Just because you can.... doesn't mean you should.

[ufkacbln]

Perhaps the question is why the road is unsafe for the cyclists and at least part of the answer is in the post.

We had a letter in the local rag,

Similar road and a van had had a puncture stopped on a narrow hard shoulder. Police arrived and......

(you may want to brace yourself here)





...parked behind the van with blue lights flashing and put a coned safety barrier before changing the outside tyre!



The writer was appalled at the negligence and stupidity of the officers concerned

The Police apparently have a prime task of preventing the traffic being slowed down, and their actions in this case were totally unacceptable as they had demonstrably failed in this primary task

 

[ufkacbln]

.. and as if the previous incident was insufficient to demonstrate how the Police are failing this motorist.

The same guy cites another incident where two vehicles at a junction had collided.

(Again - be aware at the shocking nature of the Police action)


When they arrived, the Police had failed to move the vehicles immediately!

One officer had wasted time talking to the drivers and the other had appallingly been looking at the cars and taking notes of the damage that had occurred!

Apparently totally unnecessary and negligent actions on behalf of the Officers, and another apparent failure of the Hampshire Police's Prime directive to make sure this muppet can drive fast no matter what!

 

[Big Nick]

I rode around 3 miles on a section of busy dual carriageway once....needless to say I haven't again!

HGV's overtaking in the same lane around 6 inches away at 50-60mph scared the crap out of me!

 

[Banjo]

A lorry driver once positioned himself behind me on a busy dual carriageway and quite happilly sat there protecting me until I got off at the first junction. Not all drivers are twarts some cyclists are.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

Isn't the actual issue here the poor design of our A roads and dual carriageways?

 

[winjim]

Sometimes because you can does mean you should, otherwise the time may come when you are unable to. Maybe he was making a point.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Users of the road have to do so with due care and consideration for other users - all other users. Sounds to me that this cyclist was being at best, inconsiderate. Talking about car/lorry/tractor drivers is just whataboutery.

 

[Profpointy]

Users of the road have to do so with due care and consideration for other users - all other users. Sounds to me that this cyclist was being at best, inconsiderate. Talking about car/lorry/tractor drivers is just whataboutery.

being "inconsiderate" by merely riding along a road - don't quite get this.
May have been unwise, if road was truly horrific, but still ..

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

being "inconsiderate" by merely riding along a road - don't quite get this.
May have been unwise, if road was truly horrific, but still ..

Well let's take the example of a tractor. Perfectly entitled to drive in the middle of the lane and irrelevant if there are 50 vehicles queued up behind him. But considerate tractor drivers drive as close to the verga as possible to allow traffic to flow past smoothly.

Or lorry drivers on the A9 - perfectly entitled to drive at 40mph the entire 100+ miles from Perth-Inverness, but the considerate ones pull over in laybys to allow queuing traffic past.

I try to drive and cycle considerately. I can't recall who said it but the quote "Madam, I hold this door open for you not because you are a lady, but because I am a gentleman" seems apt.

 

[Profpointy]

Well let's take the example of a tractor. Perfectly entitled to drive in the middle of the lane and irrelevant if there are 50 vehicles queued up behind him. But considerate tractor drivers drive as close to the verga as possible to allow traffic to flow past smoothly.

Or lorry drivers on the A9 - perfectly entitled to drive at 40mph the entire 100+ miles from Perth-Inverness, but the considerate ones pull over in laybys to allow queuing traffic past.

I try to drive and cycle considerately. I can't recall who said it but the quote "Madam, I hold this door open for you not because you are a lady, but because I am a gentleman" seems apt.

Whilst I approve of the "gentleman...." line above, and didn't see what the original cyclist was doing, "pulling close to the verge" is an extremely dangerous thing for a cyclist to do on a busy road. Last time I tried that I was nearly killed twice in 2 minutes - one of which was a van towing a digger - I only just stayed on emergency braking - so now I absolutely take the lane and f-em. Yes I'll pull in a layby on an a-road, but not ride in the gutter

If you implied something different - fair enough -

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

I got the impression from the OP that the rider was riding slap bang in the middle of the lane, not even over to one side. Fair enough if there's a traffic island or such coming up, but on a dual carriageway? That's riding without consideration for others, imho.

 

[Markymark]

"Dual" carriage way. They all had another lane to get passed him.

He was entitled to be there. He did. They had another lane.

Get over yourselves or go beat your chests on pistonheads.com

 

[Siegfried]

.

Just because you're legally allowed to ride somewhere, doesn't mean it's the best idea

Just because you wouldn't ride somewhere doesn't mean nobody else should.

 

[boydj]

I got the impression from the OP that the rider was riding slap bang in the middle of the lane, not even over to one side. Fair enough if there's a traffic island or such coming up, but on a dual carriageway? That's riding without consideration for others, imho.

That's exactly where he should be on a road like that in order to ensure safe overtakes. The rider's safety takes priority over the convenience of others once he's on that road.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

That's exactly where he should be on a road like that in order to ensure safe overtakes. The rider's safety takes priority over the convenience of others once he's on that road.

I have learned to take firm primary when I ride my local dual carriageway, or I get very close passes, even if the other lane is empty.
Btw, I hate that road, but the alternatives are another fast, narrower, A road or a short stretch of pavement.
If it's rush hour I take the pavement