Karma sucks

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Drago

Legendary Member
Mrs D just arrived home and has regaled me with this rather wonderful tale.

Between our village and the next are some roadworks. The already narrow country road is down to 1 lane and controlled with lights at either end.

Coming home from work Mrs D arrives at the roadworks, and the lights being red she dutifully stops. 2 more cars pull up behind her. The lights turn green and Mrs D is about to move off when she notices a glow ahead, and sure enough within a few seconds 2 x bicycle lights appear. They doubtless entered the far end of the roadworks on a green light, but because its quite a long stretch they hadn't cleared it before the lights at the other end had changed. Mrs D says she knew the riders had done nothing wrong, and probably lacked the ability to take flight, so she waited.

The car behind her could see the green light, but not the bicycles. The driver gave a toot, and then a more irate blast on his horn, and then impatiently pulled out in a flurry of wheelspin and went to drive past Mrs D and show her how tough and righteous he was.

Mrs D says his bonnet was alsongside her drivers door when the driver spotted the cyclists coming towards him. As big a twit as he was it would seem he wasn't a murderer, so started to reverse back. Unfortunately, car #3 in the queue had moved forward and taking the space that #2's car had occupied only a moment before, and number 3 refused to move. Some words were exchanged and Mrs D opened her window a crack and heard some of the exchange. Driver 3 took exception to being called a deek and got out of his car to reveal that he was in fact either Grant Mitchell, or his bigger brother, complete with shiny head, leather jacket, and shoulder muscles like a small Volvo trying to park. Driver number 2 apparently made a strange gurgling noise and reversed, and pulled in at the back of the queue.

The cyclists came by and gave Mrs D and Grant Mitchell a cheery wave for their patience, and then flipped the bird at the irate impatient man. Alas, by then Mrs D couldn't see his face, but she imagines he was probably on the verge of having an aneurysm
 

twentysix by twentyfive

Clinging on tightly
Location
Over the Hill
Ah yes. The Green light does not mean Go. It means you may proceed only if it is safe to do so.
 

Slick

Guru
Sorry to be boring, but it does highlight a common issue that the people who set up those temporary lights fail to take into account the additional time cyclists need to get through some obstructions. My local paper printed a story about the many complaints from drivers about cyclists causing mayhem at a near full time set if lights on quite an iconic climb. It was also backed up with the papers own opinion on the matter and the letters page, all full of misinformation and a total lack of knowledge or understanding about keeping cyclists safe.
I do work where the run the new roads and street works course from time to time and I always make a point of going over and asking the students what provision they provide for slower moving vehicles. Probably worse than pointless, but you have to try.
 

classic33

Leg End Member
Stopped a number of times on single track roads, having seen something bigger coming the other way. Then moving off the road, easy on a bike, in a safe spot when the oncoming vehicle needed to pass. Cars creeping past, with odd looks from the drivers, that then went past me in reverse as they had to reverse for what I'd stopped for. Appreciated by the oncoming vehicle driver though.

Best on a local road was staying back in the left-hand lane, with a lorry in the right-hand one indicating a left turn. Driver of the car behind squeezing past, only to be stopped by the lorry.
 

Accy cyclist

Legendary Member
Sorry to be boring, but it does highlight a common issue that the people who set up those temporary lights fail to take into account the additional time cyclists need to get through some obstructions. My local paper printed a story about the many complaints from drivers about cyclists causing mayhem at a near full time set if lights on quite an iconic climb. It was also backed up with the papers own opinion on the matter and the letters page, all full of misinformation and a total lack of knowledge or understanding about keeping cyclists safe.
I do work where the run the new roads and street works course from time to time and I always make a point of going over and asking the students what provision they provide for slower moving vehicles. Probably worse than pointless, but you have to try.
When cycling towards these lights/roadworks i work out how long it'll take me to get through them and how wide the road is, to see if cars can pass me safely(safely for me not them). If it'll take a while for me to get through them and if the road isn't wide enough for vehicles to pass me safely i'll set off on red as soon as i see the vehicles stop at the oncoming lights. I'll look behind and give a signal to hopefully let the driver behind me know i'm going now,not waiting till the light turns to green so i can get out of their way asap. Sadly i get the odd punishment pass or a nasty comment from a wound down window. Yes, in some cases i could dismount if there's a pavement available and sometimes i do, if no matter how fast i go i know i'll be holding up that impatient traffic.
 
