cyclists - the not so good

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glasgowcyclist

Charming but somewhat feckless
Location
Scotland
Ok on a motorbike it's really not uncommon to sit between two vehicles at a traffic light. you take off ahead of them as motorbikes are quick off the mark, unless a cyclist parks directly infront of him in an empty cycle box.

As I've said, I could have stayed stationary but then traffic behind may have followed the vans very closely. I took the decision to move ahead and go into an empty cycle box contravening the highway code.

So you placed yourself in a dangerous position in the expectation that you'd be able to be "quick off the mark" from the lights beating the vans either side. It shows very poor roadcraft to do that, and some arrogance, to assume that the empty cycle box will remain clear for your benefit. As it turned out in your scenario, a legitimate user took up position in the box in such a way that you chose to illegally abuse a facility that is there for the protection of cyclists, not you.

How you can feel it appropriate to then join a cycling forum to berate a cyclist for properly using a bike box when you've done everything wrong in that episode is beyond me.

(I suppose there is the real possibility that you're enjoying yanking our collective chains and will fade away in a day or two.)
 
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Fraser1

New Member
I've cycled a lot over last year or so from Marylebone station to Wimbledon and vice versa and have never seen a noticeable number of cyclists not look over their shoulder when over taking/changing lane.

It needs to be promoted. Why encourage reflective clothing, crash helmets and miss this important info out. Even experienced riders like Markymark don't understand the reasons for looking over a shoulder.
 

FishFright

More wheels than sense
you must be kidding, poor Markymark is having a mare this morning./ First of all he said he does a safety check when a car is going to overtake him and then he says he does safety checks on a 30 second timed basis.

Oh dear , me thinks someone took a wrong turning. In city traffic most of us do , even more so if we have mirrors. Now back to your illegal riding, do you consider the traffic laws to be optional as you look dead butch on your motorbike ?

Also some of the folk have practical experience of law enforcement be a little bit careful.
 
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Fraser1

New Member
Oh dear , me thinks someone took a wrong turning. In city traffic most of us do , even more so of we have mirrors. Now back to your illegal riding, do you consider the traffic laws to be optional as you look dead butch on your motorbike ?

Also some of the folk have practical experience of law enforcement be a little bit careful.
haha. .. I would find it difficult to compete in the butch stakes around here
 

J1888

Über Member
I can't fathom that someone could be so daft, so I'm guessing that the OP is at it
 
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Fraser1

New Member
Bless, he's trying very hard but I don't think he's very bright.

Let me try again with shorter words.

Why on your broom broom do you go bigger number than mummy says you can?

yeah marky I've opened a topic on two things:

-consideration of motorcyclists waiting behind cycle boxes - can cyclists move to the side if there's space
- why do cyclists not look over their shoulder

If we bring up speeding, then of course we can do motorists using mobile phones, cyclists going through red lights and on and on.

you've not really contributed anything apart from your lack of knowledge on why/ when you should look over your shoulder.
 

NickNick

Well-Known Member
It needs to be promoted. Why encourage reflective clothing, crash helmets and miss this important info out. Even experienced riders like Markymark don't understand the reasons for looking over a shoulder.

You do realise there are multiple reasons for looking over your shoulder, one of which is to check the path is clear when changing lane/overtaking, another perfectly valid reason is to be generally aware of what is going on in your surroundings which is what Markymark was referring to, he quite clearly does both.

I can't think of a single instance in the last month where I've spotted a cyclist not use a shoulder check when required. Sure it does happen occasionally, but its really not the wide spread issue you claim it to be. Its a natural and pretty obvious safety protocol to follow, that the vast majority of cyclists do like e.g. not cycling on the wrong side of the road, hence us not feeling there is a need for widespread promotion/education campaigns on the matter.
 
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