When I first started commuting I was a regular RLJ-er. Didn't see the issue, saved me time, to hell with the world etc. etc.
On an early commute to work, I filtered slowly through a red light across a T junction when there was no traffic, only to be hailed a 't**t' by another cyclist who was waiting at the lights behind me (a lady, no less). I was somewhat put out, and didn't really understand why one cyclist would shout out like this at another cyclist (wasn't the real problem the cars?) This prompted me to join this forum and learn more about the perception of RLJ'ing. Over time, I realised that it didn't save quite as much time as I thought, and that being courteous to other road users was its own reward. But I never really minded if other people did it.
A few nights ago I was commuting home late with limited traffic, stopped at a set of lights with a cab alongside me (him going left, me right). There was no traffic around, the cab driver wound his window down and told me 'I was a rare sight, a cyclist stopped at a red light.' and that he 'respected me' for stopping. Felt pretty good about that.
And then this morning I pulled away from a t-junction to be confronted by a cyclist steaming through the red light to my right and having to swerve around me. 'W****r' was the phrase I used, not particularly under my breath, greeted with the response 'Oh f*** off, you kn*bhead'. Probably a fair comment, but I found it slightly entertaining that I'd come full circle and now had considered it acceptable to hand out verbal abuse to an RLJ-ing cyclist.
On an early commute to work, I filtered slowly through a red light across a T junction when there was no traffic, only to be hailed a 't**t' by another cyclist who was waiting at the lights behind me (a lady, no less). I was somewhat put out, and didn't really understand why one cyclist would shout out like this at another cyclist (wasn't the real problem the cars?) This prompted me to join this forum and learn more about the perception of RLJ'ing. Over time, I realised that it didn't save quite as much time as I thought, and that being courteous to other road users was its own reward. But I never really minded if other people did it.
A few nights ago I was commuting home late with limited traffic, stopped at a set of lights with a cab alongside me (him going left, me right). There was no traffic around, the cab driver wound his window down and told me 'I was a rare sight, a cyclist stopped at a red light.' and that he 'respected me' for stopping. Felt pretty good about that.
And then this morning I pulled away from a t-junction to be confronted by a cyclist steaming through the red light to my right and having to swerve around me. 'W****r' was the phrase I used, not particularly under my breath, greeted with the response 'Oh f*** off, you kn*bhead'. Probably a fair comment, but I found it slightly entertaining that I'd come full circle and now had considered it acceptable to hand out verbal abuse to an RLJ-ing cyclist.