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steveindenmark

Legendary Member
Sorry to be boring, but it does highlight a common issue that the people who set up those temporary lights fail to take into account the additional time cyclists need to get through some obstructions. My local paper printed a story about the many complaints from drivers about cyclists causing mayhem at a near full time set if lights on quite an iconic climb. It was also backed up with the papers own opinion on the matter and the letters page, all full of misinformation and a total lack of knowledge or understanding about keeping cyclists safe.
I do work where the run the new roads and street works course from time to time and I always make a point of going over and asking the students what provision they provide for slower moving vehicles. Probably worse than pointless, but you have to try.
You cannot set these timed lights for cyclists in rural areas. That would be rather silly. These 2 cyclists may be the only 2 who rode down this road all day.

In built up areas it is a different matter.
 

Slick

Guru
When cycling towards these lights/roadworks i work out how long it'll take me to get through them and how wide the road is, to see if cars can pass me safely(safely for me not them). If it'll take a while for me to get through them and if the road isn't wide enough for vehicles to pass me safely i'll set off on red as soon as i see the vehicles stop at the oncoming lights. I'll look behind and give a signal to hopefully let the driver behind me know i'm going now,not waiting till the light turns to green so i can get out of their way asap. Sadly i get the odd punishment pass or a nasty comment from a wound down window. Yes, in some cases i could dismount if there's a pavement available and sometimes i do, if no matter how fast i go i know i'll be holding up that impatient traffic.
I have done similar whereby I would set off in red but cycle in the coned off area to allow traffic to pass me unimpeded. You do have to be aware of the timings and exactly why the area is coned off in the first place, but it has worked for me on occasion.
 

Slick

Guru
You cannot set these timed lights for cyclists in rural areas. That would be rather silly. These 2 cyclists may be the only 2 who rode down this road all day.

In built up areas it is a different matter.
Not only can you, you are legally obliged to. :okay:
 

Levo-Lon

Guru
Having carried out roadworks and having to use temporary traffic management, its difficult to anticipate and factor in the actions of idiots, car drivers often have no patience for anything, they like to abuse the workforce too as it makes them feel important.

It can at times be quite scary having a fast moving car running a red light.
 

Slick

Guru
Having carried out roadworks and having to use temporary traffic management, its difficult to anticipate and factor in the actions of idiots, car drivers often have no patience for anything, they like to abuse the workforce too as it makes them feel important.

It can at times be quite scary having a fast moving car running a red light.
There is a 4 way control just before entering the village I live, and it's disgusting to watch the number of drivers who blast through on red with no real idea who is coming from where. It's been a week, if they're there for much longer I'm convinced someone will get it wrong so much so, I now just go the long way round to avoid them.
 

Accy cyclist

Legendary Member
I have done similar whereby I would set off in red but cycle in the coned off area to allow traffic to pass me unimpeded. You do have to be aware of the timings and exactly why the area is coned off in the first place, but it has worked for me on occasion.
You have to be very careful though. Shallow trenches,uncovered manholes etc are the danger to cyclists!
 

raleighnut

Legendary Member
Somewhat similar although with me it was when I worked at a Garage. The Garage was up a side street off the London Rd (A6) and if we had a car transporter turn up the road to deliver several cars then it couldn't get round the corner at the top of the road so they had to reverse back out onto the main road. This meant the traffic had to be 'stopped' on the main road (3 lanes of it) but there was a pedestrian crossing a couple of hundred yards up the road so the trick was to wait til those lights turned red then walk out into the middle lane and raise a hand whilst signalling to the driver to reverse out 'blind'.
This all went well numerous times till one day a young lad decided he wasn't going to stop at the crossing lights and went to the inside lane to pass muggins here, he didn't half get a shock as the back end of a double deck car transporter emerged from a side street right in front of him, :ohmy:
 

raleighnut

Legendary Member
Having carried out roadworks and having to use temporary traffic management, its difficult to anticipate and factor in the actions of idiots, car drivers often have no patience for anything, they like to abuse the workforce too as it makes them feel important.

It can at times be quite scary having a fast moving car running a red light.
 
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