Hit (hard) by red light jumper! :-(

[mr_cellophane]

I work on that corner, I must have missed it by seconds. That junction has got worse for bikes RLJ since Primrose Street was closed while they laid the blocks. I have seen people jumping from all 4 directions. I am surprised I have never seem a ped get hit by a bike there.
Glad you are OK. Which pub did you head to ?

 

[domtyler]

As others have said I hope the guy is OK very soon. As for you Dom, your attitude to the whole thing is to be admired and your choice of the Thorn can't be faulted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers KO!

 

[domtyler]

I was thinking the same thing.
Will you be asking the other cyclist to pay towards your new bike, Dom?

Nope, still not heard anything from him anyway. I don't know if his bike will still be there in the morning as it was not locked and I told him quite well how to find it, but there is no way I would sell it in any case.

I'd say that anyone who saw the road covered in a river of blood from his or her own head could not fail to have learned a hard lesson. I doubt very much that he will ever behave like that again on the roads. I just thank my lucky stars that he was on a bike and not driving a 4x4. In that case the outcome would have been very different!

 

[domtyler]

I work on that corner, I must have missed it by seconds. That junction has got worse for bikes RLJ since Primrose Street was closed while they laid the blocks. I have seen people jumping from all 4 directions. I am surprised I have never seem a ped get hit by a bike there.
Glad you are OK. Which pub did you head to ?

The Williams in Artillery Lane. Not quite as good now they've removed the pool table but still not bad.

 

[just jim]

Glad you are OK Dom, your lucky day.

Yeh, you need a reward I think. I quite undeservedly (compared to you) went down to Paul Hewitts last month for a new machine, it's good therapy...

Hope the guy recovers 100%. he must have used his superior judgement at the time and concluded it was safe to RLJ.

 

[Twenty Inch]

Glad you're ok Dom.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

It has all been said by previous posters, but nevertheless I'm glad you are shipshape Dom. I also hope the barmpot that ran into you is ok. He may have been foolish but he is still one of us and I wish him a speedy recovery.

Never had you down as a Thorn man though!

 

[HLaB]

Glad you're OK dom, as most people have said he was stupid to RLJ but I hope he makes a full recovery if only to tell people what an idiot he's been.

 

[Fab Foodie]

If you RLJ, I would like to say thanks - Thanks for all the times motorists cut me up. Thanks for everyone who does the 'quick left turn swipe' on me. Thanks for all those (with a rolled up copy of the Sun on their dashboard) who shout "Get aht of the 'kin road".

Thanks, because their ignorance (which we should be trying to cure!) is only validated by the selfishness of you and your ilk. I wouldn't mind if it was only you who got the hassle (because elements of your behaviour warrant it) but we ALL get it in the neck.

It's a hard world for cyclists out there. You know it, I know it. It's clear that the law enforcement agencies aren't all that interested. So we have to stick together - play by the rules, and bring those to task who don't and endanger us.

Great post, my thoughts entirely.

The other issue I get nowadays from RLJ'ers in Oxford is that they assume everybody on a bike runs reds. If you stop for reds like I'm wont to do, then there's and ever increasing chance of being rear-ended. This has happened twice now with one near miss (he clipped my elbow as he made an emergency swerve around me).
It's unnecessary and gives us all a bad name. We need to prove we are better than other road users if cycling and cycle-commuting in this country is going to develop. More cyclists= less cars and that's a f-good thing.

 

[BentMikey]

Glad you're OK Dom, I also think you're much to be admired.

Quality post Andy 71. *Points* at Lee.

 

[andylaw79]

Glad you're OK Dom, any news on the other guy? Just goes to show RLJing just isn't worth it.

 

[Origamist]

This has got to be a first - no one on CycleChat has chastised Dom for not looking at the traffic - surely he could have avoided this incident!

 

[domtyler]

This has got to be a first - no one on CycleChat has chastised Dom for not looking at the traffic - surely he could have avoided this incident!

Funny you should mention that actually as I have given it some thought since. I'm pretty sure that I looked at that road first, there are two lanes, one normal and one bus lane, and saw that there were already vehicle(s) at a stop there. This may have been before or after I began to move myself as I would have had a clear view of that position as I waited for the lights.

The fact is that I do look to where vehicles should be stopped as I have already been almost taken out by red light jumping cars before, but seeing vehicles already stationary would have led me to believe that nothing was going to come bombing through there. I can only assume that the cyclist came up the bus lane or between two lanes of stationary vehicles although I do not have a perfect memory of where everything was.

 

[BentMikey]

LOL! I remember a time when Harare drivers were known for slowing and checking even when the lights were green for them. I'm not sure whether to be pleased or saddenned by this.

 

[TonyEnjoyD]

Hi Dom,

Glad you came out of it OK mate. Your bike can be replaced.
Only ever RLJ'd a ped x-ings after the person has crossed and no others for miles - still no excuse.

Problem with lights is:
Green means Go
Amber means get ready
Red means... go on then - just another two or three vehicles.

Cyclists doing this at road junctions should really be banned by the police and their bike confiscated and crushed.

TonyEnjoyD