The muppet of the week award

[GrasB]

The driver of a dark blue Insignia going down Madingly hill at 5:10am today. When you overtake a cyclist doing 35-40mph in a 40 limit make sure you're not being followed by a police car as you nail the throttle & go the wrong side of a pedestrian refuge.

I'll give the driver props, he did wait until the road was clear & give loads of space.

 

[dellzeqq]

(I always check these threads to make sure they're not about middle-aged cyclists pulling wheelies or something).

So what happened next?

 

[GrasB]

Blue flashing lights when they arrived at the, red, traffic lights a bit further down the road.

 

[GrasB]

If the pedestrian refuge has a blue arrow pointing to the left I'm fairly certain that you shouldn't be going to the right side of the refuge.

 

[GrasB]

Yes it does (like every refuge I could look at on google maps).

 

[Ste T.]

I would think you should stay left not least because any pedestrian crossing towards a refuge would look right and not assume anybody would be approaching on the wrong side of the road. Perhaps they wouldn't look left until they reached the refuge.

 

[2Loose]

Hehe, when I lived in Hardwick I did that 'hill' every day. Must have given you a big smile to see the police following lol.

 

[skudupnorth]

So many times i have wished a Police car to be in the same place when a numpty does something wrong when i'm cycling....one day hopfully !

 

[thomas]

[QUOTE 1286458"]
Is this wrong then? I've sometimes gone the wrong side of a pedestrian refuge when overtaking.
[/quote]

Technically. I wouldn't generally, but have done if filtering. I don't see the point in squeezing in past the crossing, if I can safely go on the other side of the crossing if the lane is empty.

 

[GrasB]

Hehe, when I lived in Hardwick I did that 'hill' every day. Must have given you a big smile to see the police following lol.

I was more concerned with why he'd do such a thing with a marked police car behind him. We're talking about a big estate (Volvo iirc) with lights on the top splattered with fluorescent markings & POLICE on the bonnet not an unmarked police car & yet the driver still couldn't check his speedo to see what speed he was doing & there maybe solid white lines in the centre of the road at that point as well, I know that it's no overtaking further down the hill as you get to the M11 I just can't remember how far they go up the road.

I don't see the point in squeezing in past the crossing, if I can safely go on the other side of the crossing if the lane is empty.

I don't see the point in not just waiting a couple of seconds especially when the cyclist is going around about the speed limit.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I don't see the point in not just waiting a couple of seconds especially when the cyclist is going around about the speed limit.

If you're using the word point to imply reasoned thinking then there is no point. The unreasoned reaction dressed up as thought probably runs like this: cars are faster than bikes, therefore I must overtake.

 

[Panter]

Surprised at the responses actually! I wouldn't dream of overtaking on the other side of a pedestrian refuge. No idea on the legality, just doesn't seem wise.

 

[DrSquirrel]

Surprised at the responses actually! I wouldn't dream of overtaking on the other side of a pedestrian refuge. No idea on the legality, just doesn't seem wise.

Although there is a difference between someone on a bike doing it at 10mph and a car possibly speeding in a 40 zone doing so. I still wouldn't.

Doing it at speed, in a car can easily be seen as aggressive driving, or even dangerous.

 

[Panter]

Sorry, I assumed people were refering only to a driving perspective

I'd do it on a bike, if it was safe (and have done so in the past whilst filtering)

 

[gaz]

(I always check these threads to make sure they're not about middle-aged cyclists pulling wheelies or something).

So what happened next?

I'll catch you sooner or later for silly cyclists