London cyclists - grrrrrrrr

Man of Honour
Man of Honour
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This morning I watched a cyclist being involved in an accident with a pedestrian.
The scenario was a lightly used road leading on a large roundabout with lights at each entrance to the roundabout. The lights had changed to green, and the waiting vehicles had already entered. As there's no other traffic visible within 50m, like many others I walked across. On getting to the other side of this single lane road, I spot a cyclist on the road at about 20mph.
Turning around, I watched said cyclist very nearly collect the half asleep pedestrian who'd been strolling the other way across the road.

Now in theory, the cyclist is in the right, as he was on a green light. Having said that, we are talking about London, and if I'd driven around only obeying green lights, I'm sure that I would have run over hundreds of zombies walking around.
This kind of thing really really annoys me, as the cyclist in question could have really hurt the pedestrian. Luckily, he took a tumble to avoid the pedestrian, but I know that this isn't always the case. Just when will these people realise that they do need to apply a modicum of common sense.
 
DannyDan said:
Yup, many cyclists are idiots who think that they are exempt from the rules and don't have to stop for anything.

he took a tumble to avoid the pedestrian


read the thread ?

sounds like he stopped to me

he WAS obeying the rules too


its the pedestrians who are *****
 
Ok back in the old days when I was a kid the crossing lights were quite simple. The red man was up, you stand and wait. The green man is up and you may walk. When the green man starts flashing you get out the road bacause the traffic lights are about to change. Simple common sense tells you that if there is no man lit then the light is broken.

These days in London this is how it goes: Traffic light goes red, 30 second wait and both red traffic light and red man at crossing, green man lights, green man goes out (and both lights are unlit) 30 second wait, red man comes up for 30 seconds, traffic is still sitting stationary but getting impatient now, pedestrians don't know what's going on and start to cross again getting impatient, traffic light goes green and people have to run out the road and cars can't pull off because the road is occupied.

Is it just me or was the old well thought out method better?
 
So, wait Mr Sukebe. You saw a cyclist take a tumble to avoid hitting a pedestrian who was crossing against a red light?

Bit of a misleading thread title. Should be "London pedestrians- grrr...." :mad:
 
sung said:
So, wait Mr Sukebe. You saw a cyclist take a tumble to avoid hitting a pedestrian who was crossing against a red light?

Bit of a misleading thread title. Should be "London pedestrians- grrr...." :mad:

Sound like Mr. Cyclist wasn't actually looking ahead further than the end of his nose. Unfortunately watching out for brain dead pedestrians is a mandatory skill for using the road system in cities.
 
Dogbreath said:
Sound like Mr. Cyclist wasn't actually looking ahead further than the end of his nose. Unfortunately watching out for brain dead pedestrians is a mandatory skill for using the road system in cities.

I agree with you completely there.

But, when a collision does happen where the cyclist technically isn't at fault, like in this case, the general consensus is still to blame the cyclist. The cyclist should've done this/that, instead of just saying "dozy, stupid pedestrian."
 
sung said:
I agree with you completely there.

But, when a collision does happen where the cyclist technically isn't at fault, like in this case, the general consensus is still to blame the cyclist. The cyclist should've done this/that, instead of just saying "dozy, stupid pedestrian."

I meant what I said in the thread title.
The cyclist may have had the right of way, but that is NOT an excuse for putting himself into a position where he very nearly runs down a pedestrian.
As already mentioned, some pedestrians are idiots, but that doesn't mean that car drivers should automatically mow them down.

All I'm asking for is for the cyclists here to show a little more common sense, something that they often seem to be devoid of.
 
DannyDan said:
Yup, many pedestrians are idiots who think that they are exempt from the rules and don't have to stop for anything.

The cyclist wasn't in the wrong. Hell he even fell off to avoid the stupid pedestrian.

Us cyclists can't win. Car drivers hate us for using their roads, and pedestrians hate us for using the pavement even if we can because it is a cycle lane!!!

Anyway, most cyclists do follow the rules...well I do.
 
I'm a London cyclist and the amount of (sweary) that we have to put up with, from both pedestrians and road users is ridiculous. However, as has been discussed numerous times before, there are a lot of cyclists who choose to break the rules of the road, which in my mind is silly for the most part.
 
LordSplodge said:
The cyclist wasn't in the wrong. Hell he even fell off to avoid the stupid pedestrian.

I think the point is that had he actualy been paying attention he wouldn't have had to fall off. Equally the pedestrain should have had his or her brain engaged before crossing the road.
 
Mr_Sukebe said:
I meant what I said in the thread title.
The cyclist may have had the right of way, but that is NOT an excuse for putting himself into a position where he very nearly runs down a pedestrian.

Everyone who uses a road puts themself in a position to run down a pedestrian. How about pedestrians actually follow the green cross code? When I was a lad they actually taught the green cross code, schools around here don't bother anymore. Why?
 
Mr_Sukebe said:
As already mentioned, some pedestrians are idiots, but that doesn't mean that car drivers should automatically mow them down.

Pedestrians have a respect for cars, which they don't have for cyclists. That same dozy pedestrian would not have stepped out in front of a car, but since it was "only" a bicycle coming at him at 20mph, it's ok to do so. Then when the cyclist falls off avoiding him, it's still the cyclists fault! :confused:

I get this all the time cycling in London. Pedestrians step out in front of me when I am on my bicycle, but very rarely when I am driving. Funny that. The pedestrians assume you as a cyclist will avoid them (by braking or swerving), and then get all flustered when you don't.

Mr_Sukebe said:
All I'm asking for is for the cyclists here to show a little more common sense, something that they often seem to be devoid of.

I would say that most cyclists DO have common sense. There will always be individuals who don't follow the law, but that is true for most things.
 
sung said:
Pedestrians have a respect for cars, which they don't have for cyclists. That same dozy pedestrian would not have stepped out in front of a car, but since it was "only" a bicycle coming at him at 20mph, it's ok to do so. Then when the cyclist falls off avoiding him, it's still the cyclists fault!

Maybe I've driven more in London than you then, as I've had blind/oblvious/stupid/ignorant pedestrians walk about infront of me and other cars numerous times. Yet somehow, I've never actually seen a car run one down. Maybe it's because as car drivers we know we'll do them a lot more damage, whereas bike riders might only break their legs...
 
Do you cycle in London, Mr_Sukebe?

Getting down to semantics a little bit, but it is a regular thing for a pedestrian to look at me and step out in front of me when I am on a bicycle, and a much rarer occurence for that to happen when I am driving.

I don't think it's a case of the driver/cyclist knowing how much damage they can cause the pedestrian and thus watching out for them. It's a case of the pedestrian not realising that a cyclist going at a decent pace can hurt them an awful lot too.

I am for moderation- yes, the cyclist does need to keep an eye out for pedestrians, but pedestrians need to learn respect for cyclists too, and keep out of there way when crossing, just as they would avoid cars.
 
Mr_Sukebe said:
Maybe I've driven more in London than you then, as I've had blind/oblvious/stupid/ignorant pedestrians walk about infront of me and other cars numerous times. Yet somehow, I've never actually seen a car run one down. Maybe it's because as car drivers we know we'll do them a lot more damage, whereas bike riders might only break their legs...

Cars hardly move in London I was there on Tuesday and it took an hour to drive 7 miles. :eek:
 
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