Emma Foa's death-verdict announced

[spindrift]

I'm confused that RANDOM is considered a more sensible poster when he's admitted he thinks there's nothing wrong with GBH or homophobia, either!

 

[Rhythm Thief]

To be fair, Cab, it doesn't say at any point that he goes barging past cyclists leaving no room to spare, or deliberately aims at them, just that it can sometimes be hard to get round them. Which is true enough. The "twats who ride on the road" comment is a bit out of order I agree, but I don't agree that it shows he has no idea how to behave towards fellow road users.

 

[BentMikey]

I'm with RT on that. The cycle path thing is just standard ignorance about cycling.

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

I've checked out that site too, and it a bit hard to make sense of. The blog is pretty funny, some of the forum posts pretty scary.

I think the best we can do is be open and civilised to RANDOM who is making a big effort over here - how are we going to change peoples minds by being agressive and arguing?

Maybe we should, as col suggested, start up another thread to get out of the heat of this one. There is no need to mirror the cyclists thread on their forum just because we have the chance to outnumber a bus driver:O:O

 

[John the Monkey]

Remember, the same Daisydirt posted this:

Along a busy road they'd put in a cycle/ footpath to keep the buggers off the road. Still had twats who insisted on riding in the road and making like difficult for bus drivers. Due to the number of bends in that road, and the fact it wasn't very wide, it was hard getting round them.

I genuinely think that most drivers don't realise how crap/dangerous a lot of cycle paths are - it becomes obvious once you've tried to use them to get anywhere, but from the window of a car/bus, I think it's not so clear.

I've known plenty of bus drivers, they're just folks like anyone else. I accept that a few bad 'uns get them all a bad name, which is unfortunate. But you'd have thought that they would therefore be aware of that, and conscious that there is no point treating other road users the same way.

I can't say I know any personally, but the ones I've encountered in the city centre (Manchester) so far have given me the room I've needed, and appeared pretty attentive to other road users. Nearer home (Cheadle Road) I was passed way too close by one (Finglands being the company, I think) - if I'd not been scared out of my wits, I'd have reported him/her to the company. That's my only nasty bus experience so far though, and on a purely headcount basis, and on my limited experience, buses seem to be driven better than cars on my commuting route.

 

[Cab]

The "twats who ride on the road" comment is a bit out of order I agree, but I don't agree that it shows he has no idea how to behave towards fellow road users.

He believes that cyclists should be off the road on a cycle path. I gather he is also a professional driver. And you don't see any problem with that?

If someone doesn't know the rules of the road they shouldn't be on the road. Isn't it that simple?

 

[Cab]

I'm with RT on that. The cycle path thing is just standard ignorance about cycling.

That kind of ignorance is quite unacceptable from your average motorist. It is completely unacceptable from someone who drives as a profession.

 

[magnatom]

That kind of ignorance is quite unacceptable from your average motorist. It is completely unacceptable from someone who drives as a profession.

Cab,

I agree that it is unacceptable, but unfortunately it is reality. If we were to ban every car/bus/lorry etc driver that was ignorant about cycling then the roads would be very quiet indeed (hey maybe it is a good idea ).

The only way to resolve these issues is by education. It'll never happen, but I really think the best way to educate drivers about cycling is to have a compulsory cycling test as part of the driving test. i.e. before you can drive a car you have to prove you can ride a bike.

Maybe as the government ponders raising the driving age, maybe any gap that is created should be filled with learning to cycle!

(Disclamer if the bus drivers decided to copy this to their forum: I really don't expect this will happen, it's just a pipe dream........)

 

[col]

Then don't request that I repeat myself for your benefit, its crap form.

My intention was to make it easier.

 

[col]

I don't think Random is more sensible. Just that his posts are more sensible when he has no choice, but when he's back with his mates he can start with the rubbish again.

I think it may be that he is showing his sensible side on here,but as most of us do,when we are with our mates,we join in with the banta.Their jokes are not to cyclists tastes,but they are i think just that, jokes.This was my point about the way we attack him,because he is a bus driver,yes its in a polite way,but a character attack all the same.

 

[col]

That kind of ignorance is quite unacceptable from your average motorist. It is completely unacceptable from someone who drives as a profession.

Its something that most of us took for granted,myself included,but i have realised that misconception through being on here.Otherwise i would have still been thinking,why dont they use the path thats been built for them?

 

[Cab]

Its something that most of us took for granted,myself included,but i have realised that misconception through being on here.Otherwise i would have still been thinking,why dont they use the path thats been built for them?

Then with the greatest respect, you shouldn't have been a professional driver.

I can't believe how p1$$ poor an understanding of road laws people can have and still gain employment driving busses.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

He believes that cyclists should be off the road on a cycle path. I gather he is also a professional driver. And you don't see any problem with that?

If someone doesn't know the rules of the road they shouldn't be on the road. Isn't it that simple?

I don't see a problem with moaning about it, on a forum or otherwise. You're not going to tell me you've never had a quiet moan when you're stuck behing a tractor or a caravan, surely? Quietly muttering under your breath is fine, overtaking dangerously is not.

 

[Cab]

Cab,

I agree that it is unacceptable, but unfortunately it is reality. If we were to ban every car/bus/lorry etc driver that was ignorant about cycling then the roads would be very quiet indeed (hey maybe it is a good idea ).

Wouldn't have to though. The way to encourage people to learn the rules is to enforce them; you wouldn't have to discipline many bus drivers for acting aggressively towards cyclists who validly choose not to use cycle paths before word would get round and your problem wold be solved.

As for banning people who stubbornly refuse to obey the rules that keep us safe on the roads... What a good idea

The only way to resolve these issues is by education. It'll never happen, but I really think the best way to educate drivers about cycling is to have a compulsory cycling test as part of the driving test. i.e. before you can drive a car you have to prove you can ride a bike.

Maybe as the government ponders raising the driving age, maybe any gap that is created should be filled with learning to cycle!

(Disclamer if the bus drivers decided to copy this to their forum: I really don't expect this will happen, it's just a pipe dream........)

Its a nice idea, but it won't happen.

What we have now is vast swathe of the population who don't know what it means to be other than a motorist; they were driven around by their parents, they got a car, they drive around themselves now. Bloke on the news this morning, complaining that his parking space at work in Nottingham will soon be taxed. Apparently he'd have to get the bus to town and the bus back out and it would take him an hour so he has to drive. Only lives four miles from work. And thats a typical person now.

Bikes are just in the way to people like that. They're street furniture. They're not a valid form of transport, they're just random crap to overtake.

It would take more than a cycling test to learn enough to pass and then ignore to change attitudes, its a far greater cultural change that is needed. And, frankly, if the attitude of even a minority of professional drivers is as irrespobsible as it is over on that bus drivers site, its even more of an uphill struggle than I thought.

 

[Cab]

I don't see a problem with moaning about it, on a forum or otherwise. You're not going to tell me you've never had a quiet moan when you're stuck behing a tractor or a caravan, surely? Quietly muttering under your breath is fine, overtaking dangerously is not.

Honestly, no, I haven't. I'll complain if I get inconvenienced by someone doing something thats actually illegal or dangerous, but not if they're just going about their business. Why would that get me where I'm going any faster?

If I get stuck behind a bin van I'll moan, but thats because the smell since we went to fortnightly collections around here is just intolerable, and I think its actually quite dangerous to be hurling rotting food around like that. It isn't the inconvenience; they're just blokes out doing their job, theres nothing wrong with that.

Honestly... Is crass moaning about everyone else wasting three seconds of your time now the norm amongst cyclists too?