RLJ-ing: A Minority Pastime?

[dodd82]

What is the point of people saying that RLJs is breaking the law as is drink driving?

Whilst technically true, of what relevance is it? The law has degrees of severity and without it, it becomes nonsensical, and as such, any debate about an act that is against the law should surely be discussed in the that context.

 

[Dan B]

It's only a matter of time before the triumvirate of pointless laws that always get rolled out in the typical RLJ thread is raised - that of not having reflectors on the back of clipless pedals.

... esp on recumbents, whose pedals don't even have forward and rearward edges to which reflectors could be attached should the rider so wish

 

[Davidsw8]

If cyclists had been given appropriate consideration, they would never have been lumped in with the motor vehicles in the first place. And cycle lanes that disappear when the road gets narrower or busier, light phases on ''cycle superhighways'' that actually write bikes out of the phase until you've stopped and pressed a button, traffic calming build ins that narrow the road, speed bumps to slow down vehicles (vehicles with suspension, unlike most bikes which don't have suspension) oh...I could go on...; these are all indications of that same contemptuous lack of consideration.

We don't get equal consideration, and we're never going to get anything like it, while the laws are as they stand.

I agree with most of that but I feel that the cycle lanes and superhighways are at least a starting point, there didn't use to be anything like that available so we're better of than we were.

It'd be interesting to see what comes of these sky cycle lanes: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3546471.ece

 

[dodd82]

[QUOTE 2120232, member: 45"]Yehbut, Hitler.[/quote]

?

 

[Davidsw8]

?

We reached Godwin's Law so soon?

 

[martint235]

It's only a matter of time before the triumvirate of pointless laws that always get rolled out in the typical RLJ thread is raised - that of not having reflectors on the back of clipless pedals. Also illegal, and a law broken day in day out. It's almost the same as drink driving, but not quite.

Errm my clipless pedals do have reflectors on them.

Also the rule about flashing lights was that you weren't to have ONLY flashing lights. I still make sure I have one steady light front and back as the reason for the rule was that a motorist (or anyone else) cannot accurately judge the speed/distance of a flashing light.

 

[Scruffmonster]

Then the law needs to be changed. I have never said I'm against changing the road laws regarding cycling, I just feel that while they are there they should be obeyed. I would like the law changed regarding me being allowed to slash the tyres of cars parked across my drive. However I fully accept that I'm probably in a slight minority with this one and therefore it's unlikely to be changed.

Which would you choose first? Purely for joint Friday afternoon entertainment, not for anything to document...

 

[martint235]

Which would you choose first? Purely for joint Friday afternoon entertainment, not for anything to document...

Well I'm not that fussed about stopping at red lights so I'd like the law on me being allowed to slash the tyres of cars parked across my drive changed first please m'lud!!

 

[Miquel In De Rain]

Errm my clipless pedals do have reflectors on them.

Also the rule about flashing lights was that you weren't to have ONLY flashing lights. I still make sure I have one steady light front and back as the reason for the rule was that a motorist (or anyone else) cannot accurately judge the speed/distance of a flashing light.

Can they do it any better with a mobile phone glued to their ears?

 

[nigelnorris]

Errm my clipless pedals do have reflectors on them.

Also the rule about flashing lights was that you weren't to have ONLY flashing lights. I still make sure I have one steady light front and back as the reason for the rule was that a motorist (or anyone else) cannot accurately judge the speed/distance of a flashing light.

Surely those reflector panels are just made to be temporary? Both my pairs of recently bought pedals [520s and 505s] came fitted with them and because they blank off one side of the pedal I immediately took them off and threw them away. But even so they look so insubstantial that I imagine they'd have disintegrated and fallen off anyway in a fairly short time. The point being that those things are pretty much lip service to the requirement to fit reflectors and most pedals that come fitted with them end up with no reflectors at all in very short time.

 

[martint235]

Which would you choose first? Purely for joint Friday afternoon entertainment, not for anything to document...

Ok I've had a proper think now:

1. All traffic allowed to turn left at a red if safe to do so
2. All traffic lights revert to flashing amber between 10pm and 6am signalling give way to the right.
3. All ASZ and in carriageway cyclelanes abolished.
4. A law to state that if you are breaking a law you are therefore outside of the law and should not expect or receive any protection from the law.

Ok, 4 is a bit iffy but I'm not a tolerant person and I think one of the problems in the UK is that respect for the law has gone. It's time to bring it back by making the consequences of breaking the law meaningful again. Once we've restored respect in the law we can start looking at which laws are stupid and repeal them.

 

[RedRider]

@martint235 Enjoy your ride tonight!

Provocative post alert (not that this fire needs stoking lol)!!!

Cyclists who currently RLJ make it more likely the law will be changed allowing future cyclists to pass legally through red lights.*

Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting RLJ-ers are latter day Rosa Parks' embarked on a moral campaign of civil disobediance but they do break the law in such numbers they show it to be unenforcable and somewhat pointless. If it's apparent to everyone the law is an ass then it makes it more vulnerable to change. If the law changes it makes cycling an even more attractive proposition and everyone's a winner.

*Disclaimer: I don't RLJ but there was a coupla youthful years I did when I first came to London in 1999.

 

[400bhp]

@martint235 Enjoy your ride tonight!

Provocative post alert (not that this fire needs stoking lol)!!!

Cyclists who currently RLJ make it more likely the law will be changed allowing future cyclists to pass legally through red lights.*

Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting RLJ-ers are latter day Rosa Parks' embarked on a moral campaign of civil disobediance but they do break the law in such numbers they show it to be unenforcable and somewhat pointless. If it's apparent to everyone the law is an ass then it makes it more vulnerable to change. If the law changes it makes cycling an even more attractive proposition and everyone's a winner.

*Disclaimer: I don't RLJ but there was a coupla youthful years I did when I first came to London in 1999.

Or (like mobile phone use in cars led to a specific change to the law).


Cyclists who currently RLJ make it more likely the law will be changed such that cyclists will face much larger fines/tougher sanctions (e.g bicycle crushed) etc etc

 

[Dan B]

Neither of these outcomes sound exactly plausible to me.

 

[Dan B]

Ok, 4 is a bit iffy but I'm not a tolerant person and I think one of the problems in the UK is that respect for the law has gone. It's time to bring it back by making the consequences of breaking the law meaningful again. Once we've restored respect in the law we can start looking at which laws are stupid and repeal them.

I think you may be confusing "respect" with "fear".