Theoretical RLJ Question

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Jezston

Über Member
Location
London
So after hitting virtually every pedestrian red light crossing on my route home last night, with no pedestrians actually crossing any one of them, a thought occurred to me.

Anything wrong with stopping at the red, dismounting, walking over the crossing, and getting back on the other side and riding off?
 

Dan B

Disengaged member
Legally or morally?
 
Jezston said:
So after hitting virtually every pedestrian red light crossing on my route home last night, with no pedestrians actually crossing any one of them, a thought occurred to me.

Anything wrong with stopping at the red, dismounting, walking over the crossing, and getting back on the other side and riding off?

Not IMO if you dismount and become a pedestrian. Eventually it is planned (when it happens is anybodies guess) that all pedestrian traffic lights are converted to the PUFFIN type these have sensors that detect if a pedestrian is present, if not it cancels the call and the lights don't go red for traffic, visa versa if a ped is present it may extend the traffic red time to allow them to cross more safely, feel less harassed.
 

HaloJ

Rabid cycle nut
Location
Watford
HLaB said:
Not IMO if you dismount and become a pedestrian. Eventually it is planned (when it happens is anybodies guess) that all pedestrian traffic lights are converted to the PUFFIN type these have sensors that detect if a pedestrian is present, if not it cancels the call and the lights don't go red for traffic, visa versa if a ped is present it may extend the traffic red time to allow them to cross more safely, feel less harassed.

Oooh that's clever! I didn't know they could do that.
 

NigC

New Member
Location
Surrey
Perfectly fine to do this. You then become a pedestrian walking a bike (or words to that effect), which is wholly different to riding the same route - no matter how slowly.
 

Davidc

Guru
Location
Somerset UK
Same when there's a queue of traffic at lights, especially turning left.

Get off, push the bike along the pavement, past the lights, get back on round the corner and away. legal provided ou don't ride on the pavement, but beware irritated motorists.
 

Davidc

Guru
Location
Somerset UK
HLaB said:
Not IMO if you dismount and become a pedestrian. Eventually it is planned (when it happens is anybodies guess) that all pedestrian traffic lights are converted to the PUFFIN type these have sensors that detect if a pedestrian is present, if not it cancels the call and the lights don't go red for traffic, visa versa if a ped is present it may extend the traffic red time to allow them to cross more safely, feel less harassed.

If you stand still while waiting alone they cancel your crossing request.

If the bulb that shows it's been set blows you don't even know it's decided you're going to wait forever.

This applies to all of them I've come across in all parts of the country.

Good idea very badly implemented. Needs redesigning.
 

Cubist

Still wavin'
Location
Ovver 'thill
HaloJ said:
Oooh that's clever! I didn't know they could do that.

You may have done if you realised that PUFFIN is an acronym for Pedestrian User Friendly INtelligent Crossing.... ain't technology BRILLIANT!!

As for the OP, yes no problem in law, except you'd now be on the wrong side of the road, or facing the wrong way, so why would you want to? :tongue:
 

monkeypony

Active Member
If its a pedestrian crossing with no pedestrians on it, just ride through it. Saves oodles of time and energy.
 

StuartG

slower but further
Location
SE London
The only time I RLJ is when there is positively no-one else using the junction or crossing and there is no one in sight who is likely to be annoyed. Or police!

Is there an existentialist arguement that if no one saw it - then it didn't happen :tongue:
 

HJ

Cycling in Scotland
Location
Auld Reekie
Jezston said:
So after hitting virtually every pedestrian red light crossing on my route home last night, with no pedestrians actually crossing any one of them, a thought occurred to me.

Anything wrong with stopping at the red, dismounting, walking over the crossing, and getting back on the other side and riding off?

There is nothing wrong with you getting off and walking over the crossing, but you might find it rather tedious :tongue:
 

Rob3rt

Man or Moose!
Location
Manchester
monkeypony said:
If its a pedestrian crossing with no pedestrians on it, just ride through it. Saves oodles of time and energy.

If its red its red, peds or not, you should stop. I'll admit to skipping a red light now and then, there is no excuse tbh. Convenience isnt a good defense vs the law.
 

dondare

Über Member
Location
London
Jezston said:
So after hitting virtually every pedestrian red light crossing on my route home last night, with no pedestrians actually crossing any one of them, a thought occurred to me.

Anything wrong with stopping at the red, dismounting, walking over the crossing, and getting back on the other side and riding off?

It's completely pointless.
 

Dan B

Disengaged member
NigC said:
Perfectly fine to do this. You then become a pedestrian walking a bike (or words to that effect), which is wholly different to riding the same route - no matter how slowly.
I am not 100% convinced. The bit of case law usually quoted is from Crank vs Brooks, where it was said
Waller LJ said:
"In my judgment a person who is walking across a pedestrian crossing pushing a bicycle, having started on the pavement on one side on her feet and not on the bicycle, and going across pushing the bicycle with both feet on the ground so to speak is clearly a 'foot passenger'.
(emphasis mine). If you're only dismounting to cross the junction and remounting afterwards, the circumstances are clearly not the same. And you're still in control of a vecicle, so ...
 

g00se

Veteran
Location
Norwich
I like our local toucan crossing (peds and bikes).It has a sensor loop built into the kerbside that's sensitive enough to detect bikes and prams and automatically pushes the button for you.
 
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