Was I an Idiot on the road today? (short 40 second video)

[cd365]

This week

https://mobile.twitter.com/HeenaRandhawa/status/526283443442028545

Shocking!

 

[themosquitoking]

Y

50%? Really? I personally would have put the figure nearer ... say ... 0%. But that's just a guess.

As for a some sort of penalty for crossing when there is no traffic ... really? Are you suggesting that once you have pressed the button, you must wait for the green man, even if the way is clear or else face a penalty? That seems just slightly harsh. Or have I misunderstood? If not, I'm in for some harsh penalties on my walk to the station in the morning.

Yes I am suggesting that once you've pressed for the green man you stand and wait for it. Why would you push the button if there was no traffic there?

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Y

Yes I am suggesting that once you've pressed for the green man you stand and wait for it. Why would you push the button if there was no traffic there?

Sometimes the traffic clears before the lights change in favour of the ped. In that case, I wouldn't hang about waiting for the green man to appear.

GC

 

[mjr]

Sometimes the traffic clears before the lights change in favour of the ped. In that case, I wouldn't hang about waiting for the green man to appear.

Sometimes? I think it's almost always like that. Between me and town, there's two sets that change if needed and nineteen that only change after a punishment delay. In one 700m section, you're quicker to cross to the centre of a huge turfed roundabout and back out (when traffic lights with no walkway allow) than to use all the crossings and average something like 50metres per minute!

 

[Mr_Kipling]

A whistle may be a bad idea as people with hearing problems may not be able to hear it. A horn has a lower frequency and will be more audible.

How often do you need to whistle while riding?

Well it is better then no audio warning at all. Most bike horns are of a high frequency too.

 

[Dan B]

On the (quite rare) occasions I've needed an audio warning while cycling, I find that a shouted "Oi" or "Hey" (or in real emergencies, "Aargh") is pretty effective.

 

[gavgav]

A warning on a bike bell (or whistle in the OP's case) to alert others to your presence is recomended practice. When I'm riding on shared use paths, I'm generally tinking away almost continuously on my bell.
There's a difference between that and sounding your horn in a car, which is meant to be used as a warning, rather that an alert to presence.

I think the Highway Code may differ in its interpretation of when a horn should be used!

 

[Dan B]

I don't find it necessary when I'm walking along a path to alert everybody to my presence. Why would that change if I'm on a bike?

 

[themosquitoking]

Sometimes the traffic clears before the lights change in favour of the ped. In that case, I wouldn't hang about waiting for the green man to appear.

GC

Where as if i've pressed the button i stand and wait for it, i'm pretty sure most peds would be fairly upset if a car drivers started to ignore light phases at a pelican crossing.

 

[broadway]

Well it is better then no audio warning at all. Most bike horns are of a high frequency too.

That just means bike horns are rubbish as well then.

 

[GrasB]

Why do you think cyclists who get overtaken are complete idiots? There have been four recent cyclist deaths where the driver deliberately aimed at the cyclist, it's naive to assume drivers never use vehicles as a weapon.

There are a very, very small number of cases. However there are far more cases of someone just being an idiot then trying to blame the cyclist or boasting to their friends about something.

It's worth noting that in all of this most peoples driving isn't accurate enough to actually hit a target if they tried at 25mph!

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Where as if i've pressed the button i stand and wait for it,

If you're happy to do that I'm not going to criticise you. I frequently cross roads without the aid of traffic lights and am fairly good at judging when it's safe. Should all traffic have passed before the pedestrian phase begins at a Pelican crossing, I am prepared to use my good judgement to make my way across.


GC

 

[glenn forger]

There are a very, very small number of cases. However there are far more cases of someone just being an idiot then trying to blame the cyclist or boasting to their friends about something.

It's worth noting that in all of this most peoples driving isn't accurate enough to actually hit a target if they tried at 25mph!

What's the proportional breakdown of the figures?

 

[GrasB]

Yet to see a cyclist deliberately hit with my own eyes but see a cyclist have to take avoiding action due to a motorist being dumb then blaming the cyclists or taking credit for something that was blatantly not what they did on a daily basis.

Basically I see virtually no evidence for your all your spouting off which imo should be kept in your head so you don't scare half the population off the roads!

 

[themosquitoking]

If you're happy to do that I'm not going to criticise you. I frequently cross roads without the aid of traffic lights and am fairly good at judging when it's safe. Should all traffic have passed before the pedestrian phase begins at a Pelican crossing, I am prepared to use my good judgement to make my way across.


GC

Would it upset you if drivers did the same thing and just ignored the lights?