Had to emergency stop going through the traffic lights

[timwilky]

Because some idiot on a push bike thinks a red light does not apply to him.

Why do they do it. I hit brakes then horn watching mirror to make sure poor sod behind me doesn't run up my chuff.

I get a mouthful of abuse for my crime of sounding the horn.

Why oh why is my first instinct to brake and not the preservation of my back end from a possible head in the cloud driver behind. Then again would this two wheeled idiot have the insurance to pay for the damage if I had not reacted to his manoeuvre?

[WayneL]

Who gave you the abuse for using the horn? The cyclist?

[timwilky]

yes, called me a firking anchor, could not hear him properly. Car driver stopped at the lights undertaken by cyclist simply shook his head in disbelief at what he had just witnessed. I feel that I was lucky to stay upright, especially with all the rain that has been falling.

[WayneL]

That would really annoy me. A lot of motorists misunderstand the horn and automatically view it's use as aggression, when this is often not the case, particularly on motorbikes. At least everyone's ok.

[ClunkintheUK]

Eurgh, I hate cyclist that jump red lights. (I say this as a commuter cyclist who clocks up more miles on the commuter than I do on my motorised transport). I especially hate is as it then cars feel they are entitled to ignore two-wheeled road users. Personnally i'd have run him over, then taken his bike to cover damage costs.

acehole.

[Nobbylad]

You should just run into them next time. Darwinian method of improving the gene pool towards people who have enough brain capacity to use the road properly.

Girl in work knocked over last week whilst crossing at a pedestrian crossing with the green man visible. Cyclist runs her over, gets up off the floor then gives her dogs abuse for not looking whilst crossing the road....WTF?!

[ClunkintheUK]

One of my favourite things I wish i could do in time is "point something out" to someone and clothesline the cyclist as he jumps the light. hmm perhaps I have a bit of road rage.

[ravingdavis]

If you had of hit the cyclist you would have been your fault if he was injured. I had this explained to me by one of London's finest when I had a pedestrian walk out into the road in front of me at a crossing in London last year.

It's stupid.

[SoulKiss]

If you had of hit the cyclist you would have been your fault if he was injured. I had this explained to me by one of London's finest when I had a pedestrian walk out into the road in front of me at a crossing in London last year.

It's stupid.

Maybe not.

Pedestrians always have right of way in law.

However a Cyclist is NOT a pedestrian, so it may be different.

Also do not go on what a plod tells you in the street, I once had one tell me that the reason they do not police known crossings where cyclists run red lights regularly is because there is nothing they can do about it, he seemed surprised when I informed him that he could levy a £60 Fixed Penalty and add points to any Driving License said cyclist holds.

[Luckypants]

Pedestrians always have right of way in law.Citation please!

IIRC A pedestrian (or any other road user) only has right of way if they are already in a road you wish to turn into. If you are driving down the road and the pedestrian steps out in front of you, they do not automatically have right of way.

[SoulKiss]

Citation please!

IIRC A pedestrian (or any other road user) only has right of way if they are already in a road you wish to turn into. If you are driving down the road and the pedestrian steps out in front of you, they do not automatically have right of way.


Ok so got that one wrong.

Thinking about it, I think I got my misinformation from a policeman via another .orger.

I think it was Lucas (or maybe Sudoxe) that got pulled after pulling away at a crossroads while as the light changes to green, but some girls started crossing (incorrectly) the pedestrian crossing at the other side of the junction and he didn't wait for them to completely clear the crossing before he went over it (tho nowhere near them).

[ClunkintheUK]

However a Cyclist is NOT a pedestrian, so it may be different.



I think cyclist are different. They are subject to most of the same rules of the road and are counted as vehicles, at least according to the highway code (can you tell I just did my theory test?).

The other side of the coin for the cyclist is (I can't remember who first said it on the .org) "You can be Dead Right or Dead Wrong, either way you still end up dead."

[Fallout]

People on phones ... mad cyclists ... everyone's out to kill us. I think it's time we all invested in these ...

http://photos.imageevent.com/motorbiker/newspics/Combat-motorcycle.jpg

[Bluepete]

Maybe not.

Pedestrians always have right of way in law.

However a Cyclist is NOT a pedestrian, so it may be different.

Also do not go on what a plod tells you in the street, I once had one tell me that the reason they do not police known crossings where cyclists run red lights regularly is because there is nothing they can do about it, he seemed surprised when I informed him that he could levy a £60 Fixed Penalty and add points to any Driving License said cyclist holds.


Ok, I'll admit, I haven't heard of that either. Give a thick copper some idea where that is written in law please.

