RLJ - hypothetical question

[gambatte]

Straight road approaching a light controlled ped crossing.

you see a bunch of kids hit the lights button as they pass and the lights turn to amber.

So they've no intention of crossing, there's no side junctions.

Do you RLJ?

 

[John the Monkey]

If there's time to stop safely, I'd stop.

 

[gambatte]

yep, time to stop, no parked cars. Purely a case that you know the red has no purpose, mischievously activated and no danger in committing the RLJ

 

[Tetedelacourse]

Any other traffic or peds about?

If not, I'd bolt on through. If so, I'd stop. My only problem with RLJ is lack of courtesy for other road users and if there are none about then no problem there. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

 

[redjedi]

If the lights are still on amber, I would go through.

If they are on red, then I'll stop, as a car would have to.

I don't want to give motorists any more reasons to dislike cyclists.

 

[magnatom]

I'd stop, make sure I catch them on film and tell them that I will be passing the footage to the head teacher of their school. I'd then cycle away with a big grin on my face (when the lights were green of course!)

The question is though, would I or wouldn't I pass the footage on to the head teacher....mmmmmm

 

[summerdays]

I've tried thinking this one through and I don't know what I would do ... probably slow down in advance so I didn't have to stop, just inching slowly forwards.... if it was uphill and I didn't want to lose the little speed that I had got... I might go through. So stop 99% of the time?

I do stop at red lights and even amber too and watch a lot of cyclists go through - though I would say most ones who do it in Bristol appear to do it cautiously (not that that would make it right). Apart from anything often when I stop for a red light then look around I keep seeing police cars waiting at the other side for the red light... who would have witnessed me going through otherwise... not that they do anything to those that have gone through. I wish they would perhaps it would make the others think about stopping.

 

[gambatte]

Any other traffic or peds about?

Don't think it matters.

Essentially a question of "are there any circumstances where you might RLJ?"

I reckon I might, therefore I'll be in the 3rd option.

Magnatom - it happens on a saturday, the kids don't have uniforms* - big grin looks a bit out of place now?

*Apart from the hoodies with 'Strathy Cruise' on the front!!

 

[4F]

In that situation I would go though them at a safe speed to the conditions.

 

[John the Monkey]

On a slightly related note, the creeping RLJ is rife among drivers in Crewe - p*sses me right off because the silly buggers block the toucans that they complain about cyclists not using in the Sentinel's letters page...

 

[Cab]

In the absence of side roads, of hidden entrances, and surprising places for pedestrians to jump out of, crossings are quite rare. So... In the perfect scenario outlined above I'd tentatively go through the red light, and no court in the land would give a monkeys about it.

In reality, I can't think of this perfect scenario on any road I regularly use.

 

[gambatte]

In the absence of side roads, of hidden entrances, and surprising places for pedestrians to jump out of, crossings are quite rare. So... In the perfect scenario outlined above I'd tentatively go through the red light, and no court in the land would give a monkeys about it.

In reality, I can't think of this perfect scenario on any road I regularly use.

One I can think of near me is a 40mph section of dual carriageway, with a 10ft wide pavement. Purely as an aid to peds crossing, no side junctions. gets them to an island on the central reservation rest of the central reservation has railings to stop peds crossing.

(kid not using the crossing got killed here recently)

 

[magnatom]

Magnatom - it happens on a saturday, the kids don't have uniforms* - big grin looks a bit out of place now?

*Apart from the hoodies with 'Strathy Cruise' on the front!!

I'd stop and let them know I was filming them. If they wanted to cause trouble, they would have to be damn sure they could get the camera off of me, so I wouldn't have any evidence of what they were about to do.

I've used that line before, they do tend to back down at this. If not, I still have the option to accelerate off, but only under specific threat!

Most of the time if kids do this, they are only doing it for a laugh. No harm in playing along really, in fact you can often have a joke with them.

 

[Disgruntled Goat]

How do you know they have no intention to cross? That is an assumption on your part.

 

[bryce]

I would RLJ but after slowing right down in case one of the juvenile miscreants stepped out onto the road (maybe they did actually want to cross but didn't want to wait at that spot..)