Cyclists that ignore road etiquette and the highway code

[gregsid]

I know there's a huge amount of forum chat on the subject of rude/impatient/dangerous drivers but I'd like to bring up the topic of bad cyclists; especially during busy commutes...

At traffic lights in particular, I'm frequently frustrated by other cyclists that ignore red lights and generally any other aspect of the highway code (jumping onto pavements etc, on the mobile(!) or EVEN cycling on the wrong side of the road).

Such cyclists give us a bad name. Even though I sit there patiently in the advance stop zone of red traffic lights, I know that it's the bad cyclists that are noticed by car drivers, further lowering their regard for ALL cyclists.

Have you ever responded to such wayward cyclists? I've often been tempted to shout out "THE RED LIGHT'S FOR YOU TOO!", but I confess to being too timid to say anything, even though I know I should.

Greg

 

[gaz]

Silly Cyclists, that is all. (see signature)

 

[downfader]

I know there's a huge amount of forum chat on the subject of rude/impatient/dangerous drivers but I'd like to bring up the topic of bad cyclists; especially during busy commutes...

At traffic lights in particular, I'm frequently frustrated by other cyclists that ignore red lights and generally any other aspect of the highway code (jumping onto pavements etc, on the mobile(!) or EVEN cycling on the wrong side of the road).

Such cyclists give us a bad name. Even though I sit there patiently in the advance stop zone of red traffic lights, I know that it's the bad cyclists that are noticed by car drivers, further lowering their regard for ALL cyclists.

Have you ever responded to such wayward cyclists? I've often been tempted to shout out "THE RED LIGHT'S FOR YOU TOO!", but I confess to being too timid to say anything, even though I know I should.

Greg

It took me a while to realise it but bad cyclists do not give good cyclists a bad name.

Does Stalin give all Athiests a bad name? Does John Worboys give all taxi drivers a bad name? Does Peter Sutcliffe give all Yorkshiremen and women a bad name?

They're extreme examples (invoking Godwin's Law) but you get my point.

With bad cyclists I have responded in the past. I've said audible things about them doing the wrong thing, sometimes with a lot of invective thrown back at me. Usually I just shake my head in disapproval thesedays.

There are other things we can do. We can, as good road users, raise the profile of this problem, report problem areas to the press and the police if necessary, and be publically forthright on the matter in places such as newspaper forums, web comment and in their letters pages.

There is an option to add comment in the Red Tape Challenge on the Government's website in the Cycling and road safety section too. Write in and ask for MORE police action and better Police and CPS guidelines.
http://www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/road-safety-and-cycling/

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

It drives me mad in Cambridge. In a typical day I would generally see



RLJ every day at least 3-4
Cycling on pavements
The wrong way down one down way streets
Cycling up the inside of buses who are coming to a stop
Cycling on and off pavements to beat traffic at red lights
Overtaking outside of the cycle lane without even looking behind, let alone indicate or slow down before making a safe manoeuvre.

At one set of lights, I was stopped on the red, guy came past me and straight through, and later as I caught him, he over took someone in the cycle lane, he just pulled out and the car to my left had to slow down.

As I passed him I looked at him and he smiled back, and I said to him, You got a fu**in death wish mate?' explained what he had done and I then cycled off.

I used to raise my voice and say something, but its a waste of time, its like trying to plug a broken dam with newspaper, but most days I am ashamed to be associated with them.

But after 2 years of commuting, I see far more bad cyclists than bad drivers. People may not agree with that but car drivers to me generally seem to obey the rules of the road

 

[dr snuggles]

drives me mental! I had two pulled straight out in front of me when i was driving causing me to stop mid junction last week. Blatantly straight through a red light. I shouted red light dickhead and was promptly told to f### off.
I always wait at red lights but frequently ride with a fella who doesn't! I've lost count of the times we have had the same conversation but he just laughs it off.
My opinion is that it only serves to get drivers annoyed and thus will contribute to the countless incidents with nobhead drivers we read about every day.

 

[Jezston]

Silly Cyclists, that is all. (see signature)

Gaz!

Hello. I am a sound engineer, and thus I am really anal about such things, and I have been biting my tongue for too long over this!

