the stupid?