RLJ - Taxi Drivers' video

[simon.r]

OK. So none of us ever break the law on our bikes then? Never ever ride on a pavement or ride without reflectors on our pedals or cycle through a pedestrian area when it's deserted or stop with our front wheel just over a white line or....

As said earlier, I will admit to very occasionally doing some of the above, but only having carefully considered if it's appropriate to do so.

As most people do I abide by the law the vast majority of the time, but I'd challenge anyone to say there isn't the odd law they break from time to time.

 

[Leodis]

Isn't this an edited version and the CC version shows round 20%? Sorry if this has been said but on mobile

 

[PedalCat]

It's clear to all but the most limited dunces that LTDA have an agenda, an axe to grind, frustration to deal with. "What we found shocked us", they say. It's all a bit childish. Cyclists ride with more freedom than taxi drivers drive and often make faster progress; this is the source of LTDA's frustration. Of course they dress it up as shocking. Of course they hide behind the law. It's a bit like the News Of The World being shocked at peoples' private lives.

 

[PedalCat]

The relevance is it's illegal to go through a red light whether you are on your bike or in your car, but some how you have managed to convince yourself that it is acceptable to do it on a bike, therefore why would you not do it in a car.

Alan...

It certainly is more acceptable on a bike because it's less dangerous all round. Sometimes it is - effectively - without danger on a bike or in a car.
I would be less likely to RLJ in my car because i'd be more likely to get a fine and points on my license.

 

[Firestorm]

It certainly is more acceptable on a bike because it's less dangerous all round. Sometimes it is - effectively - without danger on a bike or in a car.
I would be less likely to RLJ in my car because i'd be more likely to get a fine and points on my license.

So the decision to RLJ is base primarily on whether you percieve it to be safe
Secondarily on the personal consequences should you get caught and athirdly whether it is actually allowed.
Do you apply this to other driving rules ? Ie one way steets ?
Or to other non driving rules / laws

 

[buggi]

if a car driver jumped the lights in a "controlled manner" we would be up in arms. The bottom line is, whether you agreed with it or not, they are breaking the law and driving animosity between drivers and cyclists. And while they continue to do it and alienate drivers no one is going to listen to us about the law abiding cyclists who are killed or injured every day bcoz they lump those cyclists in the same category as if they deserve it. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones as the saying goes. We need stop giving these drivers a trump card.

 

[buggi]

I couldn't disagree more. People who dislike cyclists would do so even we all behaved perfectly. It's an excuse.

that's true but they couldn't come back at us with the RLJ argument all the time.

 

[PedalCat]

So the decision to RLJ is base primarily on whether you percieve it to be safe
Secondarily on the personal consequences should you get caught and athirdly whether it is actually allowed.
Do you apply this to other driving rules ? Ie one way steets ?
Or to other non driving rules / laws

Yes, some rules and laws. Not one -way streets, or anything of great importance. I stay well clear of murder and burglary for example. They are much worse than going through a red light when there's nobody about.

 

[buggi]

OK. So none of us ever break the law on our bikes then? Never ever ride on a pavement or ride without reflectors on our pedals or cycle through a pedestrian area when it's deserted or stop with our front wheel just over a white line or....

As said earlier, I will admit to very occasionally doing some of the above, but only having carefully considered if it's appropriate to do so.

As most people do I abide by the law the vast majority of the time, but I'd challenge anyone to say there isn't the odd law they break from time to time.

I don't break the law in the way they are talking about though. Yes i might not quite stop at the line, might go over an inch, i don't have reflectors on pedals but i do on shoes, but i ride on the road not on the path. I obey the road rules and stop at red lights and drivers are angry at me bcoz of other cyclists behaviour. They might just be angry at me bcoz I'm a cyclist of course, but they wouldn't be able to tell me that they were angry at me bcoz " cyclists ride off the path in front of them" or bcoz "cyclists ride through red lights" if these people didn't do it. They would have to just admit they didn't like cyclists for no reason. Thus show themselves up for exactly what they are. So why do we continue to give these drivers ammunition?

 

[simon.r]

Here's an example of where I broke the law this morning;

http://goo.gl/maps/q7mCg

That's a 60mph limit road close to where I live, which is often busy. As you can see, the left hand lane is fairly narrow and there are a lot of HGV's that use the road. If I cycle on the road (which I have done) I get incredibly close and fast passes. Regardless of the rights and wrongs I feel I am putting myself at risk and, to some extent, other road users, so I choose to cycle on the pavement for about half a mile. Very rarely do I see a pedestrian and if I do I slow or stop and we pass each other with no drama. I rejoin the road later when it's a 40mph limit and one lane in each direction.

