Stupid Cyclist

Russinating · 2 Feb 2011 at 09:54

This thread is still going? Really?

SlyReaper · 2 Feb 2011 at 09:54

meghatronic said:
By that logic, cyclists should treat pedestrians like posh china then? They don't.

Yeah they should. But the fact that some don't is their problem (and the pedestrian's problem), not yours. It's no reason to drive carelessly around them, and my point stands. If you assume everyone else on the road is going to do something stupid and unexpected, you can avoid a lot of nasty situations. It's called driving defensively.

meghatronic · 2 Feb 2011 at 09:56

SlyReaper said:
Yeah they should. But the fact that some don't is their problem (and the pedestrian's problem), not yours. It's no reason to drive carelessly around them, and my point stands. If you assume everyone else on the road is going to do something stupid and unexpected, you can avoid a lot of nasty situations. It's called driving defensively.

I don't drive carelessly around them. I treat them like another car - i.e., as you said, defensively.

However, I'm a pedestrian most of the time I travel, and the number of times I've nearly been killed* by a cyclist is in double digits. The same score for a car is 1.

(* slight exaggeration as I suspect they'd be quite bad off too, I'm not exactly light).

RDM · 2 Feb 2011 at 10:00

Admiral Huddy said:
Of course you would never see a motorist jump lights and stick to the general road rules..

Complain about sweeping generalisations made against cyclists....

Admiral Huddy said:
It's a shame though that motorists can't use the most basic form of equipment on their vehicles such as indicators and mirrors.

Make sweeping generalisation about motorists!

willhub · 2 Feb 2011 at 10:01

I don't see how the cyclist was in the wrong, as some people say, he sped up, well..... no he didn't, and also, that driver should not really have been overtaking there.

On my ride last night, I've seen drivers that are over the white line, and some people here were complaining about cyclists doing that... One driver nearly took me out, he was not indicating and turned into a driveway, luckily I was doing about 25mph so just missed. It is an list I have lost count with drivers not using their indicators, and it's not uncommon to see a driver go through a red light either.

It's annoying with pedestrians too, the light if green for me, and they all start walking across the road, and some even give me the evils as if I'm going over on a red light... And the countless amount of idiots walking slowly over the road where they should not be and assume you're doing 10 mph when in fact you're doing 30mph..

Just the other day on the A6, there was some road works, and the traffic light was on red for ages due to the large amount of cars at the other end, this driver decided he had waited long enough, and the road was clear, not a car coming, and HE decided to skip the light to get to his turn, now if a cyclist did that the drivers would probably be blowing on the horn....

[DOD]Asprilla · 2 Feb 2011 at 10:01

bloodiedathame said:
or jump red lights.

Do you filter to ASLs (and inkeeping with the massive generalisations in this thread, I've never seen a motorcycle that doesn't)? If so then you are jumping the red light.

RDM · 2 Feb 2011 at 10:03

[DOD]Asprilla;18371841 said:
Do you filter to ASLs (and inkeeping with the massive generalisations in this thread, I've never seen a motorcycle that doesn't)? If so then you are jumping the red light.

The last time a thread like this came up was funny. Someone made a post moaning about motorists using ASLs and how bad it was and how it was against the HWC etc and then admitted later to running red lights. Was very amusing.

[DOD]Asprilla · 2 Feb 2011 at 10:06

RDM said:
The last time a thread like this came up was funny. Someone made a post moaning about motorists using ASLs and how bad it was and how it was against the HWC etc and then admitted later to running red lights. Was very amusing.

Exactly, pot and kettle. Everyone says that all cyclists jump red lights (and loads do but that just makes them selfish idiots, not all cyclists) yet drivers and motorcyclists do it all the time and somehow it's ok for them because 'it's safe and doesn't hurt anyone'.

Sp00n · 2 Feb 2011 at 10:06

What is an ASL?

NathWraith · 2 Feb 2011 at 10:09

VaderDSL said:
Idiot drivers, idiot cyclists, idiot pedestrians. You get them all.

Agreed. Even people with computer hardware can be idiots. LOL

[DOD]Asprilla · 2 Feb 2011 at 10:10

Sp00n said:
What is an ASL?

Advanced Stopping Line; the line and box at the front of the lane at some light controlled junctions reserved for cyclists.

RDM · 2 Feb 2011 at 10:11

[DOD]Asprilla;18371909 said:
Advanced Stopping Line; the line and box at the front of the lane at some light controlled junctions reserved for cyclists.

To be fair my bike's VED disk does say "Cycle" on it.

Sp00n · 2 Feb 2011 at 10:12

Oh ok, so you're saying motorists using the ASL is as bad as cyclists jumping a red light?

willhub · 2 Feb 2011 at 10:12

[DOD]Asprilla;18371909 said:
Advanced Stopping Line; the line and box at the front of the lane at some light controlled junctions reserved for cyclists.

Car drivers use them all the time... And go over the line...

Nodiggidy123 · 2 Feb 2011 at 10:13

i always thought the pecking order on the road was like this.

pedestrians,cyclists,cars,hgvs,tractors.

basing my opinion on this belief. the van driver was in the wrong. although i do agree that the cyclist could have slowed to let him pass.

[DOD]Asprilla · 2 Feb 2011 at 10:19

Sp00n said:
Oh ok, so you're saying motorists using the ASL is as bad as cyclists jumping a red light?

It is jumping a red light. It's rarely enforced, but entering the ASL box in a motor vehicle is jumping a red light. It says so in law.

Are you suggesting that some laws of the road are more breakable than others?

RDM said:
To be fair my bike's VED disk does say "Cycle" on it.

Hilarious.

willhub · 2 Feb 2011 at 10:23

Nodiggidy123 said:
i always thought the pecking order on the road was like this.

pedestrians,cyclists,cars,hgvs,tractors.

basing my opinion on this belief. the van driver was in the wrong. although i do agree that the cyclist could have slowed to let him pass.

Why should cyclists slow down all the time to let drivers pass? It's fair to say the van driver could have waited until he found a safe place to overtake... They was approaching a junction so tbh the van driver lost very few seconds until he he got out of his van and started doing silly things then he lost a few minutes.....

Sp00n · 2 Feb 2011 at 10:25

[DOD]Asprilla;18371966 said:
It is jumping a red light. It's rearely enforced, but entering the ASL box in a motor vehicle is jumping a red light. It says so in law.

Are you suggesting that some laws of the road are more breakable than others?

Hilarious.

No? Did I say that? Jumping to conclusions, hilarious.

Can you show me the bit in the highway code where it states that entering ASL = jumping a red light

I think I'm looking at the wrong bit, I can't see it in 175-177.

RDM · 2 Feb 2011 at 10:25

willhub said:
Why should cyclists slow down all the time to let drivers pass?

Self preservation? While technically in the right (and even that is open to debate with the section of the Highway Code quoted earlier by Scorza) he is certainly putting himself at risk in doing so.

[DOD]Asprilla · 2 Feb 2011 at 10:27

Sp00n said:
No? Did I say that? Jumping to conclusions, hilarious.

Can you show me the bit in the highway code where it states that entering ASL = jumping a red light

I think I'm looking at the wrong bit, I can't see it in 175-177.

I didn't jump to a conclusion, I asked a question to clarify your comment. I didn't know if you were trying to distinguish between the two of if you actually didn't know.

It's rule 178 and the appropriate part of the RTA is referenced.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070332

Whilst most drivers call for cyclists to have to pass a test, most cyclists already have in the form of their driving test. However, passing a test doesn't mean that someone knows the law or what they are doing. Going off on a tangent I think that the driving test in this country should be much, much harder and that this would benefit all road users.