It doesn't get much closer...

[hackbike 666]

[QUOTE 1170851"]
Well I blamed the Sun - not the drivers or Mag. So maybe I am as bright as the afore mentioned sun after all.
[/quote]

It's definitely the sun.

 

[yello]

[QUOTE 1170851"]Well I blamed the Sun - not the drivers or Mag[/quote]

Well, you mentioned the sun... about the 1st post in or there arounds as I recall. I took it to be a factor rather than blame though! Perhaps you too have a revisionist version of history!

The problem with this 'thought experiment', reverse engineered or otherwise, is that some folk (well, myself anyway) always try to avoid being outright critical. I always try to give benefit of doubt, am aware of the vaguries of this partcular mode of communication and the risks of misinterpretation that are inherent. However, primarily I have a preference not to upset folk, myself above all.

As with street surveys, people are not always brazenly honest in their responses!

 

[MacB]

As with street surveys, people are not always brazenly honest in their responses!

Will this change you though, given this again would you have posted something like:-

30mph downhill with the Sun behind, only slowing to 25mph through traffic lights, sideroads and filter turning lanes.....muppet

 

[yello]

I might think "muppet" (or my equivalent thereof) but I'd have to be pushed to say it!

But, yes, I did think that even 'slowing' to 25mph was still a bit darn quick. I'd like to think that I wouldn't have approached the intersection, in those conditions, at anything much above walking pace.... but who knows. And who the hell am I to say anyway? I'm a natural born coward on the bike... and on forums too!

 

[MacB]

I might think "muppet" (or my equivalent thereof) but I'd have to be pushed to say it!

But, yes, I did think that even 'slowing' to 25mph was still a bit darn quick. I'd like to think that I wouldn't have approached the intersection, in those conditions, at anything much above walking pace.... but who knows. And who the hell am I to say anyway? I'm a natural born coward on the bike... and on forums too!

I know but envisage what would have been going on had the outcome not been a near miss. Some idiotic cycling would have been overlooked in the rush to condemn the drivers for the slaughter of 'Magnatom' the safest cyclist in the West and champion of cyclists everywhere.

Bombing through junctions at 25mph is akin to playing chicken.

 

[magnatom]

....and you see, this is exactly what I was getting at and what concerns me in these threads. It is easy to call the driver a muppet, but people hold back if the cyclist acts like one. Whilst I don't want everyone abusing me on here, I also don't want everyone agreeing with me (it tends to be the more senior members who don't though!)

I personally don't think I was a muppet there, I reserve that for those that chose to compromise other people's safety. A bit foolhardy, yes. The problem on that particular day was, it was lovely weather, I was in a good mood, and I noticed that the lights had changed on approach. Yippee I thought. Yes I took into account the cars were turning, but not enough.

The problem is that by posting videos on here it is always going to be biased towards the cyclist and we are always more likely to see others mistakes, rather than the cyclists. Youtube isn't the answer either. Yes it should be balanced, but in general you just get nutters on there threatening to drive you off the road etc.

I suppose there is no way around it, and we just have to be aware of our own biases and to try and look past them.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

Mags, you're a muppet. I, on the other hand, am not and am a decidedly above average rider*.

There, I've said it, and disagreed with Mags.



* on our road.

 

[magnatom]

Foolhardy sharky, not a muppet!

 

[yello]

I suppose there is no way around it, and we just have to be aware of our own biases and to try and look past them.

Yes and no... as I'm probably somewhat predictably bound to say! I mean, one man's bias is another's objectivity. There's bias in all opinion.

I think you're right in that you do have to anticipate, when you are being as public as you are, that you are going to attract a very broad spectrum of opinion (as I'm sure you have already experienced!) Most of it will be valid within its own context (even the down right loony stuff is valid within the 'loon' context!) You (we) simply pick and choose; some stuff you look past, some you take on board, some stuff falls in-between. That 'choosing' process is as subject to bias as the opinion itself. So we should be aware of bias on both sides.

 

[Crackle]

Impressive squeal Maggers, I've only just managed to stop the dog barking!