Technically I'm breaking the law, maybe I'm giving drivers ammunition, but in this example I'm afraid that my safety comes first.

But yes I do agree there's no excuse at all for blatant RLJ'ing and similar, just that we have to be careful before condemning every single instance of a cyclist law breaking.

 

[PK99]

It certainly is more acceptable on a bike because it's less dangerous all round. Sometimes it is - effectively - without danger on a bike or in a car.
I would be less likely to RLJ in my car because i'd be more likely to get a fine and points on my license.

More acceptable? bollocks! there are many time i have only avoided injury by a RLJ cyclist by pausing on a crossing to let a RLJ cyclist through. I am seriously considering next time taking that extra half pace and bracing for impact against my shoulder. if the cyclist falls of and is injured - tough!

 

[PK99]

But yes I do agree there's no excuse at all for blatant RLJ'ing and similar, just that we have to be careful before condemning every single instance of a cyclist law breaking.

As the saying goes:

The law is the guidance of wise men and the blind obedience of fools

There are times when in a car i have deliberately drive through a red light.......... to let through an emergency vehicle with blues and twos showing.

Similarly, there are occasional pedestrian free pavements that i ride along where road conditions are just too dodgy.

but, as you say, there is NO excuse for blatant RLJ'ing

 

[steveindenmark]

I think this is fair enough. There are enough cyclists with head cams, quite happy to film car drivers and post it on Youtube. Why not get a bit of their own medicine.

Maybe it would be good idea to put plates on bikes after all.

Each individual should concentrate on their own behaviour on the road before switching a camera on.

Steve

 

[buggi]

Here's an example of where I broke the law this morning;

http://goo.gl/maps/q7mCg

That's a 60mph limit road close to where I live, which is often busy. As you can see, the left hand lane is fairly narrow and there are a lot of HGV's that use the road. If I cycle on the road (which I have done) I get incredibly close and fast passes. Regardless of the rights and wrongs I feel I am putting myself at risk and, to some extent, other road users, so I choose to cycle on the pavement for about half a mile. Very rarely do I see a pedestrian and if I do I slow or stop and we pass each other with no drama. I rejoin the road later when it's a 40mph limit and one lane in each direction.

Technically I'm breaking the law, maybe I'm giving drivers ammunition, but in this example I'm afraid that my safety comes first.

But yes I do agree there's no excuse at all for blatant RLJ'ing and similar, just that we have to be careful before condemning every single instance of a cyclist law breaking.

that's not really the ammunition they use though (except Mary at work will kill you for it lol). I do ride on the road but when i was asked to do a route to work for the kid at work with learning difficulties, i deemed a 20 foot section of path ok for him to use to join up two sections of cyclepath bcoz the road was trickier (i never understood why they weren't joined and the council have announced they are now going to it). Drivers don't care about that level of "law breaking" like they don't care if you misjudge the line, what they do care about is blatant reckless law breaking like RLJing. If we want respect on the roads and to be treated equally as them, we have to stop breaking the law at that level or we are just giving them the perfect excuse to carry on disrespecting us. We know it won't make a difference but when they discover the same amount of cyclists are getting hit, even when we obey the law, they will have no choice but to examine their own behaviour. Maybe we should organise a "no RLJ month" to prove the point.

 

[400bhp]

I'm a bit in 2 minds about RLJ.

I have been known to shout at the blatant nobber ones (e.g crossing a busy A road) but can't say I'm binary myself when it comes to red lights.

I think it's (well we perceive it is) at the forefront of driver's minds because it's often done blatantly, i.e. stopped traffic and the first few car drivers at each intersection can see a RLJer (as they are naturally looking at the intersection). Put this against RLJ cars and it's not as obvious (a secont or 2 after red).

On the other hand, is RLJing any worse than other low level stuff on the roads, e.g. pavement parking & u turns.

Are we a bit uptight in this country? We like people to queue and tow the line - we deem it impolite if not.

OTOH I'm not really fussed what other people (outside my family and circle of friends/work colleagues) think of me, based on some generalist and incorrect view of cyclists.