Please get a pop shield for recording your voiceovers.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/small-pop-shield-31676

There, got it out of my system

 

[downfader]

Gaz!

Hello. I am a sound engineer, and thus I am really anal about such things, and I have been biting my tongue for too long over this!

Please get a pop shield for recording your voiceovers.
http://www.maplin.co...op-shield-31676

There, got it out of my system

Or make one out of his old lycra stretched on a coat hanger!

 

[numbnuts]

Today I saw a woman on a bike coming towards me and doing a bit of a wobble – yep on her bloody phone WHY

 

[Red Light]

Live and let live and don't allow yourself to get wound up by them. Its not going to make any difference to them but a lot of difference to you.

What exactly is it that makes you irate about it? It can't be the law breaking or you would be in a constant fury with speeding, ASL and parking infringements etc etc. And as for being given a bad name it seems to be a peculiarly British driver problem. Cycling on the Continent is far more anarchic in general yet drivers seem to be able to accept it with equanimity while British drivers see a red mist.

 

[ACS]

I don't. Working and commuting in a university town the instances of flagrant law breaking are frequent and more often as not dangerous.

Its not my place to 'police' or comment on the actions of others.

Life is stressful enough.

However, I will defend my actions when challenged by those who find my adherence to the law inconvenient. For example the student who ran into me recently when I stopped at a red light and he asked what I had stopped for!

 

[phantasmagoriana]

At traffic lights in particular, I'm frequently frustrated by other cyclists that ignore red lights and generally any other aspect of the highway code (jumping onto pavements etc, on the mobile(!) or EVEN cycling on the wrong side of the road).

Such cyclists give us a bad name. Even though I sit there patiently in the advance stop zone of red traffic lights, I know that it's the bad cyclists that are noticed by car drivers, further lowering their regard for ALL cyclists.

Have you ever responded to such wayward cyclists? I've often been tempted to shout out "THE RED LIGHT'S FOR YOU TOO!", but I confess to being too timid to say anything, even though I know I should.

I've thought about it too, but like you am too timid to actually say anything!

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

It took me a while to realise it but bad cyclists do not give good cyclists a bad name.

I suspect what you really mean is that they ought not to give good cyclists a bad name.

In my experience, when I am on my bicycle or when I am talking from the point of view of someone who rides a bicycle, the majority of people are putting me in the mental pigeon-hole of "cyclist", not "good cyclist" or "bad cyclist", and the second most memorable group of co-occupants of that pigeon hole of theirs, are scrotes on BSOs who ride around like idiots. The most memorable co-occupants are, I'm afraid, people on lightweight road bikes in team livery charging through red lights on a Sunday morning.

I agree with what you said entirely, but we cannot control the stereotypes and prejudices people hold, however unfair those prejudices are.

 

[Holdsworth]

I did once quite loudly point out to a RLJ that red lights do in fact apply to cyclists, I got no response and din't see him again. Never had to do that since, simply because I very rarely see another soul on a bike on my commuting run.

 

[Alien8]

Why bother saying anything? Do you think they don't know what they are doing? As for give us all a bad name - well you can't do anything about that either - remember you are dealing with the cerebrally challenged here so they will think what they want to think.

 

[downfader]

I suspect what you really mean is that they ought not to give good cyclists a bad name.

In my experience, when I am on my bicycle or when I am talking from the point of view of someone who rides a bicycle, the majority of people are putting me in the mental pigeon-hole of "cyclist", not "good cyclist" or "bad cyclist", and the second most memorable group of co-occupants of that pigeon hole of theirs, are scrotes on BSOs who ride around like idiots. The most memorable co-occupants are, I'm afraid, people on lightweight road bikes in team livery charging through red lights on a Sunday morning.

I agree with what you said entirely, but we cannot control the stereotypes and prejudices people hold, however unfair those prejudices are.

The way I see it is that many cyclists now beat themselves up over it despite being legal and respectful, many cyclists now become apologists for the bad behaviour of a few. We have, at the very least, an obligation to ourselves to present an image that we're not the ones causing the problems. Drivers dont have this problem, people dont publically denegrate them as a whole and quite rightly.

You're right, we cant control the stereotypes, but we can present our opinions and show that we set an example.