Going through red lights

[Andy 71]

RLJers really get on my nerves. I've said my piece on this issue before, so I'll spare everyone. I doubt my views differ from other anti-RLJers

The bottom line is keep your mince pies peeled, and that if on your approach you see the amber in time pull on those anchors.

It's entirely another thing in my view to see a red and make a concious decision to ignore it and ride on through.

 

[Andy 71]

I have been known to get off my bike, push it through the red light, get back on and cycle away.

And no, I was never a Boy Scout!

I do that sometimes when there are roadworks.

It's quite legit to wheel your bike on the pavement and remount past the obstruction. What you don't do is ride on the pavement. That just antagonises people.

On the road, you are a vehicle and should behave as such. On the pavement, you are pedestrian and as the term suggests, you should be walking.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

...but he says hes never been run over so I might as well go through them.

When I play Russian Roulette I like to try and get complete strangers to play by saying that 'I haven't been shot yet so it must be okay'....

... is this the same sort of logic???

 

[Tynan]

you can't equate the danger of a cyclist going through a red light with good observation with someone gunning a ton of car through the lights with no observation, seen it so many times, a lot more alarming on a scooter where you can pull away quickly at lights

I jump some simple junctions but so many crossroad aren't setup to consider cyclists, I wait for ages at some while it's clearly perfectly safe for cyclists to cross for two thirds of the time, I see exactly why so many cyclists do ride through

 

[Tynan]

deedy, a bit hard to gun a bike though and only a madman takes their bike across a junction against the lights without looking, there's apparent deadly accident lurking

we've all seen people fling their cars through on a regular basis, the worse they're looking at is an expensive accident, less so if they're uninsured and illegal

 

[Elmer Fudd]

I ride in Orkney, there are no traffic lights in Orkney at all, however, out for a ride last week with my mate, we came across a set of tempory traffic lights for road works. The road was dead quiet, not even a tractor, and I was not going to stop at the red light untill I noticed a solitary cyclist waiting patiently at the light, he was a young kid acting very responsible and I could not then jump the light, setting what I knew was a bad example to our young cyclists. Another lesson learned for me.

I do the same as a pedestrian, get to zebra crossing, road is empty so go to cross, then spot mommy with the bairn across t'other side patiently waiting for the green man, so I wait as well. Slows me down (quite a while for the crossing by my house) but gives me a good feeling that I aint setting a bad example

 

[TonyT]

When I go for a ride with my friend he doesnt stop at red lights. I always have to pedal faster to catch him up and he doesnt understand why I stop. I tell him its the law, but he says hes never been run over so I might as well go through them.

I would make it easier because I wouldnt have to pedal hard to catch him up, but I dont think I should start doing it.

Does anyone else go through red lights?

If you ride with your friend in London would you do me a favour and ask your friend not to, please? If I'm sat at a red light and your mate sails through, antagonising drivers in the process (I know it does, I drive as well as cycle), I don't want the next cyclist these drivers see to be me thanks.

Ta in advance.

 

[Tynan]

if he was the only one, fine

cars jump lights too and it's far more dangerous and anti social when they do it

let alone the third or more driving without insurance, tax, licence, MOT etc etc

 

[Arch]

I do the same as a pedestrian, get to zebra crossing, road is empty so go to cross, then spot mommy with the bairn across t'other side patiently waiting for the green man, so I wait as well. Slows me down (quite a while for the crossing by my house) but gives me a good feeling that I aint setting a bad example

<pedant> Pelican or toucan, not zebra. Zebra, you can cross when you like (within reason to allow traffic to stop for you) </pedant>

BTW, there are special ones for horse riders in some places, they're called Pegasus crossings. Although Pegasus would have just flapped over...

 

[TonyT]

if he was the only one, fine

cars jump lights too and it's far more dangerous and anti social when they do it

let alone the third or more driving without insurance, tax, licence, MOT etc etc

Two wrongs don't make a right.

 

[stephenb]

I was knocked off my bike a couple of weeks ago by an RLJing cyclist. Black and blue, put my back & hip out and completely screwed up a couple of weeks training for my LeJog next month. If you RLJ like that (flat out through a busy intersection in rush hour) I reckon you forfeit any right to bleat about other road users.

 

[Tynan]

I was knocked off my bike a couple of weeks ago by an RLJing cyclist. Black and blue, put my back & hip out and completely screwed up a couple of weeks training for my LeJog next month. If you RLJ like that (flat out through a busy intersection in rush hour) I reckon you forfeit any right to bleat about other road users.

yes indeed, bang out of order

better than being hit by a car though yeah?

 

[Arch]

1. I do wish they hadn't given these animal names to crossings. You want to try explaining the differences to a five-year-old, with the sharp logic of a five-year-old.

2.Arch, I tihnk I may have already mentioned this, but there is a new footbridge over the River Severn at Hampton Loade (along the route of the Severn Valley Railway). It's fantastic for bikes and feet. They even have concrete platforms at either side, rather like the rostrum that olympic winners stand on, so you can get on and off your horse easily. I was most impressed. Unfortunately they seem to have discriminated against donkey riders.

1. Well, zebra, pegasus and toucan are logical enough: respectively, black and white stripes, mythical horse, and made for two sorts of traffic - "two can" cross...

Pelican, though, that's tougher. and aren't some known as Puffins? Dunno why. I feel some Google research coming on..

2. If you need a step to get on your donkey, I guess you just use the first step of the rostrum? But most donkeys are quite low slung - even I might get on one without a block...

I expect I've told this story before, but when the Romans bred mules, they wanted the donkey sire to be crossed with as big a mare as possible for a big mule. Donkeys only being a bit short, they used to build ramps for them to... ahem... reach the mare.

 

[mickle]

I expect I've told this story before, but when the Romans bred mules, they wanted the donkey sire to be crossed with as big a mare as possible for a big mule. Donkeys only being a bit short, they used to build ramps for them to... ahem... reach the mare.



Now thats interesting!

 

[Arch]

OK, mystery solved - they're acronyms...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelican_crossing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puffin_crossing

Ever heard of the Panda crossing?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panda_crossing

I hadn't. Interesting stuff about the fact that when signs originally said "Don't Cross" it infringed the pedestrian's legal right of way... can't see why it was called a Panda though, unless it was with the foresight that it would be rare and unsuccessful at proliferating...

Finally, anyone ever seen a Tiger crossing, mentioned in the links at the end? I didn't know they existed. Are there any?