No wonder cyclists are hated

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I worked with a guy who as a kid got arrested, charged and a small fine when he went to magistrates I think for one simple anti cyclist action. As a passenger in a car as a young adult / older teen he leant out of the window and pushed over the lead cyclist of a chain gang thus toppling almost all 20 odd riders in the group. He got a very small fine which he paid back over several months and the cyclists got nothing.

That is terrible on a few counts but with this guy's views on cyclists, he hates them with a passion, not surprising. What is surprising is that all those decades ago that incident was only worth a small fine!! Would it be any different now?

My only consolation is that I was at the time being a very obvious cycle commuter and in his face. He really hated my Recumbent I was commuting on at the time. Called it the repugnent and moaned about how I should not be on the roads in it. Made me chuckle every time I rode up as he got out of his car and he gave me that head shake sign of annoyance!!! I was aware that I could only push him so far as he was a big bloke and a former club bouncer with an assault record (or few) under his belt!!!
 

Binky

Über Member
Yep but classic bit of whataboutery there. Because a lot more people are killed by other means doesn't alter the fact that a very small number are killed by cyclists.

Better ban cows. And lightning.
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
Yep but classic bit of whataboutery there. Because a lot more people are killed by other means doesn't alter the fact that a very small number are killed by cyclists.

Better ban cows. And lightning.

It is putting the relative risks in context. If we are truly interested in safety we focus on the big risks first, and that still comes (by a massively long way) from motorised vehicles and their drivers. Time would be better spent reducing the harm they cause. UK wide 20 mph limits, more LTNs, speed limiters in all new vehicles that cannot be overridden, we reduce the maximum size and weight of new private motor vehicles, we reduce their max acceleration; would be better things to focus on, amongst other things.
 
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Binky

Über Member
I absolutely agree, any sensible proposals to make it safer for vunerable road users should be considered.
UK wide 20mph limits just isn't going to be feasible, the economy would grind to a halt for one thing.
There are no LTNs where I live but been many articles in papers and news etc which say they are causing absolute havoc and a nightmare for the residents who actually live in them.

As for size and speed of vehicles are capable of, it's not that which is the problem. It's the drivers.

From a few of your posts you seem very anti-motorised vehicles. Do you own and drive a car etc yourself?
 

Pblakeney

Well-Known Member
UK wide 20mph limits just isn't going to be feasible, the economy would grind to a halt for one thing.
Nobody ever promotes UK wide 20mph limits. Maintaining 20mph in city centres is largely a fantasy. It is generally accelerate to 35mph, brake for the next lights. May as well be 20mph max with less braking.
 

Binky

Über Member
It's a good thing you don't make the law (and I deeply hope you're not responsible for anything like Risk Assessments anywhere).

(are you aware that we have different rules for more dangerous vehicles? Like HGVs? Planes? )

Oh dear you seem incapable of reading and understanding posts. I was replying to Ming regarding this ;
we reduce the maximum size and weight of new private motor vehicles, we reduce their max acceleration;

If a cyclist is hit by a small compact car at say 30mph this is likely to be very serious. So the fact said car may or may not be restricted doesn't change anything. Changing the driver behaviour would be far more effective. A bad driver will be a bad driver in a car that does 50mph max or 150mph. Of course better to be hit(if at all) at lowest speed possible but its driver who makes car go fast not the car.
 
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Binky

Über Member
Nobody ever promotes UK wide 20mph limits. Maintaining 20mph in city centres is largely a fantasy. It is generally accelerate to 35mph, brake for the next lights. May as well be 20mph max with less braking.

Ming the Merciless is doing just that.
And as you seem to disregard the very sensible system of having different rules for different vehicle classes, I think we're done here.
I'll leave Ming The Infinitely More Patient to debate this further with you!

Bye x

Nope. Nowhere have I suggested different rules for different weight class of vehicle. Seems aside from not reading and understanding posts you also make things up about them.

Keep digging.
 

Alex321

Guru
Location
South Wales
It is putting the relative risks in context. If we are truly interested in safety we focus on the big risks first, and that still comes (by a massively long way) from motorised vehicles and their drivers.

Indeed. And similar laws for drivers have been in place for quite some time now, so as you rightly say, focus on the bigger risks first.

Time would be better spent reducing the harm they cause. UK wide 20 mph limits, more LTNs, speed limiters in all new vehicles that cannot be overridden, we reduce the maximum size and weight of new private motor vehicles, we reduce their max acceleration; would be better things to focus on, amongst other things.

Dealing with those things does not exclude also dealing with others. Focusing on those does not mean they cannot also make changes to the RTA to bring cycling offences in line with driving offences - a pretty trivial change in terms of parliamentary resources.
 

Alex321

Guru
Location
South Wales
From a few of your posts you seem very anti-motorised vehicles. Do you own and drive a car etc yourself?

There are a few on here who are very anti-motorists.

And several of them appear to be of the opinion that we shouldn't change anything if there are more inportant things to be dealt with.

So they are against these rule changes, not because there is anything actually wrong with them, but rather because they seem to think that government can only do one thing at oce, and introducing these changes somehow prevents them from dealing with the more important things.

I do agree that the more important things are not being dealt with adequately, but I think introducing these changes makes no difference whatsoever to that.
 
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