Why do bicycles get bus lane sign 'green lights'?

[21QUEST]

Originally Posted by philbut

I agree to a point but then you get into a situation where by pedestrians would need to take a licence before they could cross the road. Hitting a ped in the car will cause as much damage as a cyclist to your paintwork and THEY don't have insurance. By haveing a licence to drive a motorised vehicle you have (or should have) been deemed sensible enough to appreciate that more vunerable and less qualified road users such as peds and cyclists will not have the same level of training and road craft as you, and as such should expect them to do stupid stuff - you have a duty of care to them in other words, as the road user who can cause more injury and is better protected should look out for the idiots.

As bikers we know that car drivers are sometimes not as aware as a biker. The same applies to cyclists - you must allow for the fact they may have less training than you, and EXPECT them to behave in a way which you might not want them to.

A good post here.

I'd also add, I've seen cars , bikers almost take a cyclist out simple because they haven't noticed(or have decided to disregard) the very obvious signs telling them the cyclist is look to carry ut a maneuver.

Here's a tip...if a cyclist looks over their should, then comon sense should suggest, they are looking to change direction etc. Yet, time and time again, I see dim wits completely ignore that and then moan about the cyclist.

In a nutshell, every other motorist can't drive/ride and I wish they'd vacate the roads and stick to buses...hang on!! I hate buses as well



Cheers
Ben

Originally Posted by McK

Just to give you my take on things as Ive been cycling around London for a few years now (dont worry, getting a real bike again now).

I often jump red lights and zebra crossings. I dont do it to get where Im going faster or to look cool but to get the hell away from all the idiots in their cages who are constantly trying to kill me.

Jumping a red light allows you to get away from big turnings where cars often do the stupidest things without checking for cyclists. It also means that if you're going straight ahead, you have a jump start on the cars which means they *should* have plenty of time to actually see you and be aware of you as you're in front of them. Basically I follow the idea of aggressive road positioning to make other road users aware of you.

It may be illegal but when laws interfere with my right to not get splatted all across the road, those laws take second place. I call this the common sense approach.

This isn't to say I zoom through traffic lights with no regard, but if I can put space between myself and cars, I take it. Cycling is much like motorbiking - its up to you not to get into a crash as you're always going to come off worse. However cyclists cant accelerate out of a trouble, or sometimes brake in time. We also dont have the same advantage of being able to hold our place in the line of traffic due to the speed we're going. Instead we're forced into the most potholed, debris filed part of the road squeezed up against the kerb so we need to make sure that whatever we can do to make ourselves less of a target we do and that includes not being in the firing line (ie near cars).

Really surprised to find bikers moaning about cyclists as both groups often suffer due to the inattention of car/van/bus/lorry drivers who've got better things to do than, y'know, pay attention to where they're going and whats around them.

My 2p and hope that helps.

edit give some love to our 2 wheeled brethren who like to enjoy the feel of the wind in their hair!

i agree with what you say

what i dont agree with is that cyclists dont have to where a helmet whats with that abviously common sence plays a part as most commuters where a helmet but some dont and i think thats stupid as they are more at risk than us motorcyclists (in some situations) where i used to live a young girl aged 9ish (i was about 7ish) was with her mum both riding there own bikes and a car came a long and dident see the girl and had just hit her off the bike.... next day she was dead guess why.. No helemt and fell face first on to a curb and bare in mind this was in a rural area so not just city's that need a helmet policy

and i think evory one should have to take a theory type test befor been alowed on the road

Originally Posted by barwel1992

and i think evory one should have to take a theory type test befor been alowed on the road

Tricky to enforce without massive legislation etc and cost, but maybe a free leaflet being compulsory with every new bike with basic rules of the road and how to stay alive would be a good idea - people may choose not to read it but it might be of use to some who have NO experience of the roads at all.

yeh the down side is always going to be money :/

they should also enforce the cycling proficiency test thing that i did in junior school so kids at least get some knowledge of the roads and how to ride on them

[fizzwheel]

Helmets & Insurance I agree with.

I still dont see how licensing is going to stop a determind idiot jumping a red light / riding down a one way street against the flow of traffic. Just like how you are supposed to have a car license, but many people drive when they dont have one.

For those of you who think its cool or funny to have a pop at a cyclist when you are in your cage, Might I suggest you read this thread and see it from the other side.

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewt...er=asc&start=0

Might I draw your attention to the post where a chap had a knife pulled on him, and another chap who got pushed off his bike and broke his pelvis, now if somebody pushed you off your SV when you were minding your own busines, you'd all be crowing for their blood, yet because its a cyclist that makes it OK does it ?

[hindle8907]

Its terrible that people get this kind of abuse just because they ride a bicycle, and i don't agree with any kind of abuse, sorry to here you guys get this kind of stick.

Its soo funny how some people are seeing this a thread of abuse towards cyclists.

As stated, morons drive and ride all things, including motorbikes. But I'm not constantly dodging motorbikes and cars down one way streets.

Maybe its the cyclists here in London, who knows? Why would we bash cyclists. We're all on two wheels and I'm sure most here started out on a bicycle.

Its just what penalty does a moron on a bicycle get if he caused the death of a motorcyclist, or another cyclist through poor cycling and not adhering to the rules of the road. We know what would happen to the moron in a car or a bike who did that.

This argument can easily be flipped, and some can turn around and say well what about skateboards, rollerbladers, etc. Fine, but when cycling becomes more and more popular, and more take to the streets, then their actions do have a significant impact on other peoples.

I can't see how there would be a bicycle test. Perhaps the police should just say that cyclists are expected to obey the highway code, and if they don't, they face a fine, etc.

Fines and points are never gonna stop cagers/bikers etc doing dangerous things, but it makes people less inclined to constantly push their luck, and sets the repeat offenders straight (we hope anyway). Perhaps something similar in terms of monetary losses for hooligan cyclists.

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by 21QUEST

Here's a tip...if a cyclist looks over their should, then comon sense should suggest, they are looking to change direction etc. Yet, time and time again, I see dim wits completely ignore that and then moan about the cyclist.

Just a thought but when I'm on the push iron I tend to do a lot of shoulder checks (when intending to proceed straight on), I like to know where the caged morons actually are and hate not having mirrors!

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

Might I draw your attention to the post where a chap had a knife pulled on him, and another chap who got pushed off his bike and broke his pelvis, now if somebody pushed you off your SV when you were minding your own busines, you'd all be crowing for their blood, yet because its a cyclist that makes it OK does it ?

I've had a bit of shouting from the odd group of chavs. Wish it were legal to carry some CS, or better yet full-fat frag grenades... But that's just chavs and inbred dribbling mongs in general. Nothing special because you're a lycraist, they attack normal people walking down the road all the time too.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

But that's just chavs and inbred dribbling mongs in general. Nothing special because you're a lycraist, they attack normal people walking down the road all the time too.

Too true. I've had eggs and all sorts chucked at me back home just for walking down the street. I'm +1 for the frag grenades. Do everyone a favour and take a sh*t car plus a load of little to$$ers of the roads for a while

Originally Posted by thulfi

I can't see how there would be a bicycle test. Perhaps the police should just say that cyclists are expected to obey the highway code, and if they don't, they face a fine, etc.

Fines and points are never gonna stop cagers/bikers etc doing dangerous things, but it makes people less inclined to constantly push their luck, and sets the repeat offenders straight (we hope anyway). Perhaps something similar in terms of monetary losses for hooligan cyclists.

But they already do!! Obviously they cannot get points but they can get either reported or issued with non-endorsables.

There are charges of careless cycling, drunk cycling, dangerous cycling...not that I have ever actually managed to use them.