Pete ;)

[Bibio]

after a certain age i've always believed that cyclists come under the same laws/highway code rules as motorists. i don't know if fines/convictions can be put against a licence though.

years ago (14-15) one of my mates got done with drunk in charge of a pushbike. if you got caught with no lights you were told to get off and push the bike home and if the bobby was going the same way he used to walk with you just to teach you a lesson. if you got caught riding on a pavement you got a clip around the lug if you got caught again you got taken to the blue box of doom.

now it seems you can do what the feck you want if your on a pushbike.

[embee]

No idea, but is it one of those things where generally speaking no particular means of transport has any legal priority over another on the highway, so a pedestrian has as much right as a car?
That's another thing, as I understand it the highway is exactly that, and no-one actually has any right as such to park on it, the clue is in the name. This is of course overlooked in our modern world.
I love these legal pedantricacies (yes, made that word up). Anyone remember A.P Herbert's "Misleading Cases" with Alastair Simm and Roy Dotrice? Ooops, said that out loud, didn't I?

[Paul the 6th]

after a certain age i've always believed that cyclists come under the same laws/highway code rules as motorists. i don't know if fines/convictions can be put against a licence though.

years ago (14-15) one of my mates got done with drunk in charge of a pushbike. if you got caught with no lights you were told to get off and push the bike home and if the bobby was going the same way he used to walk with you just to teach you a lesson. if you got caught riding on a pavement you got a clip around the lug if you got caught again you got taken to the blue box of doom.

now it seems you can do what the feck you want if your on a pushbike.


About 8 years ago I remember seeing 2 young lads with scooters (L-plated) pushing their bikes down the motorway with a traffic car behind them at about 3mph & all the blues on... :smt082

[DJFridge]

Cyclists who run red lights should be taken out and shot in front of their families.

[littleoldman2]

How do you find their Dad.

[DJFridge]

Well indeed. How do THEY find their dads, seeing as they're all barstewards?

[tj2]

Where I live it appears that cyclists have a "cyclists right of way" and the highway code does not apply ie. cycling clubs riding the lanes 4 and 5 abreast..... NSL roads with barely 2 lanes. No insurance. The motorist would pick up any fine or insurance claim that was made for any accident that occured. I FECKIN HATE CYCLISTS THAT CAN DO NO WRONG






















Rant over

Terry :-)

[Bibio]

How do you find their Dad.

:winner:

[metalangel]

I FECKIN HATE CYCLISTS THAT CAN DO NO WRONG

Oh but they're saving the planet don't you know?

Interesting thing I was told: In the Netherlands, if you're driving along and some goon on his bicycle overshoots a give way line straight into your path and you hit him, it's your fault.

I was incredulous but the (Dutch) guy who told me insisted that it was true.

[appollo1]

Where i Live (St Andrews) is a huge university town with mostly foreign students. A lot of them cycle but have no idea about the hassle and near misses that they cause.

At night they ride along without any lights wearing dark clothes. Regularly ride along one way streets the wrong way. They have no regard for pedestrians using zebra crossings.

Recently my kids nearly got knocked over on a zebra crossing. I always make sure my kids are safety concious(sp) when crossing roads and we checked that the cars had stopped to let us cross when i noticed this prat making his way past the cars at speed with his shopping bags hanging from the handlebars and his huge headphones on his head. I told my kids to wait and stepped out then stopped right in front of him. He had to stop and nearly fell off his bike as he had no balance due to the bags. I pointed out that he would have hit my kids and should have stopped. In his broken English accent he basically told me to F off.

I was annoyed that he would have knocked my kids over but even more annoyed that he used language like that at me in front of my kids. He decided that he still had right of way and started to pedal off again. I was furious and as he moved away i kicked his back wheel hoping to make him fall off, but all i did was kick his spokes and nearly get my foot caught in them!!! grrrr

[punyXpress]

Times like that you need a stout stick to poke in his spokes and . . . ;)

[Winder]

I work in Esher in Surrey which is part of the 2012 cycle route, thousands of cyclists descend on the roads at weekends to cycle the route and often ride 3 or 4 abreast blocking the entire lane and causing traffic. When in the traffic caused by cyclists other cyclists then overtake and undertake you about an inch away from the car leaving no room to manoeuvre if needed. Tossers

[BBadger]

I work in Esher in Surrey which is part of the 2012 cycle route, thousands of cyclists descend on the roads at weekends to cycle the route and often ride 3 or 4 abreast blocking the entire lane and causing traffic. When in the traffic caused by cyclists other cyclists then overtake and undertake you about an inch away from the car leaving no room to manoeuvre if needed. Tossers

Tell me about it, im stuck in my house as the route as it loops round all of molesey grrrr!
And they decide to block all the best bits of riding road outside cobham aswell.
Is it bad when they do this on the portsmouth road i just get in the middle of them all and keep making progress through the gaps.:smt092

[appollo1]

on the road from my house into St Andrews there is a cycle path running alongside the road. Regularly (mostly weekends) there are cyclists 2 or 3 abreast using the road and not the cycle path causing cars, buses etc to go at 20mph which is very dangerous as it is quite a fast road. a few months ago i was trying to get past a group of about 20 cyclists. when i finaly had a gap to pass them i realised that my windscreen was dirty so i applied the screen wash, unbeknown to me was the fact that the nozzle nearest the pavement was pointing into the kerb away from the window. i do believe that in looking in my mirror i witnessed the majority of them wiping their faces as i drove off!!

