Saddened by ninja

[Browser]

Riding home last night, roughly where the arrow is here, when I became aware of the cars coming the opposite way slowing down then pulling out around something. Bear in mind that this is a normally quiet-ish rural A-road, with a fairly recently opened bypass to it's East but there were about 10-12 cars converging on this spot at the time I was riding along it, probably because they were slowing to safely pass me and the obstruction on the other side. As I closed on said obstruction, probably ten metres away, I realised that it was a lad on a BMX, no lights, no helmet, clad in dark clothing with not a scrap of hi-vis, weaving about more than a tad because he was ON HIS ******G PHONE!!!!!!! I should have stopped, turned, gone after him and pointed out the fact that he was relatively invisible but I didn't think he'd be bothered/receive it well etc.
I couldn't help but think that the motorists passing the two of us must have been impressed by the irony of the situation, me in fluorescent-decorated-with-Scotchbrite Altura jacket, two Smart rear lights, one Smart and one Lupine front light, pedal reflectors and 3M SekuClips on my spokes and captain invisible on the other side of the road. Ten quid for a pair of flashers from most places, surely their lives are worth that?

 

[akb]

Unfortunately it is a regular occurence around here. About 2 miles of my 12 miles route goes through a town. Time is about 1730 so nice and dark with low powered street lights. In those 2 miles I counted 5 cyclists who I overtook and 4 coming the other way, without any visibility gear on what so ever. Not even the standard issue front and rear reflectors. It was obvious the motorists were getting frustrated by these numpties. Unfortunatley, I dont feel it my place to pass on my night cycling knowledge.

 

[ianrauk]

How many ninjas do you actually hear about getting mowed down by cars? None.
How many 'proper' cyclists do you hear about getting mowed down by cars? Loads.

Ninjas seem to have an invincibility cloak surrounding them. Oh yes, it's called the pavement.

 

[Miquel In De Rain]

See it day in day out.

 

[Miquel In De Rain]

Note that key word "see".

So you are saying I see all the ninjas?

 

[psmiffy]

How many ninjas do you actually hear about getting mowed down by cars? None.
How many 'proper' cyclists do you hear about getting mowed down by cars? Loads.

Ninjas seem to have an invincibility cloak surrounding them. Oh yes, it's called the pavement.

I think that is actually the point - ninja cycling (if that TRL London survey is correct) is less dangerous than being lit - ditto RLJing etc - as opposed to death by lorry and SMIDSY

 

[Mugshot]

What I am saying is that every time you hear people complaining about unlit cyclists the story always goes "I saw this person riding without lights" . What you don't hear is people relating how they hit an unlit cyclist without ever having seen them.
Before this goes any further I ought to clarify that my winter commuter has a dynamo giving steady lights front and rear plus two flashers both front and rear.

I did see one once on a police camera stop type program. A young female driver had hit a cyclist, I can't remember the road I'm sorry, but it was if I remember correctly an unlit section of a dual carriageway. The driver went straight home afterwards with a windscreen which was totally caved in on the passenger side and was then, if memory serves, convinced by her parents that she should contact the police to inform them of the collision. The cyclist had by this time been found and so the police went to her house resonably certain that she was driver of the vehicle which had hit him. She claimed to have seen nothing and had thought that she had maybe hit a deer. The cyclist had no lights, he also died, the driver was not charged with anything.

 

[4F]

I am intrigued as to how the the lack of a helmet impaired any visibility issues ?

 

[Boris Bajic]

Last Tuesday week, I failed to see thirty-five unlit cyclists.

On a normal Tuesday, the figure doesn't exceed nineteen.

I put this down to the unseasonally dark night sky and the deceptive reflections from the rain on my windscreen.

Although I was unable to see (and therefore to count) the cyclists in question, I am in no doubt that they were there.

The very fact that I was unable to see them is proof (if any were needed) not only of their presence but of their flagrant failure to illuminate their bicycles.

When I am elected Police and Crime Commissioner, I shall make it my core priority to address this very serious and very grave....

Oooh... Hang on.... I just saw another band wagon swing into view.

As you were.

 

[PK99]

How many ninjas do you actually hear about getting mowed down by cars? None.
How many 'proper' cyclists do you hear about getting mowed down by cars? Loads.

Ninjas seem to have an invincibility cloak surrounding them. Oh yes, it's called the pavement.

My friend mowed don a ninja a few years ago - old bloke, dark clothing, dark bike, no lights passed straight across a t- junction and collided with my mate pulling out.

Police advised claiming against ninja for the several hundreds ££ damage but my mate was too upset to do that and found driving difficult for a while.

 

[PK99]

What I am saying is that every time you hear people complaining about unlit cyclists the story always goes "I saw this person riding without lights" . What you don't hear is people relating how they hit an unlit cyclist without ever having seen them.
Before this goes any further I ought to clarify that my winter commuter has a dynamo giving steady lights front and rear plus two flashers both front and rear.

Neither do you hear people say "I did not see the ninja cyclist"

 

[Miquel In De Rain]

Personal opinion,I don't see how that is "band wagon".

 

[amelia-jane]

I once hit an unlit cyclist on my bike. I was travelling quite fast (fast for me anyway) downhill in the dark. He was cycling up the hill, on the wrong side of the road, on a dark bike, wearing dark clothing. I just didn't see him until the last second. I suppose i should have been paying more attention but you really don't expect a cyclist to be travelling towards you on the same side of the road...

 

[Miquel In De Rain]

Generally I don't find ninja cyclists the problem but sometimes peds,yes,

 

[Browser]

You may notice I didn't say I saw him, but that I 'became aware' he was there, i.e. a moving shadow in the near-dark conditions which resolved itself to be a twit with no lights on.
And yes, I have a big problem with ninja's as they tar us all with the same brush, that being 'bloody cyclists'. All that other road users see is cyclists, they don't differentiate.
Plus which, I live in fear of being the poor sod who, one morning whilst driving home from work after a nigth shift and not 100% concentrating I will collect one of these cretins because the visual stimuli of lights/hi-viz etc are absent and their road positioning is so utterly attrocious.