"Cyclists get away with murder", says police chief

[Lazy-Commuter]

That's why I dislike the press/media so much as they make my job harder than it should be and also with this (dangerous) attitude towards cyclists just because some break the law time and time again.Of course the poor old law abiding tax paying motorists are angels.


Posted by: Southpark, Southside on 3:51pm Thu 8 Nov 07
Mutual respect............. ... don't make me laugh. The CYCLIST highway code: ignore red lights, people on green-man crossings, travel in the opposite direction on oneway streets - indulge in a bit of off-roading on pavements - meander through queing traffic. Cycle up the inside of vehicles (at traffic lights) when vehicles are indicating that they are turning left. Adopt a centre-of-the-road attitude (particularly during peak-hours) when travelling through narrowed/ restricted width sections of roads (especially infuriating when they could indulge in one of their frequent off-road pursuits - taking to the pavements). We could add the statutory dress code: dark clothing c/w mandatory rucksack/ backpack all designed to make them more difficult to see at peak-hours (now that we have dark mornings/ evenings). £200 for a bike - I would charge them £500 for a license/ insurance ................ maybe then they would show a little more care and attention and mutual respect for other road-users and pedestrians!!!!

...and this is what a typical motorist thinks of us.

Yes; of course, I'd forgotten the old "go and catch some real criminals" when speed traps are set up in a village or outside a school or whatever. Real criminals, like murderers or someone "Adopt[ing] a centre-of-the-road attitude (particularly during peak-hours) when travelling through narrowed/ restricted width sections of roads".

 

[hackbike 6]

Stereotyping of course.Hopefully not all motons tar us with the same brush.(and hopefully I don't tar all motons with the same brush)

I've noticed a poorer attitude out there but this probably applies to the whole country in general.

 

[bryce]

Completely agree with the Scotsman article. Cycling would be a lot safer if other cyclists didn't break the law all the time, and consequently make it more dangerous for the rest of us - who have to put up with the aggressive attitude of drivers who are fed up with us in general.

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

Stereotyping of course.Hopefully not all motons tar us with the same brush.

I've noticed a poorer attitude out there but this probably applies to the whole country in general.

Of course. Actually, to be fair, I've found most people to be OK on my commutes .. you get the odd one on the posh estate who's obviously of the opinion that if you "can't afford" a car (and why else would you be using a bike other than at the gym?) you are scum who deserves to die, but that's an exception.

And I've had a good response from nearly all the peds I encounter on bridleways and the like on my commute.

 

[hackbike 6]

I used to have a prob with peds but I really don't think my attitude helped a lot.(only with the bad crossing practices)

I really do not want another collision,no really.

Oh of course I adjusted my riding for peds crossing in traffic as this isn't a game,it's real life.

 

[domtyler]

Except this is ongoing and no verdict has been reached yet.

Do you also honestly believe he intentionally hit the man in an attempt to kill him?

Intention is irrelevant I'm afraid skwerl. The fact is that if people are going to drive at sixty or seventy miles an hour through heavily built up areas that are busy with pedestrians then people will be killed. The police kill and seriously injure many people like this every year, rushing to stop some toe-rag spraying graffiti or shoplifting or other such 'urgent' call.

I saw some idiot only this morning red lining his car through a high street at upwards of sixty miles an hour, straight over zebra crossings without slowing, blue lights and sirens will not unfortunately be sufficient in all cases as we have seen just this week.

 

[hackbike 6]

Well it would be stupid to admit they have some sort of resentment to cyclists lee.

 

[snapper_37]

''It's because I saw a couple of cyclists riding on the pavement, and a couple of them RLJ''

I saw tonight, during just a 6 mile commute:

1. 3 RLJ-ers.

2. At least 5 riding on the pavement - jumping on and off into the gutter as it suited.

3. Too many to count without lights.

If it pisses me off, it must surely piss other road users off.

In 99% of conversations I have had with drivers, they have said that the 'majority' of cyclists do not follow the rules and/or do not act respectfully to other road users.

I'm not saying they are correct but IMO, that does put me at serious risk.

 

[snapper_37]

If they have any resentment, most drivers I see drive like dicks because they are. Not because they resent cyclists.

No, it's probably more like:

Drive like dicks + resent cyclists = high risk (IMO)

 

[snorri]

The fact that lots of people cycle the wrong way on One Way streets would sound like justification for provision of contra flow cycle lanes rather than just prosecuting offenders.
This thread title is eyecatching, but a little naughty, the police chief was referring only to offending cyclists, and not cyclists in general when he made his get away with murder statement.

 

[dubman]

I saw tonight, during just a 6 mile commute:

1. 3 RLJ-ers.

2. At least 5 riding on the pavement - jumping on and off into the gutter as it suited.

3. Too many to count without lights.

If it pisses me off, it must surely piss other road users off.

In 99% of conversations I have had with drivers, they have said that the 'majority' of cyclists do not follow the rules and/or do not act respectfully to other road users.

I'm not saying they are correct but IMO, that does put me at serious risk.

that will be me then you shouldn't let things get to you , you will end up making yourself ill.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Well, that's better than making yourself dead which is rather more likely if you jump reds and ride without lights.

There really are some prize twats amongst us, aren't there?

 

[John Ponting]

The fact that lots of people CYCLE the wrong way on One Way streets would sound like justification for provision of contra flow cycle lanes rather than just prosecuting offenders..

whilst I may agree with you ... it's an interesting concept.

If enough people shoplift from Tesco would it justify changing the law to make it legal ?

If enough motorists drive over 70 mph on virtually empty motorways at dead of night would it justify raising the limits ?

If enough people CYCLE through pedestrian precincts would it justify making them shared use with priority to cyclists ?

 

[skwerl]

Intention is irrelevant I'm afraid skwerl. The fact is that if people are going to drive at sixty or seventy miles an hour through heavily built up areas that are busy with pedestrians then people will be killed. The police kill and seriously injure many people like this every year, rushing to stop some toe-rag spraying graffiti or shoplifting or other such 'urgent' call.

I saw some idiot only this morning red lining his car through a high street at upwards of sixty miles an hour, straight over zebra crossings without slowing, blue lights and sirens will not unfortunately be sufficient in all cases as we have seen just this week.

well, no. Intention is the difference between murder and manslaughter. I agree with your point but using terms like "police get away with murder" is just Daily Mail hype that creates resentment. It's the same shoot that gets said about cyclists.
Anyway. As usual it's the press that are the issue here. They stir up bad feeling between user groups to sell papers. The readers believe what they read and start repeating it every chance they get until it becomes 'fact'

 

[swee'pea99]

I suspect Chief Inspector Tease just was having a slow day and hadn't been in the papers for a while, so he said something provocative just to get a bit of attention. Seems to have succeeded.