[EssexDave]

Just going to play devil's advocate here.

I don't think it's clear from the OP but what if:

cyclist goes through light on green just as it goes to red. He's not going very fast.
He DOES have right of way, as he has gone through the lights when green and it is the traffic coming through the now green set of lights who has to make sure their path is clear.

it sounds like from the OP that it was a blatant jumping of a red light - in which case fair play but you have to bear in mind cyclists do not necessarily have the power of a car and may be slower.

A lot of accidents on the road could be avoided - both cars, motorbikes, push bikes and pedestrians with a bit more understanding and patience on all sides.

Two wrongs certainly do not make a right, but cyclists get the rotten deal on the roads - forced to ride where there is a good chance of muck and potholes or broken up roads, lots of traffic lights around town put in place to stop motorised traffic accidents and it makes cycling a lot harder. That is not to say that I condone jumping a red light - they are there for a reason but a lot of the behaviour by cyclists I should imagine is born out of feeling like the ones being penalised regularly by other road users.

People should get used to cyclists being on the road - and it has nothing to do with saving the planet.

1. Fuel prices are increasing way ahead of inflation and will continue to do so.
2. Vehicle Excise duty gets expensive on cars and insurance can be expensive
3. It keeps you fit and is a good way to get around - I can cycle to my work (7 miles) faster than I can get there in the car.

Obviously there are quite a few things cyclists do that irritate other road users - but I can tell you about 15+ times where car drivers have done something that would have killed me if I had not taken action on my push bike and being motorcyclists you should all understand that.

[SuzukiNess]

A lot of accidents on the road could be avoided - both cars, motorbikes, push bikes and pedestrians with a bit more understanding and patience on all sides.



i would add: consideration and common sense...

[BBadger]

i would add: consideration and common sense...

Im sure most of us always do, and give room, dont do dangerous manoeuvres, but when they ride 3 a breast so they can have "a chat" thats when i get annoyed.

[Dipper]

Im sure most of us always do, and give room, dont do dangerous manoeuvres, but when they ride 3 a breast so they can have "a chat" thats when i get annoyed.

The point made by the previous two posts was about tolerance, I'm sure we can all come up with bad behaiviour from all forms of vehicle.

[timwilky]

EssexDave, let me make this perfectly clear.

I was in a stream of traffic going through a green light, the bicyclist undertook the car stopped against the stream I was in and rode straight across in front of me. He was looking at me as he did it. He was aware I was there, he simply expected me to stop from 30mph or to ride round him which under the peeing it down rod conditions were both manoeuvres I didn't like to take. As it was I opted for the brakes.

Yes we should have tolerance towards each other. Motorists, bikers and pushbikers. But when deliberate actions of one impede or put in danger the second, then tolerance goes out the window. I just do not understand this morel highground some pushbikers adopt when they mess up and try to convince themselves they have not done anything wrong.

As bikers we know we have a responsibility to ourselves not to put ourselves in danger. Or more simply put most have experienced pain hurts and don't want a repeat. Nobody but a fool would risk riding/driving through a red light. So why do pushbikers do it? Damm answered my question in the proceeding sentence.

[Dipper]

So why do some pushbikers do it?

Corrected and agree with your sentiments, this can be a bit of a catch 22, some cyclists justify their bad behaviour because they are treated badly by other road users and some road users justify treating cylists badly because of cyclists bad behaviour.

[EssexDave]

Fair enough Tim - as I said I didn't think it was clear from your OP (But I was being lazy and read it earlier and came back and posted)

The issue is - not you so much from your post but a lot of the other comments here are slating pushbikers as a lot of car driver slate motorcyclists.

That is general down to a minority rather than a majority.

Some of us are very considerate on the road.

[Nobbylad]

And most of the comments in reply were acknowledgements/examples of people experiencing the 'common trait' of cyclists ignoring red lights, especially darn sarf.

I am a motorist, a motorcyclist, a cyclist and a pedestrian, at no time would I skip a red light.

[Sid Squid]

I think it was Lucas (or maybe Sudoxe) that got pulled.
I have a feeling that may have been Bill.

[SoulKiss]

I have a feeling that may have been Bill.

And actually I think you are right.