London cyclists - grrrrrrrr

Rossmac · 9 Aug 2007 at 14:19

Pyscho_Si said:
Confused ... is that directed at the cyclist or the pedestrian?

Look on the brightside, makes a change for a cyclist not going through a red light and hitting someone!

Oh definately the cyclist.

I have no problem with cyclists who obey the rules of the road and take care when travelling (ie. looking about them....), but it's the cyclists who think they can do whatever they want whenever they want that annoys me.

Same for mopeds and small bikes.

Green light at the pedestrian crossing and all the cars are waiting as they should, and along comes a cyclist breaking the sound barrier, wizzing through about 15 people. Generic idiots.

alexthecheese · 9 Aug 2007 at 14:22

LordSplodge said:
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.

Im a cyclist and that's it for me. The problem here is the numpties crossing the road without due care and attention. You even say he's in the right, and then someone follows it up with 'Scum'. That makes sense.

And luckily he took a tumble? I would rather he piled into the pedestrian to teach them a lesson. Where I live, when the trains empty the commuters in the evening people act like sheep and just dawdle across - some woman almost took me out the other week. I made sure she knew!

The problem with cyclists is they have a lot to deal with - cars never give enough room, pedestrians cross without looking and even if they do often still continue to cross, and you're subject to the elements all at the same time. Wind, rain, crappy roads, drains... it's difficult, and must be even more so in London.

SpeedFreak · 9 Aug 2007 at 16:54

I went over my handlebars last year when a pedestrian stepped out in front of me. He didn't look and I had no time to slam on my brakes. They are damn good brakes, helce I went flying. The **** just shrugged and walked off while I lay on the ground.

In this case I can't see how the cyclist is really at fault. It's just giving a forum for those with a grudge to have a dig.

My age old arguement is thus:

How many cylists are killed every year by cars on the road?

How many pedestrians used to be killed every year by cyclists when legal?

Jonny ///M · 9 Aug 2007 at 17:35

Good on the guy for taking the tumple. I have been using the road more and more and you do turn round to watch for traffic.

Coming up to a roundabout im looking at the people waiting to come on to it,i look behind me to see what might hit me or not give me enough room and im looking left and right as im going onto the roundabout.

Matteh · 9 Aug 2007 at 17:55

Rossmac said:
Oh definately the cyclist.

I have no problem with cyclists who obey the rules of the road and take care when travelling (ie. looking about them....), but it's the cyclists who think they can do whatever they want whenever they want that annoys me.

Same for mopeds and small bikes.

Green light at the pedestrian crossing and all the cars are waiting as they should, and along comes a cyclist breaking the sound barrier, wizzing through about 15 people. Generic idiots.

Engage your brain and read the thread.

I cycle 22 miles in London everyday and whilst I aggree that there are a number of cyclists with very poor road skills it is totally stupid to label them all 'scum'. I am one of the cyclists that does follow the rules of the road, obeys red lights and zebra crossings and look ahead of me an pay attention yet there are still times when I get very nearly taken off by an ignorant driver/pedestrian.

The fact of the matter is that some pedestrians WILL see you, WILL make eye contact with you and WILL STILL proceed to walk out in front of you when they are being shown a red man. They expect cyclists to stop or avoid them. I think a lot of pedestrians really do underestimate the speed of a bike but thats not an excuse.

I don't see why the cyclist is such a menace in the case in the OP, he perhaps just lacked a little anticipation. As for it being 'lucky' that he took a tumble instead of hitting the dozy beggar that didnt look before they crossed the road - He probably only did it to save himself - pedestrians tend to hurt you and your bike more.

Duke · 9 Aug 2007 at 18:10

I hate it when cyclists think they take up no room on the road, and ignore giving way to the right on roundabouts (particularly mini ones), causing me to nearly go into them :rolleyes:

They just carry on and pretend nothing exists around them.

Jonny ///M · 9 Aug 2007 at 18:29

Duke said:
I hate it when cyclists think they take up no room on the road, and ignore giving way to the right on roundabouts (particularly mini ones), causing me to nearly go into them They just carry on and pretend nothing exists around them.

Have you tried to get a bike up to speed from a standstill? I have been caught out a few time when pulling onto busy roundabouts. It can go from,im clear...to uh oh a car is at my arse very quickly.

If they were just canning it......then they probably didnt want to lose momentum

Matteh · 9 Aug 2007 at 19:59

To be honest, there are a lot of bad cyclists out there that do think they own the road. It's very annoying for cyclists that don't ride like idiots because we all get tarred with the same brush - a bit like young drivers.

Having had someone walk out in front of me on the way home (I was able to stop in time, and it wasn't at a crossing or anything) and having read the thread originally at work it got me thinking..

When did it become OK for people to not look before crossing the road? This doesn't specifically apply to bikes, but everything on the road.. You should always look.

That would have meant the situation in the OP wouldn't have arisen either...

mosfet · 9 Aug 2007 at 20:35

The anti-bike lobby on here really need to get out and have a ride through London to realise quite how difficult and dangerous it is.

Pedestrians in general are oblivious to you and will happily cross the road whilst staring in your direction; bus, taxi and van drivers don't give you any space or leeway, and drivers in general give you no sympathy whatsoever.

At the end of the day, I'm one less car for them to be stuck behind.