RLJ - I have come full circle

[ianrauk]

Whats the general feeling to RLJ at pedestrian crossings? Assuming that the crossing is clear, with no one waiting to cross? There are two sets of lights that I go through on my commute, both pedestrian crossings. Although I stop for every red light I see, I have been tempted to go through the red light if it is clear.

What's the rush?

 

[fossyant]

The fun comes when you keep passing and catching a serial RLJ'er - he jumps lights, you pass him, and it goes on. I'm very tempted to say "you'd get much faster if you actually stopped at lights" ! Good interval training !

 

[akb]

Who says there was a rush? It jut saves stopping and then building up speed again.

 

[Davidsw8]

It seems really bizarre that people treat RLJ'ing as a legitimate option. It isn't.

If you don't like a law, campaign to change it, we can't just choose the rules we abide by simply because they may be inconvenient.

Sorry, this is one thing that really gets my goat

 

[ianrauk]

Who says there was a rush? It jut saves stopping and then building up speed again.

ie rushing

 

[akb]

ie rushing

Not at all. Like I said, I'll happily wait at a red light as required by law. It's just an inconvenience having to start an stop at red lights, especially when the lights are red, with no peds about.

 

[Davidsw8]

Agreed one or two RLJers at the lights but usually many many more than that stopped. It is just that one lot get noticed and the others don't.

I'll concede it's maybe a perception thing... It does feel more and more the norm to me though and it seems to get more prevalent.

When I started cycling regularly in London 12 years ago, it was a freak occurrence to see someone RLJ but I guess there were less of us around.

 

[Beebo]

Whats the general feeling to RLJ at pedestrian crossings? Assuming that the crossing is clear, with no one waiting to cross? There are two sets of lights that I go through on my commute, both pedestrian crossings. Although I stop for every red light I see, I have been tempted to go through the red light if it is clear.

I never jump traffic controlled junctions, but I some times jump deserted pedestrian lights, when the pedestrian who pressed the button has already crossed and there is no one else about. This habit seems to be directly proportional to the weather conditions. I'm happy to sit at a deserted light in the summer, but not in the freezing cold.

 

[Davidsw8]

Stop and stand by a set of lights for ten minutes one day, I predict that you would be pleasantly reassured.

I had thought to do that. There's a pedestrian crossing outside Kennington Tube that is especially bad and I thought it'd be good to stand there one day and video how many people RLJ (cars too).

Saying that, last week I was using the bus to commute and one day while waiting (bored for 10-15 mins) I counted all the cyclists doing something wrong, i.e. no lights in the dark or RLJ'ing, it was exactly a third of em.

 

[campbellab]

It seems really bizarre that people treat RLJ'ing as a legitimate option. It isn't.

If you don't like a law, campaign to change it, we can't just choose the rules we abide by simply because they may be inconvenient.

Sorry, this is one thing that really gets my goat

Not commenting on the morality of red light jumping but this is a naive way of looking at the world. Be glad you weren't born a female in some countries around the globe for instance.

 

[400bhp]

What a great post.

+1 and really refreshing to see the honesty too.

 

[Davidsw8]

Was there a strong correlation between them with a high proportion of RLJing Ninjas?

From what I remember, it was different people doing different things rather than the same people doing both...

 

[Davidsw8]

Not commenting on the morality of red light jumping but this is a naive way of looking at the world. Be glad you weren't born a female in some countries around the globe for instance.

I totally agree, just because something is law doesn't make it right. I was born gay and I thank God I wasn't born somewhere like Saudi Arabia. As it is, I can't go to most of Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East and some of the Far East.

However, we are extremely lucky that we live in a very liberal country and most of the current legislation isn't to the detriment to the populace. Clearly this is subjective and many people decry that their civil liberties are being eroded but then others will say that human rights legislation has swung too far in the other direction and the guilty are permitted to literally get away with murder.

Saying all that, the legislation we are discussing here isn't about human rights it relates to behaviour and not a state of being (gender, race, sexuality etc.).

 

[campbellab]

True, most of our laws are decent, but changes to the status quo are near impossible to achieve if you are in a minority.

I think in this case we are more likely to get a change in the law if more people break the law (call it a protest if you will) and they may see that its safer==cheaper to change the law to accomodate. If everyone stops at red lights only a small amount of the minority would campaign for the change, but no-one'll think theres a need to change the law as no-ones actively doing it.

Personally I'm not fussed either way but if I did want change I could only see it happening through the above.

 

[Leaway2]

+1 and really refreshing to see the honesty too.

He has repented and seen the (red) light.