"Some people do the stupidest things at junctions..."

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LOGAN 5

New Member
I do feel that irrespective of the perceived/real transgression a cyclist may make I don't think just because a fellow cyclist is nearby/passing that gives them the right to speak to another cyclist other than of course a pleasantry as often happens (not in London though). Just because I ride a bike for example I don't want other cyclists to think they can lecture me about something they think I've done. If I've done something I shouldn't have or have made a mistake I'll know already.

Car drivers might hoot and shout obscenities at each other but it's more road rage from them towards each other rather than lecturing and they do it in the hope they can speed off which they mostly do. They're not encouraging a dialogue they're just being aggressive and probably expect an aggressive gesture in return.

I just think you're entering a situation which can just escalate as the cyclist being shouted at isn't going to appreciate the lecture and it is unlikely to change their behaviour (much).

After all as a pedestrian would you lecture another pedestrian who didn't wait for the "green man" for instance at a crossing - no probably not.
 

BentMikey

Rider of Seolferwulf
Location
South London
OTOH posts on the internet changed my behaviour about jumping red lights, so it's not a lost cause by any means.
 

PrettyboyTim

New Member
Location
Brighton
Last time I shouted at some RLJers they were trying to cross from the other direction while I had the green. Normally though I'll just shake my head and put them down as being selfish or misinformed.

If I'm a pedestrian and some cyclist decides he'll jump a red while I'm trying to cross with the green man, I have no qualms at all about stopping them and getting them to wait.

My advice: If you don't want people to shout at you about RLJing, don't RLJ. It *is* antisocial, it *can* be dangerous to others, and it *is* against the law.

...

Plus, now you've posted we know that shouting 'RED LIGHT' at RLJers really winds them up so all the more reason to do it :ohmy:
 

Cab

New Member
Location
Cambridge
Tetedelacourse said:
Actually I wonder if this is in fact Cab in another guise since there has been little to argue about in the last day or two.

I love you too Tete. Kiss with tongues?
 

Cab

New Member
Location
Cambridge
thewicksy said:
So tomorrow, instead of shouting you’re lungs out at every “light jumper”, do everyone a favour and shut it. Trust me, though it may seem like it in your deluded head, you’re not making one iota of a difference - fact!

Howcome those riders I've talked to about this very often, when I see them again, are no longer RLJing?
 

Arch

Married to Night Train
Location
Salford, UK
LOGAN 5 said:
After all as a pedestrian would you lecture another pedestrian who didn't wait for the "green man" for instance at a crossing - no probably not.

They would not be breaking the law, and are less likely to injure someone else in the process. I'm not concerned about people taking their own lives into their hands, I don't yell cyclists RLJing off because I think they'll hurt themselves. I tell them off because a) they might hurt someone else, and :biggrin: they get me grief by association.

The last RLJ I did shout at, BTW, was the one who came tearing round a blind corner and had to swerve to avoid me crossing on the green man. Luckily, I was trained as a child to keep looking as I cross, and there was just me, so he had room to avoid. If there had been a tour group crossing, as there often is, he'd have hit someone. I have no idea if my shout did any good - his "yeah, yeah, you're right and I'm wrong" sounded a bit sarcastic, but he may have been covering up that he'd just had a heck of a shock, and encountered a pedestrian with an opinion...
 

Cab

New Member
Location
Cambridge
They're probably terrified of "the shouty man" and not convinced that you haven't got a machete in your pannier. Chances are they jump the lights when you're not around.:biggrin:

Maybe :biggrin:

I'm not saying it always works, but I've certainly caught up with people who formerly red light jumped from way, way behind when they've been waiting at the lights. Some of them don't get it, some of them do. That some of them do surely demonstrates that pointing it out to them isn't futile.

Theres a hard core of cyclists who genuinely don't believe that the law should apply to them. I'm of the opinion that rather than regularly stopping people for minor cycling offenses (as the Police really do seem to do here all the time) they should keep their eyes open for the persistent ones and come down hard on them. Would do a lot of good for their own reputation as law enforcers and also would improve the image of cyclists in this city.
 

Cab

New Member
Location
Cambridge
Terminator said:
Wonder why they changed their behavior then.

One lady I overtook then went past me at the lights, swerved right round in front of me, gor her mobile phone out and started dialling when I yelled out at her that she'd broken the law and was in the way. She yelled back at me, moved aside with a 'Whatevarrrr', and made her call... She'd been a regular RLJer at that junction, I've seen her many times since and she hasn't.

One bloke went straight through three red lights I'd waited at one evening, I'd seen him do it many times. I cycled alongside him and said that the red light and the white line applied to him, he rather aggressively asserted otherwise, I said no, they really do, he yelled no, they really don't as I tore off down the road past him. I've seen him many times since, he hasn't RLJ'd on those occasions.

Another bloke used to try to race me. Always would go past me at a red light, I'd always overtake him, he'd struggle to keep up once I passed him again... Hell, it was tedious. So, one day I told him that only girls and pensioners have to go through a red light to get there first. He denied any knowledge of what I meant, I told him that all the other riders on his route laugh at him. Another rider at that junction at the time had a good chuckle at this, and you know what? Hasn't done that to me or anyone else I've seen since.

Why does telling them work? I don't know, it doesn't always, but I think there are multiple reasons.
 
U

User169

Guest
Cab said:
One bloke went straight through three red lights I'd waited at one evening, I'd seen him do it many times. I cycled alongside him and said that the red light and the white line applied to him, he rather aggressively asserted otherwise, I said no, they really do, he yelled no, they really don't as I tore off down the road past him. I've seen him many times since, he hasn't RLJ'd on those occasions.

Doesn't cycling alongside someone to berate them strike you as somewhat, err, dangerous?
 
U

User169

Guest
jdapayne said:
maybe we should scrap traffic lights for everyone, then it can be a free for all?

Not necessarily a daft idea.

This approach has been adopted in Drachten in The Netherlands. At one of the junctions studied, crossing times and casualty rates are said to have declined in comparison to the rates prior to removal of the traffic lights.
 

Cab

New Member
Location
Cambridge
Delftse Post said:
Doesn't cycling alongside someone to berate them strike you as somewhat, err, dangerous?

'Berate' implies I yelled at the guy. Didn't do that, didn't raise my voice or yell at all, just talked to him to begin with. So no, not really risky at all.
 
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